One of the major issues facing Philippine nationals who survived the March 11 earthquake and tsunami is finding new jobs. With Japanese locals in the same position, securing new employment is a major challenge for everyone in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture.
Erva Sugawara, 50, said she is fortunate that she got her job back when the bar she worked for in this small fishing town reopened in late May. Many businesses and homes along Ofunato's coastline were simply swept away by the tsunami.
Sugawara's bar was also washed away, but the Japanese owner has reopened the business in a different location, securing work for Sugawara and her colleagues. "I'm really grateful, because others are having a hard time finding jobs," said Sugarawa, who has lived in Japan for 22 years. She is married to an Ofunato native who is working in Tokyo to save money for their future.
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