Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz warned Filipino workers desiring to work as caregivers in Japan that the caregiver sector in said country is still closed to foreign workers.

Citing a report from the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Administrator Baldoz said that unlike the nursing profession that employs a national examination (licensing) system, there are only training courses and local government examinations for caregivers.

“Filipinos are strongly warned against unscrupulous illegal recruiters recruiting caregivers for Japan. It would take sometime for Japan to open up its health services to foreign labor. Jobseekers are urged to seek information and guidance from POEA or from other concerned government authorities to prevent them from being victimized by illegal recruiters. Illegal recruitment activities may be reported to POEA’s 24-hour hotline numbers 722-1144 and 722-1155,” Administrator Baldoz said.