The program, broadcast by the Nihon TV station network at 6:56 PM on December 24th 2007, introduced our THI (Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu) Inc.) factory in the Philippines.

The title of the segment was “I want to say ‘Merry Christmas’ to my father, who is working on the far side of the world, in the Philippines.” Tomoko Nakajima, one half of the popular comedy duo Othello, accompanied an 8 year-old boy to the Philippines to meet his father, working in THI’s sales division, and bring him a present. They traveled all the way to the shipbuilding factory in Sebu Island’s Baranban town. There were troubles along the way, but in the end they were able to meet the boy’s father and give him the gift. Viewers were moved when the father wept while reading his son’s Christmas letter.

THI is a Tsuneishi group factory, operating in the Philippines since 1995. About 4,000 employees build bulk and car carriers in the factory’s two building berths. Currently the factory is being expanded to about twice its present size.

An outline of the program is available on the TV station’s website at http://www.ntv.co.jp/q/oa/20071223/01.html.