Lecture - Cultural Exchange, Japan and the Philippines - Rey Ventura Rey Ventura In his first lecture, Rey Ventura, a journalist and filmmaker from the Philippines, used a series of short but powerful documentaries to stimulate discussion on some of the current issues in his country. While Mr. Ventura emphasised the resilience of Philippine language and culture despite over 400 years of colonisation by Spain, the US and Japan, his film clips focused on the problems created by economic instability and a history of exploitation by developed countries. The first film showed a religious festival, the popularity of which demonstrates the extent to which Catholicism, introduced by Spanish missionaries in the 16th century, continues to influence daily life. Filipinos working in Japanese construction and entertainment industries were the subject of another two excerpts. For some of the audience it was a slightly shocking introduction to the phenomena of the so-called "New Halves"; gay and transexual men working as hostesses in bars and clubs in Japan. Rey's next documentary focused on one of the young women forced into sexual slavery during occupation by the Japanese Army in the Second World War. Lola Rosa, who died in 1999, was the first comfort woman to come out with her story after over 50 years of silence. She was followed by over 1200 others, of whom the remaining survivors are still waiting for full recognition of their situation by the Japanese government. One of the surviving comfort women The films above provoked a mixed reaction from the audience, with many expressing surprise and distress at the situations faced by those portrayed in the documentaries. Some older members enriched the discussion with clarifications regarding the Japanese governments reaction to the testimonies of Lola Rosa and others like her. Questions also arose concerning whether sexual slavery had been practiced by other countries during sustained conflict as well as compensation for the Filipino victims. Rather than expounding on his own theories, Rey chose to open the floor to the audience, asking them first for their impressions of his films and subsequently their thoughts on the complex situations portrayed. Finally, debate focused on the more recent issue of organ trade with western countries, and Japan in particular. According to Mr. Ventura's film, with a large proportion of the population under-educated and unable to find work, selling an organ brings in enough money to support a family for several years and is sometimes seen as the only viable means of survival. As one woman said, "My son's kidney is our family's last hope". Another man expressed his belief that without having sold his kidney his disabled son would not have been able to get the hospital treatment his condition required. However, exploitation is rife, with donors receiving less than a quarter of the ten million yen paid by the Japanese recipient for a healthy kidney. The rest is pocketed by the brokers and Philippine clinic that undertakes the operation and, despite assurances by doctors profiting from the trade that one kidney is sufficient, many donors reported sudden attacks of weakness following the operation. An organ donor proudly displaying his scar (photo by Rey Ventura) After showing his documentary, Rey expressed his sadness at a recent development whereby men as young as 19 are now being approached by Japanese brokers to donate an eye. He also explained that, although the organ trade is illegal in most developed countries and a bill regarding donation is currently under consideration by the Philippine government, the issue has yet to be legislated on. This lead to audience members expressing fears that the government may take a paternalistic attitude and bring in over-restrictive measures that infringe on an individuals rights over their own bodies. Others questioned the strictness of laws in Japan forbidding the procurement of organs, as well as the low rate of donation among accident victims. With the visit to Manila offering passengers the possibility to meet and speak with comfort women and those living in poverty, Mr. Ventura's lecture gave participants the chance to reflect on Japan's history with the Philippines and how they can choose to be involved in these issues. Peace Boat's 39th Voyage index