ISDS Case Map
Philippines
A health ministry panel on Tuesday compiled a set of changes in the national nursing examination that include providing English translations to explain difficult Japanese terms for foreigners.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo advised President Aquino against deciding hastily on the case involving the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3), warning the government could be at a disadvantage.
Wahyudin dreams of becoming a full-fledged caregiver, if not a certified nurse, in Japan. But the Indonesian worker must first pass the required Japanese-language national certification examination, which is far from easy.
With the world's fastest-aging population, Japan has a growing need for nurses and other caregivers to staff its elderly-care facilities. Asian nations have many well-trained nurses and other caregivers who need jobs. The solution: import more nurses and care workers from Southeast Asia to fill gaping holes in the health care system.
The Philippine government will not rule out the possibility of negotiating a free trade package with Taiwan, even though it only officially recognizes China under its "one-China" policy, a senior Philippine trade official said Friday.
Jusuf Anwar, Indonesian ambassador to Japan, has bewailed the overly stringent Japanese national examinations for foreign caregivers and nurses. Out of the 500 Indonesians who took the examinations in 2008 and 2009, only two have passed and have become certified nurses.
President Aquino expressed hope that the free-trade agreements (FTAs) signed and being negotiated by member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) with dialogue partners will provide jobs for Filipino workers as well as facilitate trade and investments within the region.
“President Aquino will be flying to the US in September to explore an engagement with [Washington], whether a bilateral or a cluster free-trade agreement,” said the director of the Philippines' Bureau of International Trade Relations,
The Australia-New Zealand-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (ANZAFTA) has made the Philippines an attractive market for Australian traders especially those in the dairy business.
The Philippines has expressed interest in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a multilateral free trade deal that involves several economies, including the country’s biggest trading partner, the United States.
