- 會議論文
- OpenAccess
Health systems literacy of Filipina migrant workers in Japan: a survey on Philippine and Japanese health care
摘要
INTRODUCTION: Filipinos constitute the fourth largest migrant group in Japan. An outcome of feminized migration, they are predominantly identified as either marriage migrants in the 1970s or entertainers in the 1980s. While Japan is a less known destination for domestic workers, Filipino women recruited into the sector either work for expat families, or are outsourced through the Philippine recruitment agencies by Japanese housekeeping service company counterparts beginning 2018. Given the demographic presence of Filipinos, understanding the accessibility and literacy of Filipino migrant workers on heath securt system ought to be at the forefront of national and bilateral health agendas. OBJECTIVES: The study aims to develop survey tools for assessing the level of literacy of Filipino house helpers in Japan about the health systems of Japan and the Philippines. It also aims to examine how literate Filipino migrant workers are with respect to the prevailing health care programs and policies in the two countries over the years, and the, and the mechanisms of the two governments for promoting health care information and services to Filipino migrants themselves. METHODS: Data used for this research is based on the interviews with government agencies in the Philippines, as well as the interviews and pilot surveys with Filipino house helpers mainly based in Tokyo. RESULTS: Findings show that while working in Japan, Filipino migrant house helpers tend to sometimes disregard Philippine-based programs and policies that seek to protect their health. As a result, their level of literacy in Philippine systems fluctuates while the level of literacy in Japanese health system tends to improve the longer Filipinas live and work in the country, and they gradually become alienated from the Philippine system. Yet, despite the availability of health and social pension benefits in the receiving context, Filipino domestic workers who are ageing, part-timers, and low-wage may face greater vulnerabilities and barriers to attaining health systems literacy. CONCLUSION: While both the Philippine and Japanese health security systems provide for the needs of Filipino migrant workers, the Japanese health care system is preferred by Filipino migrant workers for its relatively more adequate provision and efficienty to Philippine systems. It remains a challenge for the Japanese health system to be inclusive, while the Philippine heath care must strive to develop mechanisms for periodically communicating and making its health programs portable for Filipinos overseas.