National Women’s Education Center of Japan

Seven Japanese-Filipino children (JFC) and three female staff members of the Filipino NGO “DAWN (Development Action for Women Network)” headed by Carmelita Nuqui, the Executive Director, visited NWEC from May 7th through 9th. This is DAWN’s third visit to NWEC.
With an office in Manila, DAWN supports Filipino women with children fathered by Japanese men and their children, mainly by supporting women’s independence and providing legal and financial assistance to both mother and her children It also cooperates with international symposiums, research, and development of awareness-raising programs through a study on trafficking in persons initiated by NWEC in fiscal 2005.
This year, the party from DAWN visited the six cities of Tokyo, Niigata, Saitama (NWEC), Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka between May 1st and 16th, where they performed a children’s musical; engaged in exchange with local citizens, international organizations and human rights organizations; and visited schools. The main program during their visit to NWEC, comprised: 1) an experimental workshop; 2) a visit to an elementary school; and 3) interaction with the community.
At Yoshimi Municipal Nishigaoka Elementary School, which warmly accepted DAWN’s visit, the visitors engaged in exchange in the form of song and dance with a class of fifth grade students. Although JFC usually speak in Tagalog, they can speak a little English and Japanese. The JFC performed Japanese and Tagalog songs and dances, sang “It’s a Small World” accompanied by the 5th graders on their recorders, and spent an enjoyable time interacting with the cheerful Nishigaoka Elementary School students through gestures and body language. The JFC were also warmly received by the school principal, the homeroom teacher, other members of staff and parents responsible for school publications.
Held over a two-week period each year, DAWN’s study tours offer JFC in the Philippines an opportunity to reflect on their identity as a JFC through song, dance and Japanese language study. Accordingly, this year’s musical depicted family relationships and issues and problems faced by children of dual nationality. During their stay at NWEC, two of the children were reunited with their fathers. Moreover, during their tour in Japan, contact was established with the fathers of a number of children in the Philippines who were unable to come to Japan on this occasion.
We sincerely hope this tour afforded a large number of people in Japan an opportunity to gain even a little insight into the issues and realities confronting these women and children.
NWEC will continue this research in cooperation with DAWN, and pursue policies for programs to support such women and children in the Philippines.

※ Japanese-Filipino children (JFC) refers to mixed-race children of Japanese and Filipino parentage. In most cases, the father is Japanese and the mother Filipino.