The Association of Filipino Scholars in Tsukuba (FAST), in cooperation with Philippines Today Online and Uninetwork Inc., will hold a community forum dubbed “Hala! Halalan na!” (Kapihan sa Tsukuba) on April 22 (Sunday), 1:30 p.m. at Friends International Mart, Amakubo, Tsukuba.
Among the invited speakers are Tonton Hernandez, a migrant community leader who will talk on “Ang Kahulugan ng Halalan para sa mga Migrante” and Dr. Nathan Quimpo of the University of Tsukuba whose topic will be “Elitismo, Showbiz at Partidong Pulitikal sa Pilipinas.”
The absentee voting mechanism and other related matters will be discussed by Consuls Eric Gerardo E. Tamayo and Felipe F. Cariño III of the Philippine Embassy in Japan, while Socorro (Yuko) Takei, spokesperson of the Philippine Women’s League of Japan, co-chairperson of the Coalition of Enlightened Filipinos in Japan and convenor of the UP Alumni Association – Japan chapter, will talk about election-related cheating and electoral anomalies.
A mock election for senators and party-list groups is also being considered. The discussion forum will be moderated by Benigno Tutor, Jr. of Uninetwork Inc. and Philippines Today Online.
The expected participants are Filipinos from church groups in and around Tsukuba, members of various Filipino organizations such as FAST, Association of Filipino Students in Japan (AFSJ), Science and Technology Advisory Council-Japan (STAC-J), as well as residents, English teachers and migrant workers from around the Kanto region.
The activity, which aims to heighten the awareness of Japan-based Filipinos on the significance of the May 2007 polls, will be co-sponsored by ABS-CBN. *