Legislators willing to drop objection to JPEPA with Japan commitment

The commitment of Japan not to export toxic wastes to the Philippines will be a major factor that will convince members of the Senate to drop their objections to the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) said Sunday.

Pimentel said, however, that as far as he knew, Malacañang has not yet transmitted the JPEPA to the Senate since it was signed in Helsinki, Finland by the Japanese and Philippine government in September, 2006.

He said he was informed by Ambassador to Tokyo Domingo Siazon that the Japanese government has already signed a protocol binding it not to allow the exportation of toxic wastes to the Philippines.

Through the protocol, which is a supplementary accord to the JPEPA, the Japanese government also affirms that it will respect Philippine laws on the protection of environment, such as the Clean Air Act and Anti-Pollution Act, as well as the Basel Convention, that bans the transfer of toxic materials from one country to another.

"If it is not true that Japan will export toxic wastes to the Philippines, then why should we reject that agreement? In short, unless there are other very weighty arguments that would show the agreement is disadvantageous to the Philippines, then the way is open for its ratification," Pimentel said.

Pimentel met Ambassador Siazon in Manila about two weeks ago.

Pimentel said that although the Senate has not yet officially received the JPEPA, the senators were able to obtain a copy of the same from other sources.

The JPEPA liberalizes the entry of Philippine products into Japan by reducing the tariff to zero or minimum rates.

It also allows the entry of Filipino nurses, caregivers and other health workers to Japan. This is a big step to open the Japanese labor market to Filipino professionals. Before, most Filipinos going to Japan were workers in the hospitality, entertainment and construction industries.

Pimentel, however, said Japan should perhaps relax the very stiff requirements that are imposed on Filipino health workers. These include requiring them to undergo special skills training and learning to speak Nippongo.

He also noted that Tokyo has limited the number of Filipino health workers who will be employed there to only 400 a year.

Pimentel also cited the observation of the Philippine Nurses Association that the compensation package for foreign nurses and caregivers in Japan is not attractive, compared to the United States and United Kingdom.