Global Bayaning Pilipino sa Gawing Japan 2014

INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY

Jeppie Dato Ramada (Country Winner)

• Gifu, Japan

In 2005, Jeppie Tato Ramada came with his family to Japan.  Jeppie is a “nikkejin” or a Japanese descendant.  In the past years, he has been very active in helping uplift the plight of the Filipino community.

When the Anglican Church established a mission program to care for the victims of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, he was the appointed coordinator of the “let’s Walk Together” program.  For two years, he immersed himself with families of victims, both Japanese and Filipinos, attending to their needs and aiding in the efforts to rebuild their lives.  He initiated various projects to empower victims through counseling, psycho-social activities and seminars to help them get back on their feet.

Prior to his appointment as coordinator of the said program, Jeppie has been active in organizing fellow Filipinos in his own community in Gifu Prefecture.  There, he helped and assisted distressed and disadvantaged Filipinos in their times of need.  He has organized his own community group called UNIFIL-Gifu (United Filipinos in Gifu) which has more than 200 members to date.

He has also connected with other community groups of Filipinos and migrants of other nationalities.  Jeppie believed that unifying the community of migrants in Japan can contribute in uplifting their condition in a society which remains prejudiced towards foreign migrants.

Jeppie also teaches Filipino and English languages to Japinos through the Kibou Classroom, kindergarten school established by the Anglican Kani Mission for Filipino Children.  His efforts allow these children to be armed with the language skills which could eventually help them get into grade school and high school.

Jeppie may not be purely Filipino, but to those people he has helped and whose lives he touched, he is 100 percent a Bayaning Pilipino.

Charito Itou (Country Finalist)

• Kesennuma Miyagi, Japan

Charito Itou was one of the many Filipino women who worked in a fish factory in Kesennuma City, Miyagi.  Like many Filipino workers in the factory, she lost her job after the tsunami hit.  Despite her situation, she found the strength to offer her help to those affected by the disaster.  She volunteered in searching for missing Filipinos and helped in collecting and distributing relief goods to the victims of the tsunami.

Even before the tragedy, she was already helping fellow Filipinas with their documents and requirements as a point person to the consular service of the Philippine Embassy.  She is also part of the group that started a radio program called Bayanihan Kesennuma Radio wherein they used the Filipino language to disseminate information, especially those who are new to the country.  Charito takes every opportunity to help her fellow Filipinos, and that makes her a hero to their hearts.

Rachel Takahashi (Country Finalist)

• Kesennuma Miyagi, Japan

Living in Japan for two decades did not diminish Rachel Takahashi’s love for the Philippines.  She stayed in Japan after marrying a Japanese contractor for construction materials, but she never forgot her roots.  One of the founding members of the organization Bayanihan Kesennuma, she actively participated in activities that would help her fellow Filipinos.

When her family survived the tsunami that his their town and many parts of Japan, she decided to help her fellow Filipinos affected by the disaster.  She organized an information drive using social media sites to locate and update her fellow Filipinos’ status in order to disseminate information to their respective relatives.  This was just one of the many projects that Rachel conducted to help others, especially Filipinos in need.

Bayanihan Kesennuma Filipino Community (Special Citation)

• Kesennuma Miyagi, Japan

An organization that presently has 74 members, Bayanihan Kesennuma Filipino Community began 18 years ago.  It operates by the organization’s participation in community programs and activities.  Their network greatly helped in disseminating information to Filipinos who were victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.  Their radio program gave voices to the victims.  This made the distribution of relief goods easier for organizations that extended their help.

Aside from their assistance after the calamity, they also created other programs that helped in the livelihood of their fellow Filipinos.  They conducted free seminars and trainings on caregiving, dedicated in helping the Filipinos who lost their jobs after the disaster.  They also provided training for those who want to become English teachers.  Through these projects, they were able to help more than 40 Filipinos get back on their feet.

Bayanihan Kesennuma Filipino Community is not just an organization but a family, especially for fellow Filipinos that they have helped.