PRESIDENT BENIGNO AQUINO/ NOV 19,2015
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe
INQUIRER PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC
In a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Manila on Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Aquino agreed on the hiring of Filipino domestic workers in the special economic zones in Japan’s Kanagawa and Osaka Prefectures.
“Another issue which Japan and the Philippines agreed on today is Japan’s (welcoming) household workers to Japanese economic zones,” Yasuhisa Kawamura, Japan’s press secretary and Abe’s spokesperson told reporters.
The agreement, however, was still vague on the number of workers from the Philippines Japan would need.
“It depends on how many people are wanted on the Japanese side. Based on the need, we will have the appropriate number of workers,” Kawamura said.
“With Prime Minister Abe’s approval, the system to accept Filipino workers is almost [a done deal],” Kawamura said.
The spokesperson said Japan wanted to begin hiring “by the end of the year at the earliest.”
“Abe requested from the side of the Philippines that the necessary preparations must be made so the agreement could be smoothly implemented,” Kawamura said.