Japan-Philippines FTA to take effect from Dec. 11

MANILA, Nov. 11 Kyodo - Japan and the Philippines exchanged diplomatic notes Friday in Manila to
implement a free trade agreement signed between the two sides in 2006, setting
Dec. 11 as the date it will enter into force.
The exchange of notes took place between Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto
Romulo and Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura, according to a Japanese
government announcement.
Besides setting Dec. 11 as the date for implementation of the Japan-Philippines
Economic Partnership Agreement, the two sides also informed each other in the
notes that all necessary legal procedures have been completed.
Besides providing a framework for liberalization of trade and investment
between the two countries, the pact will allow Filipino nurses and caregivers
to work in Japan.
The pact also detail possible cooperative programs, including training courses
for the regulation of and supervision of financial institutions, trade and
investment cooperation, technical cooperation in the field of science and
communications technology and promotion of tourism.
The agreement was signed in September 2006 between Philippine President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo and then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, but it
took the Philippines more than two years to ratify it after some senators
called for renegotiation on grounds it was ''riddled with constitutional
defects.''
Japan's Diet ratified it last year, while the Philippine Senate, which is
controlled by Arroyo's foes, followed suit last month, ending an uphill battle
for the president.
The deal with the Philippines is Japan's ninth FTA following bilateral
agreements with Singapore, Mexico, Malaysia, Chile, Thailand, Indonesia and
Brunei as well as a comprehensive FTA with the 10-member Association of
Southeast Asian Nations.
Under the economic partnership agreement with the Philippines, Filipino nurses
and caregivers are expected to arrive in Japan next April to June to undergo
language training for half a year before going to work at hospitals and nursing
care facilities across Japan, Japanese health ministry officials said last
week. They will try to acquire national qualifications in three to four years
from their arrival in Japan, the officials said.
The candidates, however, will return home if they fail to win Japanese
qualifications.
Separately, some caregiver candidates will try to win qualifications by
receiving training for care workers at learning institutions in Japan,
according to the officials.
The candidates plan to arrive in Japan next October before entering training
schools in April 2010.
==Kyodo