MEIDAI

NETWORK

News Magazine of the Nagoya University Filipino Scholars and Alumni Association
Souvenir Issue on the Occasion of the Establishment of the
Philippine Branch of Nagoya University Alumni Association on December 20, 2014

MEIDAI-12

Welcome to our Distinguished Guests from Nagoya University

Dr. Michinari Hamaguchi, D.Med

President of Nagoya University

Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda

President of NUAL

MEIDAI

NETWORK
Contents

Philippine Alumni: Making the Connection by Andy Oreta ......... 1

Nagoya No Mukashi Keiken: Visiting The Memory Lane by Jing Masangkay .... 3

Im A MEI-DAI Graduate and Proud Of It! by Resty Collado ..... 6

Reminiscing my Mei-Dai Life as a Japanese Language Student by Daisy Montesa ..10

A Former Frontier by Tess Galamay ..14

My Pursuit of Higher Education at Nagoya University by Lanie Alvarez ... 16

A Reflection of My Days as a Student at Nagoya University by Felino Cagampang 19

My Japan Experience: Beyond SCIENCE by Dante Simbulan .. 21

My Nagoya University Stint: A Quest for Academic Excellence by Maria Amelita Estacio..23

My lifelong friend, Joe by Akira Yamauchi .. 24

Reconnecting with Nagoya University Civil Engineering by Andy Oreta .... 26

Comics: Evolution of a Foreign Student in Japan by Jerry Velasquez ... 27

Philippine MeiDai Alumni List ....... 28

Photo-Journal .... 31

Philippine Alumni Trivia: Whos first? ..... 34

Acknowledgements: Mr. Isamu Suzuki (Japanese translation of titles), Prof. Yoshito Itoh (NUAL list), Cynthia Saloma &
Amie Estacio (NUFSAA list), Bong Salvador & Renan Tanhueco (DVD production) and all contributors to this magazine.
---- Andy Oreta

Cover Story

Philippine Alumni Making the Connection

A CHANCE MEETING. September 13, 2013 was a chance meeting at the Sapporo Station, Hokkaido during the EASEC-13 held at
Hokkaido University between me and Prof. Yoshito Itoh, my former professor at Nagoya University. Prof. Itoh, who is the
executive coordinator of the Nagoya University Alumni Association (NUAL) exchanged calling cards with me and mentioned to me
that he will contact me regarding NUAL. Hence during my visit at Nagoya University on May 1-3, 2014, Prof. Itoh and Prof. Tomio
Nakano., NUAL Chief of Liaison Committee discussed with me the proposal to organize the alumni from the Philippines. Our
meeting ended with me promising them that I will initiate the meeting that will trigger the formation of the NUAL Philippine
Branch.
MESSAGES FROM NUAL. On May 26, 2014, Prof. Itoh and Prof. Nakano sent a letter giving information about common activities
between NUAL and the overseas branches. These activities include NUAL updates and announcements at the NUAL website
(http://www.nual.nagoya-u.ac.jp/english/index.html) and through the Alumni Information System, meeting with senior level
executives of Nagoya University (e.g. NU President) and invitation of NUAL branch representatives in the Homecoming Day Event.
On August 19, 2014, another email was received informing me about the planned visit of Dr. Hamaguchi, President of Nagoya
University and the President of NUAL on Dec, 18-21, 2014. The names of our sempai, Dr. Joseph Masangkay and Dr. Cristino
Collado were mentioned as key people for organizing the Filipino alumni.
SOCIAL NETWORKS. An informal social network group dubbed as Nagoya University Filipino Scholars and Alumni Association
(NUFSAA) was created using social networks. To serve as sort of website is a blogsite (http://nufsaa.blogspot.com) which I
created. The NUFSAA blog serves also as an online registration site for the alumni to input information such as name, email,
contact numbers, degree and year at NU and present job. NUFSAA social network groups in Facebook and yahoo group were also
created for easy dissemination of information and linking with alumni.

The MEIDAI-12. On September 27, 2014, the first meeting and reunion was held at the De La Salle University Science &
Technology Complex, Canlubang, Laguna with Prof. Pag-asa Gaspillo, Vice President of the DLSU STC as host. MEIDAI-12,
the twelve alumni and scholars who responded to the call and attended the meeting were: Back (L-R): (1) Dr. Pag-asa
Indette Gaspillo (D.Eng. 1995), (2) Dr. Cynthia Palmes Saloma (BS Molecular Biology 1993), (3) Daisy Montesa
(Japanese Language 1989), (4) Dr. Lerma San Jose Maldia (D. Agri. Sci. 2010 ), (5) Dr. Ma. Amelita Amie Estacio (M.
Agri. Sci. 1996, D.Agri.Sci. 2004), (6) Dr. Joseph Jing Masangkay (M.Agri. Sci. 1975, D.Agr.Sci. 1983), (7) Dr. Renan Ma.
Tanhueco (M.Eng. 1993), (8) Dr. Cristino Resty Collado (PhD. Agri. Sci. 1982), (9) Dr. Andres Andy Oreta (M.Eng 1991,
D.Eng. 1994). From (L-R): (10) Gerardo Gerry Augusto (M.Eng. 1996), (11) Dr. Florante Bong Salvador (Japanese
Language 1991), (12) Ruth Palanca (Japanese Language 1991).

COORDINATING COUNCIL. The MIEDAI-12 formed a coordinating council composed of seven members during the meeting on
Sept 27, 2014. Dr. Resty Collado was tasked as the council member who will contact and coordinate directly with the NUAL Office.
The other members are Dr. Jing Masangkay, Dr. Indette Gaspillo, Dr. Cynthia Saloma, Daisy Montesa, Dr. Amie Estacio, Dr. Lerma
Maldia and Dr. Andy Oreta who was appointed as the branch secretary.
NUAL-PH INTERIM OFFICERS. Another meeting was held on Nov. 16, 2014 at UP Los Banos hosted by Resty Collado and Willie
Abasolo. The group made preliminary plans for the ceremony establishing the Philippine Branch of the Nagoya University Alumni
Association (NUAL-PH) which will be held on Dec. 20, 2014 at the EDSA Shangrila Plaza Hotel. The interim officers were also
appointed among the coordinating council members: Resty Collado (President), Pag-asa Gaspillo (Vice President), Andy Oreta
(Secretary), Daisy Montesa (Asst. Secretary), Amie Estacio (Treasurer), Lerma Maldia (Asst. Treasurer), Cynthia Saloma (PRO)
and Jing Masangkay (Auditor).
The MEIDAI-12 has put in place the connection to Nagoya University. The ceremony on the formal establishment of the NUALPhilippine Branch on Dec. 20, 2014 with President of Nagoya University, Dr. Hamaguchi and President of NUAL, Dr. Toyoda as
guests has been finalized. Meanwhile, connecting with more Philippine Meidai alumni continues. Andy Oreta ( 12/8/2014)

Nov. 16, 2014. Group Photo of the Philippine Meidai alumni after the meeting at UP Los Banos. The meeting was hosted by
Resty Collado and Willie Abasolo. Front (L-R): Renan, Willie, Resty & Andy. Back (L-R): Bambi, Amie, Marian, Daisy, Ruth &
Cynthia. Photo taken at the UPLB Japanese Garden. Not in the photo: Jing Masangkay.

Nagoya no mukashi keiken:Visiting the memory lane

Joseph Jing Masangkay, DVM, PhD
(M.A. Agric. Sci., 1975; Dr. Agric. Sci., 1983)

Even before graduation from my undergraduate DVM course I was already reserved by my
thesis adviser Dr Meliton Novilla to join the faculty of the UP College of Veterinary Medicine. It
was during my senior year that I met a team of Japanese researchers who were conducting a
joint cooperative research with UP CVM. I was deeply impressed with their work ethics and
diligence by working long hours in the laboratory.

I was the first Filipino

During my first year of teaching as instructor I was luckily

student in the university
picked up for nomination by the dean of UP CVM the late Dr.
which makes me the dai
Salvador H. Escudero III to represent the Philippines to the first Asia
sempai...
Pacific Meeting of the International Council for Laboratory Animal
Science (ICLAS) in Tokyo. In spite of my temporary appointment as
instructor I was the most qualified nominee screened by the NEDA Scholarship Committee. It was a very memorable
moment for me because of my first airplane ride experience. This international meeting included trips to different
laboratory animal centers in Japan. Little did I know that I will meet again a member of the Japanese research team
who did a collaborative research with UP CVM in 1970. It was Takao Namikawa, who was then a laboratory assistant in
the Department of Animal Science Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding under Professor Kyoji Kondo, who
personally greeted me. Nagoya University had a very simple laboratory animal facility housing numerous strains of
laboratory mice produced by Kondo sensei. I told Kondo sensei that I would like to study in Japan particularly in the
field of laboratory animal science. He was very willing to accept me as long as I have a scholarship to support my
studies. With the strong recommendation of Kondo sensei I easily qualified for the Mombusho scholarship in 1974.
During that time there was no language center in Nagoya University so we studied Nippongo at Osaka University of
Foreign Languages which was popularly
called Osaka Gaidai. Our batch was
divided in two groups, one in Senri
Osaka Dormitory and the other one in
Hanazono. Later on I found out that this
arrangement was necessary to
completely separate physically the
Israelites from the Arabs because in
1974 the Israel-Arab conflict was in its
height. I was included with the Arabs in
Hanazono dormitory. I am very proud of
the 1974 batch because all the class
sections in Nippongo were topped by
Filipino students.
In 1974 there was no foreign
Taken at the Vet Anatomy dissection room of Rakuno Gakuen in
students dormitory in Nagoya University
Hokkaido together with Hiramune sensei (right)
so we were distributed to Japanese
families willing to accept us in a form of gesshuku. Indeed I consider myself lucky because the Kobayashi family who
welcomed me in their house served as my foster parents during my first year of stay. I had a separate room and
charged me only for utilities. Living with a Japanese family accelerated my knowledge in Nippongo because I was
forced to communicate with them in Nippongo from the obaasan, ojiisan and small children. I easily picked up idiomatic
expressions, Japanese slang and censored phrases which I did not learn in the formal Japanese language course.

