Home Migrant News OFW desk put up in Tokyo, Osaka for easier deployment

OFW desk put up in Tokyo, Osaka for easier deployment

Osaka japan

Manila, Philippines – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has established a Japan Employment Facilitation Desk known as Japan Desk in Tokyo and Osaka.

This is to better facilitate the deployment of overseas Filipino workers in the said country.

“We are committed to working with our Japanese counterparts to ensure that Filipino workers have access to safe, stable, and gainful employment opportunities in Japan,” DMW Officer-in-charge Hans Cacdac said in a press statement.

The Japan desk, which will be headed by DMW Usec for Policy and International Cooperation Patricia Yvonne Caunan, is a specialized unit that will be responsible for monitoring the deployment and return of OFWs in Japan as well as enforcing and facilitating compliance with prescribed timeframes for actions on Japanese documents, processes, and concerns,” Cacdac said.

It will also serve as the focal unit for Japanese concerns and will be recommending rewards and incentives for Japanese principals and employers, Japan-registered vessels, licensed Philippine recruitment agencies (PRAs) and manning agencies.

Caunan highlighted that the establishment of the Japan Desk marks a significant milestone in the history of Philippine overseas employment.

“It is the first of its kind as it focuses on the processes and services of just one OFW host country. Its creation fulfills a commitment made by the late Secretary Susan ‘Toots’ Ople in February 2023 on the sidelines of the visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government welcomes the launch of the Japan Desk, together with its concerned government agencies, business organizations, and the Filipino community leaders and workers in Japan, who pledged their cooperation and support for the initiative.

Japan’s Ministry of Justice said that as of July 2023, there are 61,766 registered Filipino workers in Japan, mostly working in the construction and manufacturing sector under the Technical Internship Training Program (TITP), and in the care workers and professionals categories.

Caunan furthered that the establishment of the Japan Desk is also one of the legacies of the late DMW Secretary Ople who always committed to the welfare of Filipino workers. (Marlon Luistro)