FILIPINO nurses and caregivers are to be enticed to work in Japan under an economic agreement with the east Asian country.
The Philipinnes’ Labour and Employment Secretary Mari-anito D Roque said that both countries have signed an agreement providing for the recruitment of Filipino nurses for work and further training opportunities.
The memorandum of agreement provides for the working conditions of the Filipino nurses and caregivers, to “ensure their welfare and protection while training and working in Japan”, according to a Philipinnes government press statement.
Secretary Roque said the hiring programme will commence with the recruitment of 200 Filipino nurses and 300 caregivers. The Japanese authorities pledge to match the nurses and caregivers to hospitals and institutions in Japan that it has pre-qualified to receive the Filipino candidates.
Roque said the Filipino nurses and caregivers “shall be covered by a fully transparent employment contract” and that they will receive the same salaries to that of their Japanese peers.
They will also be required to undergo a six-month language and culture training programme, which will be part of preparation for the Japanese license examination, after which the fully qualified nurses and caregives will have the option to stay for an unlimited period in Japan to practice their profession.
Registered nurses with at least three years’ experience are qualified to apply for training and employment in Japan. Candidate caregivers, on the other hand, should be a graduate of a four-year course and should be certified by the Philipinnes’ Technical Edu-cation and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Grad-uates of a nursing course may also apply as caregivers.
Applicants will be required to undergo an aptitude test and interview by the Japanese authorities, while airfare and onsite training costs are shouldered by the employers or the government of Japan.
Qualified nurses and candidates are invited to apply and can register online at www.eregister.poea.gov.ph.
