The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) targets to start the deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)to Japan by July.
Labor secretary Silvestre Bello III said the delay in the deployment of Filipino workers to Japan is due to some issues that still needed to be settled, such as the specific qualifications of the workers.
Among the qualifications needed for workers to be accepted there include studying Nihongo, Japan’s language.
In March this year, both countries signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) which provides better protection for OFWs to be hired under a new specified skills residency in Japan.
The pact was signed by Bello and Japanese Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita.
Under this new pact, among the specified skills include those in health care, building maintenance, food services, industrial machinery, electronics, food manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality, construction, shipbuilding, fisheries and aquaculture, parts and tooling, and aviation.
It is expected that about 100,000 jobs are open for foreign workers.
The labor cooperation pact, signed in Tokyo by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Japanese Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita, also aims to eliminate illegal recruiters for the smooth facilitation of sending and accepting workers from Philippines.
In line with this, Bello also released Department Order No. 201 Series of 2019 last March which outlines the guidelines for the qualifications of the workers.
The qualifications for Specified Skilled Worker who is allowed to work in Japan for a maximum of five years are as follows:
1) The applicant must be at least 18 years old;
2) It must be proven through an examination or other evaluation method that the applicant possesses skills requiring considerable knowledge or experience necessary for the work which the applicant intends to engage in;
3) It must be proven through an examination or other evaluation method that the applicant possesses the Japanese language proficiency necessary for living in Japan as well as the language proficiency necessary for the work which the applicants intends to engage in;
4) The applicant must possess a passport valid for at least six months prior to the intended date of departure.
