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Addressing the impending shortage of care for older adults requires coordinated action across workforce development, financing, support for informal carers, prevention, technology, and system redesign. Drawing on recommendations from the OECD, WHO, national experiences in high-aging countries (Japan, South Korea, Germany, Nordic nations), and expert analyses, the following policies target the core drivers: rising demand, workforce shortages, funding pressures, and over-reliance on unpaid family care.

1. Strengthening the formal care workforce

The most immediate bottleneck is the shortage of paid carers.

OECD analyses emphasize that without better job quality, recruitment and retention will fail even with expanded training.

Raise wages and improve working conditions: Higher pay relative to hospital or other sectors, reduced physical strain, better scheduling, career progression pathways, and stronger occupational health protections. Countries have used sectoral minimum wages (e.g., Scotland and Wales) and public funding increases to support this. Collective bargaining and recognition of care work as skilled employment are key. Evidence shows poor conditions drive high turnover; improving them is essential for retention.

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Expand training and recruitment pipelines: Subsidized or free training for unemployed people, career changers, students, and underrepresented groups (including efforts to attract more men). Japan increased its long-term care (LTC) workforce substantially in earlier years through targeted programs. Accelerated training with work placements (as in Canada) and standardized curricula help scale supply quickly. Long-term workforce planning with better forecasting is needed to align education capacity with demand.

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Ethical international recruitment: Targeted migration pathways with visas, language training, and pathways to longer-term residency, paired with bilateral agreements that support origin countries (to avoid ‘brain drain’). Japan uses multiple schemes (economic partnership agreements, specified skilled worker visas, and student-to-worker pathways). South Korea has launched university-based programs for foreign students to train as caregivers with settlement incentives. Germany and Denmark have similar recruitment measures. Migration is a near-term bridge but is not a complete substitute for improving domestic attractiveness.

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2. Sustainable financing mechanisms

Public spending on long-term care must rise in most countries, but new structures can improve equity, adequacy, and fiscal sustainability.

Mandatory or expanded LTC insurance: Japan’s long-term care insurance (introduced in 2000, with contributions starting at age 40) provides a transparent, universal-risk-sharing model focused on maintaining dignity and independence. Germany and Luxembourg incorporate pre-funding elements. Slovenia introduced LTC insurance in 2023. These systems pool risk better than pure tax-based approaches in some contexts and clarify entitlements.

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Diversify funding and improve targeting: Expand beyond labor taxes (e.g., broader bases or pre-funding), while prioritizing benefits for those with the greatest needs and fewest resources. Caps on out-of-pocket costs scaled by need and income can protect the most vulnerable without universal over-coverage. Some countries explore hybrid public-private models or life/LTC insurance products.

Increase public investment linked to broader goals: Treat LTC as a priority tied to gender equality, labor force participation, and economic growth. Higher spending can create jobs while reducing unmet needs and hospital pressures.

3. Supporting informal and family caregivers

Informal care still provides the majority of support in most places. Policies should reduce burnout and enable workforce participation (especially for women).

Paid or flexible carer leave, cash allowances or benefits, respite care services, and free training/support programs.

Recognition of carers’ contributions and measures to prevent them from exiting the labor market permanently.

OECD and WHO frameworks stress integrating support for unpaid carers into formal systems.

4. Prevention, healthy ageing, and demand management

Reducing the intensity or onset of care needs can ease future pressure.

n Invest in prevention, early diagnosis, rehabilitation (‘reablement’), and healthy ageing programs (e.g., home visits in Denmark and Norway, lifestyle interventions). OECD modeling suggests healthy ageing strategies could lower future LTC expenditures significantly (around 13 percent in some scenarios).

Promote age-friendly environments, home adaptations, and community support so more people can live independently longer.

Research into dementia and age-related conditions, supported by public funding.

5. Technology, productivity, and service redesign

Assistive technology and robotics: Japan has subsidized care robots and digital tools in nursing homes. Studies link adoption to better retention, higher employment of flexible workers, reduced physical strain, and improved care quality indicators (e.g., fewer restraints or pressure ulcers). Productivity gains from technology and task-shifting (e.g., advanced nursing roles) can moderate workforce needs.

