Labor Secretary Patricia A. Sto. Tomas warned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) planning to enter Japan illegally. 

The "Land of the Rising Sun", where thousands of Filipinos depend on, would be strictly imposing fines.

Japan would, also, deport and ban reentry for up to 10 years, to these hard-headed Filipinos.

To create awareness among Filipinos in Japan, the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices in Japan already conducted information campaigns in Filipino communities regarding new Japanese immigration rules. However, Sto. Tomas said this does not affect legally documented OFWs in Japan. Act 73, passed by the Japanese Parliament in June, only pertains to illegal immigrants.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) records show that Japan hired some 38,430 documented land-based OFWs from January to July in 2004. Japan is ranked fourth top land-based OFW destination in the world after Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates. Aside from the usual Filipino entertainers, Japan also employs some 20,000 documented Filipino maritime officers and seafarers.