MPC, Japan’s TAU-Ethos Expand Campus Automotive Ties

What began as a shared dream three years ago has officially turned into a reality for the Bachelor of Industrial Technology students. Demonstrating its growing partnership with Japan’s TAU Corporation and the Ethos Cooperative Union, Marikina Polytechnic College hosted the official TAU-Ethos Cartender-Base Program Visit on July 7, 2026.

The visit featured progress updates for the recently launched Cartender Base Shared Facilities at the Automotive Building grounds, which serves as the training hub for a specialized three-year course in automotive painting and body repair. Operating under an agreement that runs from July 2025 to July 2028, the program has already provided career opportunities. In fact, 10 to 15 Filipino trainees have already secured formal job offers in Japan, joining 23 MPC graduates who are already employed in the Japanese automotive market.

Dr. Medardo B. Bombita, Graduate School Dean and concurrent Technology Business Incubation Project Lead, welcomed guests with a Japanese proverb, ‘Hitori de wa hayaku ikeru. Minna de wa tooku ikeru’ (Alone, we may go faster. Together, we go farther). He stated, “This visit is about strengthening a partnership founded on trust, innovation, and a common vision of empowering people through technology, skills development, and meaningful opportunities. At Marikina Polytechnic College, we believe that education should not stop inside the classroom. It must create industries, generate livelihoods, solve community problems, and improve lives. That is why partnerships like this are invaluable.”

TAU Corporation Japan Human Resources Project and Ethos Cooperative Union Representative Mr. Karl Angelo Simbajon presented the program updates, explaining that new labor laws in Japan’s logistics industry have created a sudden shortage of workers. He said, “Because of this, Japanese companies are now actively looking to hire a lot of truck drivers and wrecker personnel.”

TAU Corporation Japan Board Member and Ethos Cooperative Union Mr. Daichi Kawakami, Board Member and Director of TAU Corporation Japan, expressed his gratitude for the MPC community and College President Dr. Rene M. Colocar for showing the deepest understanding of their vision since his first campus visit. “This is a bridge of the future for young people who have dreams and the courage to challenge themselves,” Mr. Kawakami said, sharing a long-term goal where these students eventually return home to teach at MPC.

This partnership traces back to October 2024, when President Colocar first welcomed a high-profile Japanese delegation led by Mr. Akitaka Miyamoto, alongside management from TAU Philippines and Wonderful International Services, Inc. for introductory meetings and a Marikina City tour.

“I’ve seen trainees who started with nothing but curiosity, and now they handle Japanese-level maintenance standards with confidence. I’ve seen instructors grow alongside your experts, learning systems like the Shaken inspection, not just for the sake of learning, but because they knew it would make a difference in the lives of their students,” Pres. Colocar said. The visit concluded with a joint forum and an energetic performance by the MPC Dance Troupe. MPC Alumni President Dr. Christian S. Canlas shared how proud the alumni are to see their alma mater grow through partnerships. He also thanked the visitors for giving local talents a real chance to use their technical skills to the global workforce. #