06 an overview on the global presence of filipinos - prof. mary lou l. alcid

8/14/2019 06 an Overview on the Global Presence of Filipinos - Prof. Mary Lou L. Alcid

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An Overview on The Global

Presence of Filipinos: Location,

Discourse, and EngagementsMary Lou L. Alcid

College of Social Work &Community Development


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Diaspora

the movement, migration, orscattering of a people away from anestablished or ancestral homeland

settlement of people in areas thatare far from their ancestralhomelands


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Filipino Diaspora

Estimated total of8,187,710overseas Filipinos (almost 10 per

cent of population)Permanent: 3,907,842

Temporary: 3,626,259

Irregular : 653,609

Source: Commission on Filpinos Overseas


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Location

Geographical

Americas/

Trust Territories : 3,518,699

West Asia: 2,261,924

East & South Asia:1,085,049


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Europe 693,079

Oceania 312,792

Africa 54,554


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Philippine

Deployment

Source: POEA, 2008

Overseas Filipino Workers Deployment 2008

(New Hires and Rehires)

Regions Deployment

(January-December)2008 2007 % Change

Asia 219,598 218,983 .28

West Asia 631,828 487,878 29.5

Europe 51,795 45,613 13.5

Americas 31,916 28,019 13.9

Trust Territories 5,461 6,674 -18.2

Africa 16,434 13,126 25.2

Oceana 15,030 10,691 40.5

Others 2,265 7 322.6

Land based total 974, 399 811,070 20.1

Sea-based total 261, 614 266,553 -1.8

Total 1,236,013 1,077,623 14.7


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Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo:

These movements occur in all directions,not just south-to-north, but also south-to-south, north-to-north, and in every otherconceivable direction. It is this ceaselessand restless movement of people thattruly links our respective countries, not

just the capital or goods that economistslove to build their growth models on. It is

people who stimulate the trade, businessand economic exchanges that keep theglobal economy moving along.


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Three out of every 10 Filipinos are nowconsidering moving to anothercountry if it were possible, according

to Pulse Asia. (PhilStar 8/10/2006)

Why? To escape the political and

economic uncertainty in thePhilippines.


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Features of Migration

Multi-dimensional

Intergenerational

Feminised Institutionalised and state-mediated

Directed towards East and West Asia


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Feminisation of Migration

Basis is not only sheer number

Global gender-based division of labour

Discrimination against women

Informalisation of womens work

> Low valuation

> Extension of reproductive work

> Exclusion from social and legalprotection,including access to justice


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Skills categories of FemaleNew Hires in 2008

Service workers (81.5%)

Clerical workers (64.3%)

Sales workers (63.1%)


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Increasingly, women whomigrate from poor countries tocarry out reproductive work inthe households of wealthiercountries participate in a globalcare chain as they become

members of transnationalfamilies. (Yinger)


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PGMA Administration: People will gowhere there are jobs available. Thework of government is to ensure

orderly migration (management ofmigration). Government does notpromote migration.


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World systems theory

international migration is an offshoot ofglobal capitalism.

As capitalism extends outward from core nations,

and as market relations penetrate countries inthe developing and former communist world,noncapitalist patterns of social and economicorganization are disrupted and transformed. ,large numbers of people are displaced from

secure livelihoods as peasant farmers, familyartisans, and employees of state-ownedindustries, creating a mobilized population proneto migrate, both internally andinternationally.(Massey 1988).


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Landbased workers (new hires &re-hires)

1975-79: 211,878 were deployed

1980-89: 2,298,443

1990-99: 5,299,4282000-08 :6,550,381


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Sea-based workers

1975-79: 167,945

1980-89: 644,092

1990-99: 1,593,2692000-08: 2,231,602


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Breaking the 200 country-barrier

Pres. Arroyos target: min. of 1 Mdeployment annually

Change in the focus of POEA: fromregulation to . full-blast market-development efforts, the explorationof frontier, fertile job markets for

Filipino expatriate workers (A.O.247)


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CHEd

The newly createdPresidential Task Force on

Education has adopted thePhilippine Main EducationHighway as blueprint to

meet its goal of producing quality and world classgraduates. (Valisno 2008)


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CHEd

CHEd Chair, Dr. Emmanuel Angeles:

We need to align our degree programs withthose of other countries in the world,because by 2015 ten Association ofSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN)countries will open their borders; and, by2020 the Philippines would join the Asia-

Pacific Economic Cooperation TradeRegime (APEC).

