John Rodney, the Mayor of Sual, Philippines visited The Nippon Foundation in the afternoon recently to meet with Chairman Yohei Sasakawa and express gratitude for the 12 senior volunteers dispatched to his city by the Nippon Skilled Volunteers Association (NISVA), an organization that sends senior volunteers to developing countries in Asia to make use of their expertise.

Mayor of Sual (second from left) with Chairman Sasakawa

NISVA, which was established by The Nippon Foundation, has sent senior volunteers to the Philippines and other developing countries since 2005 as part of grassroots exchange efforts.

Mayor Rodney was elected in 2004. Home to the largest coal-fired power station in the Philippines, operated by TEPCO and Marubeni Corporation, the city of Sual submitted a request to NISVA via representative Akira Futagoishi for work training that would provide local residents with the skills needed to obtain work in activities related to the power station. In response, NISVA has sent senior volunteers since 2007. To date, a total of 12 individuals have been dispatched to Sual, including four with sewing experience, three with welding experience, three with welfare counseling experience (for institutions for street children), and two with experience in operating and maintaining heavy machinery. Six volunteers (one other volunteer has returned to Japan temporarily) are currently deployed in the Philippines.

On February 1, the mayor visited The Nippon Foundation, accompanied by the deputy mayor, general affairs manager, NISVA director general Hiroyuki Oyaizu, and representative Akira Futagoishi. Nippon Foundation Chairman Sasakawa expressed gratitude to the mayor for accepting the team of senior volunteers. While Western instructors tend to give orders in a top-down fashion, he remarked, the Japanese provided instruction by examining the conditions on the ground and taking into account the traditions and history of the country. He expressed hopes that locals would absorb this Japanese attitude alongside the technical skills.

The mayor at the meeting (right)

The mayor responded by emphasizing the major benefits the volunteers have provided, describing how 80 people had received training in welding techniques under the instruction of former Japan Self Defense Force member Fumio Nejime (age 63). These local residents were now able to weld on their own. He went on to describe how the aid program helped locals learn about Japanese culture. Chairman Sasakawa concluded by expressing hopes that the city would become a model of the kind of success that can come from support provided by senior volunteers.

Friendly chat with Chairman Sasakawa

According to NISVA, representative Futagoishi established a facility in Sual in 1996 for street children. This resulted in a request from Sual city, which led to the subsequent dispatch of senior volunteers. In addition to welding skills, local residents have applied other skills and knowledge provided by the senior volunteers. One example is the making of golf caddy-style hats under the supervision of Tomoko Suzuki from Shizuoka City to provide protection from the intense sun.

The city of Sual lies approximately 200 km north of the capital of Manila in the province of Pangasinan. A significant portion of the local population depends on agriculture or fishing for its livelihood.