We applaud the Philippine government’s effort to launch a new job employment and training program for the Filipino nurses that is surely win-win situation for all parties involved.
President Arroyo recently announced that about 5,000 Filipino nurses will be deployed to serve as nurses to those in needs. The target beneficiaries are the poorest municipalities which will receive at least 5 assigned Pinoy nurses each.
We said this is a win-win situation for the Filipino nurses that will be benefiting from this because the government is not only trying to give employment money (about P8,000 per month) to those in need but also give opportunities for the Pinoy nurses to train in real hospital work in preparation for the eventual work abroad. Most employers abroad require nurses to have work experience before they accept them.
But the ultimate winners are the Filipino masses who will now be taken cared of by our own nurses at least temporarily. We hope that this P500 Million project will be sustained by the government yearly as this is one of the best decision that the government has taken for the Filipino nurses.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Nurse: "no to jpepa"
The nurses and nursing students are taking issue with what they see as inequitable and insecure terms under which Filipino nurses would be allowed to work in Japan through a preferential trade agreement.
“JPEPA is primarily an agreement to facilitate the movement of tradable goods,” said Malzan. “But nurses are people whose welfare and security we need to consider before we send them abroad.”
The JPEPA left out essential labor safeguards for the practice of Filipino nurses in Japan. Filipino nurses are very likely to end up as mere trainees and be integrated into Japan’s notorious trainee system, under which foreign workers perform equal work as Japanese nationals but receive significantly lesser pay.
Under the JPEPA, a Filipino nurse who has passed the Philippine Licensure Exam and has three years of work experience is qualified to go to Japan, but has to undergo six months of language training in Japan. He or she will also be given three years to hurdle the licensure exam in Japanese while training under the supervision of a Japanese nurse. Failure in passing the Japanese exam means the Filipino nurse would have to go back to the Philippines.
In a protest tableau, the protesters showed a group of nurses closely packed into a wooden crate labeled “JPEPA EXPORT TO JAPAN: FOR ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION.”
The unnecessarily stringent requirements of the JPEPA will effectively relegate the Filipino nurse as a contractual second-class trainee in Japan, with a status inferior to that of a Japanese nurse.
The fact that Japan gave better terms to Indonesian nurses in the Japan-Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement (JIEPA). Under the JIEPA, an Indonesian nurse with only three years of professional education and with only two years of work experience is qualified to go to Japan. In contrast, a Filipino nurse is required four years of professional education and three years work experience to qualify under the JPEPA.
“In our opposition to the JPEPA, we are fighting for the dignity and professionalism of the Filipino nurse. The Filipino nurse is just as competent as her Japanese and Indonesian peers. If Japan truly needs our services, then it must give us the same treatment and professional courtesy that we get from the rest of the world.”
Even the Japanese Nursing Association (JNA) itself vigorously opposes the entry of Filipino nurses abroad. “Why should we insist on going to a place where we are not wanted when there are other countries where we are wanted and that offer more attractive compensation?”.
The JNA in an official statement earlier said that there is no shortage of nurses in Japan and that the Japanese government must first address the problems of the nursing industry there before allowing the entry of foreign nurses.
“JPEPA is primarily an agreement to facilitate the movement of tradable goods,” said Malzan. “But nurses are people whose welfare and security we need to consider before we send them abroad.”
The JPEPA left out essential labor safeguards for the practice of Filipino nurses in Japan. Filipino nurses are very likely to end up as mere trainees and be integrated into Japan’s notorious trainee system, under which foreign workers perform equal work as Japanese nationals but receive significantly lesser pay.
Under the JPEPA, a Filipino nurse who has passed the Philippine Licensure Exam and has three years of work experience is qualified to go to Japan, but has to undergo six months of language training in Japan. He or she will also be given three years to hurdle the licensure exam in Japanese while training under the supervision of a Japanese nurse. Failure in passing the Japanese exam means the Filipino nurse would have to go back to the Philippines.
In a protest tableau, the protesters showed a group of nurses closely packed into a wooden crate labeled “JPEPA EXPORT TO JAPAN: FOR ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION.”
The unnecessarily stringent requirements of the JPEPA will effectively relegate the Filipino nurse as a contractual second-class trainee in Japan, with a status inferior to that of a Japanese nurse.
The fact that Japan gave better terms to Indonesian nurses in the Japan-Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement (JIEPA). Under the JIEPA, an Indonesian nurse with only three years of professional education and with only two years of work experience is qualified to go to Japan. In contrast, a Filipino nurse is required four years of professional education and three years work experience to qualify under the JPEPA.
“In our opposition to the JPEPA, we are fighting for the dignity and professionalism of the Filipino nurse. The Filipino nurse is just as competent as her Japanese and Indonesian peers. If Japan truly needs our services, then it must give us the same treatment and professional courtesy that we get from the rest of the world.”
Even the Japanese Nursing Association (JNA) itself vigorously opposes the entry of Filipino nurses abroad. “Why should we insist on going to a place where we are not wanted when there are other countries where we are wanted and that offer more attractive compensation?”.
