Honorable MILAGROS DAWA HERNANDEZ
Deputy Director General, TESDA
Ambassador BENJAMIN F. SANVICTORES
Chairman and President, Nihongo Center Foundation, Inc
Mr. SHUJI TAKATORI
Director, Japan Foundation, Manila
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and gentlemen:
It is a great pleasure for me to be here with you all for the Launching of the First (1 st ) Preparatory Japanese Language Training for Filipino Candidate Caregivers bound for Japan.
First of all, let me congratulate you for having been successful in the matching process. You are expected to leave for Japan by the end of July this year as the 3 rd Batch of Candidate Caregivers to Japan. But before your departure, you are now being given an opportunity to acquaint yourselves with the Japanese language through this preparatory training.
For this preparatory training, the Japanese Government has provided Japanese language instructors while the Philippine Government has provided the venue for this training. I would like to underscore that this endeavor goes beyond the standing commitments of both countries made in the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). This demonstrates the perseverance and dedication of both countries to take initiatives in improving the standing of Filipino candidate caregivers in particular, especially in successfully integrating them, through language, not just to the Japanese community but to their professions as well once they pass the Japanese Kaigofukushishi Licensure Examination.
Two (2) Filipino candidate nurses (Ms. Ever Lalin Gammed and Ms. Amis Maria Luisa Jao) have passed the Japanese Nursing Licensure Exam so far, although no candidate caregivers have taken the Japanese Kaigofukushishi Licensure Examination yet. I hope their success will inspire you to strive hard and study Japanese well. Kaigofukushishi Licensure exam is said to be as difficult as the Nursing Licensure Exam. I cannot stress enough the importance of Japanese language training and as I have said time and again, it is essential not only for pursuing a successful caregiver profession in Japan but also for leading a well-integrated life within the Japanese society.
This is the first time we are implementing this preparatory language training prior to the departure for Japan. Our aim is to provide assistance to you by exposing you early in the process to the Japanese language in the hopes of laying a solid groundwork so that you can cope much better when you enter Japan and take the licensure examination eventually. Although I have no doubts that you will be able to fulfill your duties and responsibilities as healthcare professionals in Japan, I am also aware that one of the most difficult obstacles for passing the Japanese Kaigofukushishi Licensure examinations is the language barrier. I am optimistic that this preparatory language training will pave the way for this barrier to be broken down. I hope you, the candidate caregivers for the 3 rd batch, will take full advantage of this opportunity to begin mastering the Japanese language.
In closing, let me commend the Philippine Government for the continued support for and cooperation in the implementation of this training. Our collaborative efforts illustrate what has already been a characteristic feature of Japan-Philippines bilateral relations: cooperative spirits. A good example of this cooperative spirits was also shown most recently in the northeastern part of Japan where the unprecedented devastation was brought about by the earthquake and tsunami. Your predecessors, Filipino candidate caregivers who work at nursing institution in Fukushima prefecture decided to stay at the facility and continue to give nursing care for the elderly despite being affected themselves by the natural disaster, which was covered by the Japanese media and touched the heart of many Japanese people.
May this joint endeavor of nurses and caregivers movement to Japan under JPEPA further strengthen the ties of our two countries for the benefit of both the Japanese and the Filipino people!
Thank you very much for your attention.
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines