Murcia eyes sending agri trainees to Japan

July 20, 2022

Murcia Mayor Gerry Rojas and VM Reosura visited the construction interns at the Hokota Training Center in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Most of the trainess are Murciahanons who were delighted to meet and talk Mayor Rojas and VM Reosura.*

On top of the construction interns being sent to Japan by Tricastle International and the Municipality of Murcia, the group is exploring the possibility of sending female agricultural trainees to Japan.

This was disclosed by Murcia Mayor Gerry Rojas and Vice-Mayor Johnny Reosura after they returned from their trip to Namegata City, Japan last July 10-14.

“One of the thrusts of our administration is the further improvement of Murcia’s agriculture sector, in terms of productivity and cost-efficiency. Providing training to our women on modern agricultural practices and technology is one way of achieving this goal,” said Mayor Rojas.

Murcia’s commitment to agriculture, the mayor added, can be seen in the inclusion of BS Agriculture as one of the two courses offered by Central Philippine State University – Murcia Extension, which is now on its second year of operation. Murcia officials also extended their full-support to farm schools and other agricultural endeavors in the town.

Reosura, one of the founders of Tricastle, explained that they have been sending construction trainees to Japan since 2001, thru NJ Builders and its Japanese partner Multi Contractors Cooperative (MARUCON). In 2014 when a Chinese partner joined them, they formed Tricastle International, aiming to expand their manpower deployment and training in China.

“Tricastle, Mayor Rojas and I were invited by our long-time partner MARUCON to visit Japan and meet officials of Namegata City. Together with Tricastle President Leah Tinsay, MARUCON Chairman Kazuo Arai, Managing Director Toshiki Koyama, Chinese counterpart Wang Yu and Chinese-Japan Agricultural Cooperative Chairman Ryu Bin, we paid a courtesy call and met with Namegata officials last July 12,” said Reosura.

Located 70 kilometers from Tokyo, Namegata City in Ibaraki Prefecture is a major agricultural producer famous for its rice, vegetables, meat, aquaculture products, and wine distilled from sweet potato. Its population has been declining, and is estimated at 32,144, as of July 2020; about one-third of the population are over 65 years old.

Tricastle and Murcia officials met with Namegata City Mayor Shuya Suzuki, Deputy Mayor Hideaki Nagamine and other city councilors, and they discussed the possibility of sending female agricultural trainees to Japan.

Namegata officials supported the proposal and affirmed that they are willing to be one of the receiving cities which will host the trainees in their farms. Chairman Ryu Bin of the Chinese-Japan Agricultural Cooperative, which has been deploying Chinese agricultural interns in Japan, will act as the receiving agricultural cooperative, and will orient the interns upon arrival in Japan and deploy them to farms in various receiving cities.

Tricastle, headed by Leah Tinsay, Mayor Rojas and VM Reosura assured Chairman Ryu and Mayor Suzuki that they are willing and able to supply the manpower, particularly the female agricultural interns, needed by Namegata and other cities to sustain their agricultural production.

To further strengthen the ties between the two government units, Mayor Rojas and VM Reosura proposed the possibility of a sisterhood between Murcia and Namegata City. The proposal was warmly received by Mayor Suzuki and other Namegata City officials.

Mayor Rojas was invited for a guest appearance at the government-operated Namegata TV Channel, which broadcasts in the entire Ibaraki Prefecture. Mayor Rojas extended his greetings to the Filipino community in Namegata and in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Moreover, the mayor and vice-mayor visited greenhouse farms and production facilities operated by Chinese interns from the Chinese-Japan Agricultural Cooperative. At the Hokota Training Center, they met with construction trainees, most of whom are Murciahanons who were delighted to talk with Mayor Rojas and VM Reosura.

The trainees undergo a three-year internship in the construction industry in Japan, where they further hone their skills in welding, masonry, carpentry, steelworks and urethane spray application. Tricastle’s latest deployment was 226 interns, who left for Japan in May 2022 and are now undergoing their paid skills training and upgrading.

“After their three-year internship, they return to the Philippines but they are given the option to return to Japan and be hired by the company which trained them or by other companies to be assigned by MARUCON,” said Vice-Mayor Reosura.* (Butch Bacaoco)