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In a recent episode of iJuander, the team featured two Filipinas residing and working in Japan who are earning up to ₱100,000 a month.

Ivy Villegas who's been working as a vegetable picker in Kumamoto, Japan for three years already has been earning ₱90,000 to ₱100,000 a month in her job.

Source: GTV

The Filipina used to work as a cellphone brand promoter and saleslady in the Philippines and was earning roughly around ₱20,000 a month. Although she did not graduate from college, Ivy pursued her goal to travel to Japan to earn a living for her two kids as the amount she was earning in the country wasn't enough.

As a vegetable picker in Japan, Ivy starts her day at 5:00 a.mm and bikes going to her workplace. Her job entails extracting carrots and radish from the farm, removing the leaves, lining them up, washing them, scaling, and packing.

Although her job requires a lot of movement, Ivy is contented with the money she earns for the hardships she undergoes at work.

Another Filipina in Mishima City, Japan is also experiencing the same benefits from the country. 29-year-old Jera Bracamonte-Koyama who's a fruit picker in Japan earns up to ₱90,000 a month with her job.

Source: GTV

As a fruit picker, her role is to plant and harvest strawberries, take care of them, and pick the grown seed. Aside from that, she also fixes the roof of the greenhouse. But what's truly challenging about her work is the heat inside the greenhouse which goes up to 50° Celsius.

Despite the struggles, Jera still opts to work in Japan than in the Philippines because of the salary difference.

Emy Ruth Gianan, Public Policy Specialist and Instructor from the Department of Economics in Polytechnic University of the Philippines, also confirms this as she shares the three main reasons why there Filipinos opt to be OFWs.

“So yung una is yung mababang pasahod, hindi makakabuhay o makakamit ng standard of living ng ating mga pamilya. Malalaki ang mga pamillya,” She shares

Because of the low salary compensation that's given in the country, more and more Filipinos are opting to work abroad to be able to live a comfortable life and at the same time provide for their family.

Emy also states, “Pangalawa may epekto din yung dami ng ating populasyon. Mabagal yung pag-move ng ating labor market para i-absorb yung mararami nating graduates every year. So yung population may effect din sya.”

And lastly she said, “Yung pangatlo ay yung ating adoption of technology upang maging sophisticated o mas complex ang ating ekonomiya. Ngunit dahil medyo mabagal din ang pag-adopt natin ng technology, nasentro lang ang mga oportunidad para makaempleyo at hindi kumakalat.”

Check out the full video below.

For more inspiring stories like this, watch iJuander every Sunday at 7:45 p.m. on GTV

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