NEWS

Japan Hospitals, Health Institutions In Need of Pinoy Nurses and Caregivers
06 February 2009

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Marianito Roque said beginning this year, Japan will hire Filipino nurses and caregivers to train and work in their country. This was announced during the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services (JICWELS). The MOU was signed by Ms. Jennifer Jardin-Manalili, POEA Administrator and Takashi Tsunoda, managing director of JICWELS last January 12, 2009 at the Blas F. Ople Development Center in Intramuros, Manila.

The MOU is a product of the Japan - Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) under the Framework for the Movement of Natural Persons ratified by the Philippine government last December 11, 2008.

According to the MOU, the POEA shall endorse an initial batch of 200 nurses and 300 caregivers who will undergo a six-month language and culture training to prepare them for the Japanese licensure exam. Nurses as candidate (kangoshi) and caregivers as candidate (kaigofukushishi) shall receive an allowance of not less than ¥40,000.00 or more than PhP. 21, 000.00 per month.

JICWELS, on the other hand, would match the nurses and caregivers to hospitals and institutions in Japan that the Welfare Services had pre-qualified to employ the Filipino candidates.

During the candidates’ stay in Japan, they will work under the supervision of a Japanese nurse (kangoshi) to fully familiarize them with the Japanese system. Then, the Filipino nurses and caregivers will have to take the Japanese licensure exam, scheduled every February. “The examinations can be taken not more than three chances within three years in the case of candidate-nurses, and once on the fourth year of stay in the case of candidate-caregivers," Manalili said in a press statement.

Once the candidates have passed the exam, the fully qualified nurse and certified caregiver shall have the option to stay for an unlimited period in Japan to practice their profession with a new and upgraded employment contract with their employer. The contract will include higher salary and added benefits.

To qualify to apply for training and employment in Japan, registered nurses should have at least three years experience. Candidate caregivers, on the other hand, should be a nursing graduate or a graduate of a four-year course and should be certified by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

According to DOLE, applicants will be required to undergo an aptitude test and interview by JICWELS to facilitate their matching with employers. After selection, they must pass the required medical examination to conclude the employment contract and to successfully qualify to enter Japan. Nominal expenses of application shall be borne by applicants for document submission/authentication, medical examination (PhP.1, 500.00 basic) and visa fee (PhP.1, 150.00). Airfare and onsite training costs are shouldered by the employers or the Government of Japan.

Qualified applicants can click here to register online.

Trabaho.com. thanks its following sources:

Information and Publication Service, DOLE website. Japan to recruit Pinoy nurses, caregivers starting this year (Posted January 12, 2009) Retrieved January 13, 2009 from
http://www.dole.gov.ph/news/details.asp?id=N000002274

GMA News.tv. DOLE: Japan to recruit 200 pinoy nurses, 300 caregivers in '09 (Posted January 12, 2009) Retrieved January 13, 2009 from http://www.gmanews.tv/story/143823/DOLE-Japan-to-recruit-200-pinoy-nurses-300-caregivers-in-09

Uy, Veronica, Inquirer.net. RP nurses can now apply for Japan jobs (Posted January 12, 2009) Retrieved January 13, 2009 from http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090112-182910/RP-nurses-can-now-apply-for-Japan-jobs

Jaymalin, Mayen, The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Japan to hire 1,000 nurses, caregivers in the next 2 years (Posted January 13, 2009) Retrieved January 13, 2009 from
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=431345&publicationSubCategoryId=202

Guillermo, Jemin B., Philippine Information Agency. Filipino nurses, caregivers up for Japan employment (Posted January 13, 2009) Retrieved January 13, 2009 from
http://www.pia.gov.ph/default.asp?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p090113.htm&no=22

Philippine Information Agency. Filipino nurses, caregivers may train, work in Japan starting this year, DOLE says Posted January 13, 2009) Retrieved January 13, 2009 from
http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p090113.htm&no=15
Re-posted at Gov.ph at http://www.gov.ph/news/?i=23276