international Migration

0 downloads 0 Views 1016KB Size Report
EDITED BY: AGA CHARYTONIUK ..... truck driver of 140 thousand drivers by the year 2015. In the ..... Filipino nurses are employed in many parts of the world,.
international Migration Of fILIPInO HEALTHCARE WORkERS

Destination Japan EDITED BY: AGA CHARYTONIUK Ph.D Candidate, The School of East Asian Studies The University of Sheffield

international Migration

Destination Japan Welcome

special thanks FUndinG this newsletter was fully funded by the japan society for the Promotion of science (jsPs) in tokyo.

Objectives and MissiOn

T

hiS nEwSlETTEr attempts to describe as reliably as possible the living and working conditions of Filipino healthcare workers who came to Japan under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement. With this publication I would like to introduce their experiences to future Filipino nurses and caregivers for their consideration when choosing Japan as a destination for migration. Hence, the main objective of this project is to raise awareness among Filipino medical professionals in the Philippines.

idea

sPecial thanks tO: cliford a. Paragua, Labor Attache of the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo kiichi inagaki, Director of JICWELS dr. Peter Matanle, University of Sheield, U.K. hiroko itoh, Physical Therapist Filipino healthcare workers: Ruby Pink Abriol, Mariale Ohya, Excelsis John Borbon, John Denmark Pineda jenna hilleren, Journalist

My master’s thesis research with the University of leeds focused on the economic, social and political impacts of Filipina care workers on receiving communities in rural Japan. This provided the impetus for developing a PhD dissertation by deepening the theoretical contribution and expanding the research scope through a particular focus on the impacts on networking in decision making processes. When developing a literature review, I realized that there were few references in literature on the interaction between the irst batch candidates and the future Filipinos EPA candidates and its impacts on the motivation of healthcare migrants to choose Japan as their favored destination. Hence, more research is needed in order to better understand the relationships between the two stakeholders and furthermore, to uncover the motivations and aspirations of young graduates to work in Japan.

Aga Charytoniuk Ph.D Candidate School of East Asian Studies University of Sheield, U.K. [email protected]

2

Yui Fujita, Researcher the japan nursing association For their kind contribution to this newsletter.

PrOdUced bY inter Media japan k.k. Minami aoyama, 3-14-12 Minato-ku, tokyo, japan 107-0062 email: [email protected] tel/Fax: 03-6432-9119

PhOtOGraPhY shutterstock.com

LEGAL The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily relect the views of International Migration, Destination: Japan, Inter Media Japan K.K., or its employees. The information set forth herein has been obtained or derived from sources believed by the author to be reliable. However, the author does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the information’s accuracy or completeness, it has been provided to you solely for informational purposes only. © 2014 International Migration, Destination: Japan. All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Inter Media Japan K.K. Published in Tokyo, Japan.

contents ageing and Depopulation in Japan’s shrinking regions

6

4

introduction

8

the Japan nursing association

by aga charytoniuk

by dr. Peter Matanle

Foreign healthcare Workers in Japan

10 12

by hiroko itoh

interview: healthcare Workers in Japan the Japan philippines economic partnership agreement:

14 18

PHOTO: Shutterstock.com

how trained Filipino health care Professionals beneit japanese society by jenna hilleren

Japan international corporation of Welfare services (JicWels) tokyo With kiichi inagaki

17

embassy View With cliford a. Paragua, labor attache of the Philippine embassy in tokyo

about this neWsletter intrOdUctiOn

D

EMogrAPhiC ChAngES afect global shifts in population movement in many ways. Firstly, these transformations are combined with economic obstacles, pushing people to move out from their homes. Secondly, shrinking and ageing states realize that there is a big need to accept migrants. Many discussions on migration involve a variety of perspectives. one of them concerns a growing recognition that migration is a crucial and inevitable element of the economic and social life of every country. in every developed state experiencing shrinking and ageing populations there are two ields with a persistent lack of workers - elderly care and nursing. According to the Philippine labor statistic as many as 8,000 Filipino nurses migrate annually. During almost 50 years of emigration these nurses have earned great reputations for their abilities and skills mostly in English speaking countries.

recently also guam). Although the monthly salary of healthcare workers in Japan is much higher than in the Philippines, lack of ability to speak Japanese seems to be the greatest factor discouraging Filipinos from working in Japan. In addition, the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), which allows Filipino healthcare staf entry into Japan, was criticised by many NPOs and NGOs, inter alia, the Japan Nursing Association, the Japan Federation of the Medical Workers Union, and the Philippine Nursing Association. These organizations have been discouraging Filipino candidates from working in Japan due to JPEPA’s overly strict conditions (e.g. national nursing examination is conducted in Japanese or a trainee status in Japan which provides with lower salary).

However, the Japanese government has been trying to modify the national exam in order to raise the pass rate among such Some scholars claim that migrants from Asian countries will candidates. solve the problem of the shortage of healthcare workers in In addition, statistics prove that there is a preference for employing indonesian both rural and urban Japan. certiied care workers over However, many scholars also “During almost 50 years of Filipinos (Ogawa, 2012). claim that Filipina nurses Furthermore, EPA with and care workers might not emigration these nurses have earned Vietnam will be signed in be willing to work in Japan great reputationsfor their abilities 2015, which grant Vietnamese considering the availability of healthcare workers entry into other destinations (Germany, and skills mostly in english Japan. Australia, UAE, Canada and



speaking countries.”

number of candidates who passed the national exam: 2008

2009

indonesia

104

173

Philippines

-

93

2010

2011

2012

2013

39

47

29

48

46

70

28

64

Source: MediFaxweb, http://mf.jiho.jp/servlet/nk/release/pdf/1226601740767

4

“although the monthly salary of healthcare workers in Japan ismuch higher than in the philippines, lack of ability to speak Japanese seems to be the greatest factor discouraging Filipinos from working in Japan.”



FieldWOrk in Manila in jUne 2013 - resUlts

It is predicted that in 2050 the aged population of Japan will rise to 35,7% of the overall population, which will inevitably increase the demand for healthcare workers. The Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), signed in 2006, allows Filipino nurses and caregivers working in Japan. Thus, in 2009 the irst batch of Filipinos arrived in Japan. Today they can speak the Japanese language and are familiar with the Japanese culture due to their long stay. They are already integrated into Japanese society, which is considered to be their strongest asset over the newcomers who need time to learn the language and to familiarize themselves with the Japanese culture. Many scholars recognise the inaccuracy of information low between the Filipino who arrived in 2009 and the future EPA candidates about destination preferences and the conditions of acceptance under EPA. Hence, an accurate information provision is needed.