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Shift toward home- and community-based care: Most older people prefer ageing in place. Expand home care hours, integrated community services, and ‘hospitals at home’ models while ensuring quality. Nordic countries and others demonstrate stronger community orientation. WHO advocates person-centered, integrated health and social care packages as part of universal health coverage.

System integration and governance: Better coordination between health and social care, clear quality standards, staffing ratios where appropriate, and transparent regulation. Long-term national strategies with monitoring of workforce wellbeing and unmet needs are essential.

Implementation considerations and country examples

No single package fits all contexts. High-income super-ageing societies (Japan, South Korea, parts of Europe) prioritize workforce attractiveness, technology, and insurance expansion. Rapidly ageing middle-income countries (China and others) focus on building basic formal infrastructure, community services, pilot insurance schemes, and training at scale, often with international support (e.g., World Bank projects in China expanding community-based care and workforce training). Lower-income settings emphasize supporting family carers while gradually formalizing services.

Challenges include fiscal constraints, political prioritization, and the time lag between training and workforce impact. Success requires sustained commitment rather than short-term measures. OECD reports repeatedly stress that improving job quality and recognition of care work is foundational-without it, other reforms underperform.

These solutions are mutually reinforcing: better-paid, better-supported workers deliver higher-quality care; prevention and technology moderate demand; robust financing enables expansion; and support for families prevents system overload. Countries that treat elderly care as a strategic investment in social cohesion and economic resilience-rather than a residual cost-are better positioned to manage the demographic transition with dignity for older people and fairness for carers.

Nesthy Petecio stamped her superiority in her first fight at the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games with a Referee Stopped Contest (RSC) victory over Jordan’s Mays Alreem Abukhadijah in women’s 60 kgs class of boxing at the Nishio City General Gymnasium on Saturday.

Referee Lukman Wekadapola stopped the fight in the 1:51 mark of the second round.

The featherweight silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paris 2024 asserted her dominance right from the opening bell to get the judges’ nod, 10-9.

The Filipina boxing star then unleashed her sheer power in the second round, scoring two devastating knockdowns against her Jordanian opponent that left the referee with no choice but to wave off the fight.

Petecio joined fellow Tokyo silver medalist Carlo Paalam in the quarterfinals-Paalam defeated Commonwealth Games silver medalist Jadumani Mandengbam of India via a 3-0 split decision earlier on Saturday.

‘Good day today for us as two Olympic medalists Carlo (Paalam) and Nesthy joined (Junmilardo) Ogayre to make it three boxers in the quarterfinals,’ Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president Marcus Manalo said.

The ABAP chief outlined the crucial upcoming bouts, noting that the national team is now just one victory away from securing podium finishes.

In the quarters, Petecio will face Chengyu Yang of China, Ogayre is pitted against Uzbek Abdumalik Khlakov in men’s 60 kgs and Paalam will go up against China’s Jiaomao Zhang in the men’s 55-kg.

Weightlifter Albert Ian Delos Santos made a statement in his Asian Games debut, clinching bronze in the Men’s 70kg event at the 20th Asian Games on Saturday at the Fukiage Hall in Nagoya, Japan.

The 20-year-old lifted 141kg in the snatch, followed by 183kg in the clean and jerk for a 324kg total in his first appearance in the continental meet.

Aside from winning bronze, Delos Santos also broke his previous junior world and Asian record in clean and jerk by successfully lifting 181kg in his third attempt

The pride of Zamboanga City once again rewrote the junior world and Asian record books, hosting an 183kg lift in his third and final attempt in clean and jerk and a 324kg total.

‘I’m thankful, my God. Unexpected, but yun, palagi ko naman sinasabi, have fun. Like sila at Heidi, sinasabi, have fun, no pressure. But, opposite ako. And I give myself sobrang pressure. Like, whenever mag-isa lang ako, sige ko, wag mo sa sayang, yung first time mo to. Kung hindi, hindi ka makamedal, another four years,’ he told POC Media.

