Tokyo—Officials of the Philippine and Japanese governments have signed a landmark memorandum of cooperation laying the groundwork for a more secure recruitment and employment of skilled workers between the two countries.
The MOC was signed by representatives of Japan’s Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and the National Police Agency of Japan, and the Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines.
Japanese Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita and Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III signed the documents in a ceremony which was also attended by Philippine and Japanese officials led by Philippine Ambassador to Japan Jose C. Laurel V.
The memorandum seeks to create a basic partnership framework for the “proper operation of the system pertaining to foreign human resources” with the status of residence of “Specified Skilled Worker.”
The memorandum, among other things, seeks to promote the mutual protection of the specified skilled workers including the elimination of malicious intermediary organizations, commonly known as illegal recruiters.
“I think that the Philippines will be the leading country in sending specified skilled workers to Japan, and as such, I expect that more and more great Filipino people will bring their contributions to Japan,” Yamashita said in his speech.
Likewise in attendance during the signing were Philippine Overseas Employment Administrator Bernard P. Olalia and Labor Attache Maria Rose C. Escalada, Japan Immigration Bureau Director General Shoko Sasaki and Directors Nobuzaku Matsuri and Makoto Katayama.