The DMW Secretary Susan Ople stated that more than 80 Japanese employers expressed their intention to hire Filipinos. According to Ople, Filipinos are sought out due to their excellent work ethics, reliability and friendly nature.
A Philippian delegation held talks with the workers employed in Japan under the Technical Internship Training Program, which aims to accept workers from abroad to improve their skills, which might help them improve their lives when they return back home.
Ms. Ople met with Filipino workers in Japan during her visit and was assured that they are treated well and prefer to stay in Japan, if they are allowed to do so, by the Japanese government.
Due to the benefits of mutual cooperation, the DMW is ready to open a Desk in Japan at the Office of the Secretary to speed up the hiring of Filipino workers. Ms. Ople expressed her wish that the Philippines can be the most important source of skilled workers in Japan.
Filipinos working in Japan as trainees can earn about 130,000 yen (54 548 PHP), while highly skilled professionals up to 900 000 yen (377 640 PHP). One of the major challenges faced by the Filipino workers is the difficulty of passing the language proficiency test. In order to solve this issue, a Preparatory Japanese Language Training has been established under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership. It is a six-month intensive training program focusing on the basics of Japanese language.
After the training, the workers can apply to jobs under the Specified Skilled Worker program, where they must either pass the Japanese language exams and skills exams relevant for chosen profession, or have practical experience in the industry of at least three years.
The DMW is ready to deal with the current bottlenecks and obstacles in order to make it easier for Filipinos to work in Japan, which proved to be a reliable partner in ensuring well-paid jobs for overseas Filipino workers.