For Filipinos who are searching for a job but don’t want to go too far away from the Philippines, Japan may be their best to go country.

According to the administrative officer of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Japan, Jeng Dela Cruz, there are lots of job opportunities for Filipino workers in the land of the rising sun.

Geographically, Japan is just 4 hours plane ride away from the Philippines. However, the country is so far a close job market for foreigners.

Dela Cruz claimed that the country has lots of household workers and skilled workers as well. She added that while Japan has not yet opened its labor industry to household workers and drivers, Filipinos can still be hired by diplomats.

Meanwhile, Filipino engineers have special arrangements with the companies they work for in the country. They were directly hired from the Philippines and were provided with proper working visa by their employers in Japan.

Other Filipinos can opt to go through recruitment agencies duly accredited by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). Through such agencies, employers were able to discover skilled talents, Dela Cruz added.

Also, there are lots of job opportunities for English teachers. Dela Cruz claimed that an entry level teacher may earn an average of ¥150,000 or about P65,000.00, while household help are paid between of ¥120,000 to of ¥150,000 or P52,000.00 to P65,000.00.

Moreover, Filipino drivers are most preferred by Japanese employers. They could earn an average of ¥200,000 to P87,000.00. In fact, most Filipino drivers drive for ambassadors and diplomats.

A college degree is not required when applying for a driver’s position as long as the applicant can speak English.

At present, Filipino entertainers in Japan still exist but they are no longer dancers. Promoters usually hire entertainers as band members and they concentrate mostly in provinces such as Fukushima and Hiroshima. However, Dela Cruz advised potential applicants to only transact with POEA-accredited recruitment agencies. Applicants may check the POEA’s website for a full list of accredited recruitment agencies.