Television programs in Nippongo also helped me a lot. The head of the family Mr. Norio Kobayashi is a horse race
tipster (yosoya in Nippongo) and the family always invited me to join them when they go out for dinner. One time a
sumo wrestler was invited in the house and I was introduced to him over dinner and lots of drinking. A very expensive
Japanese menu is Fugu sashimi. Fugu is puffer fish known for its potent neurotoxin that can kill a person. Fugu sashimi
is only served in selected restaurants prepared by a licensed cook. I was hesitant to eat the Fugu sashimi when I was
invited because during that time a famous Kabuki player named Bando-san died of Fugu poisoning. When the sashimi
was served I thought it was a nice decoration that looked like a very beautiful flower. I let the family eat first while I
observed for more than 30 minutes. When nothing happened to them I took my first bite of the Fugu sashimi and it was
delicious, sweetish and soft that melts in the mouth. Nothing happened to me so I kept on eating. Later on I learned
that the neurotoxin is a long-acting toxin that will exert its fatal effect hours after ingestion. Nothing happened to us
even after coming back home so I said it is safe to eat Fugu sashimi as long as it is served in a recognized restaurant
prepared by a licensed cook.
Just before the end of 1974 the Sakurayama Ryuugakusei Kaikan dormitory was built and we were the first
occupants of this dorm. Even after transferring to this dorm I still keep contact with the Kobayashi family. Living in a
dormitory is challenging and enjoyable because one needs to be independent and sociable at the same time. I was
elected as President of the Aichi Foregin Students Association (AFSA) and the first challenge for me was the
International Night Festival. I was really proud of the Filipino group because of the strong cooperation that I got from all
of them which made the presentation a success.
I learned from the administration office of Nagoya University that I was the first Filipino student in the university
which makes me the DAI SEMPAI for all the Filipino students in Nagoya University. With the guidance of Kondo sensei
and Namikawa I was able to finish my
MS with flying colors. I presented my
thesis in Nippongo but the manuscript
was written in English. I had a contract
with UP CVM so I need to return to the
Philippines to serve my contract. Three
years passed and I qualified again for a
Mombusho scholarship to pursue my
PhD. This time I went to Japan with my
family. I stayed in the Ryuugakusei
kaikan alone for 9 months after which
my family came. I really considered
myself lucky because of a vacancy for
2 slots in the nearby hoikuen (nursery
school) for my 2 sons. Kids are
amazing when it comes to language
learning because they absorb the
language very naturally. In just 2 weeks In front of Meidai bus stop. Jordan (left) my eldest son finished DVM
my 2 sons Jordan and Jason were able while Jason (right)graduated as Agricultural Engr.; both from UPLB.
to speak fluent colloquial Nippongo. In They are now staying in Canada with their families.
fact I learned a lot of new phrases and
words from them.
My PhD program was not difficult for me because I just built up the data from my MS program. Nagoya University
has no Veterinary Medicine unit but my adviser Kondo sensei is a veterinarian who finished his DVM from Todai. Again
I was lucky because my adviser is both a veterinarian and an animal scientist. My PhD dissertation was tailored for me
because I concentrated on the use of animal models for human diseases that included diabetes. Just like in my MS
thesis I presented my PhD dissertation defense in Nippongo. The writing of the manuscript took some time because I

had to include several publications in international journals. My practical joke for my PhD manuscript was: I started
writing the manuscript using IBM electric typewriter and finished the complete manuscript in Microsoft Word program.
Housing accommodation for foreign students in the Ryuugakusei kaikan is getting tough and competitive and we
were allowed only to stay for 2 years after which we had to move out. Again the Kobayashi family accepted us. They
owned a Kendo Gym in the neighboring city of Owariasahi City and we stayed in the second floor. Luck is with us again
because I was able to enroll my 2 sons in the neighboring hoikuen to continue their basic education. Again the
Kobayashi family did not charge us for rent, we just paid the utilities. My wife Julie was a big help because she was in
charge of bringing and picking up my 2 kids from school. She was also responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of
the gym. The distance from Meidai was far and I had to commute by bus and transfer to the chikatetsu. Just like all of
us Filipino students who are very diligent I spent most of my weekdays in the laboratory. My Japanese classmates
work late in the morning and I took this opportunity to come early and use the limited numbers of instruments. I was the
first one to come to the lab and open the key to the room and also to work in the nezumi goya (rodent hut). When my
Japanese students come I am already
finished with my lab work and can start
with my writing and library work. Coming
home after a days work was equally
rewarding when I talk to my wife Julie
and hearing from my two sons the things
that happened during the day. I tried to
see to it that work and play are balanced.
Weekends are for my family and it seems
that my wife has a built-in radar and can
detect any bazaar or sale wherever they
are. Riding bicycles around the park with
my two sons are the best moments of
bonding I will forever cherish.
In both my MS and PhD programs
a tandem research project was planned
which enabled me to visit the Philippines.
We had a research project under the
Southeast Asia Research on Native
Animals (Tonan Asia Zairai Kachiku Kenkyuukai) wherein we collected specimen samples from native animals in
different countries of Southeast Asia. I was the representative of the Philippines and together with the team I was able
to go to different places in the Philippines from North to South. The Japanese concept of nurturing education is still
on-going at present in UPLB CVM. At present I am doing research collaboration with the Meidai group for the native
goat and red jungle fowl (labuyo) and with the Todai group for diseases transmitted from bats.

Taken in our small gesshuku freely provided to us by the Kobayashi

family. The small table (kotatsu) serves as our dinner table and also as
heating appliance during cold winter days.

I will always be indebted to my late adviser Kyoji Kondo sensei, my co-adviser Takeshi Tomita sensei and my
colleague Takao Namikawa who became Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture. Likewise my sincerest thanks to the
Kobayashi family and my family- Julie my wife and my two sons Jordan and Jason. My chonan Jordan also graduated
DVM from UPLB CVM.
I retired in 2012 after serving UP for 42 consecutive years and at present I continue my tenure as Professor
Emeritus.
JOSEPH S. MASANGKAY, DVM, PhD
Professor Emeritus, UPLB (11/04/2014)

Im
Im a MEIMEI-DAI Graduate
Graduate and proud of it!
Cristino M. Collado (Ph.D. Agri. Sci. 82)
Spring of 1978. That was when I first set
foot on the grounds of Nagoya University (or
Mei-dai for short). All at once, I was awed
by its vastness. I was fascinated by the
highway inside it. I thought at first that it
was the boundary, only to be told that it was
only a divider. Then I wondered how much
biking I would have to do to negotiate the
distance between each of the many
buildings scattered around.
I was an incoming student of Mei-dai. But in
a sense, I could not be considered new
inasmuch as I had been staying in Japan
already. First at Osaka Gai-dai for my
Nihongo language training. Then at Gifu-dai
for my Masters degree. For this reason, I
was allowed only two weeks at the Foreign
Students House in Tosei-cho. Finding a
place of my own thus became a priority.
This was my first taste of Mei-dais
cooperative spirit.
Everyone in my
Laboratory took it upon himself to help me in
my apartment hunting. Finally, we found a
16-tatami house close to the university. It
was serendipity at work;
the former
occupant had just been promoted and must
move to Tokyo.

I credit my Sensei and my lab colleagues for

my easy adapting and adjusting to my new
environs. They were always willing to lend
a hand particularly when I had to make
"happyo" or report for group seminars.
These were the same people who helped
me organize my papers for national
conventions that enabled me to travel to
various universities as far as Hokkaido in
the north and Kyushu in the south.

When I presented my thesis proposal, my

Sensei deemed that I needed to take
additional courses on Biochemistry. Thus
my initiation at Mei-dai consisted of running
experiments
and
attending
lectures
simultaneously. I needed to raise hundreds
of chickens to get liver samples. These
were to be homogenized and analyzed for
lipid metabolism. Also to determine other
lipid parameters.

During my time, it was customary to require

doctoral candidates to have a minimum of
three refereed publications in national or
international journals. This requirement was
what made difficult to predict if a student
would graduate on schedule. A submitted
manuscript, if ever accepted, could take
months before it finally got published. It was
one reason why I could not graduate on
time. My Monbusho grant was only for
three years. Thereafter, I was on my own.
Luckily, my application to the Rotary
International for a one-year scholarship was
granted.

My living close to the university was a big

help.
I would get dirty doing the
experimental part and would find it easy to
clean up afterwards for my classroom
schedules.

door of my rented house to return my

camera. It turned out that someone found
the camera in the park and brought it to the
police station. As was my habit, I always
wrote my name and address on things I had
acquired. For my camera, it was on the
leather case. Thus was how my camera got
reunited with me. As time passed by, I was
to witness that honesty was practiced as a
way of life in Japan. At Mei-dai, we would
leave our calculators and other school
gadgets on top of our desks as we took our
lunch.
When we returned, those items
would still be there intact. In the Shokudo,
the system was to buy the stub
corresponding to the chosen menu and drop
it in a jar beside the vending machine.
It
was easy to just line up without having
dropped a stub. But I never heard of
anyone to have done such.

Spring was when I first came to Mei-dai. It

was another Spring when I graduated.
What a beautiful day it was when I stood
proudly on the stage at Toyoda Hall. My
feelings when I received my Certificate of
Graduation were not easy to describe. My
emotions were mixed. I was happy that my
academic journey had ended.
No more
sleepless nights of lab work and data
interpretation.
I could now forget my
unexpressed apprehensions. But for some
reason and at the same time, I felt an
undefined sadness inside me. Well, four
years of struggle spiced with good
mentoring and cheery camaraderie was not
an easy thing to just leave behind.
IMPRESSIONS: Even on first encounter, I
was impressed with the Nagoya folk. They
seemed cosmopolitan enough and yet did
not display the impersonal attitude of the
Tokyoites. Being surrounded perhaps by
still rural communities, Nagoya still exuded
the quaint flavor of Aichi Prefecture that was
prevalent up to early 80s.

I was impressed by the Japanese work

ethics of which punctuality was an unstated
rule. Almost always, five minutes before the
hour, everyone was in place and ready to
start work or begin a program. How I wish
people elsewhere would realize that in
Japan, to be late was a sign of disrespect.
JNR knew this only too well, which was why
one could set his watch by the arrivals of the
bullet trains.

