OUR PROGRAM

Objectives

1. To conduct training programs for the setting up and capacity building of Filipino communities and organizations in Japan in producing and distributing information and communication media in print and over the internet.

2. To establish a consortium together with communities and organizations of Filipinos in Japan who will in turn works for the production and distribution of information and communication media all over the country. The aims of the consortium are:

a. To serve as catalyst in the development of active participation of Filipinos and other foreign migrants in the field of information and communication media.

b. To share skills and resources in producing and distributing information and communication media.

c. To collectively work for self-help and self-sufficiency of each organization and the consortium's in itself in sustaining the production and distribution of information and communication media services.

d. To serve as the training, advocacy and networking center on media education that deals with the promotion and protection of migrants’ rights and welfare, explore all means of involvement of foreign migrants in suitable media space available within the society, and other related activities.

Program rationale

Starting 1980’s, the massive Filipino migration to Japan produces abrupt increase in number of Japanese-Filipino families. Today, in just nearly over twenty years, around a hundred thousands entered into Japanese-Filipino marriages now living together in Japan as whole family or as single mother-children family. This figure continue to soar as the Japanese Embassy in Manila says that yearly around 6000 Japanese spouse visa are issued to Japan bound Filipina.

This rapid increase in number of Japanese-Filipino marriage is a new phenomenon that gives pressure to the closed society of Japan to accommodate necessary changes. Fortunately at present time there are efforts from foreign migrants and its Japanese support groups to build Japan’s multicultural society. But members of the Japanese-Filipino families, especially the mothers and their children, need to realize that they are part and parcel of the growing movement for societal change not only in Japan as well as influencing those in the Philippines.”

For the past twenty years of massive influx of foreign migrants in Japan particularly Filipinos marrying Japanese, the first ten years is seen as period of solving problems brought about by the newness of the situation. The following decade starts to curb the condition courtesy of volunteer support organizations for foreign migrants from church based programs to citizens’ advocacy networks for foreign migrants’ rights. Today is the time for foreign migrants’ to collectively stand on their own feet as strong community to face their own issues and concerns. And now is the time wherein foreign migrants’ communities be raised as a strong voice and the media to inform and to communicate is most wanted.

Target collaborative efforts

The program has collaborative work that aims to have a common story to search, write or keep in photographs for publishing as a subject. In particular, in our home page link, The Search for the Most Acclaimed Stories of People with Two Hearts, will be an assignment for all invloved in the information and communication media project. This also serves as an open invitation to all and we are soliciting contributions from everybody in building digitally the antrhopological facts of Filipino lives in Japan for the benefit of Japan's general public most especially the coming generations of Japanese-Filipinos.

For more informations please send email to: cjff@zau.att.ne.jp