PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA) -- The Japanese government calls all Nikkeijin in Palawan, particularly those who belong to the second generation to apply for their Japanese nationality and enjoy the benefits of being citizens decades after World War II.

After the war, Japanese in the country were repatriated back to Japan, leaving behind their Filipino wives and children, who now belong to the second generation of Nikkeijin. Many of them went to hide in the Philippine mountains or remote areas without proper identification to avoid prosecution in the post-war period.

Minister and Consul General to the Embassy of Japan, Hanada Takahiro, said that many of the individuals who belong to the second generation are now in their 80s and 90s. There is a need to accelerate assistance for nationality acquisition, he added.

"Although 78 years have passed since the end of the world war, the second-generation Nikkeijin are already in their 80s and 90s, their hardships during post-war period are not yet over—I am afraid to say but considering the old age of the second generation, this could be their last chance," he said.

Takahiro owed the restoration of relations between Japan and the Philippines to the generosity of Filipinos during the 1970s and 1980s, allowing Nikkeijin in the second generation to come out with their true identity. It encouraged them to apply for the acquisition of their Japanese nationality in the family court of Japan.

However, there have been cases of individuals who have acquired their Japanese nationality facing fines and fees amounting to P2 million when departing from and re-entering the Philippines without holding a Philippine passport. Takahiro said that they were considered illegally overstaying foreigners for over 40 years.

It was only in July this year that the collecting fines and fees were deferred after obtaining certification from the Bureau of Immigration, recognizing them as Philippine Nikkeijin. It was through the guidelines issued by the Department of Justice on Philippine Nikkeijin.

Nikkeijin in Palawan

According to the Japanese government, there are 400 to 500 second-generation Nikkeijins left in the Philippines. There are around 1,780 Nikkeijins who applied for Japanese nationality but died during the process of acquisition.

Takahiro said that the Japanese government has no particular number of Nikkeijins recorded in Palawan. Margarette Lumuauag, president of the Palawan Nikkeijin Chapter, said that there are already six clans approved for the acquisition of Japanese nationality, while 10 clans are now under ongoing applications.

Most of the Nikkeijins in Palawan are located in the towns of Linapacan, Rizal, Quezon, and Taytay.

Japanese Nationality Acquisition

The Government of Japan has contracted the Philippine Nikkei-jin Legal Support Center (PNLSC), a non-profit organization, to conduct the ‘17th Survey of the Second-Generation Filipino-Nikkei-jin.’ There will be a schedule from November to December 2023 in Puerto Princesa and El Nido and January to February 2024 in Cebu.

Interviews for the Luzon area have already been scheduled for September, but the Japanese government encourages them to reach out to them if there are additional requests for other sites in the Philippines.

"The procedure of nationality acquisition is not easy and time-consuming as well. Our embassy is now supporting and seconding the interview, not only the PNLSC but being there at the interviews so that we can support and second the documents submitted by the second generation," he said.

Individuals to undergo the interview process are requested to prepare the following documents that will confirm your identity: your birth certificate (or delayed registration), your parents (first-generation) marriage certificate (or delayed registration), your parents' (first-generation) death certificate (or delayed registration), an affidavit from a witness, a baptismal certificate, statelessness certification, records of captivity, photographs indicating Japanese ancestry, academic transcripts from your student years, intertribal marriage certificates, etc.

Takahiro said that aside from enjoying the benefits of being a Japanese citizen, the Japanese government also extends language training courses for Nikkeijins. (RPG/PIA MIMAROPA - Palawan)