In my little Motoyama neighborhood, I

seemed to be the only gaijin.
Soon,
everyone was referring to me as Resty-san.
Meeting a neighbor was always with a slight
bow and the customary Ohayo gozaimasu.
If not in a hurry, there would be the
inevitable reference to the weather.
Atsui/samui desu ne! In the evening, as I
passed by the house in front of mine, I
would just say Tadaima and almost
always, my landlady would respond, Okaeri nasai.
Such little courtesies
impressed me. They served as a social
lubricant that made the grinding of daily life
easy.

I was impressed by the Japanese peoples

cooperative spirit. Proof of this was that
farmers, workers, merchants and related
groupings all had a functioning cooperative
or association. They believed that strength
was found in number. They believed that
group work and collective undertaking were
the way to enhance efficiency.
Once,
during the experimental stage of my thesis, I
got sick and had to rest. I could rest and
stay home without worrying about my
experimental birds.
All my laboratory
colleagues took turns in providing feeds and
water to my chickens. Later when all the
data were in, I had to compute the ANOVA
(analysis of variance) and the SD (standard
deviation). Computers were just beginning
to be popular in early 80s. My lack of

Honesty, as ingrained in most Japanese

during my time, also impressed me. The
time that I forgot my newly bought Canon
camera in Higashiyama Koen reinforced this
impression. I regretted my carelessness
and had accepted my loss. The following
day, however, I got a call from my landlady.
She told me that two policemen were at the

sufficient literacy in running those programs

was understandable. Again, my colleagues
came to the rescue and two afternoons
later, I had my experimental results in table
form.

asking who among them could provide

employment to one of my co-graduates who
failed to get accepted in the firms he had
sent applications to.
UNFADING MEMORIES.
My Mei-dai
memories are now three decades old. But
they could have happened only last year.
They have remained clearly etched in my
consciousness. Today, I could go to a
supermarket and I would feel that I was
shopping for groceries at UNY on
Motoyama or at Daiei in Nagoya Eki. Or I
could be at National Book Store and
experience vicariously those weekends
when I would scan the books at Kinokuniya
Shop in Sakae . And when the November
sun begins setting earlier, I would remember
those early nights as I trekked down the
slope from Nogaku-bu to my house. The
autumn wind and the fallen leaves gave me
a sweet sense of anticipation for December
and Christmastime.

Lack of space limits my listing of many more

lasting impressions. But one that I would
not miss mentioning was the strong sense

I remember those Nagoya summer nights

when yukata would be the attire of the
season.
Especially when O-bon matsuri
was around and celebrated. How charming
those ladies were who walked daintily in
their getas. They clicked melodiously in
rhythm with O-bon odori .

(1980s) With my adviser, Prof. Iwao Tasaki.

I remember my annual pilgrimage to Gifu to

renew my ties with my Gifu-dai professors
and to visit my foster family. Gifu-dais
campus was not as spacious as Mei-dais,
but it was there where I experienced my first
snow. It was on its grounds that even if it
was midnight, I went out to feel the softness
of snow under my feet and make footprints
on its virginal surface, just like Armstrong
when he first landed on the moon.

of bonding between a Sensei and his

graduate students. It was this bonding that
inspired each graduate student to act, and
be treated in return, as a brother or a sister.
This bonding was also the foundation of the
equally strong sense of sempai/kohai
relationship. Each to his place and rank.
The Sensei was the acknowledged father
and took his role seriously. I was witness to
my sensei, Professor Tasaki, calling up
several companies and contacts. He was

I remember with fondness my English

students, young and old. Many times have I
found myself wondering how many had

it was the mentoring that I got from my Mei-dai professors that

rounded my professional identity.
8

with those in Japan. I have concluded that it

was my doctorate from NU and my
Japanese exposure that opened the doors
for me. Days after my return, SEARCA
appointed me as a Program Manager. This
position further helped me get a concurrent
appointment in the UPLB faculty.

succeeded in life because they could

communicate in English.
I truly enjoyed
those arubaito days, especially at Berlitz
which was then the biggest English
Conversation school in Nagoya.
I remember with a smile those Saturday
nights, especially towards the end of the
year, when I would rummage through the
various items thrown away because the
owners were buying new appliances and
home furniture. There was one time when
my house had three TVs of different brands
and sizes, two tape recorders that could still
play Pilita Corrales songs, and a lounging
sofa all courtesy of the gomi disposal
centers around Higashiyama and Motoyama
areas.

I also credit my Japan experience to my

getting the U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service
post that brought me to Singapore. As
Regional Technical Director, I covered 12
countries. In many instances, my little ability
in Nihongo facilitated my interactions. My
understanding of the Japanese business
culture likewise helped me penetrate
chambers of commerce. Then later, my
regional experience was what perhaps
caught the attention of some political figures
that ultimately landed me the No. 2 post at
the Department of Agriculture. Other helpful
details are too many to account. Suffice it to
say that it was the mentoring that I got from
my Mei-dai professors that rounded my
professional identity.

Every foreign student in Japan had one

common unseen enemy: homesickness. I
had my lion share of that. I can vividly
remember those occasional times when I
felt I was in the middle of nowhere and just
wanted to hear someone speak Tagalog
again. I can recall those nights when I was
lying motionless on my futon and staring
blankly at the ceiling, wondering if it was
worth counting the days ahead before I
could go back home. Those were moments
when the faces of my loved ones would
flash before me and I would fantasize
touching each of them. Now and then, I
would recall those unanswered longings for
things Filipino, including my yearning for
native tastes that only home cooking could
satisfy.

Hence, wherever and whenever, with pride

I say: Hijo ni o-sewa ni narimashite. Iroiro to, domo. Honto ni domo arigatou
gozaimashita.

THANK YOU, MEI-DAI. My recollection of

my Mei-dai days would lack fervor if I do not
include a repetition of my gratitude. I really
thank my professors and past colleagues.
It was they who gave substance to my
existence in those years.
As I moved on after my 1982 graduation, I
realized how big a role my NU education
played in my quest for advancement. At
that time, SEARCA was laying the
groundwork for a university consortium that
would link key Southeast Asian universities

With Prof. Fujiwara, former lab mate and co-graduate,

summer 2013

Reminiscing my Mei-Dai Life as a

Japanese Language Student
Daisy Montesa (Japanese Language, Oct. 1988 March, 1989)
From Manila to Nagoya. I still vividly
remember that sunny afternoon of Oct. 4,
1988 when I took the Thai Airways flight to
Osaka, Japan. We were met by AIEJ
(Association of International Education, Japan)
volunteers at the airport and brought to the
hotel after giving us our arrival allowance.
On that same flight were Andy Oreta and
Melchor Chan. We spent the night in Osaka.
The following morning the same AIEJ
volunteers brought us to Nagoya by
shinkansen. It was the first time that I went

First Weeks. Our sempai Joe Pardales (+)

was our adviser and teacher. He taught us how
to take the subway train and the city bus and
brought us to important sites in Nagoya like
Osukanon Nagoya Port, Higashiyama Zoo and
also brought us shopping in Sakae, in
particular Watchman which was a special store
for cameras and electronics. He was also so
nice to lend us yen so that we didn't have to
spend our dollars baon until the first stipend
was given. Everything was easy with Joe
around.
Our first few weeks in Nagoya were not so
difficult after all. Thanks to the volunteers who
helped us do the alien registration and the

Our first tour with Joe Pardales (Left) and Andy

Oreta (Middle) at Osu.
overseas and took a shinkansen. I was so
nervous thinking that I had only memorized a
few Japanese words.
We were all met by our professors and officers
from our school at Nagoya station and then
were brought separately to the same
destinationthe
Nagoya
University
Ryuugakusei Kaikan in Sakurayama which
became our home for the first 6 months.

With Japanese women volunteers & foreign students

Japanese
National
Health
Insurance
registration at the Showa Ward Office in
Gokiso. There was no subway train then so we
had to walk from kaikan to the ward office
which was a good 20 minute walk for fast
walkers. One of the volunteers invited us to
her home afterwards. To our surprise, she
quickly prepared curry rice which we enjoyed
very much after all. Early at this point in time,

10

we realized that curry is part of their everyday

home cooking menu.
Our Nihonggo Class. I enjoyed our Japanese
language class tremendously because the
teachers were kind and encouraging. The
placement tests at the beginning decided the
class level we were placed in. I was placed in

On Friday afternoons after class, Estela and I

would usually get on the bus at the bus stop in
front of Toyoda Auditorium to go to Sakae,
Central Park, Mitsukoshi, Maruei, Matsuzakaya
When it was late I would sleep in her room in
the International Residence.
The Japanese class was not all that easy. It

Japanese Language Class Graduation Day (March 1989)

the lowest class, Section D. There I met Estela
Decarlini, a brain surgeon from Montevideo,
Uruguay. She became a good friend and
recently we have continued to connect through
Facebook. Later on in Nagoya that year she
became my hair cutter so that we didnt have
to go to the expensive parlors to save our
stipend.
I was really amazed by the number of
countries and continents represented by the
students at the Genggo Senta. Most of us
lived in kaikan while a few lived in the
International Residence. We all cooked in the
common kitchen and there we were able to
taste each others delectable native dishes.

was hard memorizing the kanji and studying

grammar but somehow we survived. Thanks to
friends in kaikan especially Andy who helped
me and Estela with our assignments. By special
arrangement with Andy, I cooked our dinners
while he reads our assignments. Our Japanese
class was held Mondays through Fridays from 8
am to 4 pm. On Saturdays, classes were until
12 noon. It was really rigid.
The Graduation on March 1989 was held in
Toyoda Auditorium which was then followed
by a group picture taking and a party. On
graduation day, we were filled with mixed
emotions. We were happy because the difficult
Japanese course was over yet sad because we

11

will be separated to go to our respective

universities for major studies.