The main conclusion from my ieldwork in the Philippines, where i visited nursing colleges located in Manila - most of the students do not want to work in Japan. The majority pointed to the USA and Canada as dream destinations. However, as conirmed by a POEA oicer, in many cases the destination is chosen in a moment of job seeking and depends on job advertisements available at the time of the research. According to my investigation, Filipino graduate students at public universities are required to work for 2 years at hospitals in the Philippines after completing their education due to government regulation. in private universities such a requirement does not exist and the practical part of studies is included in the 4 years of their studies. However, most of my interviewees consider working 2 years in hospitals after graduating in order to get experience.

“the Japanese government has been trying to modify the national exam in order to raise the pass rate among such candidates.”



STRONGLY ENCOURAGING

STRONGLY DISCOURAGING

1) MOFA 2) MHLW 3) Japan Business Federation

1) Japan Nursing Association 2) Japan Federation of Medical Worker’s Union 3) Philippine Nursing Association (PNA)

Nursing Training, Not Nursing Practice “Filipino nurses will go to japan not to fully practice the nursing profession but to become a trainee.” - Pna “japan doesn’t need nurses and caregivers, and that Filipinos would be treated as trainees when they work in japan.” - leah Paquiz, president of the Pna

5

ageing and Depopulation in Japan’s shrinking regions HEALTH AND WELFARE CONSEQUENCES FOR OLDER PEOPLE POPUlatiOn in jaPan and east asia: chanGinG aGe, distribUtiOn and FaMilY strUctUres

Dr. Peter Matanle

intrOdUctiOn

J

APAN is one of the most rapidly ageing and depopulating countries in the world. Government projections indicate that it may shrink 32 per cent from 128 million in 2008 to approximately 87 million by 2060, due to a sustained fall in rates of human reproduction (Figure 1).

Overall, population reduction is probably good news, in that it provides opportunities for reconiguring living conditions and it may help alleviate human-environmental pressures. importantly, however, ageing and depopulation bring with them consequences for the supply and demand of essential human services such as health, welfare, and education. What is also interesting about Japan’s situation as a pioneer shrinking society is how its experiences might inform us about the prospects for other East and Southeast Asian countries in the future, as they experience similar developmental pathways. Furthermore, the consequences of these developments for people working in health and welfare related professions across East and Southeast Asia are profound and are set to deepen in the future.

Japan is mid-way through a century-long shift in the structure of its population, from being a young country in 1960 to an old one in 2060 (Figure 1). Moreover, when we compare demographic change in Japan with China and South Korea, UN data forecasts similar patterns there too. South Korea is anticipated to grow and shrink 138 and 26 per cent in the 75 and 70 year period either side of its expected peak in 2030, and China by 154 and 33 per cent in the 75 year periods either side of its peak in 2025 (Figure 2). Alongside ageing and depopulation has occurred a dramatic shift in the population’s geographical distribution. Whereas 41 per cent of the population lived in urban areas in 1960, by 2010 this had increased to 67 per cent, with an increase in the total population over the same period of 73 per cent. This has placed enormous pressures on urban areas in accommodating rising demand for infrastructure, goods, and services. Less noticeable has been the stresses of population loss on rural regions. For example, traditional three-generation family structures have broken down as the number of children being born and remaining in rural areas into adulthood declines. There has been a longterm rise in the number of elderly couples and those living alone,

FIGURE 1. Actual (1960-2010) and Projected (2020+) Population of Japan (left hand scale, millions) and by Age Group (right hand scale, %). (Source: Japanese government websites.)

6

with some inding professional roles “in the 1950s and 60s there was demand for services and diiculty caring for who are willing to infrastructure directed at children and families... themselves in unmove to rural locasuitable dwellings. tions, despite the in the 21st century there has been a dramatic rise in Consequently, many very pleasant demand for health, welfare, and care services for the elderly.” often rural towns and vilsurroundings that lages are declining in can be found there. vitality as they lose their populations of young and middle-aged A gap has therefore emerged in rural regions, between the depeople, resulting in communities where the majority are elderly; mand for people who can work in health and care roles especialand there are fewer relatives and neighbours available who are ly, and the supply of adults wishing to fulill such roles. willing to help in informal care roles. This gap looks set to widen in Japan in the future, Put simply, Japan’s rural regions are shrinking and and to emerge in many other areas of East and Southeast Asia community resilience is declining. Similar processes are now through the course of the 21st century. In particular, there will taking place in rural areas in South Korea, China and, in later be an increasing number of opportunities in Japan for nursing decades, will occur elsewhere in East and Southeast Asia. Indeed, and care workers from Asian countries who share some cultural most of Europe is also experiencing the efects of an ageing so- similarities, such as an understanding of familial relationships ciety and some countries, such as Germany, are also shrinking. and patterns of community life. Since Japan is in the vanguard of what is becoming a truly global phenomenon, what have been the consequences there and are cOnclUsiOn there any lessons to be learned? It is not easy to move to another country, learn an unfamiliar deMand FOr care WOrkers language and get used to living in a sometimes confusing culture. However, from my own experience as a European who in jaPan’s rUral reGiOns moved to a small village in the forested mountains of Shikoku For the entire postwar era there has been an ongoing shift in de- and worked in local schools as a teacher, Japanese rural areas mand for essential human services in Japan’s rural regions. This present many advantages and opportunities for migrants. The process is set to continue far into the future and extend beyond people are kind, generous, and very welcoming. The environment is beautiful, clean and unpolluted. And the work-life balJapan to the rest of Asia and Europe in the coming decades. Whereas in the 1950s and 60s there was demand for services ance is pleasant and unhurried. and infrastructure directed at children and families, such as for Importantly, workers in caring roles are in very great demand in schools and colleges, in the 21st century there has been a dra- rural areas and can ind stable and fulilling employment with matic rise in demand for health, welfare, and care services for relative ease. The expansion in the number of elderly people the elderly. This includes everything from advanced medicine for needing care in Japan and beyond means that, in addition, exthe hospital treatment of age-related diseases, through complex perienced and high quality care workers from other Asian councare arrangements for older people with degenerative conditions, tries can feel secure that their skills and expertise will be in high purpose-built care-homes and community centres for frail but demand throughout Asia and far into the future. still active elderly, to leisure, entertainment, and travel facilities for the it-elderly. One diiculty that has arisen is that there are fewer Dr. Peter Matanle is Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies at the White Rose East Asia Centre, School of East Asian Studies, University of Sheield. His younger Japanese wishing to build their lives in rural areas, and research interests are in the social and cultural geography of East Asia. there are fewer adults from urban areas employed in relevant



FIGURE 2. Population Change in East Asia in Millions (Japan and South Korea Left hand scale; China Right hand scale). (Source: UNPD website.)

