Pinoy professionals now outnumber ‘Japayukis’

Japan is no longer just a haven for Filipino entertainers or the so-called "Japayukis" but is now also "mecca" for highly skilled overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday a 35.8-percent increase in the deployment of OFWs to Japan for the first nine months of the 2000.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said total deployment to Japan rose from 33,000 in September 1999 to 45,000 during the same period this year.

Laguesma attributed the nearly 12,000 increase to new job opportunities and demand for highly skilled OFWs since the start of 2000.

According to Laguesma, OFWs in Japan remitted a total of $208.35 million from January to July. The figure was 52 percent higher than last year’s total remittances of only $136.99 million.

Laguesma said the rising trend of deployment and remittances from Japan has boosted OFWs opportunities and helped improve investment in local industries. — Mayen Jaymalin