The JNA in an official statement earlier said that there is no shortage of nurses in Japan and that the Japanese government must first address the problems of the nursing industry there before allowing the entry of foreign nurses.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
JPEPA’S advantages and disadvantages
Conveners and activists from the NO DEAL! Movement, joined by anti-JPEPA advocates from the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) and the La Sallian Justice and Peace Commission went to the Senate wearing “No Deal! JPEPA” buttons.
Leaders of social, religious, educational and environmental groups came out with a full-page newspaper ad the other day calling on the Senate to reject the Japanese-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) for not being reciprocal, economically beneficial and fair to the Filipino people.
The signatories of the ad included outstanding personalities, like former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, former Senate President Jovito Salonga and former Sen. Wigberto Tañada.
The publication of the ad coincided with a report of Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, chair of the Senate committee on foreign affairs, that 14 senators had agreed to support her committee report on the bilateral trade and investment agreement.
Santiago said she needed the support of one more senator to have the committee report approved. Then the Senate can proceed with the ratification of the agreement which will require a two-thirds vote of the entire Senate, which has only 23 sitting members now because Sen. Antonio Trillanes is in military prison over coup d’etat or rebellion charges.
The JPEPA is a comprehensive bilateral trade and investment pact between the Philippines and Japan to improve market access for goods and services from the Philippines to Japan and vice versa. This entails the elimination or reduction of tariffs on agricultural and industrial products.
The groups against the treaty’s ratification claimed that the agreement allows Japanese investors “to own private land for all ventures other than those in the manufacturing and services sector.” They also assailed the pact for violating the Philippines’ Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Act, “which prohibits the importation of hazardous and nuclear wastes.”
They raised the point that the agreement allows Japan to fish in Philippine waters, which are exclusively reserved for Filipino citizens. They also claimed that the Philippine government under the accord is surrendering several rights which other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) refused to do in similar agreements with Japan.
It is but natural for bilateral agreements between nations to have advantages and disadvantages. This is true with the JPEPA. But a careful look at the agreement shows that the advantages of the agreement to the Philippines far outweigh the disadvantages.
Sen. Mar Roxas made a good point when he said that rejecting the agreement “could isolate the Philippines in the region where other Asean nations could easily take over the Philippine agriculture exports and labor services to Japan.”
Santiago calms public fears about the proposed treaty violating the Philippine Constitution, saying Japan has authorized its ambassador to the Philippines “to enter into an exchange of notes with Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo to ensure that all constitutional provisions in our Constitution that conflict with the JPEPA will be deemed dominant or superior to the JPEPA provisions.”
One of the perceived key advantages of the agreement is the acceptance of Filipino workers, primarily nurses, care workers and seafarers, to work in Japan. For the first two years of the agreement, one thousand health professionals will be admitted, with bright prospects of their number increasing in view of Japan’ s ageing population.
Japan will need from 8,000 to 10,000 Filipino seamen to man its 600 new ships beginning this year up to 2010. Of 240,000 Filipino seafarers deployed worldwide, Japan accounts for 72 percent now working in its shipping industry. The employment of these workers in Japan will increase their annual remittances to the Philippines.
The agreement allows our increased penetration of the Japanese market because of the comparative advantage of our products, essentially fish, fruits, charcoal, iron ore, vegetables and wood products. It also allows a broader range of Philippine products entering Japan.
Japan’s foreign direct investments in the Philippines will increase with the agreement providing “greater certainty and confidence” to Japanese investors. The Board of Investments foresees investments from Japan to grow to P559 billion up to year 2016.
Japan was the largest source of foreign direct investments in the Philippines in 2005, but it slid to third place in 2006, next to the United States and South Korea.
Supporters of the agreement discount fears that the Philippines will be Japan’s dumping ground of its toxic and hazardous wastes, pointing out that there are laws prohibiting the entry of these substances and providing punitive sanctions against violators.
“If we do not concur (with the agreement), Japanese foreign investments and earnings from exports will all go to other Southeast Asian countries. We will be the odd man out,” said Senator Santiago. That is a thought-provoking statement.
We in The Times have given the matter long and deep thought and study. Specially now that we Filipinos are facing hard times and need every boost to employment and exports, we need vehicles like JPEPA to keep the government’s pro-poor programs going.
Leaders of social, religious, educational and environmental groups came out with a full-page newspaper ad the other day calling on the Senate to reject the Japanese-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) for not being reciprocal, economically beneficial and fair to the Filipino people.
The signatories of the ad included outstanding personalities, like former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, former Senate President Jovito Salonga and former Sen. Wigberto Tañada.
The publication of the ad coincided with a report of Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, chair of the Senate committee on foreign affairs, that 14 senators had agreed to support her committee report on the bilateral trade and investment agreement.
Santiago said she needed the support of one more senator to have the committee report approved. Then the Senate can proceed with the ratification of the agreement which will require a two-thirds vote of the entire Senate, which has only 23 sitting members now because Sen. Antonio Trillanes is in military prison over coup d’etat or rebellion charges.
The JPEPA is a comprehensive bilateral trade and investment pact between the Philippines and Japan to improve market access for goods and services from the Philippines to Japan and vice versa. This entails the elimination or reduction of tariffs on agricultural and industrial products.
The groups against the treaty’s ratification claimed that the agreement allows Japanese investors “to own private land for all ventures other than those in the manufacturing and services sector.” They also assailed the pact for violating the Philippines’ Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Act, “which prohibits the importation of hazardous and nuclear wastes.”