7

Japan nursing association the jaPan nUrsinG assOciatiOn (jna) is a national organization, which was established in 1946 for licensed nurses and midwives. it cooperates with the 47 prefectural nursing associations in japan.

deMand FOr nUrses in jaPan

A

S OF THE END OF 2009, there were 1,433,772 nursing personnel in workforce, consisting of 53,212 public health nurses, 31,312 midwives, 954,818 nurses and 394,430 assistant nurses. Despite the fact that the number of nursing personnel increased 1.3 times since 1998, the demand for nurses exceeded the available supply due to the aging and shrinking population problems in Japan. The shortage of nurses in terms of both quality and quantity has become a major concern of the medical and political environments. There were many successful activities undertaken by the government of Japan to secure the nursing workforce by adopting policies such as: introducing scholarship systems for nursing students in 1962 and increasing the budget allocation for nursing educational institutions in 1963. In addition, the central and local governments speciied their responsibilities in the Act on Assurance of Work Forces of Nurses and Other Medical Experts enacted in 1992 to train nurses and other medical personnel, to improve the work environment and the quality of services.

Each nursing staf member takes care of 17.7 elderly patients at a welfare facility, and 8.2 elderly patients at a healthcare facility for the elderly requiring long-term care. The survey conducted by JNA on nursing staf at facilities for care of elderly in 2012 shows that 60.8% of respondents worked at night shifts. 38.7% of the respondents said that they worked for facilities with an on-call system. According to JNA, working hours at night shifts have not changed much since the last survey in 2010. There were 68.1% nurses who work on average 72 hours and less during night shifts; longer than 72 hours but less than 80 hours – 31.9%; more than 80 hours – 17.3% of respondents. The number of nurses working longer hours has been steadily increasing.

jaPanese dUtY

nUrsinG

“the shortage of nurses in terms of both quality and quantity has become a major concern of the medical and political environments.”

In Japan, nurses are required to provide high-quality care in collaboration with long-term care staf and other medical professionals to the patients, taking into consideration their individual needs. Hence, nurses are expected to have the professional expertise and skills necessary for providing nursing care, but also a sense of management and competency, in order to guarantee a safe and healthy environment in the facility.



WOrkinG cOnditiOns and WOrkinG hOUrs dUrinG the niGht shiFts

Recently, there have been many concerns about the working environment of health care workers in Japan, which include mainly long working hours, night and day shifts and low wages. According to the JNA survey from 2009, improvement of the working conditions in the workplaces with a misbalance between work and life, remain unsatisfactory. Another JNA survey conducted in 2008 showed that 1 out of 23 works at a level considered as fatal due to overtime with more than 60 hours per month shifts. In addition, the number of nurses who work at long-term care facilities is small.

8

Nurses who work at facilities for the elderly provide care in collaboration with long-term care staf and other professionals. Their main tasks include the assessment of body temperature, blood pressure, observing health conditions and maintaining physical cleanliness, nutrition management, excretion management, prevention and treatment of bedsores, management of medications, respiratory care, palliative care, and instructions to long-term care staf.

number of nurses and their ratio population in several countries Country

Year

Beds: in-patient Care

Registered Nurses

Beds: Ratio per 1000 population

Registered Nurses: Ratio per 1000 population

Population (In 1000s)

Japan

2008

1,755,971

1,252,224

13.8

9.8

127,692

Canada

2007

114,059

297,388

3.5

9

32,976

U.S.A.

2008

951,045

3,273,260

3.1

10.8

304,483

Denmark

2007

20,139

78,037

3.7

14.3

5,457

France

2008

440,656

507,514

6.9

7.9

61,840

germany

2008

674,420

877,000

8.2

10.7

9,030

U.K.

2008

205,977

575,989

3.4

9.5

60,520

Nurses also observe day-to-day conditions of each patient, and, in the event of acute change or abnormality in conditions, make decisions on moving the patient to a local hospital.

The oECD data suggests that the ratio of nursing personnel who work for long-term care in Japan is relatively small to the share of aged population.

According to JNA, only a few new graduates are employed as nursing staf. In addition, these nurses do not have many training opportunities to gain the nursing knowledge and skills necessary to work at long-term care facilities. At the same time, collaboration with other professionals is very limited, which results in a lack of knowledge and experience circulation. In order to improve the quality of nursing, it is recommended to strengthen the functions of nursing, to provide training opportunities and to bolster local networks.

home-visit nursing is provided by visiting nursing stations, hospitals and clinics, based on the long-term care and health insurance system.

“the professional expertise and skills necessary for providing nursing care, but also a sense of management and competency.”

salarY



The mean monthly salary (as of January 2013) of a nurse (fulltime, permanent employee, working in a non-managerial role, mean age of 36.1 years) was ¥254,583 (about $2,594). The total income before tax and insurance deductions, including various allowances such as night shift allowance was ¥352,157(about $3,588). As there is an increasing number of people living in long-term care facilities, the needs are rising for individual long-term care and health care. The need for end-of-life care is also on the rise. Unfortunately, nurses are not able to provide suicient care in response to these needs. As a factor for this insuicient care, it has been pointed out that the number of nurses allocated to long-term care facilities is small, and the position of nursing in the organization is not clear. It has also been uncovered that few new graduates are employed as nursing staf, and nurses do not have many training opportunities, resulting in diiculty of acquiring the nursing knowledge and skills required at longterm care facilities. At the same time, collaboration with other professionals is indispensable to fully exercise the functions of nursing.

In home-visit nursing, nursing personnel should support the maintenance of a patient, promotion and restoration of the patient’s health, while minimizing the impact of diseases and disorders, thereby facilitating the patient’s longterm care at home.

One of the main projects of the JNA focuses on creating a safe and healthy-working environment, strengthening functions of home-visit nursing, improving nursing services, and supporting disaster relief activities.

