THE Municipality of Murcia in Negros Occidental, in cooperation with Tricastle International Inc., will send food processing workers to Japan this year.
On Friday, September 5, 2025, at least five individuals from Murcia qualified to work in Japan after passing the food processing trade test held at the Murcia public plaza.
Vice Mayor Johnny Reosura said at least 14 applicants, all from Murcia, joined the trade test conducted with officials from Japanese companies, including Marui, Marucon, Sainokuni Takumi, and Koryu Chushin.
Reosura, who also serves as vice president of Tricastle International Inc., said only five of the 14 participants qualified to work as food processing workers. He added that this is already the second batch of Murcia residents to qualify under the program.
He noted that Japan-based companies are recruiting interns from Negros Occidental and have already accepted at least 1,500 construction interns and 10 food processing interns this year.
Reosura said applicants only need to be at least high school or Alternative Learning System graduates, aged 22 to 33, and male to qualify.
The successful candidates will also undergo language and training programs before being deployed to various companies in Japan.
“I encourage our constituents here to finish high school, especially in the far-flung barangays. I strongly believe that our overseas workers are heroes because their remittances support their families and also boost our economy, including here in Murcia,” Reosura said.
Leah Tinsay, president of Tricastle International Inc., said they aim to send more Murcia workers to Japan.
She said a memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed with the Municipality of Murcia in 2000 for the program’s implementation. Since then, they have already sent at least 8,000 workers from Negros Occidental, 40 percent of whom are from Murcia.
Tinsay noted that while they initially sent construction workers, they are now also deploying food processing workers. Of the 14 food processing applicants on Friday, five passed both the demonstration and interviews with Japanese companies.
The qualifiers were identified as John Mark Bales, Alfe Palma, Alez Cauntao, Regio Gaurino Jr., and Michael De la Paz, all from Murcia.
Tinsay said the five will undergo two months of training at their Bacolod City facility before being deployed to Japan as food processing interns for 36 months. She added that applicants must have recommendations from local government officials to ensure they are sending workers with good records.
Aside from Murcia, Tricastle has also partnered with the local government unit of Bago City to recruit more construction workers for deployment abroad.
Francis Joseph Jalandoni, board director of Tricastle International Inc., said the program began in 2000 with only four workers sent to Japan. The number has since grown to about 8,000.
“It’s very important to partner with LGUs like Murcia to ensure the good character of the workers,” he said, adding that Negrense workers can earn at least P100,000 a month in Japan.
For his part, Toshiki Koyama, managing director of Multi Contractor Cooperative, said Negrense workers are “honest, loyal, and hardworking.”
He thanked the local government units in Negros Occidental and Tricastle for facilitating the deployment of workers to Japan. He added that Japanese companies can rehire Negrense workers once they complete their contracts, but they need to pass another examination and language test depending on the category they are reapplying for.
Koyama also noted that Japan has an aging population, with more elderly than young people, prompting companies to encourage young workers from the Philippines to fill the labor gap. (MAP)