Third batch of Japinos to fly to Japan Oct. 13

CEBU - Japanese Filipinos (Japinos) are set to fly to Japan with their Filipina mothers to start a new life in the land of their Japanese fathers.

Non-profit organization Shin-Nikkeijin Network Association, Inc. based in Cebu has assisted Japinos and their mothers to get Japanese legal visas.

A total of 14 mothers and 13 Japino children are bound on October 13 for Japan, where mothers will be given jobs while their children will be sent to school.

This is under the program of SNN that aims at giving assistance and opportunities to Japinos to go to Japan and be able to experience the life in the land of their fathers as well as to preserve the welfare of the Japinos by giving them legal assistance and education.

SNN caters to those who have Japanese blood separated from and abandoned by their Japanese father. SNN found out that some of these Japinos mostly six to 15 years old have no birth certificate registered in the Philippines.

They have also observed that mothers of these Japinos can hardly find good compensating jobs due to lack of education.

The government of Japan wants to give better life to these children with Japanese blood so they launched a project that would somehow ease their lives.

The project first started in 2006 and so far, SNN has assisted a total of 17 mothers and children.

They have already boarded two batches and the third batch is scheduled on October 13 which will take a group of 27 mothers and children.

Four mothers were granted long-term visas which expire after a year either because their child is now residing or studying in Japan or because of dual citizenship acquisition. But most of them were granted short-term visas which expire in 90 days.

Lani Villamor, staff of SNN, said that once they arrive in Japan, mothers already have jobs waiting for them. She said SNN made sure the jobs for them pay enough to let them live a normal average life in Japan. — Jessica Ann Pareja/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)