Main challenGes: 1) Unclear scope of work 2) Training opportunities for nurses 3) Collaboration with other professionals inside and outside a facility, and local networks

Source: https://www.nurse.or.jp/jna/english/pdf/info-02.pdf

9

Foreign healthcare Workers in Japan Hiroko Itoh - Registered Physical Therapist, Diabetes Educator, Certified Respiratory Therapist, Registered Acupuncture and Moxibution Therapist, Registered Annma Shiatsu Massage Therapist.

r

eCeNtLY, there are more than 2 million foreigners staying in Japan, and more than 9 million foreigners visit Japan every year. it is said that there will be more foreigners coming to Japan from now on because of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Simultaneously, there is a growing number of foreign patients visiting Japanese hospitals and clinics. They have found it diicult to communicate with Japanese people who have little understanding of English or any other foreign languages. This is a bit worrying when dealing with public services such as banks, hospitals, real estate and so on. in the hospitals in the Tokyo area where staf cannot communicate in foreign languages, patients have no other choice but to be accompanied with somebody who can speak Japanese. In many cases, foreign patients choose the hospitals with English-speaking staf, which causes a concentration of foreign patients to only frequent certain hospitals.

The increasing number of foreign visitors is not the only problem in the Japanese medical ield. Japan’s aging society and a labor shortage are considered as the main sources of problematic consternation creating a crisis in the health care industry. In the logistics industry, with the increasing number of aging drivers, it is predicted that there will be a shortage of truck driver of 140 thousand drivers by the year 2015. In the construction industries, labor shortage has become one of the biggest problems due to two major factors:

“It is predicted that the labor shortage will become an even more serious issue because of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”



In my workplace, we can accommodate approximately 520 patients. This hospital covers residents living in Shinjuku-ku and Minato-ku. Even though these wards are inhabited by many foreigners, I rarely see them using the hospital’s services. For emergency situations and patients’ diagnoses, there are doctors who can communicate in foreign languages. However, many nurses working in the ward hospitals are not qualiied to communicate with patients in foreign languages. So, when there is a need for hospitalization, patients are directed to other hospitals. However, the number of such hospitals and capability to accommodate foreign patients is very limited, therefore, there is a growing need for other hospitals to put efort to create a more foreigner-friendly environment.

10

1) Rebuilding of tohoku area after 3/11 earthquake 2) “Abenomics” which promotes the increase of public infrastructures

it is predicted that the labor shortage will become an even more serious issue because of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In addition, the logistics industry, which supports retail and mail order businesses, is also related to civil engineering and construction. This sector has been facing the problem of a labor deicit. Therefore, the Japanese government launched projects to hire more foreigners. if an increasing number of foreign workers are involved in “so-called” 3D jobs (demanding, dirty, dangerous), naturally more of them will be exposed to injury or sickness. This will further result in a bigger need for Englishspeaking medical staf. For example, there are diiculties in providing nursing care at home for people with dementia, so the caring facility and the day services operating in English are also considered as a must. Because of the shortage of Japanese medical staf who speak English, it seems that it is also necessary to make eforts on receiving more foreign health care workers. However, one of the requirements for foreign

“There is a growing need for other hospitals to put effort to create a more foreigner-friendly environment.”

medical staf to work in Japan is to have a high level of Japanese language. This is rather a discouraging factor for them to even consider working in Japan when having many other English-speaking destinations to choose from in terms of job opportunities. it is high time for the Japanese medical environment to start to consider implementing the English language in workplaces.

the surgery saying, “In my country it is possible to leave a hospital after two or three days. Can’t i leave the hospital to save money?” The hospital staf eventually convinced the patient to stay in the hospital until fully recovered by explaining that the hospital provides good rehabilitation technology. The problem in the medical treatment situation is also the communication with patients who have mental problems. it is necessary to give correct information with the proper terms.



Students and doctors in the medical department of Japanese institutions are more and more concerned about usage of medical English on the national examination. While English-speaking doctors can diagnose foreign patients, it is not guaranteed that nurses can. When there is any complaint from the patients, irst of all, the nurses will correspond, and depending on the emergency level, report to the doctors. Although the nurses follow the directions from the doctors and directly correspond to the patients, at the moment of direct care for the patients, there is a very little chance that English will be used, which cause many misunderstandings. when there are family members who can speak little Japanese, it is not enough to understand speciic medical terminology. Even for interpreters, non-medical professional interpreters cannot accurately translate the medical terms either. To avoid misunderstanding based on communication problems, it is necessary to employ staf who can speak English in the wards. However, recently, many hospitals and facilities inancially struggle to hire medical interpreters. Even if there are medical interpreters stationed, they cannot correspond to every problem such as toilet assistance, changing diapers or a pain at night. Also, to ensure the safety not only of the patient but also of the medical staf, it is necessary for the staf that directly takes care of the patient to be able to communicate with the patient.

For example, with one foreign patient who I am in charge of, he was told to “move” by the nurse to put him on the wheelchair in order to prevent the embolus after the surgery, but he understood it as “get out from the hospital”. Another example is that one patient was told, “You can’t walk because your bone is broken”, which he understood as “surgery failure.” As a consequence, he threatened to sue a doctor for the surgery mistake. In my hospital, after a knee surgery, it is necessary to be hospitalized and follow the rehabilitation schedule for two weeks. However, there were patients who wanted to leave the hospital right after

What level is suicient to communicate in English language, then? In case of English, a TOEIC score of 700 points ensures the minimum ability to communicate in daily conversation. As for the medical interpreter, a score of 900 points is required. The college graduates who are not good in English generally get a score of 300 points, and those learning English without an eicient way usually get 400 to 540; the English level of those who graduate from nursing school or co-medical schools is around 300 to 500 points. It is said that one can get 100 more points added to his/her score if he/she studies one hour a day for a year. For those who have a score of 300, they need to study 5 years to reach a score of 900, with one hour of English study every day without interruption. Furthermore, the practical training of English language in the clinics should commence right now so the staf will be able to communicate with foreign patients during the 2020 Olympics. Nevertheless, it is fairly diicult for the medical staf who work 365 days, 24 hours non-stop in hospitals to additionally study foreign languages. Moreover, the practical listening and speaking skills won’t improve by simply sitting in the classroom. Therefore, the foreign language spoken environment is necessary for them to practice. It is also beneicial for foreign medical workers who want to learn and/or practice their medical Japanese. Tokyo Medical English & Japanese for Healthcare Professionals is established for people whose jobs are related to the medical or health sectors, with the goal to create a bilingual environment with English and Japanese. in the regularly held study sessions, through the speech related to various contents such as medical and health, Japanese who want to learn medical English and foreigners who want to learn medical Japanese share health-related knowledge mutually.