They raised the point that the agreement allows Japan to fish in Philippine waters, which are exclusively reserved for Filipino citizens. They also claimed that the Philippine government under the accord is surrendering several rights which other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) refused to do in similar agreements with Japan.
It is but natural for bilateral agreements between nations to have advantages and disadvantages. This is true with the JPEPA. But a careful look at the agreement shows that the advantages of the agreement to the Philippines far outweigh the disadvantages.
Sen. Mar Roxas made a good point when he said that rejecting the agreement “could isolate the Philippines in the region where other Asean nations could easily take over the Philippine agriculture exports and labor services to Japan.”
Santiago calms public fears about the proposed treaty violating the Philippine Constitution, saying Japan has authorized its ambassador to the Philippines “to enter into an exchange of notes with Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo to ensure that all constitutional provisions in our Constitution that conflict with the JPEPA will be deemed dominant or superior to the JPEPA provisions.”
One of the perceived key advantages of the agreement is the acceptance of Filipino workers, primarily nurses, care workers and seafarers, to work in Japan. For the first two years of the agreement, one thousand health professionals will be admitted, with bright prospects of their number increasing in view of Japan’ s ageing population.
Japan will need from 8,000 to 10,000 Filipino seamen to man its 600 new ships beginning this year up to 2010. Of 240,000 Filipino seafarers deployed worldwide, Japan accounts for 72 percent now working in its shipping industry. The employment of these workers in Japan will increase their annual remittances to the Philippines.
The agreement allows our increased penetration of the Japanese market because of the comparative advantage of our products, essentially fish, fruits, charcoal, iron ore, vegetables and wood products. It also allows a broader range of Philippine products entering Japan.
Japan’s foreign direct investments in the Philippines will increase with the agreement providing “greater certainty and confidence” to Japanese investors. The Board of Investments foresees investments from Japan to grow to P559 billion up to year 2016.
Japan was the largest source of foreign direct investments in the Philippines in 2005, but it slid to third place in 2006, next to the United States and South Korea.
Supporters of the agreement discount fears that the Philippines will be Japan’s dumping ground of its toxic and hazardous wastes, pointing out that there are laws prohibiting the entry of these substances and providing punitive sanctions against violators.
“If we do not concur (with the agreement), Japanese foreign investments and earnings from exports will all go to other Southeast Asian countries. We will be the odd man out,” said Senator Santiago. That is a thought-provoking statement.
We in The Times have given the matter long and deep thought and study. Specially now that we Filipinos are facing hard times and need every boost to employment and exports, we need vehicles like JPEPA to keep the government’s pro-poor programs going.
JPEPA’S advantages and disadvantages
Conveners and activists from the NO DEAL! Movement, joined by anti-JPEPA advocates from the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) and the La Sallian Justice and Peace Commission went to the Senate wearing “No Deal! JPEPA” buttons.
Leaders of social, religious, educational and environmental groups came out with a full-page newspaper ad the other day calling on the Senate to reject the Japanese-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) for not being reciprocal, economically beneficial and fair to the Filipino people.
The signatories of the ad included outstanding personalities, like former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, former Senate President Jovito Salonga and former Sen. Wigberto Tañada.
The publication of the ad coincided with a report of Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, chair of the Senate committee on foreign affairs, that 14 senators had agreed to support her committee report on the bilateral trade and investment agreement.
Santiago said she needed the support of one more senator to have the committee report approved. Then the Senate can proceed with the ratification of the agreement which will require a two-thirds vote of the entire Senate, which has only 23 sitting members now because Sen. Antonio Trillanes is in military prison over coup d’etat or rebellion charges.
The JPEPA is a comprehensive bilateral trade and investment pact between the Philippines and Japan to improve market access for goods and services from the Philippines to Japan and vice versa. This entails the elimination or reduction of tariffs on agricultural and industrial products.
The groups against the treaty’s ratification claimed that the agreement allows Japanese investors “to own private land for all ventures other than those in the manufacturing and services sector.” They also assailed the pact for violating the Philippines’ Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Act, “which prohibits the importation of hazardous and nuclear wastes.”
They raised the point that the agreement allows Japan to fish in Philippine waters, which are exclusively reserved for Filipino citizens. They also claimed that the Philippine government under the accord is surrendering several rights which other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) refused to do in similar agreements with Japan.
It is but natural for bilateral agreements between nations to have advantages and disadvantages. This is true with the JPEPA. But a careful look at the agreement shows that the advantages of the agreement to the Philippines far outweigh the disadvantages.
Sen. Mar Roxas made a good point when he said that rejecting the agreement “could isolate the Philippines in the region where other Asean nations could easily take over the Philippine agriculture exports and labor services to Japan.”
Santiago calms public fears about the proposed treaty violating the Philippine Constitution, saying Japan has authorized its ambassador to the Philippines “to enter into an exchange of notes with Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo to ensure that all constitutional provisions in our Constitution that conflict with the JPEPA will be deemed dominant or superior to the JPEPA provisions.”
