The Ageing Society of Japan Under the Philippine Care

The Ageing Society of Japan under the Philippine Care

The objective of the study aims to be fully aware in today’s phenomenal social issue of Ageing Society of Japan, the economic hegemon in Southeast Asia and how the government of Philippines help hand in hand with their social services in terms of manpower. This study focuses only on causes of population ageing in Japan, the problems exist in the Japanese family settings, and how they were able to handle its ageing society, the policy regarding the social welfare in health and medical services as a solution to the social issue the government of Japan has come up with. Thus; focuses and tackles only with the related issues pertaining to the accomplishment of this study.
The term Ageing is best define as the “organic process of growing older and showing effects of increasing age, aging; biological process, furthermore acquiring desirable qualities by being left undisturbed for some time, aging; mellowing” (Wordweb). Thus, the term aging doesn’t only talk with the literal meaning age or but it also encompasses, culture, the biological world, the people, the language, traditions etc. hence; “Our global population is aging, and aging at an unprecedented rate, Japan’s population aging is a salient example of such worldwide trends. Japan was first to experience fertility decline in the post war period and recorded as the greatest decline in the national fertility among all the industrialize nations” (Ogawa, 2003)
The Ageing society doesn’t only talks with Japan, as it is the most common problems of the highly industrialized develop countries, namely France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, United Kingdom, and China and not to mention America is also experiencing this kind of social issue. “The term ‘population ageing’ has become a household word for average citizen in Japan. It is viewed almost unanimously here as a process causing shortages of young labour, sluggish economic growth and higher tax burdens to support social security for the elderly” (Kono, 2003).
The total population of Japan as “2005 census made by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research accounts into 127 million but estimated to decline into 115 million in 2030” (Muramatsu, 2011).
Life expectancy for men in Japan was 78.1 years for men and 84.9 years for women, regarded as the highest in the world. It is because of the declining fertility rate and low mortality rate that proliferates the ageing society. The increasing and rapid coming of Ageing population in Japan was depicted from 1970 to early 1980’s comprises 10% of the total population, meaning the ratio of the elderly over children is increasing. In the 21st century the demographic transition of the age profile of the Japanese was decreasing from high birth and death rate to low birth and death rate. According to the United Nation’s report published in 1965 the population is arbitrarily defined as “ aged” or “ageing” is when the percentage of the old people aged 65 and over exceeds seven percent (7%), but in the presents authors views the threshold value of 10% seems more appropriate. The sharp transformation of the change age profile, proportion of the aged, Old-age dependency ratio and the elderly/children ratio made by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in 2002 and the future pace of ageing in Japan is rapidly increasing thus, Japan is predicted as the most “aged” country in the world in the 21st century.
Factors affecting these rapidly increasing ratios are but of coursed influence by the dwindling fertility rate of Japan due to the postponement of marriage, competitive entrance examination and mass-consumption of cultures, this is according to the statistics of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, (Vital Statistics 2001, Japan), Vol.1, 2002 the reasons of the speed fertility decline in the post war years was so rapid. It is remarkable that crude birth rate which was 34.3 per 1000 population in 1974 had been halved to 17.2 in 1957, thereafter fertility never coming back to the level higher than 20 per 1000. The rapidity of the birth rate decline and the continuity of the very low fertility level are considered the principal cause for presenting Japan as a country of the most rapidly ageing population in the world” (Kono, 2003).
If we can recall the post war economy of Japan, when massive efforts to industrialization began goes hand in hand with the population figure of Japan, because of the scarce resources of the country that only depends from importation of goods, that results into fierce competition within the society, plus the emphasize ethics of hard work and the values from the doctrine of Confucianism has contributed much to the declining fertility rate of Japan. Due to the resource scarcity competition among the society for a better quality of life is ferocious, demographic response to the condition were to delay, postpone marriages and to diminish the size of the family was the best reaction the Japanese family has come up with that contributes to a positive, more advance, highly industrialize and developed country Japan was enjoying until now, but at the same time to a negative result of depopulation as well as into an ageing society.