“It is fairly dificult for the medical staff who work 365 days, 24 hours non-stop in hospitals to additionally study foreign languages.”

i



haVe been Working at tokyo koseinenkin hospital for nine years. i am happy to provide my rehabilitation knowledge to other acupuncturists and massage therapists, and for the general public who are interested in health issues. i have discovered a love for teaching and enjoyed the rewards of helping patients to reach their goals. i established the Medical english/Japanese language exchange group for health care professionals, which is for anyone eager to improve their Medical english/Japanese skills and prepare for the internationalization of the medical ield.

Hiroko Itoh

11

interview with Mr. kiichi inagaki Director of acceptance support for Foreign professionals Department of

Japan international corporation of Welfare services (JicWels)tokyo 1) What does the process of acceptance of health care staf look like (how are the nurses selected, what is the interview about, what is the timing of the interview, what is the next step after the interview and so on)? This process is very simple. recruitment for of the Japanese facilities is conducted by JiCwElS. The indonesian or the Filipino government agency under the EPA scheme does the recruitment of the candidates. For example, in the case of the Philippines, the Philippines Overseas Employment Agency (PoEA) handles all matters. ● After the selection of the candidates who satisies the requirements by the POEA, JICWELS representatives once a year go to the Philippines and conduct interviews with each candidate. The length of each interview is about 25 minutes per candidate. During the interview, we ask some questions such as why he/she has applied for the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) program and what he/she would like to do after receiving his/her national certiication (license). ● After the interview, JICWELS provides information about the candidates to the Japanese facilities with the result of the interview session. JiCwElS also gives information to the candidates about the available facilities (wage, holidays, apartment, training program, etc.). ● The next step is informing JICWELS which facility candidates would like to work for or which candidate a facility would like to recruit.

12

● After collecting information from JICWELS, the data is uploaded to the matching software program. Based on this data, JICWELS makes matchs and then conirm the facilities and a candidate to accept the result of the matching. ● After the candidate’s acceptance, both sides enter into the inal phase of the contractual agreement. After inalizing the inal contract of employment, the government of Japan reviews and issues the entry visa to Japan. After that, the candidate is able to enter Japan. The number of candidates depend on the number of vacancies, so every year is diferent. ● Before the candidates start working, they must undergo 12 months of a Japanese language program conducted by the Japanese government. if the candidates meet any problems during the employment contract, they can consult with JICWELS to ask for mediation, or they can also contact the Embassy of the Philippines in Japan.

2) how does jicWels promote the acceptance of foreign health care staf? JICWELS conducts brieing seminars to the Japanese medical/ caregiving facilities that have an interest in accepting the EPA candidates. For example, last year JICWELS organized such a seminar in Tokyo and Osaka and Fukuoka. In addition, JICWELS provides information to the Japanese nursing Association and other related organizations, as well as local governments about a possibility to recruit EPA candidates.

“JICWELS staff can speak English and Indonesian and also have expertise from the nursing and care giving ield for supporting and assisting problems.”



3) Where is the biggest demand for health care staf in japan? knowing that it is rural rather than urban area how to attract foreign medical staf to work there? Filipino candidates work in many cities all over Japan, so I think it is very diicult for me to say which area is the most popular destination. As I already mentioned, during the process of matching, the candidates decid which area or facility they want to work for, so JICWELS does not have a responsibility to recommend them for a particular work place. The candidates have a chance to select from a number of facilities. They can look at the each facility’s proile and select the best one. They can also compare the working conditions of a hospital, wages etc.

4) vietnam is going to sign an ePa with japan next year. does it afect Filipino candidates? Sometimes, we visit hospitals and care giving facilities and talk with the managers of the facility and receive some questions about Vietnamese candidates, mainly concerning their Japanese language abilities. Therefore, there is an awareness that the Vietnamese could be a serious competitors to the Filipino and Indonesian candidates. When entering Japan, the Vietnamese candidates already have attained a N3 level on the Japanese Language Proiciency Test, which allows them to communicate smoothly on a conversational basis.

5) What are the future plans of the japanese government to easy the inal exam which gives eligibility to work as a nurse/care giver in japan? Up to now, the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has been is in charge of this area. MHLW has been taking measures to make this exam more considerate of the EPA candidates. In FY2010, MHLW decided to conduct the national exam for EPA candidates by changing diicult Japanese expressions to easy to understand sentences. In addition, the name of diseases, as well as acronyms are put down with English language. There is also hiragana above the kanji to better understand the questions. From FY 2012, MHLW extended the time of the test for the EPA candidates: for nurses it is now 130% longer, and for caregivers the extension of time is 150% longer.

regarding the Japanese language program before working in Japanese facilities, 4 year agos, it was 6 months. However, the length has been extended to 12 months (for Filipino and Indonesian candidates). So, in summary, 6 months to spend on Japanese language training in the Philippines (or Indonesia) and 6 more months after arriving to in Japan.

6) What kind of support do the candidates receive from jicWels after they start working in japan? After the recruitment phase, JICWELS visits each facility (around 200-300 places) once a year to conduct interviews. The purpose of it is to check how the facilities manage EPA candidates and whether the candidates are receiving decent wage and enough training. If they have problems or concerns, JICWELS can assist them with solving the problems. JiCwElS also has a consultation hotline (phone) and a candidate can call anytime between 10.00 and 18.00 to receive advice. There is also a possibility to write an email, especially after hours. JICWELS counseling staf can speak English and Indonesian and also have expertise from the nursing and care giving ield for supporting and assisting problems. Regarding support for studying for the national exam, JICWELS provides the EPA candidates with speciic textbooks and also conducts a series of group training programmes for preparation for the examination. For that, JICWELS organizes a mock test 4 or 5 times a year.

7) What are the biggest obstacles/ challenges facing jicWels? Stability of candidates who passed the national examination is a challenge, for them to keep working in Japan and not return to their countries. There are many reasons for candidates to leave Japan early, mainly homesickness and diiculty of working. Training and working at the same time is the main concern of EPA candidates. However, we have many successful candidates who enjoy their work in a facility. There are many Japanese health care workers who say that they have been learning from EPA candidates, their professionalism and expertise. So, at the end, it is a very good program to continue.

