Respecting the Philippine Flag

Sa isang undoukai (exercise meet), tanong ng isang Pilipina sa Nihonggo, "Bakit walang Philippine flag na nakasabit kasama ng ibang flags?" sagot ng kausap na Hapones, "Pumunta ka sa mga Philippine pub, malalaking flags ang nakasabit doon."

Kung ikaw ay isang Pilipino, hindi ka ba maiinsulto?

Simula ng si Juan dela Cruz ay tumapak sa paaralan ay itinuro na sa kanya ng mga guro ang kahulugan at kahalagahan ng pambansang watawat. At sa paglipas ng panahon ay tumatak sa kanyang puso't isipan ang respeto at pagpapahalagang nararapat ibigay para rito. Tuwing may flag ceremony at mahahalagang okasyon ay binibigyang-pugay niya ito sapagkat para sa kanya, ito ang tunay na simbolo ng kasarinlan ng kanyang bansa at pagka-Pilipino.

Nakasaad sa Republic Act 8491 o ang Flag Heraldic Code of the Philippines ang tamang pangangalaga sa pambansang watawat at ang mga bagay na ipinagbabawal gawin dito. Ilan sa mga hindi pinahihintulutan ng batas ay ang paglibak, paggamit bilang dekorasyon o tatak ng isang produkto at paglalagay sa mga di kaaya-ayang lugar tulad ng mga clubs na karaniwan nang tanawin sa mga Philippine establishments dito sa Japan.

Ayon kay Cultural and Filipino Community Affairs Vice Consul Anna De Vera, sakop ng batas na ito ang mga Philippine establishments na nag-ooperate dito sa Japan subalit wala pang natatanggap na reklamo ang embahada hinggil sa isyung ito.

"Every Filipino is responsible in treating our flag with high respect. As of this moment, we don't have any system to monitor this situation but every time we get to see Philippine establishments that display worn out flags, we immediately call the attention of the owners," dagdag pa ni De Vera.

Marami sa mga may-ari ng Philippine stores, restaurants at night clubs ang kulang o walang kaalaman ukol sa batas na ito kaya naman naglipana ang mga flag displays sa kani-kanilang mga establisimyento.

"Hindi ko alam na may ganyan palang batas. Pero nilagay ko lang naman 'yan para malaman ng mga customers, Pilipino at Hapon, na ito ay isang Philippine establishment," pahayag ni Jenny, may-ari ng isang tindahan.

Sa ganitong sitwasyon kung saan kulang ang kaalaman ng mga may-ari ng mga Philippine establishments at wala pang mainam na solusyon ang embahada ukol sa isyung ito, mainam na maging responsable na lamang ang mga may-ari ng mga nasabing establisimyento sa kanilang ginagawang pag-display lalo na ng mga marurumi at gula-gulanit na watawat ng Pilipinas. Mas makabubuting sila'y mag-isip na lamang ng ibang paraan upang maipahatid sa kanilang mga parokyano na sila ay isang Philippine establishment nang sa gayon ay hindi naman patuloy na bumaba at malibak ang pagkakakilanlan sa mga Pilipino. Sa mga kinauukulan naman, nawa'y may hakbang nang maipatupad para sa ikalulutas ng suliraning ito. Ang buong Filipino community ay maghihintay sa inyong gagawing aksyon.

*published in the September '08 issue of "Beyond the Horizon", Philippine Digest*

*photo by Florenda Corpuz*

*photo caption: A worn out flag displayed outside a Philippine store.*

Tokyo Tower - Towering Landmark of Tokyo

Soaring high in the heart of Shiba-Koen in Minato-ku, the grand stronghold of Tokyo Tower serves as an emblem of Japan's economic rebirth and global aspirations after massive wartime destructions.

Completed in 1958 by the Takenaka Corporation at a cost of 2.8 billion yen, Tokyo Tower is a proud member of the World Federation of Great Towers and is officially considered as the world's tallest self-supporting steel tower with a height of 333 meters and a weight of 4,000 tons. It is 13 meters higher and 3,000 tons lighter than its model, the Eiffel Tower in Paris which stands 320 meters and weighs 7,000 tons.

The entire body of the Tokyo Tower is coated with 28,000 liters of orange and white paint in compliance to the Civil Aeronautic Law and is installed with 176 floodlights in various parts for illumination purposes. It also has a lightning rod on its top.

