The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) and the Japan Foundation Manila (JFM) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on 26 October 2025 for a project that will make Japanese Language Teaching (JLT) more accessible to the Filipino workforce through a series of nonformal, short course offerings under the UPOU Faculty of Education Continuing Education Program (FEdCEP). This project aims to address the growing demand for Japanese language proficiency in the country while promoting cultural appreciation and understanding between the Philippines and Japan through language education.

The signing ceremony was led by the UPOU Chancellor, Prof. Joane V. Serrano; UPOU Faculty of Education (FEd) Dean, Dr. Charisse T. Reyes; JFM Director, Mr. Tsutomu “Ben” Suzuki; and JFM Deputy Director, Mr. Yuta Kaneko. The event was also graced by the presence of UPOU Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (OVCAA) Program Development Associate for Linkages, Asst. Prof. Remsce A. Pasahol; the FEdCEP Program Development Associate Prof. Juliet Aleta R. Villanueva; FEdCEP Committee Member, Ms. Rubie Parcon and other UPOU Staff. They were also joined by other representatives from JFM, namely: JFM Senior Japanese Language Adviser, Ms. Yuko Fujimitsu and Ms. Francesca Murphy Ventura, as well as Asst. Prof. Ria P. Rafael from the Department of Linguistics, UP Diliman.

The signing of this MOA officially marks the beginning of a partnership between the two institutions to work together in expanding access to quality instruction in Japanese Language Teaching in the Philippines. Specifically, the target is to design and deliver an engaging online language teaching program for diverse learners by leveraging the expertise of UPOU in distance education and JFM’s experience in Japanese Language Teaching.

The short courses for development and delivery under this partnership will initially be offered as stand-alone professional development courses targeting parateachers, practising teachers, language tutors and teaching professionals, some of whom are Filipino overseas workers. The project looks forward to collaborating with the UP Diliman Department of Linguistics in proposing a Certificate in Japanese Language Teaching and Learning, a non-formal degree certification program which may serve as micro-credentials towards a formal degree program.

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Written by: Daniel Patrick K. Reyes

Edited by: Prof. J. Aleta R. Villanueva and Asst. Prof. Ana Katrina T. Marcial