64 Filipino teaching aides to join Japan exchange program

FILE: On 22 February 2023, Ambassador KOSHIKAWA Kazuhiko hosted a National Day Reception at the Shangri-La The Fort to celebrate the 63rd birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. (Photo: Embassy of Japan in the Philippines 在フィリピン日本国大使館/Facebook)

MANILA – Sixty-four Filipino assistant language teachers (ALTs) will be flying to Tokyo this year after securing spots at the highly competitive Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program, the Japanese Embassy in Manila announced.

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa noted how the number of JET participants has recovered from the pandemic.

“Our 64 ALTs and sole CIR (Coordinator for International Relations) this year are living evidence of the program’s impact, and we hope we can continue walking on this path,” he said at a send-off ceremony over the weekend.

“This year, the number of Filipino JET participants has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, which shows the strong demand for Filipio ALTs in Japan and the high popularity of JET Program in the Philippines,” he added.

Koshikawa, who was one of the Japanese officials who launched the JET Program more than 30 years ago, said the initiative by design aims to promote mutual trust and internationalization, with participants expected to become cultural ambassadors that bridge Japan to the Philippines.

“Filipino JETs do so well in this aspect, and have consistently paved avenues for stronger linkages between Japan and the Philippines,” he said.

Addressing the JET participants at his residence, Koshikawa encouraged them to guide more Japanese nationals to be accustomed to a multicultural environment.

“Japanese society is on its way in this direction, but it still has a long way to go. I invite you to be the catalyst for this change. Thank you so much for choosing Japan,” he told the participants.

“Bring the Filipino warmth with you to Japan and share with the Japanese your lovely smiles. Please enjoy being the ambassadors of culture both for Japan and for the Philippines by using your vivid experiences in the program,” he ended.

Every year, Japan offers various scholarship and teaching exchange programs to Filipino nationals.

Among these is the JET program which employs a successful applicant either as an assistant language teacher or sports exchange advisor in Japan.