Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson signed a Memorandum of Agreement with OISCA International, Japan and OISCA Bago Training Center (OBTC) for a three-month Japanese Language and Culture Training of nine scholars bound for Japan in a virtual meeting at the Governor’s Office, yesterday (Nov. 15).
OISCA International, Japan was represented by its Secretary-General Yasuaki Nagaishi while OISCA Bago Training Center was represented by its Director, Shigemi Watanabe.
This program is a pioneering collaboration between the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental and OISCA International, Japan on education and employment for highly-skilled young Negrense professionals.
This scholarship program is aimed at providing and opening doors of opportunities to Negrenses to be able to study and eventually work in Japan by honing their skills in Japanese language and culture.
The MOA states that the Provincial Government will set and allocate budget for the Japanese language course at OISCA Bago Training Center on a study now, pay later scheme as pre-departure training required by Japan and provide assistance for visa processing and Japanese Proficiency Test while OISCA International will take charge of the processing of the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and Working Visa of the qualified scholars; look for companies interested in assisting the scholars with a three-month JLPT in preparation for the N3 examination and matching these companies with the education, training and skills of the scholars they want to hire as well as provide airfares of the scholars to Japan, while OBTC will facilitate the venue and food accommodation and Japanese language training in the Province.
OBTC Director Shigemi Watanabe expressed his gratitude to the governor for supporting this program for the young professionals. He said that the screening process of OISCA International was very rigid although it was done virtually because the applicants must meet the qualification standards required by the companies.
OISCA International Secretary-General Nagaishi said that OISCA was established in 1961 and this year, the organization marks its 60th Anniversary. He said that OISCA International celebrates the various programs they have initiated like youth development, agriculture, children’s forest program and reforestation in the Philippines. He added that Japan is currently facing a shortage of manpower while Philippines has excess of qualified professionals willing to work in Japan. “I think that this program is beneficial to both Japan and Philippines,” he further added.
The MOA signing was facilitated by the Negros Occidental Scholarship Program Division led by Karen Dinsay who also presented the rationale of the program.