Designed for radio and television transmission, the Tokyo Tower sends out 24 broadcast waves, 14 analog and 10 digital, including those of known media outfits like NHK, TV Asahi, Fuji TV, TBS, Tokyo FM and J-Wave.

Aside from being the broadcast transmitter of most stations in the metropolis, Tokyo Tower is also a major tourist enticement which stations a 4-story recreational center called Foot Town (open all-year round, from 9 am to 10 pm) which can be found beneath the tower. This leisure hub houses several attractions including two observation decks, the Main Observatory located at 150 meters above the ground and the Special Observatory at 250 meters. These galleries provide a 360 degree panoramic view of the whole Kanto scene and Tokyo surroundings, including Mt. Tsukuba and Tokyo Disney Resort in the east; Rainbow Bridge and Yokohama's Landmark Tower in the south; Mt. Fuji in the west; and Imperial Palace in the north.

Also there are museums and amusement parks that proliferate inside Foot Town like the Wax Museum, Space Wax, Guinness World Records Museum, Trick Art Gallery, Aquarium Gallery, and Mysterious Walking Zone; souvenir shops -- Tokyo Souvenir Shop Town and Tokio 333; restaurants and food courts that offer Japanese, Chinese and western cuisines and even coffee shops and ice cream parlors.

Besides being The landmark, Tokyo Tower is also a popular icon for animes such as Sailor Moon and Digimon and locations to climatic battles between Godzilla, Mothra and King Kong Escapes.

Another captivating feature of Tokyo Tower that often delights many sightseers is its lighting, accentuating the city's already breathtaking nocturnal skyline. It is illuminated with orange light in winter and white incandescent light in summer and is changed during special events.

The Tokyo Tower also houses a system for detecting earthquakes.

Ticket prices in the Main Observatory are 820 yen for adults, 460/310 yen for children; Special Observatory, 600 yen for adults, 400/350 yen for children. While separate fees apply for other attractions, still a lot of people are taking the long lines and are oblivious in spending their money just to try this not to be missed experience.

How to Get There:

Tokyo Tower is a 5-minute walk from Akabanebashi Station on the Oedo Line; 6-minute walk from Onarimon Station (Exit No. A1) on the Mita Line and; 15-minute walk from Hamamatsucho Station (North Exit) on the JR Yamate Line.

*published in the September '08 issue of "Let's Tour Tokyo", Philippine Digest*

*photos by Din Eugenio*

Filipino Teachers: Making A Difference

Like the great thinkers Plato and Aristotle, these dedicated Filipino teachers named Ninfa Sasaki and Michiko Kurane have been doing their utmost to disseminate education by practicing one of the noblest, if not the noblest, profession in the world--- teaching.

Both are working as Assistant Language Teachers (ALT) of English in two different educational institutions here in Japan.

Ninfa-sensei is an alumna of the Philippines’ University of Sto. Tomas with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Right after graduation she married her Japanese boyfriend, an executive of Kawasaki Steel. She lives with her family here in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi, Japan and serves as an ALT to Grades 1-6 ofAkutsu Elementary School. Even having her hands full with a family of 6, she has found the time to teach children, besides being the leader of the Filipino community in Utsunomiya. She has also inspired the Rotarians in Utsunomiya to visit, to get to know Cagayan de Oro her ancestral home, and to help the city in its civic projects. And to keep in shape, she is into marathon running and has joined several marathon races in Tochigi. In short, Ninfa-sensei is a well-rounded human being, worthy to teach the young the tenets of a fruitful life. She teaches not only by words, but also by example.

Michiko-sensei, on the other hand, is a licensed teacher in the Philippines. Aside from her degree in Education, she also spent a year in the Graduate school and has been in the teaching profession for more than a decade now. After her long working stint in her native land, she decided to further broaden her horizon by imparting her knowledge as an ALT to Grades 1-6 of Tsukuda Elementary School.

As Assistant Language Teachers, they are assigned to local boards of education and carry out their duties including assistance in classes taught by Japanese foreign language teachers, assistance in foreign language conversation training, assistance in the preparation of materials for teaching a foreign language, assistance in the language training of Japanese teachers of foreign language,engagement in local international exchange activities and other duties specified by the contracting organization, to name a few. These are all under the guidance of Language Teachers’ Consultants and Japanese teachers of foreign language.

