President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (PGMA) signed an agreement with former Japan Prime Minister Koizumi called the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). The approval became controversial as the Senate and other sectors points out the pros and cons of the implementation of the provisions included in the contract.

One advantage is that the agreement will open more job prospects for Filipinos in Japan, either by outsourcing of Filipino workers for Japanese companies in the Philippines or by direct recruitment of workers to Japan.

A report from Manila Standard cites various career opportunities that JPEPA will bring. Professions that will continue to be in demand are engineers, IT specialists and healthcare workers.

The fact that a large part of Japan’s population is aging makes the services of health workers, particularly nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and institutional and home-based caregivers in-demand. According to the Japanese Department of Labor, about 7.5 million health professionals will be deployed after three years. Japan’s elderly population now account for 20 percent of its total population.

In tourism industry, job prospects will be available for hotel and restaurant workers. Expertise on the following fields will also be required; air transport services, computer reservation systems including call centers and the repair, maintenance, and servicing of airplanes.

Outsourced jobs and contracts for Filipino technicians and professionals in the field of engineering design, interior design, architectural services, motion picture production, particularly animation will also be available.

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