Japan residents, including Pinoys, given ¥100,000 COVID-19 assistance

All residents of Japan, including Filipino workers, were given ¥100,000 or P50,000 in financial assistance amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a nurse in Tokyo said in a Friday report on “Stand for Truth.”

“Walang mahirap, walang mayaman, foreigner or Japanese, bata man or matanda, binibigyan nila ng suporta na ¥100,000. Binibili namin ‘yun ng mga needs namin like, for example, mga pagkain,” Excelsis Borbon said.

A culture teacher in Chiba, meanwhile, said that she and her sister received additional financial assistance on top of the ¥100,000.

“‘Yung sister ko, on top of her ¥100,000 from the government dahil part siya ng family namin, may ¥100,000 pa siya na ‘yung school naman niya ‘yung nag-process,” Sheka Matz said.

“I’m pregnant, meron din akong natanggap form the local government na financial assistance para naman sa expecting mothers,” she added.

Matz said that the situation in Japan was almost back to normal despite the 53,315 total COVID-19 cases as of August 14.

“Bumalik ‘yung mga classes nung June. Kung kakain ka sa labas, you can do that. Mga amusement park bukas na din. ‘Yung go to campaign, they encourage people to travel,” she explained.

Locals said that the COVID-19 Task Force in Japan did not need to enforce strict measures as discipline was deeply rooted in their culture.

“In Japanese, jishuku, voluntary self-restraint. Kami na mismo ang nag sa-submit na mag-stay at home. Companies naman, kusa sila nag clo-close. In return, nun, merong binibigay na pera yung government sa kanila,” Borbon said.

“Ang mga Japanese kasi kapag sinabing may isang rule, applicable ‘yan sa lahat, walang exceptions. They value order and cleanliness. Malilinis sila sa katawan nila and sa paligid nila,” Matz, meanwhile, said.

Watch the video to know more. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News