|
By Katrice R. Jalbuena, Reporter
A Filipino widow from Cavite
province is running for a seat in the South Korean National
Assembly.
Luis Cruz, Philippine Ambassador
to the Republic of Korea, recently reported to the Department of
Foreign Affairs that Judith A. Hernandez, a former Cavite resident,
is running under the Republic of Korea Party, a new party organized
by former presidential candidate Kook Hyun Moon, for the general
elections to be held on April 9.
Hernandez is making history as
South Korea’s first foreign-born citizen to run for a seat in the
National Assembly, a public office that is the equivalent of a
Philippine congressional seat.
The widow arrived in South Korea
more than 15 years ago when she married a South Korean citizen. Now
a South Korean citizen herself, Hernandez was an active member of
her local community in Seongnam, a city less than an hour from
Seoul.
She is running on a political
platform based on her personal advocacy of improving the welfare of
migrant workers and foreign spouses and their children.
There are two ways to secure a
position in South Korea’s unicameral legislature. First,
representatives are directly elected from single-member districts.
Second, the rest of the approximately 300 slots are filled by the
parties following a formula that proportionally allocates membership
based on the number of seats won in the election.
For Hernandez to win, her party
needs to obtain a fair percentage of the votes so she can be
included under proportional representation.
The candidacy of Hernandez has
enjoyed warm response, with her ranking in the party climbing
recently from 8th to 7th, out of more than 20 hopefuls.
She is reportedly optimistic
about her chances. South Korean law limits the campaign period to
only two weeks, with the last day ending at 12 midnight prior to the
election.
The widow has enlisted the
support of migrant communities and appeared on various local
television shows and has been reported in the print media, her
publicity no doubt shored up by her novelty in the political arena.
During a meeting with Ambassador
Cruz on March 26, Hernandez discussed the challenges of integrating
into South Korean society, in the past referred to as the “Hermit
Kingdom,” amid social changes now taking place there.
She said South Korean society is
opening up as national and local governments have begun
institutionalizing programs aimed at fostering a more global
outlook. Her very entry into politics possibly signals changes in
perception and a more accepting view of foreigners in South Korean
society.
During an interview at the
Philippine Embassy by the Internet Broadcast for Migrants in Korea
on March 26, Ambassador Cruz remarked that Hernandez successfully
raised awareness on the need to facilitate the integration and
assimilation of foreign spouses and their children into such
society.
Her advocacy brought attention to
their plight and spurred debate about multiculturalism. Regardless
of the outcome of the elections, the Ambassador declared that
Hernandez is already a winner.
Before venturing into politics,
Hernandez established a “multicultural kindergarten” that
addresses the needs of racially mixed children, both in terms of
academic guidance and emotional support. Her project was funded by
sympathetic organizations like the Lions Club International and
featured by media outfits such as the Seoul Broadcasting System, one
of South Korea’s largest radio and television networks.
In the school she helped found,
children who have completed kindergarten study for free and get
additional training on the native language of their non-Korean
parents—including Filipino. Because of that program’s success,
Hernandez has received several requests for expanding the school’s
operations.
A widow with two teen-aged
children, Hernandez drew strength from her community, especially
fellow church members and migrants. She discarded all second
thoughts and decided to run.
“There really is a need for
representation. I remember my experiences, both beautiful and
bitter. (So I decided to run) even if I had no experience in
politics. After all, everything can be learned,” she said.
|