Temple) and the Imperial Palace. Our group

included the students from Algeria, China,
Uruguay and Brazil.
Foreign Students Activities. The AFSA
(Aichi Foreign Students Association) Night was
a native song and dance competition on stage
at the Nagoya Citizen's Auditorium in
Tsurumai. An international food festival was
also held in the morning of the same day. We
spent long hours practicing for the AFSA
performance. Many times the Filipino students'
group won cash prizes which were then spent
for a delicious meal at Denny's Family
Restaurant near kaikan right after the

Autumn Trip at Nara

AFSA Night with Estela, Noemi, Andy, Alex & Friends

Spring Trip at Kyoto
During our time in Nagoya University we had a
chance to visit Nara and Kyoto. It was an
overnight trip where we stayed in a hotel and
for the first time had a chance to wear kimono.
Since it was already November then, it started
to get cold. The blazer that I brought was not
enough to warm me. Later we went to buy
thicker and warmer sweaters at an ukayukay in Osu Kannon. During this time the
amazing red and yellow leaves of autumn
started to appear.
In Nara we visited the Todaiji Temple which
houses Japan's largest statue of Buddha and
the world's largest bronze statue of Buddha,
and the Deer Park where we could feed the
deers with food that was sold at the park. In
Kyoto, we visited the Kinkakuji Temple (Golden

performance. I was blessed to have a sempai

like Noemi Orolaza who was caring and
thoughtful. She was with me when I
experienced the excitement of my first snowfall
in Nagoya. She became my closest Filipino
friend in Nagoya. We spent happy times
together exploring Japan and experiencing
Japanese culture.
All the AFSA Tours were sponsored by the
Meitetsu Group. The first trip was at the Little
World Museum of Man in Inuyama.
By the time the language course ended it was
time for the cherry blossoms. Again this was
another first time experience. The cherry
blossoms along Ishikawabashi near kaikan and
Tsurumai Koen were two of our favorite cherry

12

AFSA Tour at the Little World Museum of Man with

Filipino Students
blossoms viewing places. We would proudly
escort new students to these two places.
After Nagoya University. I will never forget
my time in Nagoya University. There I made
many friends and was able to experience
international culture as well as able to immerse

in Japanese culture first hand. After the

language studies I went to Aichi University of
Education and then worked at Nanzan
University for 23 years. The Japanese language
I learned helped me get by with my daily life in
Japan for nearly 25 years. The intercultural
environment at Meidai helped me understand
people more, regardless of their nationality and
beliefs. Later on, I used this understanding in
dealing with foreign students in Nanzan
University. I am grateful to all my teachers
who taught me patiently basic Japanese
grammar. While I went to Japan knowing
nothing about its language and people, I have
learned to love Japan especially Nagoya and
consider it as my second home where friends
and family always await my visit. I returned to
the Philippines after retirement. Now I am a
part-time lecturer in Chemistry and a Japanese
language and culture teacher.

At Noemis host family in Mie Ken

Daisy Montesa - October 21, 2014

Hanami at Ishikawabashi

Register your information at http://nufsaa.blogspot.com/

13

A FORMER FRONTIER
Teresita O. Galamay (D. Agri. Sci. Major in Agronomy Crop Science 1993)
Two decades ago, when computers and internet were not yet in demand in the Philippines, newspapers were the only
way someone could get information. A scholarship announcement from the Embassy of Japan in Manila caught my
eye while reading the Philippine Daily Newspaper. The competition was open to anyone who wanted to study in Japan.
My hand written applications were sent via mail, which included a write up of my academic plans. A telegram from the
Embassy of Japan arrived with an invitation to be interviewed for that scholarship. Despite a typhoon that made
weather conditions difficult, I rode a bus bound for Manila from the province of Isabela, thirteen hours away to arrive at
the 8:00 AM interview on time.
Nearly a year later, another notice arrived. A letter and telegram from the Embassy of Japan congratulated me for
being an awardee of the Monbusho Scholarship. The letter said that I was scheduled a flight in April 1987, and while in
Japan, would have to do a six month Intensive Japanese Language Course at Nagoya University. Needing to learn a
language with a different alphabet was an intimidating thought. I was excited and looking forward to the trip to Japan. I
thank God for the honor of being an awardee. It was
such a boost to my morale to know that I would be
studying in another country with such a different
language and culture than my own.
The four hour flight brought me to Osaka, Japan
around seven in the evening. It was cold enough to
make my lips feel frozen. We were met by Japanese
Monbusho Scholars Coordinators who led us to the
lounge to receive our allowance and took us to our
hotel near Osaka International Airport. Everything to
me was foreign. The Japanese signs written around
me were abstract scribbles. At this time, I did not
know how to read Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana,
which are Japanese characters. During the overnight
stay at Osaka International Airport Hotel, I ate udon
and miso shiro-wakame. This was the first time I ever
used chopsticks. Five fellow Filipino Scholars were all
Prof. Yasohiri Kono presents my diploma
bound for Nagoya University Foreign Student House.
We were met by a Foreign Student Adviser and our
senior mentor, who we referred to as Sempai. They started all the processing of our Resident permit, Health and
Medical information.
The six month Japanese Intensive Language course was a challenge since I never had the chance to learn any basic
Japanese before flying there. The language instructors were all nice and did all their best to make sure we learned
well. My role was a Research Student under the Crop Science Department under the Faculty of Agriculture. I made a
lot of Japanese friends and practiced my Japanese with conversations. It was hard to mingle with other Japanese
students as well as some of the sensei due to the language barrier, but I was able to adapt to the new environment that
I was. Over the years, I learned the language, the culture and learned to appreciate the simplicity of living alone and
studying Japanese. I joined the Foreign Student Association and participated in many activities to fully immerse myself
in the culture. Fellow Filipino scholars were like brothers and sisters to me. We encouraged and supported one another
in many ways. We visited parks, saw the cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, hot springs, Ikebana, Bon-dori and joined
trips sponsored by Aichi Prefecture, Toyota, and Honda. We also stayed at the homes of a few Japanese families.

14

After one year of being a non-degree research student, I passed the Graduate Entrance Examination. I studied to be a
Doctorate in Agricultural Science, under the direct supervision of Professor Ebata. Because Professor Ebata was
retiring, Professor Yasuhiro Kono became my adviser until I was awarded the degree. Professor Kono was very helpful
and ensured that all the research studies we made were published in scientific journals, locally and internationally.
Professor Kono spent so many hours on our research and would even assist me on late evenings with my
experiments.
After so many years of spending sleepless nights studying, preparing my examinations, thesis, and dissertation,
everything came to fruition. I graduated with the Degree of Doctorate in Agricultural Science specializing in Crop
Science. After earning my degree, I stayed a little while in Japan before I flew back to the Philippines and reinstated my
academic position and continued serving Isabela
State University as a Professor. I became the
College Research Coordinator and Scholarship
Committee Coordinator. I was also the Regional
Training Coordinator for the Research and
Development of the Isabela State University and
the Cagayan Valley Agriculture Research
Resources and Development (CVARRD).
After several years of serving Isabela State
University, Philippines, I moved to California, USA
to live with my family. I was first hired by the Travis
School District to teach science subjects. Two
years later, I was hired by the County Department
of Agriculture as an Agriculture Biologist
contractual. Later, I became a Research Assistant
at the UC Davis School of Medicine. After the
research project, I transferred to the University of
California Cooperative Extension- Department of
Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCCE-DANR)
as a Nutrition Educator and a Program
Coordinator for Fish Mercury Project under the
FSNEP-USDA.
The research and travel experiences in the
Philippines, Japan, Australia, Malaysia and the
USA, as well as my language skills in Japanese,
Spanish, and two Philippine dialects helped me
earn a position in the US Federal government as
At UC Davis School of Medicine
an Agriculture Specialist. This career armed me
with expertise in the natural sciences and
discipline from working in a fast-paced environment. I served as an expert and technical consultant in the area of
agricultural inspection, quarantine, intelligence, analysis, examination, and law enforcement activities related to the
importation of agricultural commodities.
Being a Scholar of the Japanese and the Philippine government groomed me to be who I am today. Someday, I will go
back to visit Japan and continue serving my community in the Philippines. Teresita O. Galamay October 28, 2014

15

My Pursuit of Higher Education at Nagoya University

Angelina M. Alvarez
(D. Agri. Sci, Major in Food Science and Technology, 1995)

I thought I just wanted to stay at UP Banos and work for many years. One
year after graduation from my long Masters degree (because I was working
as a University Research Assistant at the Institute of Food Science and
Technology (IFST) while studying part-time in the same institute), I had to
make a serious decision to pursue doctorate studies in Nagoya University.
As a research staff of IFST, I did product development and applied classical
food science in my research work; however, in Nagoya University, at the
Laboratory of Molecular Bioregulation, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, I had
to apply molecular biology techniques 80% of my time. Since that was not
part of my past study and research experience, I had to exert extra effort in
studying the basics up to the advanced, including signal transduction, the
immune system, inducers, up and down regulators, gene regulation, etc., for
me to catch up on seminars among students of our laboratory.
Filipino foreign students were many during those years (1992 - 1995). How
I wanted to join them during Sundays and holidays! It is amusing to say
now that the laboratory was my niche, my partner, especially during my first and last years. Nevertheless,
despite the limited time we had to get together, we became close. I cherish their friendship and value those
occasional events we participated in. Many shared my experiences so they also gave valuable advice to me.
Life and study in Japan had not been easy. Many times, I wanted to give up because of my inability to speak,
read and write the Japanese language, the pressure to get results from my experiments and write papers
for publication in scientific journals. My professors could speak English; however, they silently hope that I
could speak Japanese. The students in the laboratory hardly spoke English. At those times, I had created
an invisible shield around me to transiently separate me from the overwhelming hurdle. I guess that it was
because of so many factors besides language, such as culture, my personality, my opinions, and my ability.
Nevertheless, I have discovered a lot about myself which I would not be able to achieve had I not come to
Japan to pursue doctorate studies. I would like to explain as I continue this reflection. I have learned to
challenge myself, to refute what I believe was my limit, and to inculcate in my mind that I could succeed
despite the impediment. In addition, with my simple and frugal lifestyle, even without any part-time job, the
scholarship that I got from the Japanese Government was more than I needed. It was a great help because
the only thing that I had to worry then were my seminars and experiments. During those years, I have learned
to be more independent and wise in my expenditures. My Filipino friends shared with me their excess items
so even I could not join bazaars, I had the things I needed. I was able to save some which I spent after my
graduation and return to the Philippines. I've learned to value friendship and understand differences in
cultures and beliefs. Nagoya University life has exposed me to a colorful world for which I shall remain
grateful.
16

