PHILIPPINES: Japan Treaty Means Opportunities in Seniors Care

. MANILA, Philippines / The Philippine Star / September 4, 2007 The Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement will bring tremendous benefits, comments Ray Butch Gamboa in the BUSINESS & LEISURE feature today. For Filipino professionals wanting to go to Japan, for example, JPEPA seeks to open doors in various fields. This is not immediate, however, because they (Japan) have raised the bar for those wanting to work in their shores. Japan is basically a one-language nation and will now require all professionals seeking to work there not only to have a working knowledge of Nippongo but to understand and learn the Japanese culture as well. So, even the basic caregiver will need to study the Japanese culture and language. However, if we consider that the aging Japanese populace is a reality they will have to prepare for in the very near future, this is worth considering for those seeking employment with the barest of professional training. Their senior citizens (65 years and above) account for 20 percent of their population, and in less than five years, it is estimated that Japan will need about 7.5 million health professionals. It is not too soon for the Japanese government to provide for this need, as the statistics can only go higher in the next few years. For the first time ever, Japan is opening its doors for caregivers, specifically to take care of their elderly. This goes for our nurses as well, by the way. As an offshoot of these services, we may just be able to cash in on the emerging market for retirement villages as well as health and wellness facilities. There are already existing ones in Cavite and other places, but we could definitely use additional investments for such and possibly create a niche for the Philippines as the new retirement haven in Southeast Asia. Why not? The other neighboring countries have not firmly established their claims to this distinction, so let’s jump the gun on everybody else. For the much-touted medical tourism prospects we are now starting to enjoy, the agreement will allow us to penetrate the Japanese market. In this field, India and Thailand have a bigger share of the market. With JPEPA, we hope to even the playing field by capturing the Japanese market. We have world-class medical proficiency, facilities and infrastructure support needed. We can start with Japan, and firmly entrench ourselves here before looking to conquer other shores. {Abridged version of feature} The Philippine Star