The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) announced today the start of interview sessions for nurses and caregivers for Japan at the POEA Head Office at Ortigas corner EDSA, Mandaluyong City. The interviews will run from February 1 to February 6.

The Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services (JICWELS), the counterpart agency of the Philippines in the recruitment of nurses and caregivers under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), will fill in 77 nurse positions and 101 caregivers for deployment to 82 Japanese health and caregiving institutions.

The applicants who have been drawn from the online manpower registry system of the POEA were made to undergo Pre-Employment Orientations Seminars conducted at the POEA last week to ensure their job preparedness for their new life overseas, particularly in letting them realize the nuances of the Japan market, especially in the required language training.

Qualified candidate nurses and caregivers need to complete a six-month Japanese language training in Japan and undertake on-the-job training at their respective hospitals. Nurses should be able to pass the licensure examination in Japan before they can work as registered nurses and are given three chances to take the licensure examination. Caregivers, on the other hand, are required to complete at least three years on-the-job training before they can take the national examination for caregivers and work in Japan for an indefinite period after passing the examination.

POEA Administrator Jennifer Jardin-Manalili, during the courtesy call of the JICWELS officials, urged the Japan officials to look at the possibility of holding part of the language training in the Philippines, instead of only in Japan. “The move is expected to benefit our nurses and caregivers as it will give them more time to be with their families as they learn the Japanese language at the same time.” The actual job immersion will have to be done in Japan though, Manalili explained.

The POEA Chief is set to go to Japan by the end of the month to visit the various health care institutions where Filipino nurses and caregivers conduct their trainings. Manalili hopes to meet with her counterparts to discuss the arrangements for the entry of Filipinos in the health care sector as well as to negotiate for better terms and conditions for them.

The JICWELS delegation include Takashi Tsunoda, Managing Director; Tetsuji Nishiyama, Secretary General; Tetsushi Takagi, Deputy Director; Hiroya Yaguchi, Program Coordinator; and Labor Attache Haruhiro Jono of the Embassy of Japan. Also in the group are Rie Negishi, Program Coordinator; Tamio Hayashi, Ryoko Maeda and Hiroaki Ishii. ###