COMPLETION REPORT
Improving Retention Rates for Philippino Nurses and Caregivers Working in Japan
Dr. Emmanuel Cancio Yujuico (+2)
Visiting Lecturer
School of Law and Governance,
University of Asia and the Pacific, Philippines
The results of our investigation validate the emerging school of thought that test-taking should be considered as but oneof several means of evaluation. Given the prevalence of examinations which transcends disciplinary and geographic
boundaries, there is a modern tendency to misconstrue the ‘forest’ of learning for the ‘trees’ of testing. The pitfalls ofnearly exclusively relying on tests are especially relevant here as caregivers must deal with cultural and linguistic
differences that re-contextualise the original purpose for which these tests were devised. Given their implications forpractice, medical examinations have become objects of politicisation internationally—even among foreign-trained
nationals. By cataloguing caregiving tasks alongside test preparation activities, we have observed how the licensure
examination and JLPT 2 both emphasise reading skills to the limited consideration of other, culturally-informed forms ofcommunication necessary, with the slight exception of JLPT 2 for listening. This observation poses a quandary for theproponents of the JPEPA programme: If current means of evaluation only partially cover the linguistic skills required of
caregivers on the job, then what should be done to better ensure that means of evaluation more accurately gauge
linguistic mastery of necessary communication skills?
Undoubtedly, these two tests have their purposes. The licensure examination is thorough in assessing comprehension of
the Japanese equivalents of medical terms and concepts that caregivers presumably are familiar with in another language.
Meanwhile, JLPT 2’s emphasis on grammar and syntax allow learners to better grasp the meaning of words—especiallykanji— through understanding context. Tests also serve a rhetorical function that cuts both ways: Japanese administratorsneed to demonstrate that they are not risking public safety by allowing unqualified foreign healthcare workers to remain.
Conversely, their Filipino counterparts need to substantiate that foreign caregivers can function as well as natives withproper training. Culturally, Japan exemplifies high uncertainty avoidance, and measures like passing tests act as a control
device to promote accountability. In democratic societies, passing tests is also a manifestation of occupational equality
despite the caveats offered here. Hence, it is unlikely that taking tests will be discontinued even if their coverage isselective.
In the similar context of Filipino nurses working under JPEPA, Yagi et al. have suggested that Japan and the Philippines
adopt a US-based approach to licensure examinations to increase passing rates. Their proposal involves healthcare
workers first taking an English proficiency test and then a standardised examination like that offered by the Commission
on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) prior to departing from the Philippines. A host of issues are raised:First, an Americanised hospital training system was established during the Philippines’ period of US occupation, making
the transition relatively straightforward to work Stateside.3Second, the United States represents a ‘low-context’ culture
with fewer unspoken rules for interaction (including verbal communication) whose medical system is already familiar toFilipinos, whereas Japan is the opposite in these respects. Hence, this comparison invites scrutiny from cultural andtechnical standpoints. That English is one of the Philippines’ official languages taught from primary school onwards andis the main language for medical instruction further casts doubt on this comparison’s appropriateness.

Publication of the Results of Research Project:
Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
December 9, 2015 presentation at Ateneo de Davao University – Davao City, Philippines“Revisiting the JPEPA: The Challenges of Philippine Labor Migration in Japan”

Presenter – Emmanuel Yujuico
Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)
Journal article submission entitled “Beyond Tests: On Filipino Caregivers Acquiring Language Skills for Workin Japan” currently under first review at the International Journal of Nursing Studies together with Beatriz
Mojica and Don Eliseo Prisno III
Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)
N/A

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