On June 5, Minister for Economic Affairs Yokota Naobumi, attended the send-off ceremony hosted by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for the 18th batch of Filipino candidates for nurse and certified careworker under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Japan and the Philippines.

In his remarks, Yokota noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of friendship between Japan and the Philippines and highlighted how the two countries have continued to deepen their partnership in various fields.

He also emphasized that the EPA is a landmark initiative in the area of economic cooperation, and that the program for nurse and certified careworker candidates, now in its 18th year, has significantly contributed to strengthening bilateral relations, which will be further enriched by this new batch of candidates.

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac expressed his well wishes for the candidates through an inspiring video message. Also present at the ceremony were officials from the DMW, led by Undersecretary Felicitas Bay, and the Japan Foundation, Manila, led by Director Suzuki Ben, who delivered messages of encouragement to the candidates.

All candidates were hired through a government-to-government arrangement facilitated by the DMW and the Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services (JICWELS).

This initiative is part of the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement, which was signed in 2006. Since the deployment of the first batch in 2009, over 4,000 Filipino candidates for Nurse and Certified Careworker have participated in the program.

The 18th batch, which is scheduled to leave for Japan this month, consists of 211 candidates (17 nurses and 194 careworkers).

The candidates recently completed six months of preparatory Japanese Language Training in the Philippines and will undergo six months of Post-Arrival Japanese Language Training in Japan prior to their assignments in Japanese hospitals and caregiving facilities.

These language trainings are provided free of charge and include daily living allowances throughout the training period. The candidates are deployed to facilities that provides training geared toward obtaining Japanese national licenses in their respective fields.

For more updates and information on future application opportunities, interested applicants may visit the Pre-Employment and Government Placement Bureau (PEGPB) webpage of the Department of Migrant Workers for future announcements. Japan Information and Culture Center