Event

Presenter

Jocelyn Celero, Associate Professor, Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman

Title of Presentation

Health and Social Security Systems: Literacy of Filipino Migrant Workers in Japan

Abstract

Regarded as newcomer migrants, Filipinos constitute the fourth largest migrant group in Japan. They occupy diverse categories according to visa status and economic activity. This scoping study is concerned with their health and social well-being as depicted in the existing literature. It aims to survey the studies that deal with migrants’ health and social security systems literacy, or the ways Filipino migrant workers are familiar with, understand, and are knowledgeable about health and social policies, programs, and initiatives either or/ both in the Philippines as origin and Japan as destination country. Using the Six-Stage Methodological Framework for Scoping Review adapted from notable social researchers (Arksey and O’Malley 2005; Levac, Colquhoun, and O’Brien 2010; Liu et.al. 2015) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses-Extension for Scoping Reviews or PRISMA-ScR, the study searched for published literature on six databases and extracted relevant studies using Covidence software.

Of the 25 articles about Japan, 13 quantitative studies on its health and social protection systems include Filipinos in the migrant sample, while 12 qualitative types of research deal with Filipino migrant workers in relation to Japan’s health and social systems. Most studies about health and social security systems problematize the circumstances of Filipino migrant women and focus more on the accessibility rather than literacy of the systems. This paper recommends more studies should be done on migrant literacy the longer migrant workers stay and contribute to the sustainability of the health and social security systems in the host country.

Keywords

health security, social security, migrant health and social security, systems literacy, Filipino migrant workers, Japan

Profile

With 20 years of teaching experience in the Philippines and Japan, I specialize in Global Migration, Japan-Philippine Relations, Southeast Asian Studies, Philippine History, and English for various purposes. I hold a PhD in International Studies from Waseda University, Tokyo, and was a recipient of a 6-year Japanese Government Scholarship for ethnographic research on Japanese-Filipinos and Filipino migrants in Japan. My research has allowed me to collaborate with scholars, organize academic events, and deliver presentations in multiple countries, resulting in numerous publications. Passionate about ethnographic research and intercultural exchanges, I can work independently or contribute to group research projects. I prioritize both goals and people, striving to serve the best interests of any team, institution, or organization I join.