Japan opens new jobs for OFW housekeepers, new guidelines for jobseekers released

  MANILA – Japan and the Philippines have signed a deal opening doors to Filipinos who want to work in Japan as housekeepers, according to a report on Thursday (June 9). Japan will also open jobs for nurses and nursing assistants, news channel Bandila of Philippine TV network ABS-CBN reported. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has reportedly released a guideline on employment for housekeepers in anticipation of the flow of jobseekers. A POEA official said that the agreement between Japan and the Philippines benefits everyone. “They need people to look after their children. They need people to take care of their houses also. the reason why these opportunities are open for us Filipinos… Alam din naman nila ang kaledad at galing natin sa pagtatrabaho (They also know the quality our of work),” Amy Reyes, Department Administrator of POEA, told Bandila. The first batch of successful applicants will work in Japan's Kaganawa Prefecture. They will need to put in eight hours of work per day, with overtime pay. The expected monthly salary is 136,203 yen or 56,333 pesos (Dh4,500). However, they will need to pay for housing, utilities, food, transportation, tax and insurance, which the POEA estimates will cost about half of their earnings. How to qualify To qualify for a job as a housekeeper in Japan, the POEA requires that applicants must be at least 23 years old, with a national certificate for household workers (HWS NC II) from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda). Those who will be caring for children must have Tesda’s National Certificate IV, according to Bandila channel. The POEA, however, clarified that it is still in the process of giving accreditation to employers in Japan and urged jobseekers to wait for the authority's official announcement in the coming months to start applying for househelp jobs in Japan. The POEA also said that applicants will not pay job processing fees. DAJ/Expat Media   Also read: Thousands of new jobs expected in Philippine job fairs POEA warns Filipinos against fake job offers How to spot bogus job offers to UK