Japanese firms seek Filipino IT professionals

REPORT FROM BUSINESSWORLD DAVAO CITY — Japanese firms are looking at the possibility of tapping Filipino information technology (IT) professionals given the big demand for professionals in Japan. Philippine National IT Standards (PhilNITS) Foundation President Maria Corazon Akol told local media on Tuesday that roughly 40,000 IT professionals are required by firms in Japan annually. "Even small and medium enterprises in Japan are offering e-services or technology-driven products so there is a massive opportunity for local IT professionals to work there," Ms. Akol said in an interview after conferring with local government representatives and IT executives here. Japanese locators are eyeing Bohol, Naga, Zamboanga and Cagayan de Oro and Davao as attractive destinations for IT investments, she added. PhilNITS, an organization established through assistance from the Japanese government, has been offering a certification program for local IT professionals and enthusiasts. This program, she said, was borne out of Japan’s proposal to share its IT know-how with its neighbors by establishing mutual certification standards based on common skill standard. "The examination that we have been giving since 2002 aims at improving technical competence and to indicate levels of competence for various IT fields, as well as to establish objective criteria for evaluating skill and competence," she said. A certification from PhilNITS serves as a valid document in processing a working visa to Japan, she claimed. Basic knowledge in speaking Japanese is also a plus. Some 3,308 examinees took the exam since it was offered five years ago. Only 342, however, passed the exams. Ms. Akol said the country’s average passing rate of about 11% is satisfactory compared with other neighboring countries. Information technology practitioners are not the only ones encouraged to take the exam. Third year college students of various IT-related courses may also be allowed to take the test. To date, China and Thailand have become main sources of IT professionals for Japanese firms. Many companies, she said, have set up offices in China to link with its IT manpower pool. BRAIN DRAIN This development, however, has alarmed a local IT leader. Fearing of brain drain, Oliver Robillo, who heads the Association of Solution Integrators in Davao, said PhilNITS program might jeopardize the local industry with competitive IT workers opting to go to Japan for a higher paying job. But Ms. Akol explained that while most of the exam passers were sent to Japan to work, most of them also came back as executives of Japanese firms operating in the country. Companies such as Epson and NEC in Cebu have also been hiring non-passers, she said. "The passing score is 600, but there are firms accepting those who scored 500 and above because they know that the mere act of taking the exam proves you have [the desire to succeed in this field]," Ms. Akol added. Ms. Akol said Davao is an interesting investment location because of its previous ties with Japan. — Christie E. Uayan/BusinessWorld