In 1985, I was chosen as the lone representative of the Philippines to attend a course on local government under the Colombo Plan in Tokyo, Japan. The Ministry of Local Government where I worked as a field officer in Valencia, Bukidnon paid for my clothing allowance. The JICA paid for my round triplane tickets to Tokyo and the expenses during my three-month stay in the host country.
The training was not very rigid – out of my 83 days in Japan, 24 were free days, 21 for study tours and 38 for lectures, seminars, orientation, opening and closing program. The training materials and facilities were good and sufficient (including coffee and tea). Study tours were well-planned and enjoyable.
Our first study tour was in the town of Oizumi-machi, 80 kilometers from Tokyo or about 1.5 hours ride by train. We were billeted at the Emperor Business Hotel and my room was spacious with bathtub, phone, television and massage machine. The local officials were very friendly and we were treated as VIPs and our arrival appeared in all three local newspapers. During the dinner party on the first night local dignitaries including the manager of Sanyo Electric Plant was present. During the send-off party, we had “kampai” (toast) and “iki” (drink it all) with our hosts who were eager to please us and ended as real friends.
I really didn’t know how homesick I was until we were at the Municipal Higashi Elementary School at Oizumi-machi. The school prepared for our visit. At the lobby, below the welcome streamers, were displayed the flags of the countries of our group of six participants. The elementary school, which was one of the most modern in Japan, had an enrollment of 416 pupils. We were toured around the school premises and shown advanced facilities such as the music classroom where students were individually provided with electric organ and headphone. The teacher-pupil ration was 1:35 and I observed that classrooms were spacious, clean and comfortable and provided with ample learning aids including televisions. As we toured around, I cannot help but visualize the condition of the school where my children were studying with as much as 70 pupils in a classroom, children enduring the heat inside buildings without ceilings, children huddling in impoverished chairs or tables, many pale-faced and in cheap clothes – against the backdrop of robust, pink-faced and well-dressed Japanese pupils.
All the cheerful children were lined outside when we were leaving, two lines of noisy kids brandishing the flags of their foreign guests. The school band was there for the occasion. We were presented leis as we emerged from the building. After so much greetings and bowing, I finally reached the end of the line and it was there that I finally broke down and had to hurriedly get inside the limousine bus to avoid embarrassment. My Indonesian co-participant followed me and I was not surprised to see tears in his eyes. He was 45 and had four children; the youngest was five years old.