One of the perceived key advantages of the agreement is the acceptance of Filipino workers, primarily nurses, care workers and seafarers, to work in Japan. For the first two years of the agreement, one thousand health professionals will be admitted, with bright prospects of their number increasing in view of Japan’ s ageing population.
Japan will need from 8,000 to 10,000 Filipino seamen to man its 600 new ships beginning this year up to 2010. Of 240,000 Filipino seafarers deployed worldwide, Japan accounts for 72 percent now working in its shipping industry. The employment of these workers in Japan will increase their annual remittances to the Philippines.
The agreement allows our increased penetration of the Japanese market because of the comparative advantage of our products, essentially fish, fruits, charcoal, iron ore, vegetables and wood products. It also allows a broader range of Philippine products entering Japan.
Japan’s foreign direct investments in the Philippines will increase with the agreement providing “greater certainty and confidence” to Japanese investors. The Board of Investments foresees investments from Japan to grow to P559 billion up to year 2016.
Japan was the largest source of foreign direct investments in the Philippines in 2005, but it slid to third place in 2006, next to the United States and South Korea.
Supporters of the agreement discount fears that the Philippines will be Japan’s dumping ground of its toxic and hazardous wastes, pointing out that there are laws prohibiting the entry of these substances and providing punitive sanctions against violators.
“If we do not concur (with the agreement), Japanese foreign investments and earnings from exports will all go to other Southeast Asian countries. We will be the odd man out,” said Senator Santiago. That is a thought-provoking statement.
We in The Times have given the matter long and deep thought and study. Specially now that we Filipinos are facing hard times and need every boost to employment and exports, we need vehicles like JPEPA to keep the government’s pro-poor programs going.
Leaders of social, religious, educational and environmental groups came out with a full-page newspaper ad the other day calling on the Senate to reject the Japanese-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) for not being reciprocal, economically beneficial and fair to the Filipino people.
The signatories of the ad included outstanding personalities, like former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, former Senate President Jovito Salonga and former Sen. Wigberto Tañada.
The publication of the ad coincided with a report of Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, chair of the Senate committee on foreign affairs, that 14 senators had agreed to support her committee report on the bilateral trade and investment agreement.
Santiago said she needed the support of one more senator to have the committee report approved. Then the Senate can proceed with the ratification of the agreement which will require a two-thirds vote of the entire Senate, which has only 23 sitting members now because Sen. Antonio Trillanes is in military prison over coup d’etat or rebellion charges.
The JPEPA is a comprehensive bilateral trade and investment pact between the Philippines and Japan to improve market access for goods and services from the Philippines to Japan and vice versa. This entails the elimination or reduction of tariffs on agricultural and industrial products.
The groups against the treaty’s ratification claimed that the agreement allows Japanese investors “to own private land for all ventures other than those in the manufacturing and services sector.” They also assailed the pact for violating the Philippines’ Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Act, “which prohibits the importation of hazardous and nuclear wastes.”
They raised the point that the agreement allows Japan to fish in Philippine waters, which are exclusively reserved for Filipino citizens. They also claimed that the Philippine government under the accord is surrendering several rights which other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) refused to do in similar agreements with Japan.
It is but natural for bilateral agreements between nations to have advantages and disadvantages. This is true with the JPEPA. But a careful look at the agreement shows that the advantages of the agreement to the Philippines far outweigh the disadvantages.
Sen. Mar Roxas made a good point when he said that rejecting the agreement “could isolate the Philippines in the region where other Asean nations could easily take over the Philippine agriculture exports and labor services to Japan.”
Santiago calms public fears about the proposed treaty violating the Philippine Constitution, saying Japan has authorized its ambassador to the Philippines “to enter into an exchange of notes with Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo to ensure that all constitutional provisions in our Constitution that conflict with the JPEPA will be deemed dominant or superior to the JPEPA provisions.”
One of the perceived key advantages of the agreement is the acceptance of Filipino workers, primarily nurses, care workers and seafarers, to work in Japan. For the first two years of the agreement, one thousand health professionals will be admitted, with bright prospects of their number increasing in view of Japan’ s ageing population.
Japan will need from 8,000 to 10,000 Filipino seamen to man its 600 new ships beginning this year up to 2010. Of 240,000 Filipino seafarers deployed worldwide, Japan accounts for 72 percent now working in its shipping industry. The employment of these workers in Japan will increase their annual remittances to the Philippines.
The agreement allows our increased penetration of the Japanese market because of the comparative advantage of our products, essentially fish, fruits, charcoal, iron ore, vegetables and wood products. It also allows a broader range of Philippine products entering Japan.
Japan’s foreign direct investments in the Philippines will increase with the agreement providing “greater certainty and confidence” to Japanese investors. The Board of Investments foresees investments from Japan to grow to P559 billion up to year 2016.
Japan was the largest source of foreign direct investments in the Philippines in 2005, but it slid to third place in 2006, next to the United States and South Korea.
Supporters of the agreement discount fears that the Philippines will be Japan’s dumping ground of its toxic and hazardous wastes, pointing out that there are laws prohibiting the entry of these substances and providing punitive sanctions against violators.
“If we do not concur (with the agreement), Japanese foreign investments and earnings from exports will all go to other Southeast Asian countries. We will be the odd man out,” said Senator Santiago. That is a thought-provoking statement.
