polo-tokyo 1st quarter accomplishment report 2009

8/14/2019 POLO-Tokyo 1st Quarter Accomplishment Report 2009

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/polo-tokyo-1st-quarter-accomplishment-report-2009 1/5

POLO-TokyoFirst Quarter Accomplishment Report

Introduction

As the world economic crisis unfolds, it is becoming more obvious that nonation could remain unaffected by it, including Japan. Although manycountries had been comparatively less exposed to the crisis thus far, theyremain vulnerable to the global economic slowdown with probable negativeeffects on domestic demand, export earnings, and remittances.

But the impact of the world crisis on Japan is unlike anything it hasexperienced until now. Japan had enjoyed ongoing export-led growth and the

current crisis had dealt it a severe blow. During the last quarter of 2008, the Japanese economy was hardest hit (-12.7 percent) compared to the US (-6.2percent) or the EU (-5.7 percent). Moreover, Japan is projected to incur adouble-digit negative growth in the first quarter of 2009.

The most serious issue that Japan now faces is to prevent the weakening of its real economy and the dwindling of financial credit. Under thesecircumstances, the Japanese government must implement a large-scalestimulus plan to overcome the ongoing crisis. According to the Japanesegovernment, it will compile the 2009 supplementary budget with actual fiscalspending of more than 10 trillion yen. The success of this economic stimulus

package will be crucial and without doubt will become a powerful stimulantfor the Japanese economy.

These issues notwithstanding, POLO-Tokyo pursued its objectives of employment facilitation, OFW protection and welfare services, policyadvocacy and networking for the period ended March 2009. The following arethe highlights of POLO-Tokyo’s accomplishments during the period covered:

Employment Facilitation

On-site Verification of Employment Contracts. The number of companies recommended to POEA for accreditation as principals expandedby about eighteen (18) times (+465) in the period ended March 2009. Thisfigure is mainly due to the resumption of the authentication and/orverification of documents for Filipino performing artists in Japan whichstarted last September 2008. As a consequence, the Post referred to POEA atotal of 492 companies from 27 companies recorded last year (Table 1).

1



Social Protection and Welfare Services for OFWs

OWWA Membership Promotion Program. OWWA POLO-Tokyo’sMembership Promotion Program during the first quarter of 2009 resulted inthe enrolment or renewal of membership of 153 OFWs in OWWA – anincrease of about 62 percent (+58) from the year ago OWWA membership. Total revenue collection reached ¥347,977 which is 31 percent higher thanthe amount collected during the same period last year (Table 2).

Table 2: Number of OFWs Enrolled to the OWWA Membership Program,

First Quarter 2009

1Q 2009 1Q 2008 Increment

Number of OWWA Membership 153 95 +58

Total Amount Collected fromMembership Fee(In Local Currency: Yen)

347,977 265,200

Source: POLO Tokyo, 2009

Workers Assistance Program. Post handled a total of 31 welfare casesduring the first three months of the year, which is 16.22 percent lower thanthe 37 cases recorded during the same quarter last year. Of the 31 welfarecases, some forty-eight (48) workers were involved complaining about illegalrecruitment, unpaid salaries, maltreatment, confiscation of passports, sexualassault, and contract violations. Some cases also involved request forrepatriation, temporary shelter, legal advice, report of status of detentionand whereabouts, and assistance in filing insurance claim and in securingtravel documents.

Out of the 31 cases managed by the Post, 18 were resolved or closed whilethe rest remained pending for resolution at the end of the first quarter.

Reintegration. Post teamed up with the Love and Acceptance Hands-on

Integrity (LAHI) Association, a Filipino community organization based in

Ibaraki and Tochige prefectures, to conduct a One-day Computer Training

Program at the Ibaraki Ken Kensei Learning Center on 28 February 2009.

3



Policy Advocacy

During the first three (3) months of

the year, Post participated in the

seminar organized by ILO-Japan and

the ILO Association of Japan entitled,“Employment and Labour Trends in

China under the Global Economic

Crisis,” held last 29 January 2009. The

theme of the seminar centered on the

effects of the current crisis on China’s

labour and employment aspects.

A Memorandum of Cooperation on the

Development of Asian Seafarers was agreed upon between DOLE and the

Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLITT) last 12

March 2009.

On that same day, Post actively

participated in the policy forum,

“Japan-Philippines Seafarer Policy

Forum” held at the Mita Kaigisho

Special Meeting Room. The purpose of

the forum was to deepen the

understanding of participants about

the International Cooperative Training

Project for Asian Seafarers particularly

between the Philippines and Japan.

5

polo-tokyo 1st quarter accomplishment report 2009

Documents