Despite the fact that they are not native English speakers, they were able to pursue with their duties as ALTs because of the learnings that they acquired from school and from the ‘real world’.

“Educating the students has always been my passion. It is a craft in which I can commit my entire professional life with; I know I can help them mold their character to become better citizens of the society,” Michiko-sensei asserts.

Inspired by the story of a king who had an arduous time finding and honoring the greatest person in his kingdom, until an old lady stood up before him, with eyes shining with the light of knowledge, understanding and love, that he realized that she was indeed the teacher of the men coveting for the title and the one worthy to be called, “The Greatest Person in the Kingdom”, it is no doubt that Ninfa-sensei and Michiko-sensei deserve the respect and admiration of their students, fellow senseis and everyone reading this piece.

Kudos to these empowered Filipino teachers who, although from from home, and with only a distant back-up by their own culture and mores, have managed with the best that they have, to enrich the minds and develop the abilities of their Japanese students in speaking and understanding the English language, with ease and confidence. And in the process, these students learn about other peoples, other races, other cultures, and thereby know that the world is only a global village. “It takes the whole village to raise a child.” (An old African adage)

Mabuhay ka, Babaeng Filipina!

*published in the January '08 issue of "Education", Philippine Digest*

'Kapamilya' Stars Rock Japan (Part 2)

It was a wintry cold night turned fiery as the stars of the teleserye,“Pangarap na Bituin” together with the ultimate hearththrob Sam Milby heated up Kawasaki Kyouiku-Bunka Kaikan last November 24.

Following the huge success of the launching of TFCko last March through “Kapamilya Invades Japan: The Dream Concert Tour 2007”, ABS-CBN Global has once again brought to Japan its roster of talents to entertain hundreds of TFCko subscribers and guests via “Yokoso Kapamilya: The ABS-CBN Housewarming Party”.

The stars of “Pangarap na Bituin” which include Jericho Rosales who played “Terrence”, Rica Peralejo as “Sapphire”, Maja Salvador as “Ruby”, Jay-R Siaboc as “Jeffrey” and Pooh as “Papa Bern” in the hit teleserye, delighted the audience with their lively performances.

Reel life sweethearts Maja Salvador and Jay-R Siaboc kicked off the show with their bubbly rave of the popular dance craze, “Kembot”. They also rendered a duet and solo performances that wowed and captivated the audience.

Fast rising comedian Pooh sent the crowd into howls of laughter as he delivered his funny antics and staged a stand-up comedy while singing “How DidYou Know?” and “Sway”.

The equally-talented and ever beautiful Rica Peralejo, she, with the ravishing figure and milk-white complexion, also showcased her singing and dancing prowess on stage. Besides all that dazzle and jazz, Rica is also brainy and intelligent as proven by her passing the tests to enter Ateneo University for a creative writing course. Hunk actor and singer Jericho Rosales serenaded the audience with his own renditions of “Pangako Sa’yo”, “Makita Kang Muli”, and “Pangarap naBituin”, theme songs of the teleseryes which he starred in. He also crooned, showing his smooth and suave good looks to great advantage, and danced (can he dance!) to popular Pinoy songs which made the crowd crave for more.

Straight from the airport, the ultimate heartthrob and KDDI endorser, Sam Milby, arrived almost breathless (but his college boy handsomeness still unruffled) on stage, and without missing a beat, sang “Right Here Waiting”and his own versions of “My Girl” and “Maging Sino Ka Man”. No wonder why countless girls go gaga over him!

After their solo acts, they all gathered on stage in singing “Pinoy Ako”and “Sikat ang Pinoy”. They made us proud of being a Pinoy!

In closing, ABS-CBN Global AVP and Head of Manila Operations Jeffrey Remigio expressed his gratitude to all the TFCko subscribers here in Japan and hoped that everyone could experience the station’s Christmas ID, “One Country, One Family, One Christmas”.

Gifts and giveaways were given to lucky guests from the audience, afterwards. The same show was also held at Osaka Business Park Enkei Hall the following day. The event was presented by ABS-CBN Global and KDDI in partnership with the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka-Kobe.

*published in the January '08 issue of "Concert", Philippine Digest*

*photos by Florenda Corpuz*