The government is studying the creation of a training system to accept Filipino nurses and other caregivers in Japan, officials said Monday.
The move follows three rounds of negotiations between Japan and the Philippines to conclude a bilateral free-trade agreement that Manila hopes will make it easier for Filipino caregivers to work here.
The government is considering a system in which qualified Filipino nurses capable of speaking some Japanese would receive training at hospitals and other medical facilities here before taking qualification examinations.
The system might involve the establishment of facilities to teach Japanese in the Philippines.
Foreign nurses are currently permitted to work in Japan after graduating from nursing schools in Japan and obtaining qualifications from the government.
To accept caregivers other than nurses, the government is considering creating a training program based on the existing system, requiring foreign caregivers to work at related facilities such as nursing homes for the elderly for three years before taking qualification exams.
Even if a bilateral FTA is signed that includes Japan's acceptance of nurses and other caregivers, the government plans to set a limit on the number it will accept.