Mr.Hisanori Kobayashi, Chief Executive Officer of the Fukurokuen Co., Ltd. also called as the Foreign Host Establishment (FHE) based in Toyohashi City, Aichi, Japan, expressed willingness to accept college senior students of the Visayas State University (VSU) who will undergo their internship in his establishment. 

During the consultation on January 20, 2016 with the VSU President Edgardo E. Tulin, together with some professors of the College of Agriculture and Food Science led by its dean, Dr. Victor B. Asio, where the first batch of interns composed of eight senior students shall come from, it was pointed out by Mr. Kobayashi that those who will be having their on-the-job training in Japan sometime in April or May this year shall be assigned either at the farming, harvesting and packaging of  perilla or beefsteak plant (Perillafrutescens (L.) Britt), a Japanese herb used as a garnish in cooking tempura, or in any other selected department as mutually agreed upon and in accordance with the internship plan program.

He also said that he prefers female interns as they have the patience and are hardworking especially that they will be meticulously examining the individual leaf of the perilla plant.

The company will shoulder the student-interns’ air transportation from Tacloban-Manila-Japan and vice versa, the board and lodging, medical insurance, and a monthly allowance of US$300 aside from the overtime/excess allowance.

The Memorandum of Agreement was signed on January 20, 2016 by Dr.Tulin and Mr. Kobayashi in the presence of Mr. Koji Omoto of Samurise General Incorporated based in Manila.  The MOA stipulates that the FHE shall accommodate and accept qualified agriculture student-interns who are recommended and endorsed by VSU and provide them the opportunity to acquire practical knowledge, skills and desirable attitudes in a multicultural work environment within a period of six months to one year.

Another MOA between VSU represented by Dr.Tulin and the Tanaka Noen Co. Ltd. represented by Mr. Kenichi Tanaka, Chief Executive Officer, was also signed on the same day relative to VSU students’ internship in Japan with the same privileges being offered by the Fukurokuen Co., Ltd.