Definitions of Key Terms
- JITCO: Japan International Training Cooperation Organization, a Japanese non-profit supporting companies accepting foreign interns.
- STTP: Program to develop Filipino technical interns through Japanese training and work for global competitiveness.
- Technical Intern: Filipino aged 18-40 seeking advanced skills via industrial training/internship in Japan.
- Sending Organization: TESDA-accredited Philippine entity selecting trainees, conducting pre-deployment education, and sending interns.
- Sending Company: Philippine companies employing workers willing to enhance skills via training in Japan.
- Supervising Organization: Accredited Japanese entities capable of hosting and training interns under Japanese law.
- Implementing Organization: Japanese member enterprises accepting interns under association management.
- Technical Interns in the pipeline: Those issued Letters of Recommendation by TESDA between March-June 2010.
- Preparatory Seminars: Pre-deployment training including Work Ethics, Japanese Cross Culture, Language, and Pre-Departure Orientation.
- Work Ethics Seminar: Focuses on values like hard work and character development.
- Japanese Cross Culture Seminar: Provides understanding of Japanese culture, customs, and social practices.
- Pre-departure Orientation: Covers rights, responsibilities, travel tips, and other deployment information.
- Pre-departure Briefing: Recruitment agency's briefing on training, employment terms, and implementing organization details.
- Joint and Solidary Liability: Shared responsibility of employer, sending organization, and officers for employment contract claims.
- Technical Internship Plan: Detailed document outlining training scope, curriculum, schedules, and responsibilities.
- Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC): POEA-issued exit clearance exempting holders from travel tax and terminal fee.
- License: Authorization for entities to operate recruitment agencies.
- Principal: Japanese supervising organization engaging interns through a licensed Philippine agency.
- Registration of Principals: Authorization for foreign principals to recruit interns through licensed agencies.
- Special Power of Attorney: Document allowing licensed agency to recruit on principal’s behalf.
- Technical Intern Offer: Document specifying occupation type, intern numbers, and allowances.
Issuance of POEA Exit Clearance for Technical Interns in the Pipeline
- Applies to interns with TESDA-issued Letters of Recommendation (March-June 2010).
- Required documents for OEC issuance include visa, seminar attendance certificates, employment contract, medical certificate, internship plan, undertaking of joint liability, POEA and OWWA fees, and PhilHealth premium.
- TESDA-accredited sending organizations conduct preparatory seminars and orientations under OWWA and TESDA supervision.
- Sending organizations share joint and solidary liability for interns with supervising/implementing organizations.
Licensing of Sending Organizations
- Philippine sending organizations may apply for POEA licenses under existing recruitment agency licensing rules.
Registration of Japanese Supervising/Implementing Organizations
- Technical interns must be sourced through JITCO-accredited supervising organizations.
- Registration requires documents like supervising organization's license, special power of attorney, technical intern offer, and sample employment contract.
- Agency ensures validity of all internship documentation.
- Additional technical intern offers require formal requests and technical intern offer documentation.
- Registration validity is up to four years, subject to revocation for grounds such as business license expiration, mutual agreement, false documentation, disciplinary judgment, or license cancellation.
- Dual registration limited to two agencies per principal with conditions on compensation uniformity and intern minimums.
Preparatory Programs for Technical Interns
- OWWA supervises Pre-departure Orientation.
- TESDA supervises Japanese Language Training, Work Ethics Seminar, and Japanese Cross Culture Seminar.
- Licensed agencies provide pre-departure briefing on training and work.
- All preparatory programs are free of charge to interns.
Issuance of POEA Exit Clearance to Newly Hired and Vacationing Technical Interns
- New interns must submit employment contract, information sheet, visa, seminar certificates, and completed processing forms.
- Vacationing interns submit valid visa and monitoring sheet for contract compliance and reintegration preparation.
Fees and Charges
- No fees or costs shall be charged directly or indirectly to the technical interns for selection or deployment.
- Interns’ wages/allowances may only be subjected to allowable host country deductions, such as taxes.
Monitoring and Reporting
- Japanese principals conduct monthly monitoring and submit quarterly reports to Japan immigration and POLO.
- Agencies submit monthly deployment reports to POEA.
- POEA submits monthly processed and deployment reports to POLO and Japanese Embassy.
Reintegration of Technical Interns
- NRCO-OWWA manages reintegration, including debriefing returning interns.
- Agencies must submit returning interns’ lists three months before return.
- NRCO conducts post-internship evaluations and prepares reintegration plans.
- Reintegration implementation is documented and reported to JITCO.
Post-Internship Services
- NRCO provides post-internship services aimed at optimizing benefits of acquired skills for local application.
Compliance
- The guidelines are effective immediately upon issuance and require compliance by all concerned parties.