Issues delay sending of skilled OFWs to Japan: Bello

June 18, 2019

The Philippines has not begun sending overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Japan under its new skills residency system.

In an interview, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said: "Probably (deployment can begin) within the next two months." 

"It must be ASAP (as soon as possible) as people there are already getting old," he added.

Bello said the delay is due to some pending issues.

He cited the specific requirements for foreign workers.

"Generally, it stated that applicants need to have language proficiency and skills upgrading. So we need to know what they really need, and up to which extent," said Bello.

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

A total of 350,000 available jobs in Japan, specifically in 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, according to the labor department, is estimated to get at least 30 percent of the 350,000 jobs. DMS