My pursuit of higher education, especially in the field of molecular biology as it applies to food science and
technology, has deepened my understanding of God's power, His encompassing brilliance and greatness.
Why? It was when I studied the most minute of things, the tiniest structures in the system of plants, animals,
and humans, and the components of living cells, that I learned the wonderful order in everything God had
created, and their super roles to achieve and sustain the mechanisms of life, the DNA or RNA that is made
up of only four nucleotides, A (adenine), C (cytosine), G (guanine) and T (thymine, U - uracil for RNA), which
produce amino acids that are building blocks of proteins and intermediates in the metabolism of different
bodily functions. They have struck me with amazement. Nagoya University has addressed the quest for
knowledge and offered us the best of facilities for excellence in our fields of study. The Monbusho
scholarship has provided the vessel to reach our goals.
Nagoya is a very safe place so I could work long hours in the laboratory and safely walked back home an hour
before midnight my daily "lab. Life" was usually 13 to 15 hours, including short breaks of lunch, tea time and
supper. I don't mention this to brag but to state that long hours in the laboratory don't guarantee good
experimental results; yet, I gambled time because longer hours mean more experimental hours and higher
chances for success. Thus, my life was practically home and school only, although occasionally, I enjoyed
walking inside the campus or sneaking to Motoyama or Yagoto alone to refresh myself. I could not cease
praising the Japanese artistic sense in food, clothes, and decorations, in addition to the cleanliness,
orderliness, and discipline in Japan. I hardly watched TV because of lack of time ; but, I enjoyed going to the
supermarkets to see and buy different kinds of foods. Cooking had been an occasional favorite pastime since
I would usually eat at the school cafeteria. Foods were abundant and delicious. I gained 10 kilos from a
mere 40 kilo/164 cm. built because I really enjoyed eating in Japan. The scholarship had sustained my
health and given me extra kilos to achieve my ideal weight during those challenging years.
I must admit I did learn the hard way but at that time, I thought, everything was too much for me to handle.
Looking back, I could see a stronger, a more disciplined, a more diligent, and a more broad-minded me. I have
had to suppress negative emotions and divert my time into more productive hours in the laboratory. I have
developed inner strength of character due to the kind of training the school has given me - to aim for specific
results and to realize those aims in short time frame. I have learned to schedule works in order to share the
usage of equipment and facilities. I have learned the true meaning of cooperation and sharing. I have
gained a lot of experience presenting topics and reports, which developed my self-confidence, honed my
spoken English and improved my Nihonggo. My professors jubilated when I was able to communicate and
present in Nihonggo. They were supportive of my every effort to produce papers for publication. They were my
mentors during the writing of my papers and thesis. Dr. Ryo Nakamura, Dr. Tsukasa Matsuda, Dr.
Takahiro Adachi, and Dr. Naohito Aoki were all supportive. Most of all, I am very much indebted to Dr. Ikuzo
Uritani followed by Dr. Kazuko Oba, and Dr. Norio Iwatsuki, for being the first people who believed that I could
make it in Meidai. They had been our research collaborators back in UPLB under the JSPS-DOST
exchange program. My first visit to Nagoya University was in September, 1988 lasting for only 2 days. I
stayed long for experiments at the Nagoya Women's University. Since the start of my studies, NU Professor
Emeritus Dr. I. Uritani, along with his wife, had been my constant adviser. His home was just across from my
apartment so when I had problems, I visited him. He and his wife were like my second parents. They invited
me for dinner at lovely Japanese restaurants and introduced me to other Japanese professors and those with
high positions in civic organizations as well. They taught me Japanese manners and culture as well.
17

Looking back, I say that struggles in life as a foreign student have molded my character, built my confidence,
and caused me to completely trust God. The most important step of faith that I did was had to follow exactly
the opposite of the old adage "to see is to believe." I completely trusted God in my thesis experiments and
courageously embraced the "dictate" or leading of God, i.e., to believe is to see You might not understand
this so I would like to add some statements to support this. I was desperately trying to get the genes coding
for the allergenic proteins in rice grain. I tried to follow protocols to the letter thus, consuming a lot of time,
which meant long period of painstaking experimentation only to find nothing at the end of the procedure.. The
very last step of checking the bands of DNAs under UV illumination was the most crucial step and sad to say, I
found no bands. Nobody could advise me anymore on what to do next. That was the time I surrendered
everything to God and a small voice seemed to tell me to apply everything that I knew even if I could not see
anything during the confirmatory steps until the last step, more so, even without seeing anything from the tiny
eppendorf tube. I did it, I must admit that at certain lapses of time, my logic got in the way.; but, I also set my
mind of possible failure and inability to graduate. What you would read would give you goose bumps. I did
every step, not skipping anything, and just trusting God. When I checked the result, all the fragments of
DNAs that I needed to graduate were there! This happened after a year of effort. Those results then became
the foundation for other sub-groupings of allergenic protein-coding genes in rice. With the results, I did further
experiments, which have become the subject of my scientific papers.
With all these, therefore, I can say that it was not all academics that I have learned from Nagoya University.
In my solitude, in my most vulnerable and trying years, it was also a renewal of faith in my God and a
wonderful awakening to appreciate His creations, from the tiniest nucleotides to complex living systems, with
every mechanisms in between, and having the
order that God has made in all His creations.
I am grateful to Monbusho, to Nagoya
University, to my mentors and professors,
including my former boss, Dr. Virgilio V. Garcia,
of the Food Biochemistry Laboratory, Institute
of Food Science and Technology, UP Los
Banos, for believing in me. I thank my fellow
Filipino scholars, too. We were together with
the aim of making something out of ourselves.
We have built a long and lasting friendship, a
sweet camaraderie since we have met and
known one another at the university. Nagoya
University upholds freedom to explore
knowledge. It evokes professional achievement
and molds character. Hence, it is indeed a
privilege to have been an alumna of this
university. Osewa ni natte, Doumo arigatou
gozaimashita.

Ohori Park Area, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan

(2013 April 27)

18

A REFLECTION OF MY DAYS AS A STUDENT

AT NAGOYA UNIVERSITY
Felino Ramon Nonoy A. Cagampang (M. Agri Sci 89, D. Agri Sci 92)
I left for Japan to study Animal Science in October 1986 under the SEARCA (Southeast Asian
Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture)-Nagoya University (Faculty of
Agriculture) collaborative scheme. I was at the time employed as an instructor and research assistant
with the College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines at Los Baos (UPLB), and was also
studying part-time for a Masters degree at UPLB with the long-term aim of getting a Doctorate.
However, it dawned on me that juggling my work and postgraduate studies would mean that it will
take me longer to finish my studies. So when the opportunity arose to study fulltime in Japan with a
Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship, I immediately grabbed it. I will be forever
grateful for my sempai Resty Collado for facilitating my acceptance to the graduate programme at
Nagoya University.
There is always the allure of studying in
a foreign country. What I had not
anticipated, to my naivety, was that to
study in Japan one needs to learn a
different language and adapt to a
different culture. I must admit that I would
have been totally at a loss in my first few
weeks upon arriving, if not for the warm
reception I got from fellow Filipino and
the other international students, as well
as my professors. I can still remember
With fellow Filipino students. Jerry, Arnel, Myself, Andy and Pilo.
my first meeting with Prof Akira
Yokoyama when he knocked on the door
of my room at the Ryugakusei Kaikan (International Student House). He had this wide smile and
spoke eloquently in English.I immediately felt at ease.
My years as a graduate student in Japan left me with several important impressions. Firstly, that
Japanese is a very difficult language. International students who undertake postgraduate studies
usually have to take intensive Japanese studies at the universitys language centre. I was however
one of the exception. Prof Yokoyama thought that it would be better for me to take the language
course on a part-time basis and spend more time interacting with the Japanese students in the
laboratory. Thus, I did not learn the polite Japanese taught in the language course but that of
hyojungo (the standard Japanese language). Nevertheless I did make effort in giving oral
presentation in Japanese at scientific conferences. This was greatly appreciated by my student
colleagues and professors. My only regret is that I was not able to retain my ability to speak Japanese
since leaving Japan 21 years ago.
My second impression of Japan was that the Japanese are very helpful. My professors, Drs
Yokoyama, Kei-ichiro Maeda and Katuaki ta (deceased), as well as the students in the laboratory
always found time to help me in my studies. I was assigned student mentors, Makino-san and
Hanazono-san, and without their understanding and assistance, it would have taken me more time to

19

accomplish my research work and finish my degree. My Japanese professors were also enormously
helpful in enabling me to gather field data that I was able to use for the Masteral studies I left behind
at UPLB, while concurrently on my other Masteral studies at Nagoya University. Thus, in 1989 I was
awarded two Masteral degrees (from UPLB and from Nagoya University) preceding my Doctoral
studies. Outside the laboratory, I also still vividly remember the hospitality of so many of my homestay
family and my Japanese friends who opened their homes to me, and later on to my wife.
Finally, I found the Japanese to be hardworking people and who tend to work well in a group. I am
awed with Japanese who went on to universities and probably remember very little of their youth
except preparing for entrance exams. I remember having to work late with the other students in most
evenings conducting our experiments, with only
portable kerosene heater for heating during the winter
months. Together, wed go for lunch, have a drink
every once in a while, celebrate successes including
the acceptance of a paper, play baseball, or go on
excursions and for karaoke. On the flipside we also
commiserate and support each other in times of
failures or disappointment. I have been fortunate, as I
was considered one of them. This is a clear sign that
once friendship is developed with the Japanese, the
relationship is for life. I continue to nurture these
With members of the Reproductive Physiology Lab
human ties by meeting former Japanese
contemporaries and professors at international
conferences, and my other Japanese friends through social media.
I have always been interested in my field of study, but I found myself gradually spending time
understanding and interacting with the Japanese people, learning the language and in comprehending
the Japanese culture and history. It was important for me not to let my studies interfere with my
education. I therefore made effort to meet as many Japanese from diverse background as I could and
travelled to as many places around Japan with the hope of deepening my knowledge of the country.
Japan is a beautiful country, with a rich history and such wonderful people.
After obtaining my Doctorate,
I went on to do post-doctoral
research work
at the
Mitsubishi Kasei Institute of
Life Sciences in Tokyo
before moving to the United
Kingdom for further postdoctoral research stints at
Kings College London and
at
the
University
of
A very proud moment - receiving my Doctorate diploma
Manchester. In 2002 I joined
the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton where I am currently an Associate Professor
in Integrative Physiology. My years as a student in Japan have unquestionably moulded my career
and who I am today. I continue to apply the work ethic instilled in me by my Japanese professor and
try to inculcate these values with my own students - this is the legacy of my years in Japan.
20

My Japan Experience: Beyond SCIENCE

Fostering a Deep Relationship with Japanese People Aspiring for a Just & Peaceful Global Society
Dante G. Simbulan, Jr. (PhD, Physiology Neurophysiology 1990)
I first came to Japan in October 1983, as soon as I
successfully defended my Masters Thesis in Zoology
at UP Los Banos, resigning my post as Instructor at
the Institute of Biological Science to take up my
doctoral program in Neurophysiology at the
Graduate School of Medicine of Nagoya University.

