This year 2009. My younger sister would graduate from nursing school. Being the eldest in the family, I’m a bit worried as to what my sister’s future would be. We all know that the Philippines is struggling to provide jobs. Unemployment rate is at 7.4%. She is not that internet savvy to know where to look for job opportunities on the internet. That is why I did some research and thought that I might be able to help her find a job once she graduates.

I never really thought that the Philippines was lacking of jobs. I have been in the labor force since college and each and every company I work with always have a slot for more people. They always hire. Even the smallest of all companies will continue to look for more people. This is a realization. There are a lot of jobs in the Philippines. All you have to do is search for it. If you are NOT fit into the job, based on the company’s requirements, please do not blame the Philippines, there are a lot of opportunities for all of those who are prepared for it. Prepared, which means, those who studied their lessons, went to school and prove that they deserve to work. Everything is just a result of the decisions you made earlier in your life. Opportunities are already there and there will never be a lack of opportunities.

Anyway, emotional paragraph aside. I was looking at the dole website and I have seen that there are a lot of jobs listed there. Fresh new jobs popping out everyday. More job websites sprouting on the internet posting more jobs. I said to myself. The Philippines, never really ran out of jobs… Just a matter of searching for it. So I decided to make this post and tell to you guys that, there are lots of jobs for all of us. And if you are a nurse like my sister, you may find that I made a post about nursing jobs in Japan and you can find out the good news and links as to where to apply online.

The year 2009 has been greatful to Filipinos. Job openings for nurses and caregivers are now open for Filipinos.

Starting this year, Japan would recruit Filipino nurses and caregivers for training and employment in that country under the Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and the Philippines (JPEPA), Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque announced Monday.

Roque said the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services (JICWELS) entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) providing for the recruitment of Filipino nurses as candidate-kangoshi and caregivers as candidate-kaigofukushishi to Japan under the Framework for the Movement of Natural Persons of JPEPA, which came into force on Dec. 11, 2008.

POEA Administrator Jennifer Jardin-Manalili and signed for the Philippine side, while Japan was represented by Takashi Tsunoda, managing director of JICWELS. The signing of the MOU at the Blas F. Ople Development Center in Intramuros, Manila and witnessed by Secretary Roque.

Roque said the MOU provides for the roles and responsibilities of the two parties and the working conditions for the Filipino nurses and caregivers, that would ensure their welfare and protection while training and working in Japan.

He said the hiring program shall commence with the initial recruitment of 200 Filipino nurses and 300 caregivers whom the POEA would endorse to JICWELS. The latter, for its part, would match the nurses and caregivers to hospitals and institutions in Japan that it had pre-qualified to receive the Filipino candidates.

He said the Filipino nurses and caregivers shall be covered by a fully transparent employment contract adding the Filipinos shall receive the same salaries equivalent to what Japanese nurses and caregivers receive, based on similar tasks and qualifications.

For her part, Administrator Manilili said that prior to their actual work with their respective employers in Japan, the selected candidates shall nonetheless undergo a six-month language and culture training. During the training, the candidates shall receive allowance of not less than 40,000 yen or more than P21,000 per month.

“The language training shall help them prepare to eventually take the Japanese licensure examination. The examinations can be taken not more than three chances within three years in the case of candidate-nurses, and once on the 4th year of stay in the case of candidate-caregivers,” Manalili said.

She added that before obtaining their qualification as full-fledged nurse in Japan, candidate-nurses shall work under the supervision of a Japanese Kangoshi to fully familiarize them with the Japanese system. After passing the licensure or certification examinations, the fully qualified nurse and certified caregiver shall have the option to stay for an unlimited period in Japan to practice their profession based on new and upgraded employment contract with their employer.

Registered nurses with at least three years experience are qualified to apply for training and employment in Japan. Candidate caregivers, on the other hand, should be a graduate of a four-year course and should be certified by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Graduates of a nursing course may also apply as caregiver.

Applicants shall be required to undergo an aptitude test and interview by JICWELS to facilitate their matching with employers,. After selection, they must pass the required medical examination to conclude the employment contract and to successfully qualify to enter Japan. Nominal expenses of application shall be borne by applicants for document submission/authentication, medical examination (P1,500 basic) and visa fee (P1,150).

Airfare and onsite training costs are shouldered by the employers or the Government of Japan.

Qualified nurses and candidates are invited to apply with the POEA and to register online at www.eregister.poea.gov.ph.

It’s going to be a very merry christmas for jobless pinoys. As the president met with top CEO’s from Qatar to talk about future employment exclusively for Filipinos. This job openings will be open EXCLUSIVELY for Filipinos.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque revealed Saturday that the state of Qatar has reserved hundreds of thousands of working visas for Filipino workers for next year.

“Our counterpart, the labor minister of Qatar said he had reserved, approved [work] visas for Filipinos. A total of 121,924 new visas exclusively for Filipinos,” Roque told radio dzMM.

Roque said the Qatar labor minister showed him the reserved visas during President Arroyo’s visit last December 14.

Quoting the foreign labor minister, Roque said Qatar wants to double the number of Filipino visitor workers by 2009. There are at least 149,000 Filipinos currently working in Qatar, the labor secretary said.

“The labor minister of Qatar told me that he wants Filipino workers to be the second biggest population of guest workers in Qatar next year,” he said.

The labor secretary said among the companies that are planning to have an all-Filipino crew are Lulu Supermarket and a big bus company.

He said Bektel, one of the biggest companies in Qatar, is also planning to open jobs for Filipinos in 2009.

Roque said hundreds of other jobs may also open in Qatar, which is being developed as the “education center” of Middle East, which translates to thousands of construction job openings for Filipinos.

He said the Qatar government prefers Filipinos than other nationalities because they are hard-working and hygienic.

He added that Qatar employers mentioned to Mrs. Arroyo during her visit that Filipinos’ work are spotless and they are more peace-loving than other nationalities.

Meanwhile, Roque said his department has already started working with the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for the job placements and skills training qualifications for Filipinos who would want to work in Qatar.

Compiled by Trabaho Philippines

Souce: abs-cbn