We in The Times have given the matter long and deep thought and study. Specially now that we Filipinos are facing hard times and need every boost to employment and exports, we need vehicles like JPEPA to keep the government’s pro-poor programs going.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
jpepa: according to them (in laymen's term)
“Too much hysterics and too little sane reasoning,” is how a colleague of mine described what is going on with respect to the hearings on the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). I agree. Time’s a-wasting.
The way the agreement’s opponents see it, the JPEPA is not only one-sided (in favor of Japan, naturally), but the Japanese government is doing this in order to ensure that it can use the Philippines as a dumping ground for all its toxic wastes. Which is why, their story goes, the negotiations were in secret, and copies of the agreement were withheld from the public.
But there is another side of that story, and it goes like this: the benefits of the JPEPA far exceeds the costs; there is no way the Philippines can be used as a dumping ground (in fact, the Philippines is exporting some of its toxic wastes to Japan); the negotiations, which took place over a two-year period, were never secret; and the draft agreement has been available on the Internet since sometime the end of 2003/beginning of 2004. And the agreement is renegotiated every five years anyway.
The history of the JPEPA starts, I am told, with Japan’s entering, rather late, into the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) game. Previously, it preferred multilateral or unilateral action, but the emergence of China as a potential rival for leadership in East Asia, spurred it toward the so-called Comprehensive Economic Partnerships (CEP) or Closer Economic Relations (CER), which are more than just trade agreements. So the JPEPA idea was crystallized in time for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 2002 state visit to Japan.
Please note that the Philippines was the first country (after Singapore) with which Japan pursued the idea. But it has since entered into the same kind of economic partnership agreements with Malaysia, Thailand (which will be in force by November of this year) Indonesia and Brunei -- with no problems at all. In fact, with Singapore, the five-year period is already up. What’s more, the agreement with Vietnam is pretty close to completion. And here we are, left at the starting post, with everybody moving in front of us.
What is the basis for the conclusion that JPEPA’s benefits to us far exceed the costs? These issues were studied by a team of researchers from various institutions under the auspices of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). I understand the accusation has been made that the PIDS, having been financed by the Japanese aid agency, Japan International Cooperation Agency, was partial to Japan. That is another example of ad hominem arguments (you can’t win on the issues, so attack the personalities). The PIDS is a government think tank, whose work is both nationally and internationally recognized. Moreover, anyone who doubts its independence and integrity has only to look at the policy research it has done, which pulls no punches, even during the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship (of course, the language was couched rather diplomatically -- but the conclusions were still obvious).
In effect, what was found is that the JPEPA will cost the Philippines, in the form of direct foregone revenue (because of tariff reductions), something like P3.7-P4.2 billion a year. There are also costs to the bureaucracy, but these are minimal, because most of what the government should do would have been done with or without the JPEPA -- besides, the cooperation initiatives would entail government counterpart funding and would thus be limited to our own domestic absorptive capacity, taking on first the identified priority areas we could handle.
The benefits the country will derive from the JPEPA have been estimated to be anywhere between P6.5 billion to P110 billion based on current GDP figures, due to an improved investment climate (projected foreign direct investment from Japan amounting to P365 billion, plus more than 200,000 jobs, increasing as Japanese investors become comfortable and familiar with local partners). The studies also show an overall positive impact on poverty reduction (Metro Manila benefits most).
In the agreement, because of zero tariffs on both sides, the Philippines will now be open to a free flow of agricultural imports from Japan, and vice versa. Think of it, dear reader. What Japanese agricultural goods can we afford to buy? (Last time I was in Japan, a cherry cost the equivalent of $2.) On the other hand, what agricultural goods from the Philippines can the Japanese not afford to buy? Who do you think will benefit more?
With respect to services, the Japanese have opened their labor market for nurses and caregivers -- a landmark decision for them -- but the market will be filled, if we wait too long, by Indonesians and other ASEAN countries that already have an economic partnership agreement with Japan.
Now about the environmental issue -- the fear that we are going to be made a dumping ground for Japanese toxic wastes: As mentioned above, it is the Philippines that is sending toxic wastes to Japan, because we don’t have the technology to manage them. Sure, the tariffs on imported wastes will be zero. But that is irrelevant -- because their importation is banned (by international as well as national fiat). And in any case, my understanding is that Japan has signed a side letter making that even clearer.
Bottom line: The JPEPA is worth it. In fact, we can’t afford not to sign, because with everyone else but us on board, Japan will bring its business to them, and we may even lose what we already have. Is that what we really want?
The way the agreement’s opponents see it, the JPEPA is not only one-sided (in favor of Japan, naturally), but the Japanese government is doing this in order to ensure that it can use the Philippines as a dumping ground for all its toxic wastes. Which is why, their story goes, the negotiations were in secret, and copies of the agreement were withheld from the public.
But there is another side of that story, and it goes like this: the benefits of the JPEPA far exceeds the costs; there is no way the Philippines can be used as a dumping ground (in fact, the Philippines is exporting some of its toxic wastes to Japan); the negotiations, which took place over a two-year period, were never secret; and the draft agreement has been available on the Internet since sometime the end of 2003/beginning of 2004. And the agreement is renegotiated every five years anyway.
