Thousands of ‘Japayukis’ set protest march over hiring policy

Thousands of overseas performing artists (OPAs) protesting Japan’s stringent new visa restrictions will hold their own version of the "Bataan Death March" in a bid to express indignation over the government’s supposed inaction on their plight.

Members of the OPA Koalisyon, who will lead the protest action on Friday, April 8, strongly believe labor and foreign affairs officials "sold out" to the Japan government following recent exposés made by two lawmakers on Manila’s supposed misrepresentation of the Filipino entertainers’ concerns.

The coalition disclosed that since the new immigration law of Tokyo took effect last March 15, very few applications for certificate of eligibility were being accepted by Japan’s immigration bureau "because almost nobody can comply with the stringent requirement" of completing a two-year performing arts program or two-year experience as performer in a venue acceptable to Japan.

In less than three months from now or by June, the group warned that the effects of Japan’s "economic aggression" would be felt. They said not even 10 percent of the present 80,000 OPAs would be able to leave for Japan by then.

Earlier, Samar Rep. Marcelino Libanan disclosed that as early as Jan. 23, 2005, a document entitled "Report of the Conference with the Philippine Government" by the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office of Anti-International Syndicate stated that the Philippine government had supposedly given up on the OPA issue, as it was convinced it should no longer object to or oppose the Japan government’s decision (on implementing new immigration requirements)."

According to Libanan, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Jose Brillantes and Department of Labor (DOLE) Undersecretary Danilo Cruz represented the Philippine panel in the conference.

"No wonder that our concerns were not fully addressed. Binabalewala lang kami at ang 500,000 pamilya naming maaapektuhan (We are being taken for granted as are the 500,000 families to be affected by Tokyo’s new immigration law)," coalition spokeswoman Maureen Advincula said.

At the Senate, Sen. Manuel Villar, chairman of the committee on foreign relations, confirmed "the very agencies that were sent by the Philippines — the DFA and DOLE — to appeal for the cause of the OPAs betrayed them."

"Our foreign and labor officials were reassuring our OPAs that they were appealing for their cause but they were doing a different thing altogether," Villar was quoted as saying in earlier reports.

He said the Philippine officials sold out the OPAs just as the "makapili" did during World War II, referring to a group of Filipinos who collaborated with imperial Japan and informed on their own countrymen who resisted the occupation.

Villar also expressed doubt that efforts by the DFA, DOLE, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and even the Philippine Embassy in Japan would help alleviate the impact of Japan’s revised legislation, which aims to curb human trafficking.

He described it as a "serious offense," and said he would look into the alleged gross misrepresentation of the OPAs.

"The statement by Japanese and Philippine officials that there will be no reduction is a big lie," Advincula said.

The protesting Filipino OPAs will hold their "Death March" beginning at 10 a.m. starting at the DOLE office in Intramuros, Manila to the DFA building then finally ending at the Japan Embassy, both located along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City.

The "Bataan Death March" took place on April 9, 1942 when Japanese forces in the Philippines made their 70,000 prisoners of war — both Filipino and American soldiers alike — walk from Bataan to a prison camp in Tarlac under inhumane circumstances. They were beaten randomly and denied food and water for several days, resulting in the death of thousands.