Wherever I am, the world comes after me. It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it. Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist. "The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver
UP Asian Center, Japan Foundation Manila Hold 4th Japanese Studies Research Competition
UP Asian Center, Japan Foundation Manila Hold 4th Japanese Studies Research Competition
Details
The UP Asian Center and Japan Foundation Manila held the Fourth Japanese Studies in the Philippines Research Competition on 19 March 2022 via Zoom, from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm.
The competition featured nine presentations divided into three panels: Panel 1, titled Japan-Philippines Relations, had presentations by undergraduate students, while Panels 2 (Economic, Labor and Social Policy) and 3 (Politics, Society and Culture) showcased the work of graduate-level students.
Panel 1: Transitions and Future Possibilities for Japan-Philippine Relations
Two undergraduate participants from the University of San Carlos in Cebu tackled the relationship between the Philippines and Japan. Chalieh Alob, the winner for the undergraduate level, explored the bilateral directions that should be sustained and pursued anew. Timothy John A. Jala reviewed relevant events in both the Philippines and Japan and assessed their historical affinities.
Panel 2: Economic, Labor and Social Policy
Four finalists from the University of the Philippines were in the second panel. Tyrone Agres provided a critique on the “efficacy of [Japanese] labor policies implemented in Japan after the post-Bubble era.” Dom Ambat studied the language learning methods of eight JPEPA caregivers and nurses in Japan.
Faith Ong discussed Japanese women in leadership positions, while Chelsea Nicole S. Pineda's presentation examined the Build Build Build Program of President Duterte’s Administration in relation to China and Japan’s infrastructure diplomacy.
Panel 3: Politics, Society and Culture
For the last panel, Altamira Chantrelle Reyes of the University of the Philippines collated narratives from the Japanese LGBT sector and explored the possibilities of advancing LGBT equality in the country.
Shannen Liz Carreon, also from the University of the Philippines, discussed public transportation in Japan and the Philippines and compared the experiences of sexual harassment of women in both countries. Finally, Meljoe Loreto from the Silliman University investigated the perspectives of the Japanese on Christianity using the narratives of three Christian Overseas Filipino Workers.
Three judges were also invited to deliberate each presentation: Mr. Ben Suzuki, the current director of the Japan Foundation, Manila; Ms. Takaoka Makiko, the general manager of the Nomura Research Institute Manila; and Dr. Johanna Zulueta, an associate professor at the Faculty of Sociology of Toyo University. The competition was moderated by Dr. Jocelyn O. Celero, Associate Professor at the UP Asian Center.
Congratulations: Meet the Winners
Prof. Henelito A. Sevilla, Dean of the UP Asian Center (virtually handed the certificate of appreciation to the judges and all the finalists including this year's winners): Chalieh Alob (undergraduate level), Altamira Chantrelle Reyes, Daniel Dominic Ambat, and Shannen Liz Carreon. Each won a plaque of recognition and a 2021 Apple Ipad.
In his closing remarks, the Japan Foundation Manila Director Ben Suzuki expressed his hope for the continued growth of Japanese Studies in the Philippines. He thanked all the hardworking scholars who showed their interest in the competition, and the contribution of the reviewers, the organizers, and the judges.
The research competition has been held in and organized by both the UP Asian Center and Japan Foundation Manila since 2019. It aims to promote the study of Japan in the Philippines. The UP Asian Center offers a Japan specialization as part of its MA in Asian Studies program, with Dr. Celero handling the Politics and Governance and Culture and Society courses of the curriculum. Learn more about the MA program.
The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. The Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website. For other news and upcoming events at the Asian Center, click here.