The history of the JPEPA starts, I am told, with Japan’s entering, rather late, into the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) game. Previously, it preferred multilateral or unilateral action, but the emergence of China as a potential rival for leadership in East Asia, spurred it toward the so-called Comprehensive Economic Partnerships (CEP) or Closer Economic Relations (CER), which are more than just trade agreements. So the JPEPA idea was crystallized in time for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 2002 state visit to Japan.
Please note that the Philippines was the first country (after Singapore) with which Japan pursued the idea. But it has since entered into the same kind of economic partnership agreements with Malaysia, Thailand (which will be in force by November of this year) Indonesia and Brunei -- with no problems at all. In fact, with Singapore, the five-year period is already up. What’s more, the agreement with Vietnam is pretty close to completion. And here we are, left at the starting post, with everybody moving in front of us.
What is the basis for the conclusion that JPEPA’s benefits to us far exceed the costs? These issues were studied by a team of researchers from various institutions under the auspices of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). I understand the accusation has been made that the PIDS, having been financed by the Japanese aid agency, Japan International Cooperation Agency, was partial to Japan. That is another example of ad hominem arguments (you can’t win on the issues, so attack the personalities). The PIDS is a government think tank, whose work is both nationally and internationally recognized. Moreover, anyone who doubts its independence and integrity has only to look at the policy research it has done, which pulls no punches, even during the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship (of course, the language was couched rather diplomatically -- but the conclusions were still obvious).
In effect, what was found is that the JPEPA will cost the Philippines, in the form of direct foregone revenue (because of tariff reductions), something like P3.7-P4.2 billion a year. There are also costs to the bureaucracy, but these are minimal, because most of what the government should do would have been done with or without the JPEPA -- besides, the cooperation initiatives would entail government counterpart funding and would thus be limited to our own domestic absorptive capacity, taking on first the identified priority areas we could handle.
The benefits the country will derive from the JPEPA have been estimated to be anywhere between P6.5 billion to P110 billion based on current GDP figures, due to an improved investment climate (projected foreign direct investment from Japan amounting to P365 billion, plus more than 200,000 jobs, increasing as Japanese investors become comfortable and familiar with local partners). The studies also show an overall positive impact on poverty reduction (Metro Manila benefits most).
In the agreement, because of zero tariffs on both sides, the Philippines will now be open to a free flow of agricultural imports from Japan, and vice versa. Think of it, dear reader. What Japanese agricultural goods can we afford to buy? (Last time I was in Japan, a cherry cost the equivalent of $2.) On the other hand, what agricultural goods from the Philippines can the Japanese not afford to buy? Who do you think will benefit more?
With respect to services, the Japanese have opened their labor market for nurses and caregivers -- a landmark decision for them -- but the market will be filled, if we wait too long, by Indonesians and other ASEAN countries that already have an economic partnership agreement with Japan.
Now about the environmental issue -- the fear that we are going to be made a dumping ground for Japanese toxic wastes: As mentioned above, it is the Philippines that is sending toxic wastes to Japan, because we don’t have the technology to manage them. Sure, the tariffs on imported wastes will be zero. But that is irrelevant -- because their importation is banned (by international as well as national fiat). And in any case, my understanding is that Japan has signed a side letter making that even clearer.
Bottom line: The JPEPA is worth it. In fact, we can’t afford not to sign, because with everyone else but us on board, Japan will bring its business to them, and we may even lose what we already have. Is that what we really want?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
JPEPA: What can we get out of it?
For poultry, the TRQ will provide an in-quota rate of 8.5 percent, against an MFN applied rate of 11.9 percent.
For beverages, there will be immediate tariff elimination for coffee, beer and fermented drinks made from aratiles, bignay, calamansi, coconut, dalandan, guava and marang, among others.
Most of this food items are new in the Japanese market and will require extensive marketing efforts. At the same time, product improvement and research and development have to be undertaken to make these foods acceptable to the Japanese consumer.
Gradual tariff eliminations toward zero will be implemented in products like frozen yellow fin tuna, canned tuna, fresh bananas, dried pineapples and fruits containing sugar.
Not just trade pact
JPEPA is unique in that it is not only a trade agreement. It is a framework for cooperation between Japan and the Philippines that includes assistance in human resources development, research and development, and technology development and transfer.
Through JPEPA, the farm sector can attain higher levels of production not only for exports but for our domestic needs—with Japanese technical assistance.
The agreement has sufficient provisions that will protect the environment and prevent any illegal trade in toxic waste. There are very stringent import controls and regulations on trade in hazardous waste. A careful reading of the agreement will show that it does not contain any provision explicitly allowing trade or liberalized entry of regulated or banned products in both countries.
Sustainable cooperation
The Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS) says the agreement is based on sustainable and environmental cooperation. It binds the countries to the general principles of efficient use of energy, proper management of the environment and sustainable development, and the need to cooperate in the field of energy and environment.
Trade liberalization under JPEPA allows special exceptions for environmental protection. These articles state: “Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to limit the authority of a party to take measures it considers appropriate, for protecting health, safety or the environment or prevention of deceptive practices.”
