The announcement of a basic free-trade agreement between Japan and the Philippines at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in Santiago, Chile, was met with a positive response in the Japanese media. Japan, after all, clearly came out ahead: Tariffs on Japanese imported steel products will be substantially lowered in exchange for lower tariffs on Philippine pineapples and bananas.

Bananas aren't produced in Japan and pineapples are only grown in a small area of Okinawa, so it's hard to see just what Japan gave up in the negotiations, especially since Tokyo refuses to budge on opening its market to sugar. However, the FTA deal isn't done just yet, and one of the items that remains high on the agenda is the acceptance of Philippine workers in Japan, specifically nurses and caregivers.

At the moment, the Japanese government is being stingy about a possible acceptance of Philippine nurses. One or two hundred a year are the figures being floated. It's hardly meaningful for a country where earnings by overseas workers account for 7 percent of the gross domestic product. About 8 million Filipinos work abroad -- slightly more than 10 percent of the country's total population -- and send money home.