THE Philippines is poised to strengthen its role as a major source of health care and caregiving workers in the Asia-Pacific as aging populations deepen labor shortages, a Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) study showed.
“The increasing prevalence of aging populations in the Asia-Pacific region has led to significant changes in the demand for labor in caregiving, domestic and health care sectors,” PIDS researchers noted.
“These structural-demographic shifts have intensified the reliance on migrant workers, with Filipina women emerging as a critical labor force within the region’s global value chains,” they added.
The researchers said that countries such as Japan, Singapore and Australia were increasingly relying on migrant workers to support health care, caregiving and domestic work sectors as their elderly populations continued to expand.
Singapore, for instance, is expected to become a “super-aged” society by 2030, with one in four residents likely aged 65 and above. Japan already has one of the world’s oldest populations, with nearly 29 percent of its citizens aged 65 and older as of 2021, while Australia’s elderly population is also rising steadily.
“This demographic reality has exacerbated the demand for live-in domestic helpers and caregivers, positions predominantly occupied by women from the Philippines and Indonesia,” the PIDS researchers said.
Singapore consistently received the highest number of overseas Filipino workers among the three countries examined, having 195,346 deployed in 2024, while Japan and Australia received 49,825 and 19,779 workers, respectively.
The study estimated that around 20 to 30 percent of the approximately 200,000 to 250,000 Filipinos residing in Singapore were employed in health care and elderly care services.
Meanwhile, Australia’s aged-care sector is expected to require significantly more workers over the coming decades. The study cited projections showing that Australia’s elderly population could reach 6.66 million by 2041, increasing pressure on health care and long-term care systems.
Using estimates from Australia’s care sector, researchers projected that the country could require over 420,000 care workers by 2040.
“The structural dependence of Australia’s care economy on migrant labor” is expected to deepen as the country struggles to meet labor shortages domestically, the researchers said.
The study cited estimates showing Japan’s health care sector could face a shortage of as many as 570,000 workers by 2040.
To address labor gaps, Japan has expanded immigration and labor mobility programs for foreign workers through bilateral agreements and special visa schemes targeting health care and caregiving professionals.
Researchers noted that Filipina workers had become highly sought after in these labor markets due to their English proficiency, caregiving skills and adaptability.
“Filipina migrant workers occupy a comparative advantage position within these transnational care economies,” the researchers said.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) data showed that women account for roughly 87 percent of caregiving enrollees and graduates nationwide.
The study said these trends reinforce the Philippines’ “comparative advantage” as a provider of skilled and English-speaking caregivers for aging economies abroad.
However, researchers warned that the country’s growing dependence on labor migration also exposed structural vulnerabilities.
The paper flagged “brain drain” concerns as the continued outflow of nurses and caregivers contributes to domestic shortages in health care workers.
The researchers also noted that migrant workers often face precarious employment conditions, wage disparities, limited social protections and emotional strain associated with long-term family separation.
“Despite their critical role in addressing labor shortages, these workers face precarious employment conditions, gendered inequalities and limited access to social protections,” the researchers said.
They called for stronger bilateral agreements, improved labor protections, better portability of social security benefits and technology-driven upskilling programs to ensure more sustainable and equitable labor systems.
They also urged greater regional cooperation among Asia-Pacific economies to address the long-term challenges posed by aging populations and increasing reliance on migrant labor.
“Ensuring the protection, empowerment and equitable inclusion of Filipina migrant workers aligns with APEC’s (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) goals of fostering sustainable and inclusive economic growth,” the researchers said.