Delos Santos said he felt his late father Alvin’s presence during the warmup, where he noticed the light was brighter than usual in his platform.

‘Coincidentally, yung lights, yung ganyan, it’s not that bright sa iba. But yung platform ko mismo was the bright. Sabi ko, I’m gonna be sentimental. That’s papa. Nangyari din to sa akin sa Egypt. Parang warehouse siya. And so, yung sun, barely siya nagapasok sa loob. Pero may mga windows. Yung light beam, Sa platform ko lang, ina-observe ko. Sabi ko, okay, thank you pa. Okay, nandito ka,’ he said.

North Korea’s Ri Won Ju topped the event with a total of 349kg, successfully lifting 198kg in the clean and jerk to set a new world, Asian Games, and Asian record.

Hometown bet Masanori Miyamoto captured silver with a 342kg total, despite leading after the snatch.

When asked how he will celebrate, Delos Santos said he will go around, eat and enjoy Japan with his mother and his team.

AS the Middle East crisis continued to cause global supply chain disruptions, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday issued Executive Order 125 temporarily suspending the excise taxes on liquified petroleum products (LPG) and kerosene, which are used in cooking and other daily needs.

The suspension will apply on LPG except when used as raw materials for production of petrochemical products or used for motive power and kerosene, except when used for aviation.

The excise taxes for the covered petroleum products will revert to the rates prescribed under the National Internal Revenue Code one week after the one-month average Dubai crude oil price based Means of Platts of Singapore (MOPS) falls below US$80 per barrel as certified by the Department of Energy (DOE), or after three months from the effectivity of the order.

Under Republic Act 12316, the President may suspend or reduce excise tax on petroleum products when the average price of Dubai crude oil based on MOPS reaches or exceeds US$80 dollar per barrel for one month preceding the issuance of the suspension or reduction.

Marcos issued EO 125 based on the recommendation of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) in coordination with DOE.

It will take effect immediately upon the publication of EO 125 in the Official Gazette or in newspapers of general circulation.

The Department of Finance (DOF) and DOE were allowed to issue rules, regulations and guidelines for the implementation of the suspension.

Both agencies were directed to conduct an inventory of existing stocks of LPG and kerosene once EO 125 takes effect.

DOF’s Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Internal Revenue were mandated to submit to the House of Representatives monthly information on the declared value and volume of petroleum products covered by EO 125.

Within 15 days from the issuance of EO 125, the DBCC in coordination with DOE will review the implementation of the new issuance to the House of Representatives and the Senate. It may also recommend to the President the continuation, modification, extension, or termination of the said suspension.

The government implemented a similar measure from April to June, which resulted in P2.5 billion in forgone government revenues.

Marcos issued EO 125 after DOE announced there can be a rollback in the price of diesel and kerosene next week amid renewed diplomatic engagement between the United States and Iran, which can allow more ships carrying oil and gas to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

GAPS in job-placement networks and difficulties in transferring specialized skills from foreign workers to Filipinos remain hurdles to improving employment outcomes, according to two studies by the Department of Labor and Employment’s Institute for Labor Studies (DOLE-ILS).

Job placement offices (JPOs) remain largely constrained by limited personnel, funding and institutional support despite their role in helping students and graduates transition from school to work.

‘The data across all five clusters reveals one common theme,’ ILS Supervising Labor and Employment Officer Athena Marie Son said.

‘JPOs are being asked to solve a national problem, the educated jobless phenomenon, and improvement of PES, without the standardized mandate, resources, or structure to succeed,’ she added.

At the time of the research, 383 JPOs were accredited, with 61 percent operating in higher education institutions that represented only 11 percent of all HEIs.

The findings came from a study titled ‘The Role of Job Placement Offices in Public Employment Services: Five-Cluster Diagnostics,’ which examined governance and strategy, organization and management, labor market services, partnerships, and performance management.

