‘Gov’t ‘killing overseas entertainment industry in Japan’

An organization of overseas performing artists (OPA) yesterday accused the government of "killing the overseas entertainment industry," claiming officials of the Philippine embassy in Tokyo had stopped processing their certificates of eligibility (COE) issued by Japan’s ministry of justice.

Under the new setup, the Japanese immigration — after granting the COE — forwards the document to the Philippine embassy, which in turn authenticates the OPA contract and translates the language of the certificate to English from its original Japanese.

The same certificate is then forwarded to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) for processing. From this agency, it goes straight to the Japanese embassy for granting of visa.

According to OPA Koalisyon spokesperson Maureen Advincula, the COEs became useless once they began piling up at the Philippine embassy without undergoing the authentication process.

"Therefore, ‘pag walang natanggap na COE ang POEA walang maire-release na visa sa ating mga entertainers (When the POEA doesn’t receive any COE, visas will not be issued to Filipino entertainers)," Advincula said.

"Why hasn’t the labor attaché explained the grounds for failing to process the OPA papers? The government is trying to kill the overseas entertainment industry so it can be replaced by nurses and other health caregivers," a member of the coalition said.

To date, neither Japan nor the Philippine government had come out with a clear-cut policy and implementing guidelines for new requirements to be met by artists who want to work in Japan, the group said. The strict new immigration laws require a two-year program of study in the performing arts or two years’ minimum performing experience in noted and reputable venues outside of Japan.

The coalition also believes Japan would have acted favorably had the Philippine government "seriously" fought for the OPAs’ cause. The members are batting for the inclusion of their working experience in Japan and the Philippines as part of the two-year requirement. — Nestor Etolle