*The number of working candidates (nurses and care giver) from Indonesia and the Philippines as for now is about 1200. Among them, Filipino consist of about 550 people, based on the status as of February, 2014.*

Kiichi Inagaki President of JICWELS Tokyo. Oicial site: www.jicwels.or.jp

13

Q&a With Filipino care workers “john, excelsis, Pinky and Mariale”

When did you arrive in japan? John & excelsis:

w

e CAMe HeRe in May 2009, we had 6 months of Japanese courses until October 28. On the 29th we were deployed to our assigned hospital. Under the EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement), a candidate can take a national nursing exam just once a year. In February 2010, I failed the exam for the irst time. My next attempt was in 2010 and I failed again, which was really frustrating. i succeeded on the third try. excelsis: I came here in 2009 and spent 6 months on Japanese language training. Since October 2009 I have been working for the same hospital. John and me are amongst the 1st batch of Filipino health care candidates who came here under the Japan-Philippines Economic Agreement (EPA), so before coming here we didn’t know what kind of job we were signing for. For many of us it was surprising. in my case i didn’t plan to come to Japan. My uncle tried to convince me to work in Japan. I was little bit cautious. he saw in the news that Japan is opening up its immigration policy for nurses. Even though he told me about it at the time i didn’t have any interest because my father took part in the war with Japan. Although at the time I wanted to work abroad. i did not want to come to Japan. That is why i used the Philippines overseas Employment Agency’s (PoEA) web page to apply for a job. one of the questions was about which country I want to work in. I chose “ANY” country but my target was the USA – the English-speaking country and the second choice was Saudi Arabia. After a few days PoEA called me with an invitation to an orientation program in Japan. i agreed and felt more convinced since the employment ofer was based on the bilateral government agreement (EPA). I didn’t have any Japanese skills and was not told that i would need to learn the language during this orientation program. i though it was going to be the same as in Saudi Arabia when Filipino medical staf communicate in English. i was surprised when i was told that i need to learn Japanese because the exam is in Japanese. After 3 years of studies i managed to pass the exam. Some of other candidates gave up but I wanted to take it as a challenge. When I was taking training in Japanese we received around 50,000 yen pocket money but accommodation and food was provided. we didn’t need to pay for our Japanese course either. Regarding the salary, I received a payment equivalent to that of a Japanese care worker at the beginning. I am lucky to be here in

14

this hospital but some of my EPA friends didn’t receive the salary stated in their contracts. That’s why some of them broke their contracts and went back home and some of them did not expect that set of the tasks they were given. John: I came here in 2009 and followed Excelsis’s path. But in my case, it was not by chance but rather under my uncle’s inluence. He had worked in Japan for nearly 30 years before he came to Saudi Arabia to join my mother. My mother has been working for a medical company and my uncle was working as a mechanic in Japan. My uncle’s inluence appeared to be stronger than my mother’s. i came to Japan at the end. He used to send me many diferent presents from Japan and he told me many interesting stories about Tokyo. This made me think of Japan as a good destination. He said that Japan is a peaceful country and for me security is very important. Another argument for coming to Japan was that there are many working opportunities. My uncle emphasised many times that i need to master Japanese language in order to survive. But i didn’t study Japanese before because i was very occupied with my study and work. I also applied through PoEA web page but i chose Japan as a destination country.

do you keep in touch with other Filipino health care staf in japan? excelsis: i see them very seldom because of our busy schedules. when we meet we share our experiences of how it is very depressing to study Japanese and to pass this diicult exam and how we are very tired and want to go back home. The irst batch, they were 97 people and only 17 nurses remain. On top of it, we live far from each other and it is quite hard to gather and to get support from each other. As a nurse I have 2 days of during the week however every week I have diferent days. So it is not Saturday and Sunday, which make it very diicult to coordinate with my friends who may have diferent days of in a diferent day during the week. Sometimes we gather with 7 people. We don’t gather in church. John: I meet my Filipino friends through a basketball team. we used to gather together on Sunday. This is also an occasion to check on each other. We try not to talk about the diiculty at work and in Japan.

do you keep in touch with health care staf in the Philippines? excelsis: Yes I do. Some of my Filipino friends were asking

me about Japan. So after they heard about the Japanese language diiculty they gave up. My friends prefer other countries where the English language is commonly used. We work 5 days a week.

“You will make a lot of sacriices and should prepare yourself for new challenges in life.”



John: we have been keeping up with giving information between nurses/care givers in Japan but I don’t think we have contacts with the Philippines. Sometimes we meet here in Japan and we talk about our experiences that’s all. Because we are spread out all over Tokyo we meet only few times. we are all far too busy. excelsis: We were given many choices of hospitals to work from all over Japan (100 hospitals to be chosen). What made me choose a hospital in Tokyo is that the salary is a bit higher. John: We didn’t chose Tokyo to enjoy the nightlife but because in this area there are famous hospitals with better technology and facilities. Although in the Philippines, I am a nurse and here, only a caregiver I needed to consider what kind of facilities I wanted to work in. There are very good standards here. JICWELS and the Embassy of the Philippines keep in touch with us. If we have problems they will take care of it. Sometimes we receive email from PoEA with a question if we are in good hands. Before passing the Japanese nursing exam, we were caregivers. So after work I needed to study, Japanese is very diicult. Japanese culture is a bit diferent so I had diiculty in adapting. I passed the exam in 2012. Before that, the facility gave us 2 months time purely for study. we cannot complaint about our current workplace. In this hospital the medical staf is very supportive. However, in some other cases, the candidates were studying and working at the same time, which is very diicult to handle.

John: If the Japanese government wants to convince Filipinos to come to Japan as health care staf, somebody from Japan with full knowledge and experience must go to the Philippines and share information about Japan. To my knowledge nobody has done it so far. This is due the fact that we don’t have any oicial networks with the Philippines.

image of japan before coming to tokyo. excelsis: Before coming to Japan i had image of Japan as a country with yakuza and inger-cutting. Obviously, I was mistaken.

Please tell us about your experience in japan.

Pinky: I am an EPA Nurse 3rd batch (2011). We arrived here in Japan in May 29, 2011. I saw the PoEA advertisement that the Japanese were inviting Filipino Nurses to work in their country. Since then i was motivated and followed the requirements. Fortunately, I was one of the few who were chosen. I wanted to work in Japan because as we all know, it is one of the best countries in the whole world. I believe that If you work with great minds, then you will become one of them. Moreover, it is for my professional growth, because I want to know their strategies in taking care of patients. And for economical reasons, i can save money and help my family as well.

