Angelite Nurses

The Philippine Star

Japan is now all set for the entry of Filipino nurses and caregivers even as the Philippines Senate has yet to ratify the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).

Labor Undersecretary Danilo Cruz said while the JPEPA is still awaiting Senate approval, the Japanese government has readied the facilities and all other requirements for employment of Filipino health workers.

“So that there would be no delay in the deployment of Filipino nurses and caregivers, the Japanese government already named the Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship as the foundation that will train our workers in speaking Nippongo,” Cruz disclosed.

He also noted that Tokyo has tasked the Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services (JICWELS), a semi-government agency, to handle the deployment.

“JICWELS will be the one dealing with our Philippine Overseas Employment Administration in the government-to-government deployment of Filipino health workers,” Cruz explained.

According to Cruz, the Japanese government intends to hire initially 600 Filipino caregivers and 400 nurses as soon as the Philippine Senate gives its blessing on the implementation of the JPEPA, which President Arroyo signed with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi last Sept. 9 at the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting in Helsinki, Finland.

Cruz said the Department of Labor and Employment could easily deploy Filipino workers to Japan since guidelines have already been drafted for such an agreement.

He also expressed confidence that the country has sufficient supply of nurses and caregivers for deployment to Japan.

“It would no longer be difficult for us because we already have a draft guideline but we cannot start the deployment until after the Senate finally gives its concurrence to the ratification of the JPEPA,” Cruz said. Mayen Jaymalin