Policy review: Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA)--analysis of a failed nurse migration policy

Nozomi Yagi; Tim K Mackey; Bryan A Liang; Lorna Gerlt

doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.05.006

Policy review: Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA)--analysis of a failed nurse migration policy

Int J Nurs Stud. 2014 Feb;51(2):243-50. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.05.006. Epub 2013 Jun 18.

Authors

Nozomi Yagi¹, Tim K Mackey², Bryan A Liang³, Lorna Gerlt¹

Affiliations

¹ Joint Masters Degree Program in Health Law, University of California San Diego - California Westerns School of Law, USA.
² Institute of Health Law Studies, California Western School of Law, USA; Joint Doctoral Program on Global Health, University of California San Diego - San Diego State University, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, USA. Electronic address: tmackey@ucsd.edu.
³ Institute of Health Law Studies, California Western School of Law, USA; San Diego Center for Patient Safety, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, USA.

PMID: 23787219
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.05.006

Abstract

In 2008, the bilateral Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement took effect. Contained within this regional free trade agreement are unique provisions allowing exchange of Filipino nurses and healthcare workers to work abroad in Japan. Japan's increasing need for healthcare workers due to its aging demographic and the Philippines need for economic development could have led to shared benefits under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement. However, 4 years following program implementation, results have been disappointing, e.g., only 7% of candidates passing the programs requirements since 2009. These disappointing results represent a policy failure within the current Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement framework, and point to the need for reform. Hence, amending the current Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement structure by potentially adopting a USA based approach to licensure examinations and implementing necessary institutional and governance reform measures may be necessary to ensure beneficial healthcare worker migration for both countries.

Keywords: Brain drain; Brain waste; Developing countries; International nurse migration; Japan; Japan–Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA); Nursing; Policy; Republic of the Philippines.

MeSH terms

Foreign Professional Personnel*
Health Care Reform
International Cooperation*
Japan
Nursing Staff*
Philippines
Public Policy*