Please tell us about your experience with preparation to fulill ePa conditions. Pinky: You will make a lot of sacriices and should prepare yourself for new challenges in life. Japan is not an Englishspeaking country, so you will start learning from zero, sometimes your ego will be stepped down. Learning about diferent cultures will be of great help in lessening the conlicts. As a preparation before coming to Japan, we were given a chance to study nihongo for two months. it was for free and we received a monthly allowance. We are a cohort of approximately 70 Filipino nurse candidates who came to Nagoya (Japan). We studied Nihongo for 6 months. while studying nihongo we were provided with good accommodation and meals. Around November 2011, we were dispatched to our own respective facilities. My colleague, Ms. Kristine Joy Montoya, and I were assigned to the same hospital. From then on, we started to live a normal life together with the Japanese people, providing care to the patients. it was quite tough for me because my nihongo was not that good. I can say that my life here changed, because I started to read their books everyday. Most of my weekends I spent on reading the books. My hospital was supportive because they gave us 4 hours of work and 4 hours to study per day. When we went home we studied again. At irst I got tired with the routine because of culture diferences. In a year we were given a 3 sets of mock Japanese Nursing Board Exams from JiCwElS (Japan international Corporation of

support from the family. John: My mother was convincing me to come to Japan. My sister will become a nurse this year (graduation from the nursing school). She wants to join me but she is not sure yet if she wants to work as a nurse in Japan. My idea is to bring my family to Japan. excelsis: i didn’t have that support from my family before coming here. But now i have much more support from them.

15

Welfare Services) and thanks to that we were challenged to pass each exams. Every Saturday we had a class with a teacher provided by the hospital. our teacher patiently taught us both nihongo and Medical knowledge. Aside from that, our Nursing Assistant Director and one nurse polished our medical knowledge in nursing.

“I try to make an effort to study kanji, read Japanese books, and refer to a dictionary whenever I encounter an unfamiliar word, especially medical terminology.”



In addition, JICWELS is a “homebound studying” a useful tool to know the diferent scope of nursing in Japan. If you want to make your life easier, learn to make friends with the Japanese people so that you will be more used to communication in nihongo.

In addition, the Japanese Language Proiciency Test (JLPT) helped me to gain conidence in my Japanese.

did you keep in touch with the other Filipino health workers in japan? Since the JiCwElS gave us an opportunity to meet my fellow EPA candidates 5 times a year, we were able to communicate and help each other by sharing some good ideas on how to pass the exam and to manage the new life we had begun. hearing about and comforting each other over the struggles that we encountered during our work in the hospital scan lessened the anxieties. Some seniors or “batchmates” who passed the National Japanese nursing Exam were good enough to share their time and gave us some advices on what efective tool they used to become eicient student. we have only one goal to pass the Japanese nursing Board Exam and to have a stable long term job in Japan.

What kind of information did you share (encouraging or rather discouraging or living and working in japan)? For those who want to start building their future, I encourage you to work in Japan. But due to language barrier and culture diferences it was not easy to handle the struggles of this life. But with fervent prayers and support from your family, you will achieve your goal. When there are times that you feel down, just cry and ind a way to redirect yourself. After that you stick with your goal and never give up, instead bounce back higher than you expect. if you hear some advice from your Japanese boss or from your teachers, just grab, grasp and apply it, for it will become a big help to reach your goal.

16

When I came here, I was shocked because despite I am an assistant nurse, I need to clean the whole ward, wipe all the beds, tables and room of the patients. i sometimes mopped the loor, collected and threw out the garbage. These were the things that prompted me to decide to go home. But my workplace is good. My supervisors listen to our feedback. Fortunately, I “survived” 3 years in Japan thanks to my friend, Kristine! In preparation for the exam, know your priorities, set your goals, alleviate your worries and pray. The key to success is learning basic Nihongo. Afterwards, you will surely pass the nursing Exam because by heart and mind we are nurses. Always think positive, because Japanese people are also nice, they will help you to reach your goal if they see that you are worthy of their support. Everyday do something that will make you closer to a better tomorrow. god bless. Mariale I am Mariale Duque Ohya. I am a third generation FilipinoNikkei; my great-grandfather is a native of Wakayama Prefecture. I was born and raised in the Philippines, and came to Japan last August 2005. In 2009, I sought employment as a nursing assistant at Japan Agriculture Koseiren Rehabilitation Nakaizu Onsen Hospital, a public welfare hospital with spa facilities. Even now there are inadequacies in my Japanese language ability, but I try to make an efort to study kanji, read Japanese books, and refer to a dictionary whenever I encounter an unfamiliar word, especially medical terminology. I did a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology at the University of the Philippines, Cebu. Although my primary duties right now, as nurse assistant, involve mostly physical care and my psychology training is not as efective for helping patients cope with mental health and emotional issues. But i do rely on my training and to the best of my ability to help myself evaluate patients’ mental states and determine the most efective way to interact with them. i do believe that one day i will be able to use psychology not just as a secondary skill, and that I may be able to practice it and work with individuals and families in settings as diverse as hospitals, drug treatment facilities and home health agencies, creating and monitoring treatment plans, evaluating patient progress, providing counselling and crisis intervention, setting short-term goals and teaching long-term strategies for managing mental and emotional health issues.

eMbassy VieWpoint clifford a. paragua labOr attache OF the PhiliPPine eMbassY in tOkYO

1) could you elaborate on the potential of Filipino health care candidates in japan? (what kind of innovations can they bring to the japanese medical environment) Filipino nurses are employed in many parts of the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Libya, New Zealand and many more. They bring with them good educational preparation and actual experiences in the nursing profession in a hospital or institutional setting. with exposure to modern hospital and health care technology in Japan, our Filipino nurses, given their naturally caring manner, can very well perform nursing duties as good, if not better than their Japanese counterparts.

2) What in your opinion could attract the Filipino health care workers the most to japan? The proximity of Japan to the Philippines (about a four hour light) compared to other possible destinations is one factor that possibly attracts our nurses to Japan. Another would be the expectation of higher wage levels in an economy that continues to improve. Filipinos and the Japanese people have always had a close ainity, manifested in the growing number of Filipinos getting married to Japanese nationals. One of the perceived setbacks, as expected, would be the additional requirement for them not only to gain mastery of the Japanese language, but also to be able to hurdle the national licensure examination for nurses, a concern that may be efectively addressed if Japanese authorities will work together with their Filipino counterparts to draw up a working framework for mutual recognition of skills and qualiications.

“Filipinos and the Japanese people have always had a close afinity, manifested in the growing number of Filipinos getting married to Japanese nationals.”



3) Would you agree that there is a growing number of vacancies in a medical sector in japan due to shrinking and ageing population problems? it is quite evident that due to the fast ageing Japanese population, the number of job opportunities in the medical sector continues to grow in numbers. Such opportunities may be availed of by Filipino nurses (or even by caregivers and helper care workers) if visa restrictions are relaxed and mutual recognition is put in place.

