The Japan International Corp. of Welfare Services (JICWELS) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) have opened the recruitment for candidate nurses and certified care workers under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement.

In a news release on Tuesday, the Japanese Embassy in Manila said the JICWELS and the DMW are accepting applications for 50 nurse (Kangoshi) positions and 300 care worker (Kaigofukushishi) positions.

Accepted candidates will undergo Japanese language training for six months in the Philippines and six months in Japan.

The training, which is free of charge, must be completed before their three to four years of work term at Japanese hospitals and caregiving facilities.

Candidates will be provided with a daily living allowance for the duration of the language training.

They are encouraged to obtain the Japanese license for Kangoshi and Kaigofukushishi to get an opportunity for a longer employment term in Japan.

In December 2024, local media reported that Tokyo’s Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will actively promote the recruitment of nurses and care workers from Southeast Asia starting in 2025, as more elderly people are expected to need care amid Japan’s increasingly aging society.

About one in every five Japanese will be 75 years old and above in 2025.

In 2024, about 2.15 million nursing care workers were in Japan but there will be an estimated shortage of about 250,000 workers in 2026 and about 570,000 in 2040.

Interested applicants may submit their applications online on or before April 4.

They may refer to the announcements of the DMW on its website (https://dmw.gov.ph/resources/dsms/DMW/Externals/2025/RSF-250003-2025.pdf) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/12EHudLEK6s/). (PNA)