Researchers surveyed 83 JPOs nationwide and supplemented the survey with focus group discussions, key informant interviews, document analysis of 82 memorandums of agreement and site visits in Regions 5, 11, 9, 8 and the National Capital Region.

Limited resources

Around 30 percent of the JPOs surveyed were classified as high-performing in governance, while 45 percent were still developing their governance systems.

Only half had a standard manual of operations, while just six had reporting systems for their activities.

Staffing was another major constraint, with 86 percent of JPO personnel performing placement functions as an additional responsibility and 51 percent of offices having only one to two staff members.

More than half also had annual budgets below P100,000 or no dedicated budget, while only 34 percent rated their office space as fully sufficient.

‘JPOs should be completely institutionalized for them to effectively provide quality public employment service,’ Son said.

JPOs provide services such as job fairs, career development assistance, job matching and referrals, labor market information, employer engagement, alumni mentoring, livelihood and entrepreneurship support, and assistance for vulnerable youth.

Digital tools were used by 67 percent of the offices, although Son noted that online job postings can also expose students and graduates to unverified opportunities.

‘You can only apply for jobs you know about,’ Son said, stressing the importance of making employment opportunities more visible to young jobseekers.

The study recommended institutionalizing JPOs, creating a national manual of operations, establishing a development fund, strengthening capacity-building programs and developing better systems for tracking outcomes.

Son said stronger partnerships among JPOs, DOLE offices and other stakeholders could also help improve employment services and labor-market alignment.

Foreign skills hard to localize

A separate ILS study found that companies transferring specialized knowledge and technology from foreign nationals to Filipino workers face challenges involving language barriers, limited training time, advanced skills requirements and succession planning.

ILS Senior Labor and Employment Officer Chelsea Nicole Pineda presented the findings from ‘Technology and Skills Transfer through the Understudy Training Program and Skills Development Program: Good Practices and Lessons Learned.’

Under the Understudy Training Program, two Filipino workers next in rank are expected to eventually assume the foreign national’s position and disseminate the knowledge acquired, while the Skills Development Program does not impose the same next-in-rank requirement.

Only 39 percent of the 140 enterprises surveyed had implemented a UTP or skills development program, with nearly 70 percent of those implementers coming from the manufacturing sector.

Language emerged as one of the more difficult areas of skills transfer, particularly for BPO positions requiring Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, French or German.

‘Imagine for you to have a native level proficiency, it would take you more than 5 to 10 years and you need exposure to practice this language,’ Pineda said.

Some jobs also require cultural knowledge, including culinary positions where authenticity matters and casino roles involving VIP clients.

Coaching, succession key to skills transfer

Companies commonly use coaching and mentoring, job shadowing, practical application, peer-to-peer learning, simulations, product demonstrations and rotational assignments to transfer specialized skills.

‘The most effective way of transferring knowledge, skills, or technology is through a coaching and mentoring approach,’ Pineda said.

About 48 percent of respondents reported having transition frameworks for localizing positions previously held by foreign nationals, including succession planning, job-readiness assessments, transition timelines and formal turnover documents.

Turnover among understudies, insufficient training periods, enterprise-specific skills, staffing requirements and regulatory compliance were among the difficulties reported by participating companies.

Pineda said human-resource personnel also need to incorporate skills transfer into workforce planning to ensure that Filipino workers are prepared to assume positions eventually vacated by foreign nationals.

‘It is very important for these Human Resource personnel to really have a workforce planning and to plan how to train the other workers and at the same time how to facilitate the training to achieve their key performance indicators within the company,’ she said.

The study recommended creating a subcommittee under the Interagency Task Force on Employment of Foreign Nationals to identify specialized skills lacking in the local workforce and determine appropriate transfer methods and training periods.

Researchers also proposed a standardized UTP template identifying the skills, technology or knowledge to be transferred, proficiency levels, training methods, assessment mechanisms and target evaluation periods.

Both studies underscored the need to better connect employment services, education, employer demand and skills development to address labor-market mismatches.