My experience in Japan as a postgraduate research

scholar of MONBUSHO from 1984 taught me how
scientific investigation can be promoted with
focused
dedication, working
in
a
pain

Late January 1984, my family joined me in Japan. My

former spouse, Dr. Cynthia Simbulan-Rosenthal, also
joined and graduated from Nagoya Universitys PhD
program in Cancer Cell biology in 1993 , and is now
with Georgetown University. Our two daughters
Laya and Ligaya took up their pre-schooling and
elementary education in Japan. Our third child, Dani
boy was born in November 10 , 1984 with a serious
heart defect, (Tetralogy of Fallot - blue baby
syndrome) in Nagoya City, and also finished his
elementary education in a school for children with
disability. After an amicable divorce in 1995, I
remarried in 2000 to Dr. Jeane Peracullo, while my
former
spouse
Cynthia
Simbulan-Rosenthal
remarried in 1995 and is now a research faculty
member of Georgetown University.

With my daughters and son (late 1980s)

neurophysiology laboratory at the Department of
Neural Regulation of the Research Institute of
Environmental Medicine in the Higashiyama campus.
That meant working late at night, catching up the
last subway train to our apartment building at the
other end of Nagoya city in Nakagawa-ward. My
doctoral program was actually an extension of my
academic hobby on acupuncture analgesia which
started with my basic training in acupuncture for
pain relief during the early martial law days in the
Philippines as a student at the Philippine Science
High School. I had then followed up the research
developments leading to the discovery of the opiate
receptor, and the endogenous opioid peptides which
are now considered part of a pain inhibition system
in the vertebrate nervous system. The numerous
publications which was a requirement in our
laboratory helped advance my academic career later
when I returned to the Philippines.

Since 1997, I returned to the Philippines to join the

medical faculty of the De La Salle Health Sciences
Institute, the first medical school of the De La Salle
University system. I now live with my spouse Jeane
Peracullo, a fellow academician in the Philosophy
field, together with my son Dani boy who just turned
thirty years old last Nov. 10, 2014. I had many
opportunities to visit and meet my daughters as they
grew up in the United States, now young working
moms, and of course my former spouse Cynthia and
her family, making as proud grandparents for four
healthy grandchildren.

21

After working for 6 months as a Monbusho Research

Specialist at Nagoya University after I finished my
doctoral program in 1990, I joined the training staff
of the Asian Health Institute , a Japanese Health
Non-Profit Organization, for about 7 years, which
provided me relatively less stress as right livelihood,
while taking care of my son with global disability. In
1997, I returned to the Philippines with my son to
join the medical faculty of the De La Salle University
Health Sciences Campus, as it was then called,
remarrying in 2000 after an earlier amicable divorce
with my former spouse in 1995, under US laws.

got involved in co-founding of the Asian Labor

Solidarity support group of Japanese citizens for
migrant workers in the early 1980s in Nagoya City,
helping translate for concerned Japanese citizens. I
helped co-found the Philippine Society in Japan
which was originally a human rights advocacy group
during the Marcos era, till it became a social club of
Filipino migrants in Japan in the post-Marcos era.
The Japan Negros solidarity campaign for Filipino
sugar workers actually started with a concert we
helped organize together with the Diocese of
Nagoya, and which was later taken up and
institutionalized by the JCNC (Japan Committee for
Negros Campaign) initiated by the National Council
of Churches of Japan. Those were precious
experiences as a Filipino scholar, something which
earlier generations of Filipinos in Spain did during
the battle for freedom from colonial Spain.
I also had the benefit of receiving two visiting
postdoctoral research fellowships in Nagoya
University in 1999 and 2011 for a few months to
pursue my research interests.
My current research interests now since 2003, at a
dedicated snail pace, is on the physiology and clinical
applications of mindfulness practices, which include
contemplative practices of yoga and meditation, for
which I got a fellowship award from the Nippon
Foundations Asian Public Intellectuals program in
2010, spending precious time in Kyoto University
and surrounding areas.

With Dani Boy and my wife, Jeane Peracullo

Before I end this short article, what impressed me
most during my 14 years in Japan since I took up my
Monbusho studies was the people-to-people
relationships developed with Japanese citizens
involved in peace, environment, and human rights
causes, ranging from their concern about the Marcos
dictatorship. agrarian reform (nochi-kaikaku/ and
the subsequent EDSA revolution , East Timor
occupation by Indonesia under the Suharto
dictatorship, comfort women issues, Tien an men
massacre of 1989, as well as the Burmese Rangoon
massacre of demonstrators in August 8, 1988. I also

I am currently a professor 7 at the College of

Medicine (Dept of Physiology), De La Salle Health
Sciences Institute, Dasmarinas, Cavite.
Gassho !

22

My Nagoya University Stint: A Quest for Academic Excellence

Maria Amelita C. Estacio (M.Agri.Sci. 1996, D. Agri.Sci 2004)
Remembering my 7-year stint in Nagoya University, Japan
always put a smile in my face. As a young instructor at the
College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines
Los Banos, it was my goal to pursue my graduate degrees
abroad. I was fortunate enough to meet my sensei Dr. KeiIchiro Maeda, then an Associate Professor at the Graduate
School of Agriculture in Nagoya University, who applied for
my monbugakusho scholarship and introduced me to the
field of Neuroscience using laboratory animals. My sensei
together with Dr. Hiroko Tsukamura welcomed me as part of
their research group consisting of graduate and
undergraduate Japanese and foreign students.
Both of my senseis and senpais were very patient
in teaching me various research and surgical
Every step of the way
techniques like brain surgery, atrial cannulation, my senseis were there
etc. during my first few months in Japan. I began
to guide and support
to explore the intricacies of the brain and how it
me.
controls different body systems. Under the
mentorship of my senseis I hone my technical
skills, scientific writing and began to realize that the field of research is my calling. Its not an easy
paththere were a lot of sacrifices, perseverance, hard work and dedication. I had to study more
to come up with new ideas. Trying and modifying various methodologies during experimentation
to come up with the one that works. But as I presented my results in scientific conferences, met
the authors of journals and books that I read and published my results in scientific journals
abroad it was all worth it. I think what I am today as a scientist/researcher I owe it to my senseis.
Honto ni arigato gozaimasu Maeda sensei and Tsukamura sensei.
Its not all academic work in Nagoya, Japan. I also had a lot of fun. The yearly laboratory trips to
go fishing, playing softball, barbecue and hanami were exciting. Had a fair share of watching
sumo, chunichi dragons baseball games and formula one race live and going to Nagano for skiing
and snow boarding. Swimming every weekend and the occasional partying with other foreign and
Japanese friends were stress relievers. Sundays meant hanging out with Filipino friends after
church to share our experiences during the week while devouring good food. As time permitted, I
really enjoyed exploring different areas in Japan. I can never forget seeing Maikosan and Geisha
in Kyoto and marvel at the sight of the Kinkakuji, Ginkakuji and Kyomisu Temples..Feeding the
deer and visiting the Todaiji Temple in Narra .Breathtaking view of Koranke during
autumnSightseeing in cosmopolitan TokyoEnjoying the rides in Disneyland, Disney Sea and
Universal Studios.Seeing the effect of war in Hiroshima and the Feat of Climbing Mt. Fuji.
Learning the art of ikebana and bonsai making with my Japanese friends. Furthermore, the
opportunity to meet and spend time with the families of my Japanese pals in the lab. These are
life long experiences that I would cherish and never forget..Amie (2014)

23

My Lifelong Friend, Joe

Akira Yamauchi
Professor Graduate School of Bio agricultural Sciences
Nagoya University

I met Joe (Jose Roca Pardales Jr.) for the first time when he joined the Graduate School of Agricultural
Sciences of Nagoya University as a graduate student for his Ph D study in 1988. He was an assistant
professor of Visayas State College of Agriculture (ViSCA, currently Visayas Sate University (VSU)) and
was able to obtain Monbusho scholarship. At that time, I was also a Ph D student and we had a
common academic adviser, Prof Kono of the Crop Science laboratory. We naturally shared common
research interests on the physiology and
development of root system and its
functional roles in growth and production of
crop plants under environmental stress
conditions. Although many crop as well as
plant scientists are interested in studying
roots, only few researchers have been
involved in the root science as roots are
very difficult to study. He was the most
diligent student regardless of nationality in
the lab, and produced outstanding outputs
in root science. As a result, he published
three papers that were the requirement for
the Ph D degree, and surprisingly further
published two more papers after he
submitted his doctoral dissertation to the
Joe and the author in front of the Philippines Root Crop Research
University while he was still a student. All
and Training Center of ViSCA, Leyte, Philippines
these
papers
were
published
in
internationally reputed scientific journals in
the field of plant science. The Ph D program of the Nagoya University is for three years while he was
able to complete the requirements shorter than such period. He was the first student to whom such a
special arrangement was made, which is allowed to be applied only to outstanding students. His pe
rformance in research had great impacts on other students in the lab in such a way that many students
started to challenge to publish their works in international journals while many of them had been
confined domestically till Joe came in. He was the student and at the same time researcher who greatly
contributed to the establishment of the foundation of internationally-recognized plant-root lab in
Nagoya.
After he came back to ViSCA in 1991, he started working in the Philippines Root Crop Research and
Training Center, and served as the Director in 2000. This research center is quite unique, which
specifically focuses on root crops and thus plays key roles in this field. He had made this research
center to be the national and international key center leading agronomy, breeding, and genotypic
preservation/collection on root crops. I obtained my Ph D in 1988 (it took me four years!!) and joined in
Nagoya University in 1990 after I did my postdoc in US. Then, we started collaboration in joint research
projects, as we were successfully able to obtain research fund from ViSCA as well as external sources
like the Japan Society of Science promotion. Especially, we studied cassava and sweet potato that are
known to be very tolerant to drought while its physiological mechanism had not yet been known. We
were able to find several novel roles of root development and functions in the drought resistance
mechanisms, which were published as various papers. We made mutual visits for many times. Every