10+2+3 scheme


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Technical Education and SkillsDevelopment Authority : PGMAdirected it align its priorities to

POEAs aggressive marketinginitiative and to intensify its skillstraining and skills upgrading program.


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Profl Regulation Commission

Its mandate has gone farbeyond licensing board

passers into promoting andsustaining a corps of world-class, technical proficient,

and ethically competentFilipino professionals.(PRCWebsite)


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Major issues of overseas Filipinos

Contract violations

Insecurity of tenure

Discrimination (e.g. VAW)Partial citizenship in destination

countries

DeskillingFamily concerns: infidelities,

wayward children, violence


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Human Trafficking

"the Philippines is primarily a countryof origin of trafficked for the purposesof commercial sexual exploitation andforced labor, primarily to Japan,Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, &South Korea. (June 2008 U.S. State DepartmentTrafficking in Persons Report)

Filipinas trafficked range from 300,000to 400,000 annually (Senator Jinggoy Estrada, November2008)


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Human Trafficking

Trafficking of Filipinas in Singaporereached "all-time high", with 212 cases in2007, representing a very alarming

increase from 59 in 2004 (DFA, 2008)

Malaysia: 9 Filipinas recruited by aMalaysia-based syndicate led by aSingaporean who used the alias Alfred Lim(PDI, March 26, 2009)


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Major Concerns

Illegal recruitment which reflectsweakness in the exercise ofregulatory power by the government


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Illegal Recruitment

POEA Administrator Jennifer Manalili:POEA has noticed an increase in

illegal recruitment cases, moreparticularly in Cavite and Calabarzon

areas. (April 21-23, 2009, Convention on Illegal Recruitment-FreeLGUs, Davao City.)

Malaysia: At least 40 Filipina victims wererepatriated to the country on March 23,2009 (VP Noli De Castro).

Lebanon: 57 Filipina domestic helpersrepatriated from Lebanon, most of themescaped from their employers (ABS-CBNNews: May 6, 2009).


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Consequences of institutionalisedmigration

Culture of migration

Emergence of transnational families

Demographic shifts in communitiesBusinesses targetting overseas

Filipinos: door-to-door deliveries,real estate

Social costs : brain drain, brainhemorrhage, family problems


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Moral Hazard

In economics, this means that aneconomic agent becomes carelessor negligent if there is assurance of

support or subsidy during periods ofrisk and uncertainty Remittances ofOCWs may create wrong incentives

arising from this moral hazardproblem. (Aldaba,F. 2004)


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Remittances

Yr 2000 = US$ 6.0 billion

2008 = US$ 16.4 billion in 2008(annual growth rate of 13.3%)

Sept. 2009 = US$ 12.79 billion,

4.2 per cent (BSP)

Remittances fuel domestic spending whichis the main engine of the countryseconomic growth.


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Challenges to the NextAdministration

Job creation : Until when should thegovernment promote overseasemployment?

Lack of protection for overseasFilipinos during the migration cycle:pre-departure, in transit, onsite and

return


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Challenges

Mobilization of local government units inrecruitment and marketing, but not in theprotection of migrants

Sensitizing frontline workers ofgovernment agencies, Philippineembassies and consulates to the situation,and rights of overseas Filipinos

Providing for migrants social protection


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Initiatives by Migrants

Organisations

Organising (mutual support to political )

Advocacy

Networking

Education on their rights, entitlements

Legal action

Transnational movement-building : e.g.

domestic workers alliance (Philippines andforeign based workers)

Anti-Trafficking


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gSeminar, Escopa

Non-supportConsultation

Roundtable

Discussion, IllegalRecruitment


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06 an overview on the global presence of filipinos - prof. mary lou l. alcid

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