About 50 members of the Philippine Federation of Japan Alumni (PHILFEJA) attended a shinnenkai or New Year get-together January 13, 2007 at the Phil. Japan Foundation Friendship (PJFF Office) in Makati City near Greenbelt.
The Philippine Federation of Japan Alumni (PHILFEJA) is the active cultural Philippine-Japan friendship conglomeration of seven (7) organizations by former students and graduates of Japanese universities and colleges, including grantees and trainees of science and technology in high institutions of Japan. The other organizations that comprise PHILFEJA are OMNI Ventures (Nampo Tokubetsu Ryugakuseikai), Philippine-Japan Fellows Association (PHILFAJA), Philippine Cultural and Technical Association of Overseas Returned Scholars (PHILCULTAROS), Philippine-Japan Youth Club (PJYC), Association of Philippine Private Alumni of Japanese Universities (APPAJU), and Samahan ng mga Pilipinong Nag-aral at Nanirahan sa Nippon (SAPILINIP).
About half of the participants were members of the Philippine Association of the Japanese Ministry of Education Scholars (PHILAJAMES). PHILAJAMES has been a charter member of PHILFEJA since 1977, contributing two (2) of its members to the Presidency, namely, Dr. Diampo J. Lim and Mr. Edgardo G. Valencia and three (3) Secretary-Generals namely, Prof. Jovencio D. Torres, Dr. Felix P. Santos, and the incumbent, Mr. Larry Azurin.
Member Lavi Penaverde (incoming secretary) was the emcee for the simple program. Incumbent president or representative of each of the 7 affiliate associations gave short talk introducing their respective associations. Philajames was represented by incumbent secretary Amy Fajardo. APPAJU (Association of Philippine Private Alumni of Japanese Universities) was represented by its incumber president Cecile Tolentino who is also a Philajames-member.
Among the early comers was Mr. Usin Pisingan who now works in from Italy and is the Philippines for a vacation together with his wife Nina who was also a Mombusho scholar. Usin and Nina are the first couple among the many who were brought together by the good match-maker or nakodo– Mombusho-scholarship. Another Monbusho couple, Grace and Sam Sapuay, were represented by wife, Grace. Manny and Ditas Tuazon were also both present.