4) What kind of support/ assistance does the embassy of Philippines in tokyo provide to the candidates? The Philippine Embassy, particularly the labor section, continuously monitors the employment conditions of Filipino nurses and caregivers in Japan. in coordination with various government oices and private organizations, the labor section provides assistance, both advisory and legal, to Filipino nurses and caregivers who meet problems with their employers. The labor sections works with a group of Japanese lawyers who provides guidance and legal assistance to Filipino nurses and caregivers.

5) What types of preparations are necessary to make before coming to japan? What is necessary to be aware of for a smooth transition to japan? Filipino nurses who want to venture into the Japan market will really have to acquire a high degree of proiciency in the Japanese language, not only to be able to pass the national licensure examination, but to be able to perform their nursing duties in the medical institutions where they will be assigned. Filipino nurses who intend to work in Japan will also have to familiarize themselves with the rudiments of Japanese culture and traditions.

17

the Japan-philippines economic partnership agreement how trained Filipino health care Professionals beneit japanese society

r

ATIFIED on September 9, 2006, and brought into efect on December 11, 2008, the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement marked the beginning of a fourth free trade agreement for Japan, and a irst for the Philippines. According to the Philippine’s Department of Trade and Industry, this agreement “aims to facilitate and promote the free trans-border low of goods, persons, services and capital between the Philippines and Japan and strengthen the existing economic relations between the two countries.” In 2006, Japan was the Philippine’s 2nd biggest trade partner behind the United States with 17 percent of the total exports. According to the Philippines Statistic Authority, a division of the government that compiles data on the Philippines’ foreign trade, this number rose in the irst semester of 2013, allowing Japan to become the Philippine’s premier trade partner, composing 14.1 percent of the total exports. While this agreement afects the trade and investment opportunities of various industries, it has signiicant implications for the development of professional Filipino health care workers through technology exchange and healthcare training programs in the Japanese market.

population is over 65, and by 2055, this rate is predicted to swell to 40%. In addition, the economy is expanding and many Japanese women are unable to enter the workforce due to a traditional compulsion to care for older family members, compounding the already huge lack in the number of Japanese nurses. This is made worse by the fact that high economic costs of having children have forced many couples to choose between footing enormous bills (roughly 2.5 times higher than in the United States) or not having children at all. The result is an average 1.39 kids per family in 2012, and with no expected sharp increase in this trend, it leaves a large disparity between those in need of care and those available to care for those in need. This strong contrast has put a huge burden on the Japanese government, resulting in high pension and medical costs. As a result, many families are looking for alternatives to hospitalized medical care. This provides a great opportunity for skilled Filipino health care workers to take advantage of advanced technological and skills training programs in Japan.

“Like many other developed nations...Japan is struggling to ind ways to handle its enormous senior citizen population.”



The increasingly pressing demands of an aging society and a shrinking population, Japan is in need of health care workers to assist the elderly. At the same time, increases in medicine and technology allow people to live longer lives. Like many other developed nations, such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, Japan is struggling to ind ways to handle its enormous senior citizen population. An estimated 25% of Japan’s

18

The chart on the opposite page details the exact requirements necessary for candidates applying for health care positions in Japan. The categories are separated into Filipino nurses and care givers or that which afects both respective parties. Care givers are deined by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) as “A person who provides, without supervision, in a private household in which the person resides, child care, senior home support care or care of the disabled.”

additional information: The Japanese Nursing Association oicially sponsors the Japanese national licensure Exam. if after multiple failed

attempts to pass the Japanese national licensure exam, the candidate must return to the Philippines to apply once more for the process until they receive their qualiication as a licensed worker within Japan. The wages paid during the 3-4 years spent training and studying are as follows: nurses will receive between 130,000-220,000 yen (P66,000 – P113,000), and caregivers will earn 125,000-185,000 yen (P64,000- P95,000). After passing the Japanese licensure exam, Filipinos are allowed to remain in Japan indeinitely. Language training involves 6 months pre-departure (to Japan) and 6 months post-departure. The health care workers’ hospital is responsible for paying in total each health care worker’s cost of shelter and Japanese language training. Since 2010, Employment Security Bureau of the Economic Partnership Agreement Oice has been the agency regulating the national licensure exam. The test is currently 7 hours long and has 240 questions. In order to overcome the diiculty of learning numerous, complicated Chinese characters, the Director of the Employment Security Bureau, Nobuyuki Yumi, announced a reformulation of the exam to include hiragana characters to be written above the Chinese characters (kanji) to ease the burden of the language requirements.

the oicial resource for information on the test format, requirements and upcoming test dates is the japanese Ministry of health, labor and Welfare website. • For basic contact information, please visit: www.mhlw.go.jp/kouseiroudoushou/shikaku_shiken/

• For speciic testing information for nurses, please visit: www.mhlw.go.jp/kouseiroudoushou/shikaku_shiken/kangoshi/ (nurse testing information)

• For speciic testing information for caregivers, please visit: www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/houdou/2r98520000035z19.html

the following is provided as a guideline. For specific inquiries or concerns, it is recommended that you contact your government. article 2.4 2.5, 2.7

Passage

afected Party

Allows Filipino professionals to practice their profession in Japan

Both

requirements for employment in Japan: • Pass the Philippine Licensure exam • Have three years work experience • Take 6 months of skills and language training in Japan • There are 3 attempts to pass the Japanese Nursing Examination (written in Japanese) • 2 years to comply with requirements

nurses

2.6, 2.7

• Finish 4 year college course • Already a certiied caregiver in Philippines • 6 months language and skills in Japan • Pass Japanese national exam for caregivers (in Japanese) • 3 years to comply with requirements

Caregivers

3.12 3.14 3.15

Japan invests in education and skills enhancement through training centres and facilities

Both

Provision of movement => Boost remittance of Filipino overseas contract workers (OCWs)

Both

This includes technology transfer and cooperation => improvements in competitiveness of Filipino workers

Both

Source: The Philippines Senate Economic Planning Oice Policy Brief, September 2007

Jenna Hilleren is a political scientist and educator specializing in legislation and foreign policy in East Asia. She is currently ailiated with the media communications and publishing company, Inter Media Japan, where she serves as a journalist and embassy liaison for the 160 oicial diplomatic missions represented in Japan

19

Produced by:

inter Media japan k.k. Minami Aoyama, 3-14-12 Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 107-0062 email: [email protected] tel/Fax: 03-6432-9119 • Mob: 080-3127-2121 www.bilateralinsight.com