24

time I visited him in the Philippines, on the way from Tacloban to Babay, first I visited his mother in Palo,
and then proceeded to ViSCA, Baybay, and the first meal I had there whether it was lunch or dinner,
was at his house, being always very warmly welcomed by his beloved wife, Andreli, children, relatives
and friends. That had been my routine for a long time. It was in June, 2002 when I asked him to deliver
a lecture as an invited resource speaker in an international conference that was held in Nagoya
University, which we co-authored and was entitled as 'Rootcrops as Food, Feed and Industrial
Materials: The Challenge to Address Their Production and Post-harvest Needs'. He was not feeling
well at that time but forced himself to come to Nagoya. That was the last I saw and talked with him.
Not only the attitude towards the works, but also his exceptionally good personality including sincerity,
honesty, thoughtfulness, and passion, and the style of self-disciplined life influenced a lot of students
as well as faculty members, and thus he was so loved by everybody. It was not only me but also so
many people who had ever interacted with him enjoyed being friend with him including my family. I
really enjoyed any moment and activity we shared. Joe invited Andreli to Nagoya when he was almost
completing his study, who interacted so closely with the lab members as well as my wife Bebe. Since
then, Andreli and Bebe have been close friends, and our family visited her and the bereaved family. We
attended the wedding of their son in Baybay as one of the main sponsors although Joe had already
been gone. We became godparents, which had sealed us being a part of Joe's family.
Joe is not just a colleague and friend to me. He is really close to my heart. Without him, I would not
have been what I am now. I have promised him that I do my best to inherit and develop what we had
completed in research in the field of root science, and strengthen the relation between the Philippines
and Japan in general, and VSU and Nagoya University in particular. After him, I have had several
Filipino advisees in my lab of Nagoya University. I do hope they would further strengthen the ties
between the two countries and their people. Thank you, Joe.

Dr. Jose Joe Pardales, Jr. (April 22, 1953 - June 23, 2002.) in his classic cross-legged pose. He graduated
D. Agri. Sci.,Major in Crop Science 1991 under Professor Yasuhiro Kono. He was an outstanding researcher at
the Philippine Root Crop Research & Training Center, ViSCA, Leyte.

25

RECONNECTING WITH NUCE

Andres Winston C. Oreta (M.Eng 1991, D. Eng, 1994)
Professor, De La Salle University, Civil Engineering Department
I joined De La Salle University after completing my Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.) degree in
Civil Engineering at Nagoya University Civil Engineering (NUCE) on March 1994. Since then, I
always look for opportunities where I can visit my alma mater. My first visit after graduation
was on July 19-21, 2005 when I attended the 1st International Conference on Advances in
Experimental Structural Engineering (AESE) held in Nagoya. When I was a visiting scientist at
the Tokyo Institute of Technology under the JSPS program in 2006, I also visited Nagoya.
These visits were usually short and usually involve casual exchanges of greetings with former
professors, former classmates and laboratory mates.

March 1994 D. Eng. Graduation

With Prof. Tada-aki Tanabe

August 31, 2013 (Nagoya)

With Dr. Muhandiki & Prof. Hayashi

May 22, 2014 (Manila)

With Prof. Nakamura & Dr. Tanhueco

The Nagoya University Global Environment Leaders Program (NUGELP) workshop organized by
Dr. Victor Muhandiki in Manila on November 8, 2011 was a spark for reconnecting with NUCE.
Meeting Dr. Muhandiki who is a professor from NUCE and Filipino graduate students under the
NUGELP made me excited to share my memorable experiences as a graduate student and to
explore conducting collaborative activities with NUCE. This meeting has triggered a series of
events which benefited both our students and institutions.
In November 2012, Dr. Muhandiki accepted my invitation for him to be one of the keynote
speakers in the International Conference on Civil Engineering Education (ICCEE 2012)
organized by DLSU Civil Engineering Department (DLSU CIV) The following year on August 31,
2013, Dr. Muhandiki invited me as keynote speaker at the International Forum on Civil
Engineering Infrastructure Technology Transfer organized by the Infrastructure Technology
Development and Transfer Chair (INTEDTEC). The forum was very fruitful since I was able to
meet my sempai at the Tanabe Concrete Laboratory, Prof. Hikaru Nakamura who is now the
head of the lab and the present chair of NUCE. When I visited Nagoya University with my

26

family on May 1-3, 2014, Prof. Nakamura invited me to deliver a lecture in the graduate course
for NUCE M1 students about civil engineering research. I presented an overview of the thesis of
DLSU CIV undergraduate and graduate students. On May 21-23 2014, Prof. Nakamura visited
the Philippines as he accepted my invitation for him to deliver a lecture to my graduate class on
Disaster Risk Reduction and Infrastructure Development on May 21 and to present a plenary
paper on May 22 at the ASEP Convention on Concrete Engineering, Practice and Technology
(A.CONCEPT 2014) organized by the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines.
When DLSU CIV submitted a proposal to the AUN/SEED-Net to host the Regional Conference
on Natural Disasters (RCND) in 2015, Prof. Nakamura and his colleagues supported our bid.
The good news is that AUN/SEED-Net officially agreed to select DLSU as host for RCND 2015
on September 2015. Hence, I am looking forward to the active support and participation of
NUCE professors and students in this conference. The link between NUCE and DLSU CIV is now
in place. May the bond connecting the two institutions become stronger and result into a
fruitful and beneficial relationship.

EVOLUTION OF A FOREIGN STUDENT IN JAPAN

By German Jerry Velasquez (M.Eng. 1991, D.Eng. 1994)

Evolution of Jerry: (1) Jerry as a student enjoying the AFSA Trip at the Little World Museum of Man (1990s).
(2) Jerry with his family (2013). (3) Jerry is presently the Chief of Section, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction based in
Geneva. He worked for various UN agencies for 20 years now since graduating at Nagoya University in 1994.

27

Nagoya University Filipino Scholars & Alumni (Partial List)

(B:Bachelor, M:Masters, D:Doctorate, J:Japanese Language, R:Research)

NAME

Subject of Study

Date Completed Degree

ABANIA, Victor Owen

International Development

3/26/2001

2 ABASOLO, Willie Payawan

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/2002

3 ABELLERA, Eilen May Velasco

International Development

3/25/2013

4 ABRAHAM, Emmanuel Rhodantes Gerdan

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/27/1995

5 ACOST A, Roberto Reyes

International Development

3/25/2002

6 AGUJA, Marion Joyo

International Development

3/31/2001

ALCEDO Mary Jane Backeng

International Development

3/26/2012

8 ALVAREZ, Angelina Miranda

Bioagricultural Sciences

5/23/1995

Electrical Engineering

3/25/1987

International Development

3/26/2001

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/27/2000

Environmental Studies

3/2010

13 ARCIAGA, Maria Agnes Rosario

International Development

3/31/2007

14 AUGUST O, Gerardo Lumagbas

Mechanical Engineering

3/31/1999

15 AVENDANO, Fredie Villafuerte

International Development

3/25/2009

9 ALVES, Benedicto Santiago Nadres

10 ANONUEVO, Fe Bataller
11

ANUNCIADO, Rea Victoria Palis

12 APLAL, Amier Ashan K.

16 AVENIDO, Renato Abrigo

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/26/2001

17 BALIT O, Leo Padilla

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/1989

18 BALLEST EROS, Marie Donna Montesa

International Development

3/25/2013

19 BANOC, Dionisio Maglahus

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/27/2000

20 BANSAO, Abduljalil Mitmug

Environmental Studies

9/27/2013

21 BANT OG, Nancy Abnasan

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/27/2000

22 BAUT IST A, Ma. Anita Mascarenas

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/2009

23 BENEDICT O, Raoul

International Development

3/25/1997

24 BERGAD, Luisito Villanueva

International Development

3/31/2002

25 BERSABAL, Celestine Rinoza

Social Science

3/25/2010

26 BRUT AS, Marc Joseph Magayanes

Environmental Studies

27 CABRIDO, Erwin

Science

3/31/2002

28 CAGAMPANG, Felino Ramon Asperilla

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/1992

29 CALLANT A, John Castro

International Development

3/25/2009

30 CALPAT URA, Donald Gail Castillo

Business Administration

3/25/2009

31 CARANDANG, Ninebeth Saguan

International Development

3/31/2009

Science

9/30/1999

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/2008

Science

3/31/2011

35 COLLADO, Cristino Miranda

Agricultural Science

3/25/1982

36 CONCEPCION, Arnel Beligon

Science

3/25/1992

37 DACWAG, Arnold Olaget

Environmental Studies

9/27/2013

38 DE LUNA, Maria Catalina T an

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/2004

Science

12/24/1980

International Development

3/31/2005

32 CAST ILLO, Rudolfo

33 CAT BAGAN, Jerome Lejano
34 CIELO, CB

39 DELFIN, Yeo Montuno

40 DERIADA, Annie Lacerna

28

Nagoya University Filipino Scholars & Alumni (Partial List)

(B:Bachelor, M:Masters, D:Doctorate, J:Japanese Language, R:Research)

