A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for school courses under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) on the Movement of Natural Persons will be signed on June 5, 2009 at the HEDC Building in UP Diliman.

Mr. Takashi Tsunoda, Managing Director of the Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services (JICWELS), a public organization related to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Chairman Emmanuel Y. Angeles of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) are the signatories for the MOU. Ambassador Makoto Katsura of Japan will witness the signing ceremony.

The MOU clarifies the provisions and processes of deployment and acceptance of Filipino candidates for Nurses and Caregivers. The main processes include the following: publicity and the recruitment of Filipino candidates and institutions; matching of Filipino candidates with corresponding institutions; finalization of employment contracts; and the entry of Filipino candidates into Japan.

The MOU focuses on a two- to four-year school course for caregiver candidates. All candidates will enroll in a caregiver school in Japan and will be qualified as certified careworkers upon completion of the course.

After the signing, both the JICWELS and the CHED will start preparations for sending and receiving Filipino candidates. JPEPA itself has been effective since December 11, 2008.

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