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Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Japanese biz group offers scholarship for IT exam
THE Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Cebu-Design Software Committee has set up a scholarship program to enable “excellent” information technology (IT) students in Cebu and Bohol to take the National IT (information technology) Standards Foundation (Philnits) examination.
Shinichiro Kato of the Japanese External Trade Organization (Jetro) said the scholarship would give deserving IT professionals, who are unable to take the examination due to financial constraints, the chance to take the Philnits certification test.
Standard
The Philnits certification program is part of the Japanese government’s aid to the Philippines.
The program aims to set a common standard in measuring the competency of IT engineers and professionals in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Successful examinees have “very high chances” of getting working visas for one to three years in Japan or getting hired by Japanese companies operating in the Philippines, Kato said.
In a press conference at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, Kato said Cebu has the most number of Philnits examinees at 166 for the seventh Philnits exam, which was conducted last April 2 at the University of San Carlos.
Increase
He said the number of examinees from the southern part of the Philippines has increased by about 2.5 times from 141 examinees in 2004 to 360 examinees last year.
Jetro executive director Yasutomi Ota attributed the increase to Kato’s presence in the Philnits Cebu Office, among others.
Kato, a Jexsa (Jetro Expert Service Abroad for improving business environments) expert, has been dispatched to the Philnits Cebu Office in January last year.
He is tasked to guide and step up Philnits functions, and to popularize and expand the certification system for IT professionals in the southern part of the country.
Recognize
Aside from Japan, the other five member-countries of the IT Professionals Examination Council (Ipec)—Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam—also recognize the Philnits certification, according to a Jetro document.
Ipec, which includes Japan and the Philippines, was formed last Nov. 11.
Member-countries have agreed to share a database of questions and to set common standards, examination dates and common targets of having 10,000 examinees in three years time. (JBN)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 18, 2006 issue)
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