NAME

Subject of Study

41 DIAZ, Maria Rosario Maduro

Date Completed Degree

Science

3/25/1991

42 ELVINIA, Jose Dua

International Development

3/25/2008

43 EST ACIO, Maria Amelita Celino

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/2004

Law

3/25/2002

45 FERNANDO, Charlie Escalona

Civil Engineering

3/25/1986

46 FORMOSO, Ruben Rabara

Civil Engineering

3/25/1989

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/1992

Chemical Engineering

1995

International Development

3/25/2009

Environmental Studies

3/25/2011

International Development

9/27/2013

Civil Engineering

3/26/1984

Medicine

3/31/1991

54 JAVIER, Aser Bautista

International Development

3/25/2002

55 LAGARE, Bimbo Castanos

International Development

9/27/2013

56 LAVINA-CAOILI, Barbara Alvarez

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/2002

57 LAYUG, Dolores Valencia

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/27/1995

58 LIBUT , Jomel Manalili

Environmental Studies

9/27/2013

59 LICART E, T eodoro Lugo

Environmental Studies

9/27/2011

60 LUST ERIO, Michael M

International Development

3/25/2002

61 MABALOT , Dennis Kubo

International Development

3/25/2004

62 MABAYO, Remedios T abungar

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/27/1995

63 MAGDARAOG, Peter Magan

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/26/2012

64 MALABRIGO, Pastor Jr. L

Environmental Studies

2010-2011

65 MALDIA, Lerma San Jose

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/2010

66 MALEZA, Maria Chona Evangelista

International Development

3/31/2007

67 MANALANG, Marikit Gruet

International Cooperation

3/25/2013

Environmental Studies

2012-2014

69 MASANGKAY, Joseph Saavedro

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/1983

70 MENDOZA, Armenia Bartolome

44 FANGONON, Beverly Claire Langgao

47 GALAMAY, T eresita Octaviano

48 GASPILLO, Pag-asa D.
49 GERA, Weena Jade Samante
50 GO, Mary Grace Carlos
51 GUEVARRA, Lenard Martin Pineda
52 HIDALGO, Garmela Villaroman
53 INOCENCIO, Noel Mendoza

68 MART INIC0-PEREZ, Marianne Faith G.

Bioagricultural Sciences

4/30/1992

71 MIGUEL, Araojo Ramos

Medicine

3/26/2001

72 MOLINA, Rodel Antonio

Law

3/27/2006

73 MONT ESA, Daisy V.

Japanese Language

1988-1989

74 MOYA, Melody Olea

Law

3/27/2006

75 NARCISO, Josefina O.

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/1996

Biological Mechanism & Functional Science

3/25/2014

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/26/2012

Science

3/25/2005

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/2010

76 NIONES, Jennifer T agubase

77 NIONES, Jonathan Manito
78 ONA, Erwin Pamplona
79 ORDONIO, Reynante Lacsamana

29

Nagoya University Filipino Scholars & Alumni (Partial List)

(B:Bachelor, M:Masters, D:Doctorate, J:Japanese Language, R:Research)

NAME
80 ORET A, Andres Winston Coronel

Subject of Study

Date Completed Degree

Civil Engineering

3/25/1994

81 OROLAZA, Noemi Pascual

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/1993

82 ORT EGA, Lea Anzures

International Development

3/25/2008

Japanese Language

1991

International Development

3/23/2007

Science

3/25/1993

86 PARAC, Ev Agudo

International Development

3/25/2013

87 PARDALES, Jose Jr. Roca

Bioagricultural Sciences

12/25/1991

88 PEJI, Brenalyn Avelida

International Development

9/27/2013

89 PLENO, Manuel Jose Leviste

International Development

3/25/2003

90 QUIPOT , Lovely Merlicel Gubat

International Development

3/25/2014

91 QUIT AIN, Armando T .

Science

3/27/2000

92 RAMOS, Hilda Lanao

International Development

3/25/2003

93 REYES, Beverly Ardena Selda

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/26/2001

94 RUBIO, Raquel Orejudos

Bioagricultural Sciences

2014

95 RUFIN, T eofilo Jr. Monge

Civil Engineering

1995

96 RUST IA, Marie Dominique M.

International Development

2012-2014

97 SALAPARE-CRAWFORD, Elsie

Bioagricultural Sciences

1991-1992

Japanese Language

1991

99 SANCHEZ, Leandro M.

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/1993

100 SEVERO, T unguia Bastian Jr

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/2002

101 SHIM, Rosalyn Angeles

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/2011

102 SIMBULAN, Cynthia Marie De Guzman

Medicine

3/25/1993

103 SIMBULAN, Dante Jr Guanjao

Medicine

10/31/1990

104 SINARIMBO, Norhassim Gani

International Development

3/25/2008

105 SOLIS, Chester Dizon

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/1996

106 SUBERE, Juvy Oliva Quintero

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/2010

107 SURALT A, Roel Rodriguez

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/2008

Civil Engineering

3/25/1988

Environmental Studies

9/25/2014

110 T ANHUECO, Renan Ma. T

Civil Engineering

1991-1993

111 T EODORO, RR

Civil Engineering

9/25/2002

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/1993

Economics

4/30/1992

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/2010

Environmental Studies

9/25/2014

116 VELASQUEZ, German T iangco

Civil Engineering

3/25/1994

117 VILLANUEVA, Maria Beatriz G.

Social Medicine

3/25/1996

118 VILLEGAS, Ruth Juliet Abelon

Bioagricultural Sciences

3/25/1987

119 VILOG, Ron Bridget T iburcio

International Development

3/25/2014

120 ZAPAT A, Jeremias Jr. Cayetano

Business Administration

3/25/1985

83 PALANCA, Ruth S.
84 PALILEO, Maria Corazon Patindol
85 PALMES-SALOMA, Cynthia Pedregosa

98 SALVADOR, Florante, R.

108 SY, Luis Ong

109 T ABUZO, Leoncio Jr. T ibar

112 T ULIN, Edgardo Escuadra

113 UMALI, Celia Lopez
114 VALDEZ, Marcos Jr. Balbacal
115 VALENZUELA, Sherry Ivy Montemayor

30

PHOTOJOURNAL
PHOTOJOURNAL
JOURNALPHOTOJOURNAL
PHOTOJOURNAL

Barbara Bambi A. Lavia-Caoili (D. Agri.

Sci. 2002) with Dr. Michihiro Kobayashi

Post graduation photo. Maria Amelita Amie Estacio (D. Agri.

Sci. 2004) wearing the traditional Filipino attire with Maedasensei and lab mates at the Graduate School of Bioagricultural
Science Building, Nagoya University

JUST GRADUATED LATEST MEIDAI ALUMNI: The Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource
Development Scholarship (JDS) - Philippines 10th Batch during the graduation ceremony on 29 September
2014 together with the Nagoya University President, Prof. Michinari Hamaguchi. The JDS scholars were sent to
Nagoya University to obtain masters degree based on component program related to the mandate of
government agencies they are working with. From L-R: Engr. Leoncio T. Tabuzo (DPWH: M.Eng.); Ms.
Marianne Faith G. Martinico-Perez (DENR-PCSDS: M. Envi. Studies); Mr. Herminigildo Daytoc (DOLE), Ms.
Dominique Nikki Rustia (DTI) and Mr. Theodore Velasco (LGU-Sabangan) obtained M.A. International
Development; and Ms. Sherry Ivy Valenzuela (MMDA: M. Envi. Studies). Photo by Nikki. Rustia.

31

PHOTOJOURNAL
PHOTOJOURNAL
JOURNALPHOTOJOURNAL
PHOTOJOURNAL

1990s. Filipino scholars gathering at Nagoya University Foreign Students House, Sakurayama with the late
Dr, Koh (Univ. of Maryland) and his wife, back-left. All of the Filipino scholars here completed their respective
degrees and are now holding important positions in the government, universities and private institutions. The
Nagoya University education is indeed a boost to ones career!

1980s. The Filipino group presented a dance

number "Pandango sa Ilaw" during the
Ryuugakusei no Yube. In front at the center is
Roberto Villablanca who is a teacher in the
Integrated School of UP Diliman. The other members
of the dance group are my wife Julie, Pacita and
myself. Photo by Jing Masangkay.

Nov. 16, 2014. A reunion of Doctor

of Agricultural Science graduates Marian Bautista, Bambi Caoili and
Amie Estacio after the NU alumni
planning meeting. Photo taken at
the Japanese garden of UP Los
Banos, Laguna.

32

1990s. Jerry Velasquez, Cynthia Palmes, Tess

Galamay, Andy Sanchez, Ichie Diaz, Noemi
Orolaza and Nonoy Cagampang perform at the
AFSA Night.

PHOTOJOURNAL
PHOTOJOURNAL
JOURNALPHOTOJOURNAL
PHOTOJOURNAL

Nikki Rustia (MA Intl Devt. 2014) during her

Overseas Fieldwork (OFW) in Seam Reap,
Cambodia last September 2013. OFW is part
of the curriculum of the Graduate School of
International Development (GSID).

Andy Oreta (middle) at the International

Forum on Civil Engineering Infrastructure
Technology Transfer (August 31, 2013) with
Filipino NUGELP graduate students then but
are now NU alumni. From L-R: Arnold O.
Dacwag (DPWH CAR), Jomel Libut
(SBMA), Abduljallil Bansao (DPWH-Cotabato
District) & Leoncio Tabuzo, Jr. (DPWH-Bicol
District).

Noemi Pascual Orolaza Halbrendt ( MS Agri. Sci 89 &

D. Agri. Sci. 93) says Nagoya University tremendously
impacted a good part of my accomplishments in my life. I
enjoyed my stint in Meidai, where I learned and
embraced Japanese culture, met beautiful people sensei, sempai, tomodachi and home stay family. I would
like to acknowledge and remember my dearest late
sensei, Prof. Nishimura who accepted me as his student
and taught me the wonderful world of Plant Pathology.
Doomo Arigato!

Ruth Palanca with Yamamoto-sensei and Foreign students at

the Nagoya University Japanese Language Center (1991).

Spring 1990s (L-R): Teofilo Pilo

Rufin, Romeo Isaac (+), Florante
Bong Salvador and Biboy Ejercito
enjoy the cherry blossom at a
Nagoya park.

33

meidai alumni trivia: whos first?

First Filipino Alumnus (1975) and Masters Degree Graduate (1983): JOSEPH Jing MASANGKAY

First Doctor of Engineering Graduate: DELFIN YEO MONTUNO (D. Eng. - Computer Science, 1980)

First Batch - Japanese Language Student : CARMELA VILLAROMAN HIDALGO (1982)

First Graduate in Doctor of Agriculture Science: CRISTINO Resty COLLADO (1982)

First Bachelor of Science Graduate: ZAPATA JEREMIAS Jr. CAYETANO (1985)

Email: Nagoya University Filipino Scholars & Alumni Association.

President: Resty Collado: cmcollado724@gmail.com
Secretary: Andy Oreta: andyoreta@yahoo.com
PRO: Cynthia Saloma: cpsaloma@gmail.com