The bottom line is that JPEPA has sufficient provisions to protect the environment and prevent any illegal trade that may arise from the zero tariff imposed on hazardous and toxic waste. The PIDS notes that trade liberalization under JPEPA does not mean, or imply, that the ability of any of the two countries to take measures to control trade in hazardous and toxic waste or, more generally, to protect the environment is at issue.
Similar fears about the environment and health had been aired by some people in at least two Asian countries—Singapore and Malaysia—when they forged similar agreements with Japan.
In the economic partnership agreements signed by Japan with the two Southeast Asian countries, tariffs on ash, residues, waste pharmaceuticals, municipal waste, sewage sludge, clinical waste and other waste products have also been eliminated.
There have been no adverse effects on the environment of Singapore and Malaysia since these agreements took effect.
Services
Services account for about 70 percent of Japan’s economy. This sector is the most difficult for foreign companies to penetrate. Japan, for the first time, is opening this market through JPEPA to Filipino engineers, IT specialists and health workers.
Filipino technicians and professionals will be able to get outsourced jobs and contracts in engineering design, interior design, architectural services, motion picture production, particularly animation, to mention only a few.
The tourism market comprises not only hotel and restaurant services but also air transport services, computer reservation systems including call centers and the repair, maintenance, and servicing of airplanes. Most of these jobs and contracts will be outsourced to Filipino workers and companies.
Japan’s population is aging. It will need health workers, particularly nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists and institutional and home-based caregivers. JPEPA will give Filipino professionals in these fields preferential and nondiscriminatory access to these occupations.
The immediate needs of Japan are in the medical and health-care fields. The Japanese Department of Labor estimates that by 2010—three short years hence—Japan will need about 7.5 million health professionals. Japan’s elderly population now account for 20 percent of its total population. This is expected to rise to 29 percent of the total by 2025.
The opportunities for well-paid jobs for Filipino health workers, is the most immediate benefit from JPEPA. Others will follow as the agreement is implemented.
Retirement communities
But over time this initial benefit can be expanded to retirement communities in both Japan and the Philippines, nursing homes that are owned by Filipino health workers, and medical tourism catering to Japanese clients.
The sea-borne trade of Japan is expected to increase. Hence, Japan will be needing service personnel for its cargo ships. These jobs will be available to Filipinos.
Telecommunications is the fastest growing sector in the Philippines. We have produced a well-trained work force that can now find jobs in Japan’s ICT-based industries and to service the needs of OFWs living and working in Japan.
JPEPA is an agreement anchored on close cooperation. Besides the trade gains and opportunities, JPEPA seeks to provide a more tangible framework of sustainable growth for industries like energy. Like Japan, the Philippines is heavily dependent on imports for fuel supply. Yet Japan stands today as an example of an economy weaned on the policy of clean, affordable energy. It has invested heavily in developing alternative sources of power such as solar and wind.
The Philippines continues to make inroads in the development of alternative energy sources. JPEPA will hasten this drive for clean, affordable energy. At the end of the day, the Philippines seeks to have an economy driven by affordable power, a regime which will benefit the consumers who will enjoy lower prices of goods. It will redound to the benefit of households as well since the cost of power generation will go down, bringing the cost of electricity with it.
For beverages, there will be immediate tariff elimination for coffee, beer and fermented drinks made from aratiles, bignay, calamansi, coconut, dalandan, guava and marang, among others.
Most of this food items are new in the Japanese market and will require extensive marketing efforts. At the same time, product improvement and research and development have to be undertaken to make these foods acceptable to the Japanese consumer.
Gradual tariff eliminations toward zero will be implemented in products like frozen yellow fin tuna, canned tuna, fresh bananas, dried pineapples and fruits containing sugar.
Not just trade pact
JPEPA is unique in that it is not only a trade agreement. It is a framework for cooperation between Japan and the Philippines that includes assistance in human resources development, research and development, and technology development and transfer.
Through JPEPA, the farm sector can attain higher levels of production not only for exports but for our domestic needs—with Japanese technical assistance.
The agreement has sufficient provisions that will protect the environment and prevent any illegal trade in toxic waste. There are very stringent import controls and regulations on trade in hazardous waste. A careful reading of the agreement will show that it does not contain any provision explicitly allowing trade or liberalized entry of regulated or banned products in both countries.
Sustainable cooperation
The Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS) says the agreement is based on sustainable and environmental cooperation. It binds the countries to the general principles of efficient use of energy, proper management of the environment and sustainable development, and the need to cooperate in the field of energy and environment.
Trade liberalization under JPEPA allows special exceptions for environmental protection. These articles state: “Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to limit the authority of a party to take measures it considers appropriate, for protecting health, safety or the environment or prevention of deceptive practices.”
The bottom line is that JPEPA has sufficient provisions to protect the environment and prevent any illegal trade that may arise from the zero tariff imposed on hazardous and toxic waste. The PIDS notes that trade liberalization under JPEPA does not mean, or imply, that the ability of any of the two countries to take measures to control trade in hazardous and toxic waste or, more generally, to protect the environment is at issue.
Similar fears about the environment and health had been aired by some people in at least two Asian countries—Singapore and Malaysia—when they forged similar agreements with Japan.
In the economic partnership agreements signed by Japan with the two Southeast Asian countries, tariffs on ash, residues, waste pharmaceuticals, municipal waste, sewage sludge, clinical waste and other waste products have also been eliminated.