Japanese male’s ideal age to have a family ranges from 29 onwards and for the females ranging from 27 onwards, these late marriages phenomena were observed by the Japanese couples of Japan, owing to the interplay of its economic and social factor of the society, that is to say; from carrier advancement, the increasing dilemma between work and child rearing of professional women, the household finances, the costly wedding ceremony, and the slowly changing culture from group oriented into the individualistic traits of younger generation which effectively shortens the reproductive span of marriage couples thus; considered to be the first contributors of the unprecedented declining fertility rate of Japan hence; increasing the life expectancy that accelerate population ageing of the society. According to the statistics made by United Nations Demographic Yearbooks, New York; and Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Tokyo, 2002, the trends in life expectancy at birth in selected developed countries from 1965-2001; namely the France, Germany, USA, UK, Italy Canada, Iceland and Japan, the proportion of life expectancy of 85~ yrs. old for females and 79~ yrs old for male’s of the latter has surpassed the European countries which have been regarded among the highest life expectancy countries in the world. “The recent increase in the life expectancy means the reduction in the mortality rate means accelerated the tendency toward a more population ageing in parallel to the ongoing fertility decline” (Kono, 2003). In addition to those factors; competitive entrance examination was also considered as the agent in the declining fertility rate of Japan. Being a carrier- centred society physically, emotionally and financially burden of competitive education system of Japan contributes in the said social issue, there are four reasons why couples opt to reduce family size resulting into the declining fertility rate of the region. a). “The cost education is too high; b). Raising children requires a lot of money, c). Raising children impose heavy physical and psychological burdens on the parents; d). The presence of the children is in conflict with women’s employment was according to the statistics of the (National Institutes of Population and Social Security Research, 1998). That is to say the expected average size of family in Japan is two” (Kono, 2003). And of course to have a better quality of life the coming of mass consumption of the society plus the dilemma between women’s work and child rearing contributed much in the unprecedented fertility decline of Japan leading to a grayer society of the world. And because of this social issue the society is facing off, problems exist in the structural change of the family, the living arrangement, in the workforce and in the economy in general. Because of the small family size of Japan, the problem in every family now is how to handle its ageing society.
The shrinkage of the household size was the effect of the declining birth rate of the region, thus; increasing the proportion of one-person household, and the proportion of the elderly living with their child decreased and the proportion of nuclear family has relatively decline, ad so this relatively small number of household go apart when the son or daughter decided to have a family of his own, the problem exist now is either to live with the elderly or to leave them live of their own, or to have them being taken care in the institutional caring home. According to the statistics made by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Tokyo, 2001 the proportion of the household by family of at least one elderly person aged 65 and over is obviously increasing from 7,118 in 1975 to 16,367 in 2001, also it is evident in one-person households of 8.6% in 1975 to 19.4% in 2001; and the proportion of the Husband and wife only from 13.1% of 1975 to 27.8% in 2001, so as in the Husband and wife with unmarried children from 6.7% in 1975 to 15.7% in 2001 relatively increasing also evident in the One parent with unmarried children from 2.9% in 1975 to 15.7% in 2001 and obviously decreasing in the three-generation family households from 54.4% in 1975 to 25.5% in 2001. And so it is very obvious also in the number of elderly living with married children is increasing from 24.4% to 35.5% but apparently diminishing in co-living with unmarried children from 23.9% to 17.4% as well as in the household co-living with other relatives from 4.4% to 2.8%. It is very evident in the statistics that the living arrangements of family structure has seen to be declining, and mostly because of the limited number of the family household, if the son or daughter is still unmarried so the distribution of the living arrangement stops there. Family plays a vital role in caring for is member in times of sickness etc., though the government is capable in catering its social services, still the immediate family is held liable in nature in taking care of their olds.
Japanese culture in terms of living arrangements doesn’t differ with USA, while working they save for the future and not to have to rely on one’s family support or either with the government, added to that the better pension scheme of the country is the reason why they themselves can live of their own. But statistically most of them prefer to live with their family. However; things get worst when 1st generation family doesn’t want to take care of the elderly; the elderly themselves struggle to live of their own but of coursed from time to time with the supervision of son or daughter living nearby. Or in some cases because of the unmarried child has come to an “aged” also therefore he, she is not capable of taking care of the elderly thus; it is the time now that the government institution will come to see the elderly and asses if they are eligible to a “ rojin homu”, or a Home for the Aged. Japan’s retirement age is 65 yrs old, because of the fact of the increasing number of the “aged”, the government is having a wide headache not just by diminishing depopulation, but to the social security concern of the country in general. Japan is facing an irreversible ageing society, thus; also facing a huge rebate to the society in social security, medical expenses and social services. Because of the unbalance proportion of the working age and of the Old-age dependency, the working age population from 15-64 yrs. has to shoulder all the burdens to support the social cost and medical cost of the elderly. Social issue like this really affects the national economy and the social security cost; like pension, health and long term social services or care system of the country. Because of the shrinking of working-age population and the increasing number of non working elderly hampers the economic expansion and pension system of the region. Thus; the present Japanese government has come up with contemporary social policies to cater the significantly increasing number of demands of cares of the elderly. The pension system in Japan consists of eight different schemes.
