November 19, a social security agreement between Japan and the Philippines was signed between Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario during the Asia Pacific (APEC) 2015 forum. The signing was both witnessed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President of the Republic of the Philippines Benigno S. Aquino III.
The agreement signed by both countries will put an end to the burden of double enrollment in pension plans by expatriate workers. Employees from Japan sent to the Philippines as well as the employees from the Philippines sent to Japan are currently obligated to pay the compulsory coverage under the social security system of their respective countries. As such, the agreement will solve the said problems. Upon entry and implementation of the agreement, those employees temporarily dispatched for a period of five years or less to the other country will be, in principle, covered only by the pension country from which country it is dispatched. The agreement will also enable establishment of eligibility to receive pension in each country by calculating the periods of the coverage in both countries.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that both sides also agreed to work on the establishment of mechanism to allow Filipinos to offer housework support services in Japan at the end of the year. It can be remembered that one of the results of bilateral meetings held during the APEC summit between Abe and Aquino is Japan to open its door for Filipino domestic helpers. “ To enable the people of the Philippines to offer housework support services in Japan’s special terms,” Abe’s exact words in a joint press conference on the last day of APEC Summit in Manila.
Aquino’s words were, “we hope to further boost the synergies of our economic cooperation for the benefit and the progress of the people of both our countries and the greater region,’’ he was also quoted describing the bilateral meetings with Abe as “extremely productive’’.
Image credit: pcoo.gov.ph
