Saitama Prefecture Embarks on a New Project in Cebu

Japan’s Saitama Prefecture sent representatives in Cebu to explore on possible job placement.

This developed as Saitama pursued to widen its partnership with Cebu Province.

Governor Hilario P. Davide III welcomed the delegates from Japan as well as the nursing graduates for a meeting at the Capitol last May 26.

These nursing graduates came from different schools and were currently employed from different offices not related to their field. Some are working at call centers, insurance companies and other businesses.

Davide said this opened up possibilities of the nurses to land a better job abroad than what they have at present.

However, the job available in Saitama Prefecture at present is care giving, said Koike Yoko, managing director for Internal Relations, Saitama Prefecture.

Nonetheless, care giving is somehow related to nursing, said Dean Jonathan Capanas of University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJR), School of Law Trustee for Visayas.

USJR was the one who selected the participants. The school has currently implemented the second phase of Monozukuri project. It is a pioneering project carved out of Saitama-Cebu partnership, where engineering students were taught of Japanese philosophy that is applied in their manufacturing industries.

Now embarking on a new project, Yoko said they are back in Cebu to get information about the feelings and concerns of the locals working in Japan.

Speaking through an interpreter Blain Keller, Yoko pointed out that they were interested to know about their interest to work in Japan as well the working conditions they would want.

Other concerns that were brought in were age and gender preferences, language barrier, cultural discrimination, salary range, and Visa requirements.

The information will serve as a basis for decision-making of Saitama Prefecture.

“The meeting is a very meaningful one with a meaningful outcome. We were able to hear opinions and also we were able to hear their true feelings about this program,” said Yoko.

The governor assured his support of the program and said that the province’s friendly collaboration with Saitama Prefecture will continue.

www.cebu.gov.ph