DOLE expects to start sending Filipino workers to Japan

August 8, 2019

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) expects to start sending  overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) under the special skilled workers (SSW) category to Japan.

In an interview Wednesday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said: ''Everything is in process already... I was told we can start deploying in four months." 

Bello said this was made possible by Department Order No. 201-A-19 or the "Verification Guidelines on the Deployment of Workers to Japan Under the Residence Status Specified Skilled Worker" issued August 5. 

He said that deployment cannot be immediate since guidelines provide stringent measures.

"The recruitment agencies can start recruiting, training because this has a language proficiency test, which is a bit difficult. Also, you need to undergo two skills tests," said Bello.

Last March, the Philippines and Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC), which seeks better protection on recruitment and deployment of Filipino workers to be hired under a new specified skills residency.

A total of 350,000 available jobs in Japan, especially health care, building maintenance, food services, industrial machinery, electronics, food manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality, construction, shipbuilding, fisheries and aquaculture, parts and tooling, and aviation, were to be opened to foreign workers starting last April 11.

The Philippines, said DOLE, is estimated to corner at least 30 percent of these jobs.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said they will still need four months to complete language and skills training for the workers.

POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said the training has a combined 320 hours per applicant.

"They would have to take both tests and, after passing both successfully, that is the time they will be deployed," explained Olalia.

Olalia reminded workers to make sure they will be dealing with legitimate recruitment agencies

"We have to remind our OFWs, who are interested, to apply only to agencies with approved job orders. They can verify this with the official POEA website," said Olalia. DMS