Ex-Filipino hostesses become caregivers
The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Japan and the Philippines was completed in 2006. This agreement allowed the two countries to exchange a total of 12,000 caregivers in the next two years.
However, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare estimates that 500,000 caregivers will be needed by 2016 because of the aging population in Japan. Under the circumstances, many ex-Filipino hostesses, currently living in Japan as wives of Japanese husbands, are being drawn to the nursing care business. These ex-hostesses speak and understand Japanese well, because they’ve lived in Japan for over 20 years, and they have valid visas as wives of Japanese.
A spokesperson for Japan Nursing Care Center Corp says 17 of 22 students at its nursing qualification level 2 courses are Filipinos. Since the level 2 qualification doesn’t require writing exams, but only 132-hour practical training, it is easier for them to obtain a license even if they are not good at writing and reading Japanese.
More than 1,000 Filipinos have graduated from Tokyo Caregiver Academy which has offered caregiver courses to Filipinos since 2005. In 2006, the Licensed Filipino Caregivers Association in Japan (LFCAJ) was established with about 2,000 qualified caregivers.
“My husband doesn’t want me to work as a hostess anymore. I can work as a hostess only when I’m young. I have actually been interested in the caregiver job for awhile,” says a 24-year-old Filipino woman living in Chiba Prefecture.
A caregiver’s job is actually better than a hostess or factory job in which the majority of Filipinos in Japan are involved. While hostess and factory jobs offer low salaries, caregivers can earn more than 1,000 yen per hour. They say that they can make use of their communication skills in Japanese, which they learned as hostesses.
To Filipinos, who grow up in the traditional family system, the situation of the Japanese aging population seems strange. Many Filipino caregivers say, “Why don’t families take care of the elderly in Japan?” The Filipinos are good at taking care of the elderly and know how to communicate with them.
A man in his 60s who lives in a nursing home says, “Filipino caregivers are better than Japanese. They speak better Japanese than Japanese people.” Another man in his 70s also says, “It is much better to be taken care of by them than living alone at home. Are they Filipinos? I don’t care. I just appreciate the fact that someone takes care of me.”
One insider at a nursing home says, “Even if they can speak Japanese, foreigners cannot take care of old people. They can’t tell them stories and sing songs together.” Some Japanese people say Filipinos are stealing job opportunities in Japan. Whatever the complaints may be, the government cannot deny the fact that more caregivers are necessary. (Translated by Taro Fujimoto)
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Latest 15 of 25 Total Comments Show All
electric2004 at 07:44 PM JST - 27th June
Where can I get mine?
And the government pays, so that I have her both a nurse and a hostess? Perfect!
Leopalace at 08:52 PM JST - 27th June
From what I've seen, Filipino hostesses do a pretty good job of singing songs with japanese.
potchari at 11:47 PM JST - 27th June
Ex-hostesses?? I'm sure with a little tip here and there a little special care(?) will be given. Once a hostess always a gold digger
soothsayer at 12:09 AM JST - 28th June
rjd_jr,
I admit that it was tempting, but I've got to say that one of the real insiders, the old bloke who said he was just happy to have someone care for him regardless of nationality is probably voicing the opinion of most people. As you said, lots of positives in this article, and I for one am not going to let a couple of dodgy quotes about singing ability and hikkikomori having jobs stolen from them spoil it!
jonobugs at 12:29 AM JST - 28th June
What? Filipinos can't sing? I thought Karaoke was more popular in the Philippines than in Japan!
Hawkeye at 01:23 AM JST - 28th June
Caregivers is an interesting concept for registered aliens from the Philippines. When they were hostesses they were caregivers in another way and now the Japanese are finding better use for them.
Pukey2 at 02:28 PM JST - 28th June
sooth:
Damn! rjd_jr was just waiting to pounce on people like you!
Xentrix at 08:06 PM JST - 28th June
yeah, I agree Filipinos are good in caring people. But they are just deprived from lack of high level working opportunities. Thanks to the good job possibilities for Filipinos in Japan. They love their neighbor countries.
zanza123 at 08:56 AM JST - 30th June
1000 yen per hour, that is just chump change, compared to the US. Either this article's information is false, or some folks are getting robbed while on their way over to Japan.
shmave at 10:19 AM JST - 30th June
Trying to be positive: I think it's good that the filipinas are actually making better of themselves than sticking with the hostess/performer scene. Like the 24yo, in the article, at 40-50y/o, how far can you get with so-limited experience?
On the other hand: Oh no! Now where are the 50-60y/o single Japanese men going to find 20y/o women to marry them? Wait a minute!...That's why the hostesses shifted to caregivers...so they can now find 70-90y/o men to marry them! Ahhh.....inheritance¥¥ sooner.
GG2141 at 05:31 PM JST - 30th June
I don't really think that the mind-set of a Hostess will translate well into a care-giver.
Then again, the option of a "happy ending" after a sponge bath is appealing.
Still, I think it is a bad idea having predatory Hostess vampires taking care of the aged.
Good_Jorb at 11:27 PM JST - 30th June
Actually it's almost the exact same wage. Perhaps you were thinking about nursing wages?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-09-26-elder-care_x.htm
gerriburn at 01:20 PM JST - 28th July
I'm also a Filipino and it's sad reading some of the comments being written here. This article is supposed to be taken on a positive light, giving chances to the unfortunate "hostesses" from being corrupted for a measly change. At least that would give them the opportunity to better themselves and help their family back in the Philippines as well.
As for "stealing the jobs" there will always be Japanese who would feel that way, same with Americans vis-a-visa Mexicans.
infinite_trial at 12:11 PM JST - 29th July
have you read the part where it says that these filipinas are married to japanese citizens and have valid visas?
when you guys get old, it won't matter who'd take care of you. at least these people are willin to clean your/someone else's cr@p which your/their families couldn't do.
leileichan at 09:38 PM JST - 15th August
I'am a filipino and I have a sister in Japan and now studying to become a caregiver...I strongly disagree with some of the comments written here,though it's your opinion...but the fact that these hostesses became a caregivers and leaved their old job being entertainers is a very big wow already...because they decided to changed their lives before it's too late...because being a caregiver is a long term career...and you guy's must agree that filipino's are the best caregivers in the universbecause we took very good care of your old ones...
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