Work is underway to improve the welfare and rights of an estimated
200,000 Japanese-Filipino children some of whom are born out of
wedlock and living in the Philippines.

A two-year IOM programme funded by the Toyota Foundation aims to
improve awareness of the issues that Japanese-Filipino children are
facing and to strengthen multi-agency cooperation on addressing
them.

Lack of official recognition by their Japanese fathers largely
living in Japan, means that the children often do not receive any
financial or educational or psychological support. Some of them are
living in poverty, while many are not in school or have had to drop
out of school.

The mothers were migrant workers to Japan, some of them working
in the entertainment business, but who had to return to the
Philippines as single parents.

In the Philippines, the public is unaware of the gravity of the
situation of the Japanese-Filipino children, who, separated from
their fathers and lacking a clear sense of identity, say they face
discrimination because they're half Japanese. 

Partnering with several non-governmental organizations in the
Philippines, IOM will carry out needs assessments among the
Japanese-Filipino children in order to define clear strategies to
help improve their welfare and rights.

Consultations in areas with large numbers of Japanese-Filipino
children are being held throughout the year in several parts of the
country, culminating in national conferences on this issue both in
Manila and in Tokyo at the end of 2009.

The initiative complements recent amendments in Japan’s
Nationality Law which in principle allows individuals born out of
wedlock to Japanese and Filipino parents to acquire Japanese
nationality, as long as the child is recognised by the Japanese
father even after birth.

By helping to form a multi-sectoral network bringing together
agencies from the Philippines government such as the Department of
Foreign Affairs, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration;
Philippine Overseas Employment Administration; the Department of
Social Welfare and Development as well as the Japanese Embassy in
Manila and the Japanese ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice,
Health, Labour and Welfare, IOM aims to help improve social,
economic, and legal support for Japanese-Filipino children.

As part of the programme, a small group of Japanese-Filipino
youth aged over 18 years will be helped to live and work in Japan.
IOM will provide pre-departure, post-arrival orientation,
livelihood assistance and Japanese language training so they can
easily and quickly make the transition into life in Japan.

For further information, please contact:

Ida Mae Fernandez

IOM Manila

E-mail: "mailto:ifernandez@iom.int">ifernandez@iom.int

and

Naoko Hashimoto

IOM Japan

Email: "mailto:nhashimoto@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">nhashimoto@iom.int