The two largest is Welfare Pension Insurance and National Pension scheme. Welfare Pension Insurance is designed to cover company employees in the private sector employees, while the National Pension Scheme is intended to cover individuals who are not covered under any pension program or the self employed thus; members of this two program starts receiving at sixty-five years of age. The recent trend and revised welfare scheme for the elderly starts at the beginning of 1990, the “Ten-year Gold Plan for the Development of Health and Welfare Services for the elderly and was revised again in 1994 into a “Gold Plan 21”. It is in this new scheme the government created a “Long term plan”, and that “new consumption tax” was introduced to the public to cater the demand of the proliferating ageing society. While in 2000, the Public Long Term Care Insurance System was implemented that covers both community and institutional care services which cater only those who suffer the age related illness like stroke and dementia. To deconstruct the Pension schemes 1). Public Sickness Insurance Program has three independent programs for the self employed, for the private firms and for the governmental bodies and related agencies. 2). Medical Services stipulates that all senior citizens (75 and over) requires only to pay 10~20% of the charges regardless of the income. 3). Health Check Services, requires all government, agencies should provide their employees to provide annual health check services. 4). Long Term Care with two institutions; a). The Nursing Homes b) Health Care Facilities c) Long Term Care Bed in Geriatric Hospitals all provides long term care and a 10% co-payment and the cost for meals. 5).Two types of the Home for the Aged; a). yogo rojin home (“nursing home (ordinary home) for the elderly”) those older persons who have very low or no income; cost to run is borne ½ of national government, ¼ by prefectural and ¼ by the local government b). keihi rojin home (“home for the elderly with moderate charge”) living cost of this type is borne by the resident themselves and administrative cost partly borne by the national and prefectural government. 6). Retirement Homes or the “yuryo rojin homu” provides “lifelong care” and run without any public subsidy thus charges are costly and those who are in upper-income class only can afford. 6.) A Day and Home-Delivery Service provides services by paying 10% co-payment like a.) Home-help Service for handicapped b.) Visiting Nurse Service’s, c.) Day Care Service for frail and impaired elderly. d.) The Short-term Stay Service (respite care). e.) Home Care Support Centres for the purpose of giving advice and information on home care to family and caregivers, as well as the f.) Provision of Technical Aids for Home Care providing all the important materials and equipments essential the demented elderly thus; all of this is covered by the Public Long Term Care Insurance (PLTCI). 7.) Educational and Recreational Services have three types; the Educational Service, Community Welfare Centres for the elderly and Old Peoples Club which main purposes is to provide educational and recreational services for the elderly. 8.) Programs to provide opportunities to be engaged in gainful occupations, in which the Silver Human Resources Centre was provided by the Ministry of Health and Labour and Welfare to find opportunities for the elderly who wanted to continue to work to earn extra income aside from the pension in order to live a meaningful life. Due to the rapidly ageing society, the country’s health service is now in severe shortage of health care workers. To address its ageing society, Japan is eyeing foreign nurses and caregivers to render care and support to its inadequate human resource. Japan and Philippines had strengthened its bilateral agreement through the signing of the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement. “Japan opened its labour market for nurses and caregivers to Indonesia and the Philippines as a part of trade agreements in 2008. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) announced in early 2009 that Japan was poised to hire 1,000 foreign nurses and caregivers over the next two years subject, of course, to their passing the language proficiency examinations. In realization, on May 2010, 116 Filipino nurses and caregivers left for Japan to undergo six-months training. Furthermore on May 2012 Japanese embassy reported, 237 Filipino nurses and 396 caregivers have undergone training in Japan. Since then, 1,360 candidates have come to Japan. “Since the Philippines started deploying health workers to Japan in 2009 under the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement, only 15 nurses and one caregiver have passed the stringent Japanese licensure exams” (Callar, 2013).
Despite of the good opportunity for those who are now in Japan for the language training, Kanji character proficiency has brought them dilemma which is prepared by the Tokyo government for them to be eligible in working in the health care system of Japan. “Under JPEPA 1,000 Filipino nurses and caregivers are supposed to be sent to Japan to help care for its aging population. The nurses are given three years to study for their exams while working as “nursing trainees.” Those who fail are sent back to the Philippines” (Tubeza, 2011). While undergoing work- training, they are entitled to a monthly salary ranging from Php 66,000~ Php 113,000 for the nurses and Php 64,000~ Php 94,000 for the caregivers. And as of May 2011—or nearly five years after the JPEPA was signed and nearly three years after it was ratified by the Philippine Senate—only two Filipino nurses have passed the licensure exam for nursing while 229 caregivers have been allowed to work here” (Tubeza, 2011). Because of the very difficult licensure exam, and low level possibility of passing, the Japanese government plans to give Filipinos and Indonesian nurses and caregivers an extra year of stay in the country for them to prepare for the qualifying exam. “And while in visit to the Philippines Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida express his aims in accepting more Filipino nurses and caregivers as part of Manila and Tokyo’s efforts to expand bilateral economic cooperation thus; Japan has vowed to take steps to improve the employment scheme for foreign health workers to attract more Filipinos in seeking employment opportunities in Japan” (Matsuyama, 2012). Thus; Filipino health care team had penetrated Japan hence; gaining indelible image from Japanese government specifically in times of disaster like in the case of tsunami disaster that struck Japan last three years ago.
