Migrant Voices: Kasangga ng Migrante sa Japan
Last June 30, 2023, Migrante Japan and Kafin Migrants Center (KMC) with Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) held their first bi-monthly online forum called Migrant Voices: Kasangga ng Migrante sa Japan. Migrant Voices is a bi-monthly program of APMM in partnership with migrant organizations and migrant rights advocates. The goal of this program is to amplify the voices of migrants in Japan in the midst of migrant challenges. The program hopes to focus on campaigns, advocacies, and the movement of migrants in the Asia Pacific region.
Hosted by Ronan Maynard Cancio and Roger Raymundo of Migrante Japan, the forum featured Edcel Villena who shared the current conditions of migrants in Japan, an interview of Maria who is a marriage migrant who was denied residency status by the Japan Immigration Bureau, and Agalyn Nagase who shared her stories as a migrant champion.
Chairperson of Migrante Japan, Edsel Villena shared about the struggles and campaigns of migrants in Japan. He talked about the proposed amendment to the refugee system in Japan that violates the human rights of refugees. He also shared about the Trainee System of Japanese agencies that violate workers' rights. This Trainee System was investigated by the Japanese government and in October, they will replace it with a new system. Edsel called on fellow migrants to get involved and act for migrant rights and welfare.
Next, an interview with 'Maria', not her real name, was featured. Maria was married to a Japanese national who was the father of her two children. She was denied further residency status by the Japan Immigration Bureau because of her husband's death, to whom she was legally married. Her case is currently being heard by a Japanese court. Maria shared that she is now actively pursuing her case against the unjust decision to not allow her to have residency status in Japan through the help of KMC and the grassroots organization of migrants.
Finally, Agalyn Nagase, executive director of KMC, was featured as a migrant champion. Agalyn has been living in Japan for 26 years in the Saitama Prefecture where the elderly were reluctant to interact with foreigners. Aside from this challenging situation, she also shared how housewives in Japan were expected to do laborious work inside and outside the home. This led her to a path of organizing fellow migrants. She was able to find housewives who had a similar problem with adjusting to the culture. She visited their homes, helped each other with chores, and formed a support group called the Kawaguchi Filipino Neighborhood which evolved to be the Kafin Migrants Center that campaigns around domestic problems, immigration policies, and work-related conflicts.
The forum also featured cultural performances by members of the KMC who performed a native peasant dance from the Philippines. News about the Maharlika Investment Fund in the Philippines, the protests against the G7 Hiroshima Summit, and May Day protest actions were also shared.
Watch the full video here.
