More Jobs Still Available – DOLE and POEA

Despite news on retrenchment and layoffs, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) announced that there are several job vacancies here and abroad.

In an interview with DOLE Secretary Marianito Roque by Philstar.com, the Bureau of Local Employment Statistics has recorded around 50,000 local and overseas job vacancies. Some of the jobs scouted by the department through the official government site for Philippine jobs, www.phil-job.net are: domestic helper, customer service agent, call center agent, nurse, delivery driver, medical representative, store supervisor, cashier, optometrist and safety engineer.

Meanwhile, the POEA stated that there are still 400,000 jobs available for Filipinos abroad. POEA Administrator Jennifer Manalili said that the number of jobs is based on reports from Philippine labor offices abroad, embassies, and related agencies.

Administrator Manalili adds that although there are sectors and countries affected by the global economic crisis, there are still other sectors that have opened its doors to Filipino migrant workers and the Middle East, in particular, remains open to hiring Filipino workers.

For the retrenched overseas Filipino workers (OFW), DOLE Deputy Administrator Teresita R. Manzala, head of National Reintegration Center for Overseas Filipino Workers (NRCO), advised displaced OFWs to avail of the free services and pertinent programs of the center in partnership with other agencies geared towards assisting retrenched OFWs.

Trabaho.com. thanks its following sources:

DOLE News. Gov't urges workers displaced by global economic crisis to register in Phil-Jobnet system (Posted January 31, 2009) Retrieved February 6, 2009
http://www.dole.gov.ph/news/details.asp?id=N000002284

Jaymalin, Mayen and Paolo Romero, Philstar.com 50,000 jobs await displaced workers – DOLE (Posted February 2, 2009) Retrieved February 6, 2009
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=436706&publicationSubCategoryId=63

Tan, Kimberly Jane T., GMANews.TV 400,000 jobs still available for Filipinos abroad – POEA (Posted February 3, 2009) Retrieved February 6, 2009
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/147095/400000-jobs-still-available-for-Filipinos-abroad--POEA

Madagascar Opens Doors to OFWs

Mr. Emmanuel Geslani, recruitment consultant of several Manila-based agencies, shared in his interview with GMA News and Inquirer.net that Republic of Madagascar has opened its doors in recruiting OFW to work as electrical and instrumentation foremen, database administrators, control room specialists, lead hands, maintenance engineers, metallurgical supervisors, and ore preparation foremen and operators.

Mr. Geslani adds that the job offers from Madagascar were due to the marketing missions of several overseas recruitment agencies. One of the local recruitment agencies, Jerphi Overseas Placement and Trading Corporation, managed to meet with international mining companies and successfully convinced these companies to hire Filipino workers.

According to Mr. Geslani, compensation for the above-mentioned positions will be competitive and those with experience and complete documents can be assured of deployment within six weeks. The contract duration may last up to three years. Free food and accommodation, plus medical benefits, will be included in the compensation package.

Trabaho.com. thanks its following sources:
Tan, Kimberly Jane T., GMANews.TV. New markets open up for OFWs in Madagascar - consultant. Retrieved January 22, 2009 from
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/143172/New-markets-open-up-for-OFWs-in-Madagascar---consultant

Uy, Veronica, INQUIRER.net. Madagascar needs OFWs—recruiters. Retrieved January 22, 2009 from
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090108-182181/Madagascar-needs-OFWs--recruiters

Japan Hospitals, Health Institutions In Need of Pinoy Nurses and Caregivers

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Marianito Roque said beginning this year, Japan will hire Filipino nurses and caregivers to train and work in their country. This was announced during the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services (JICWELS). The MOU was signed by Ms. Jennifer Jardin-Manalili, POEA Administrator and Takashi Tsunoda, managing director of JICWELS last January 12, 2009 at the Blas F. Ople Development Center in Intramuros, Manila.

The MOU is a product of the Japan - Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) under the Framework for the Movement of Natural Persons ratified by the Philippine government last December 11, 2008.

According to the MOU, the POEA shall endorse an initial batch of 200 nurses and 300 caregivers who will undergo a six-month language and culture training to prepare them for the Japanese licensure exam. Nurses as candidate (kangoshi) and caregivers as candidate (kaigofukushishi) shall receive an allowance of not less than ¥40,000.00 or more than PhP. 21, 000.00 per month.

JICWELS, on the other hand, would match the nurses and caregivers to hospitals and institutions in Japan that the Welfare Services had pre-qualified to employ the Filipino candidates.

During the candidates’ stay in Japan, they will work under the supervision of a Japanese nurse (kangoshi) to fully familiarize them with the Japanese system. Then, the Filipino nurses and caregivers will have to take the Japanese licensure exam, scheduled every February. “The examinations can be taken not more than three chances within three years in the case of candidate-nurses, and once on the fourth year of stay in the case of candidate-caregivers," Manalili said in a press statement.

Once the candidates have passed the exam, the fully qualified nurse and certified caregiver shall have the option to stay for an unlimited period in Japan to practice their profession with a new and upgraded employment contract with their employer. The contract will include higher salary and added benefits.

To qualify to apply for training and employment in Japan, registered nurses should have at least three years experience. Candidate caregivers, on the other hand, should be a nursing graduate or a graduate of a four-year course and should be certified by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

According to DOLE, applicants will 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 (PhP.1, 500.00 basic) and visa fee (PhP.1, 150.00). Airfare and onsite training costs are shouldered by the employers or the Government of Japan.

Qualified applicants can click here to register online.

Trabaho.com. thanks its following sources:

Information and Publication Service, DOLE website. Japan to recruit Pinoy nurses, caregivers starting this year (Posted January 12, 2009) Retrieved January 13, 2009 from
http://www.dole.gov.ph/news/details.asp?id=N000002274

GMA News.tv. DOLE: Japan to recruit 200 pinoy nurses, 300 caregivers in '09 (Posted January 12, 2009) Retrieved January 13, 2009 from http://www.gmanews.tv/story/143823/DOLE-Japan-to-recruit-200-pinoy-nurses-300-caregivers-in-09

Uy, Veronica, Inquirer.net. RP nurses can now apply for Japan jobs (Posted January 12, 2009) Retrieved January 13, 2009 from http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090112-182910/RP-nurses-can-now-apply-for-Japan-jobs

Jaymalin, Mayen, The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Japan to hire 1,000 nurses, caregivers in the next 2 years (Posted January 13, 2009) Retrieved January 13, 2009 from
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=431345&publicationSubCategoryId=202

Guillermo, Jemin B., Philippine Information Agency. Filipino nurses, caregivers up for Japan employment (Posted January 13, 2009) Retrieved January 13, 2009 from
http://www.pia.gov.ph/default.asp?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p090113.htm&no=22

Philippine Information Agency. Filipino nurses, caregivers may train, work in Japan starting this year, DOLE says Posted January 13, 2009) Retrieved January 13, 2009 from
http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p090113.htm&no=15
Re-posted at Gov.ph at http://www.gov.ph/news/?i=23276