A number of Filipino nurses remain in nursing homes to render care and support to their elderly patient in the ghost town of Fukushima where the nuclear disaster occurred. Japanese ambassador to the Philippine Toshinao Urabe recognized the heroic action of Filipino Nurses who supported the elderly regardless of the aftershocks and threat of nuclear contamination may harm them. "Just last week, I was visiting Fukushima. I wanted to pay tribute to the Filipino nurses. They stayed on despite the nuclear disaster because they couldn 't leave the helpless elderly people" (Avendano, 2012). The rapidly changing age profile of the Japanese population brought about by the drastic dwindling birth rate and increasing life expectancy resulting into a crucial demographic crisis Japan is experiencing today. This phenomenon has brought impact on the economy, in labour force, in welfare structure and its social services. Thus; to become an ageing society posed a critical societal issue that has to be addressed urgently with effective development planning. Dwindling fertility rate due to unenchantment of having a family, carrier advancement opportunity due to the fierce competition of the society leads into a global phenomenon of the highly advance economic countries, brought negative and positive effect. Positive in a way that no juvenile crimes say for example riots, car accidents, drug related crimes etc. Hence, harmonious, caring and religious society will be reflected. But it also possess a huge negative effect in the economy in general namely; shortage in the workforce, tax burdens, unsustainable social security programs, and over all public deficits.
Despite the ever worsening shortage of health care workers as well as the support to its super ageing society, Japanese government is indurate in giving its strict immigration policy to migrant workers, although we understand that Japan wanted to preserve its being homogenous and ethnocentric. Hence; negative reports are coming out that JPEPA has placed many Filipino nurses and caregivers in a miserable situation, unfair labour practices, and utmost pressure to pass the licensure exams confine living conditions and poor salaries compare to the locals. Third world country like Philippines who is struggling of high unemployment rate is powerless to demand with the receiving country although they are in great need of our help. All our government can do is to ask favour to ease the stiffening immigration policy. Thus, bilateral agreement is said to be an unfair commitment made by two countries, one has to be an inferior and one has to be the superior.

Bibliography:
Avendano, C. a. (2012, March 12). Japan envoys thanks Filipino Nurses in Fukushima. Retrieved from Philippine Daily Inquirer/ Asia News Network.
Callar, M. d. (2013, January 10). Japan eyes more Filipino nurses, caregivers. Retrieved from http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/289623/pinoyabroad/news/japan-eyes-more-filipino-nurses-caregivers.
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Maeda, D. (2003). Social Security, Health Care, and Social Services for the Elderly in Japan. Tokyo: Japan Aging Research Center (JARC).
Matsuyama, K. (2012, September 14). Aging Baby Boomers Face Losing Care as Filipinos Go Home. Retrieved from Bloomberg.net.
Muramatsu, N. a. (2011, May 24). International Spotlight. Retrieved from http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org.
Ogawa, N. (2003). Population Aging and its Impact on the Socioeconomic System in Japan. Tokyo: Japan Aging Research Center (JARC).
Tubeza, P. C. (2011, December 6). Nurses in Japan find language a barrier. Retrieved from http://globalnation.inquirer.net/20297/nurses-in-japan-find-language-a-barrier#sthash.pJeZiqyL.dpuf.
Wordweb, d.
Word count: 3,561

Bibliography: Avendano, C. a. (2012, March 12). Japan envoys thanks Filipino Nurses in Fukushima. Retrieved from Philippine Daily Inquirer/ Asia News Network. Callar, M. d. (2013, January 10). Japan eyes more Filipino nurses, caregivers. Retrieved from http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/289623/pinoyabroad/news/japan-eyes-more-filipino-nurses-caregivers. Kono, S. (2003). Demographic Aspects of Population Ageing in Japan. Tokyo: Japan Aging Research Center (JARC). Maeda, D. (2003). Social Security, Health Care, and Social Services for the Elderly in Japan. Tokyo: Japan Aging Research Center (JARC). Matsuyama, K. (2012, September 14). Aging Baby Boomers Face Losing Care as Filipinos Go Home. Retrieved from Bloomberg.net. Muramatsu, N. a. (2011, May 24). International Spotlight. Retrieved from http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org. Ogawa, N. (2003). Population Aging and its Impact on the Socioeconomic System in Japan. Tokyo: Japan Aging Research Center (JARC). Tubeza, P. C. (2011, December 6). Nurses in Japan find language a barrier. Retrieved from http://globalnation.inquirer.net/20297/nurses-in-japan-find-language-a-barrier#sthash.pJeZiqyL.dpuf. Wordweb, d. Word count: 3,561