There have been no adverse effects on the environment of Singapore and Malaysia since these agreements took effect.
Services
Services account for about 70 percent of Japan’s economy. This sector is the most difficult for foreign companies to penetrate. Japan, for the first time, is opening this market through JPEPA to Filipino engineers, IT specialists and health workers.
Filipino technicians and professionals will be able to get outsourced jobs and contracts in engineering design, interior design, architectural services, motion picture production, particularly animation, to mention only a few.
The tourism market comprises not only hotel and restaurant services but also air transport services, computer reservation systems including call centers and the repair, maintenance, and servicing of airplanes. Most of these jobs and contracts will be outsourced to Filipino workers and companies.
Japan’s population is aging. It will need health workers, particularly nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists and institutional and home-based caregivers. JPEPA will give Filipino professionals in these fields preferential and nondiscriminatory access to these occupations.
The immediate needs of Japan are in the medical and health-care fields. The Japanese Department of Labor estimates that by 2010—three short years hence—Japan will need about 7.5 million health professionals. Japan’s elderly population now account for 20 percent of its total population. This is expected to rise to 29 percent of the total by 2025.
The opportunities for well-paid jobs for Filipino health workers, is the most immediate benefit from JPEPA. Others will follow as the agreement is implemented.
Retirement communities
But over time this initial benefit can be expanded to retirement communities in both Japan and the Philippines, nursing homes that are owned by Filipino health workers, and medical tourism catering to Japanese clients.
The sea-borne trade of Japan is expected to increase. Hence, Japan will be needing service personnel for its cargo ships. These jobs will be available to Filipinos.
Telecommunications is the fastest growing sector in the Philippines. We have produced a well-trained work force that can now find jobs in Japan’s ICT-based industries and to service the needs of OFWs living and working in Japan.
JPEPA is an agreement anchored on close cooperation. Besides the trade gains and opportunities, JPEPA seeks to provide a more tangible framework of sustainable growth for industries like energy. Like Japan, the Philippines is heavily dependent on imports for fuel supply. Yet Japan stands today as an example of an economy weaned on the policy of clean, affordable energy. It has invested heavily in developing alternative sources of power such as solar and wind.
The Philippines continues to make inroads in the development of alternative energy sources. JPEPA will hasten this drive for clean, affordable energy. At the end of the day, the Philippines seeks to have an economy driven by affordable power, a regime which will benefit the consumers who will enjoy lower prices of goods. It will redound to the benefit of households as well since the cost of power generation will go down, bringing the cost of electricity with it.
Monday, February 9, 2009
wha is jpepa?
JPEPA stands for Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement. It was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on September 9, 2006.
JPEPA is a bilateral "mega" trade treaty between the two countries that seeks to promote investments and the trade of goods and services.
While JPEPA is an "economic" agreement and one of the main purp0ses is to reduce barriers to products like bananas, it also aims to facilitate the movement of human beings, in particular, Filipino nurses and caregivers to the aging society.
Upon its ratification, 400 Filipino nurses and 600 caregivers would be allowed to undergo training in Japan for the next years under the JPEPA scheme.
Japan will grant a 3-year "specified" visa to the nurses, a 4-year visa to the caregivers. They are required to pass the national board exams in Japan before they work as nurses/caregivers,and if they fail the exams during their stay, they have to leave Japan immediately.
Some say JPEPA is good because, at least, it would provide employment opportunities to Filipino nurses and caregivers. However, a lot of concerns over the provisions have been raised by migrant groups, trade unions, NGOs and even the Philippine Nurses Association.
It is in part because during the negotiation of JPEPA, the Philippine government did not consult with those stakeholders,whereas the Japanese government fully took into consideration the opinion of the Japanese Nursing Association, which strongly opposed JPEPA at first.
As of February 2008, JPEPA is not in effect as the Philippine Senate has not yet ratified it. The Japanese Diet or Congress approved the treaty in December, 2006.
JPEPA is a bilateral "mega" trade treaty between the two countries that seeks to promote investments and the trade of goods and services.
While JPEPA is an "economic" agreement and one of the main purp0ses is to reduce barriers to products like bananas, it also aims to facilitate the movement of human beings, in particular, Filipino nurses and caregivers to the aging society.
Upon its ratification, 400 Filipino nurses and 600 caregivers would be allowed to undergo training in Japan for the next years under the JPEPA scheme.
Japan will grant a 3-year "specified" visa to the nurses, a 4-year visa to the caregivers. They are required to pass the national board exams in Japan before they work as nurses/caregivers,and if they fail the exams during their stay, they have to leave Japan immediately.
Some say JPEPA is good because, at least, it would provide employment opportunities to Filipino nurses and caregivers. However, a lot of concerns over the provisions have been raised by migrant groups, trade unions, NGOs and even the Philippine Nurses Association.
It is in part because during the negotiation of JPEPA, the Philippine government did not consult with those stakeholders,whereas the Japanese government fully took into consideration the opinion of the Japanese Nursing Association, which strongly opposed JPEPA at first.
As of February 2008, JPEPA is not in effect as the Philippine Senate has not yet ratified it. The Japanese Diet or Congress approved the treaty in December, 2006.
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