Thursday, June 27, 2013

Country Migration Report: The Philippines 2013





IOM launches Philippines’ first country migration report
Posted on Tue, Feb-26-2013 
Philippines - Filipino migrant workers or overseas Filipino workers (OFW) represent a major socioeconomic sector of the Philippines, contributing about USD 21.3 billion of remittances in 2012. In fact, the recent improvements in the country's GDP were largely due the consistent financial flow from these migrants.
On the heels of this economic growth, the International Organization for Migration today (27 June 2013) launches the Philippines’ first Country Migration Report (CMR), profiling the migration flows of the island nation.
With the Philippines being a prominent origin of migrant labour and permanent migrants to more than 200 destinations worldwide, the 291-page book was drafted in cooperation with 30 contributing organizations, including the Department of Labor & Employment, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.
The Philippines CMR is the newest addition to more than 40 country migration profiles that IOM has documented since 2007.
The CMR, largely authored by the Scalabrini Migration Center, highlights the country’s most comprehensive and integrated account of its migration management profile. The report discusses the Philippines’ migration history, the trends and characteristics of its migration flows, the impact of international migration on various fronts and its migration governance.
IOM programme officer Ricardo Casco says the CMR is a good reference for an informed policy as well as responsive service programming and delivery. He says the report was completed through a series of inclusive consultations and data-mapping exercises.
Under the Migrant Workers and Filipinos Act, a provision states that there is a need for a shared government information system on migration.
“One good thing about the process was to have rekindled the network of institutions who needed to sit together just on the goal of migration data sharing and report integration”, says Casco.
The report also brought to light critical analyses of migration issues as well as recommendations on how to address these challenges.
"The recommendations point to the need to view migration issues in a larger perspective. The Philippines must take action, through the domestic economy, to positively redirect migration flows – one that will benefit local and regional development," Casco explains.
The Philippines CMR also underscores the need for engagement of government institutions that are not traditionally sensitized with any role in migration.
The launch was spearheaded by Marco Boasso, Chief of Mission of IOM Philippines, with the keynote address of DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and a message from CFO Secretary Imelda Nicolas who shared the lead in mobilizing the inter-agency technical working group.
For more information, please contact
Ricardo Casco
IOM Philippines
Email: rcasco@iom.int



 


CMR Philippines 2012

by IOM and SMC

Produced within the framework of the Migration Profile Development Project for the Philippines, the Country Migration Report: The Philippines provides a comprehensive evidence-based account of the country's migration experience in a single, concise document as a tool for policy-making. 

The CMR was initiated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in response to the Philippine Government's interest to take stock of the country's international migration experience and to harmonize migration data management system within a shared framework. This immediately emerged after the 2011 Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) conference on Migration Profiles co-chaired by the Philippines with Switzerland in Manila. 

The CMR was prepared in cooperation with Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC) with support from the IOM Development Fund and implemented with its key partners: the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). 

In addition to summarizing readily available migration data sets and statistics, the CMR aims to: identify and analyze the challenges and critical areas surrounding migration data management; help narrow existing gaps by bringing to light stakeholders observations of the Philippines' current migration experience; emphasize the connection between migration and development and its significance in the country's migration governance framework.

The Main Parts

Part A – Becoming a country of migration. With a fast increasing and young population, the Philippines has the demographic characteristics of an emigration country. High level of poverty, lack of adequate infrastructure, and an economic development which does not generate an adequate number of jobs contribute to create the economic context for the propensity to seek employment abroad. The demand for workers from fast developing economies in the Middle East and East Asian countries generate a labor migration program, which has continued and expanded because of lack of opportunities in the domestic labor market and a culture of migration which places employment abroad on top of the aspirations of young Filipinos.

signing copies of books
 Part B – Migration trends and characteristics. Since its inception in 1974, the deployment of Filipino  workers has constantly  increased, reaching in 2012 the number of 1,435,166 for landbased workers and 366,865 for seabased workers. It must be  observed that landbased workers include also Filipinos who were already employed abroad and who were rehired after some  vacation at home. In fact, the increase in the number of rehires, which was more significant than that of new hires in recent  years, indicates that the time spent overseas is getting longer and permanent return to the Philippines is postponed. Migrants  originate mostly from Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces. Notable exceptions in this mapping are the provinces of  Pangasinan, Cebu and Maguindanao. In the annual outflow the majority are women, who also tend to be younger than men. The  Gulf countries are the main destination of Filipino workers (67%), while one third go to Asian countries, in particular Hong Kong,  Singapore and Taiwan. Saudi Arabia is always the leading destination country. The top occupations for Filipino workers are  service and production. About 80 percent of OFWs are comprised in those two categories. The single most numerous  occupation is domestic work. The Commission on Filipinos Overseas estimates that the number of Filipinos abroad reaches  approximately 10.5 million, of whom 4.3 million are workers. Perhaps the number of Filipinos permanently abroad (4.7 million) is  overestimated, or requires a more precise definition of who is a Filipino abroad. After 40 years, some constants can be  established. Migration has experienced constant growth, the time spent abroad is also increasing, the top ten countries of destination have remained almost the same, women normally outnumber men in the annual outflows, occupations distribution is dominated by service and production workers, and domestic work is the top occupation of OFWs.

Part C – Impact of migration. Migration affects many people and many aspects political and social realities. Not always sufficient research has been carried out to reach incontrovertible results but some conclusions are generally accepted. Most migrants benefit from migration, but their experience is not without costs. In general, migrants’ families have better housing, better nutrition, better health and better education. Many families, however, also break up because of distance and solitude. At the economic level, migrant families can afford to spend more and come out of poverty level. Some families become dependent on remittances and experience a decrease in labor force participation, but this cannot be generalized. Remittances also increase inequality but it is possible to hypothesize that remittances trickle down to less affluent provinces and communities. To profit from remittances, economic conditions in the country must improve further and generate opportunities for private enterprise and investments. In the labor market, overseas employment reduces to some extent the level of unemployment. At the same time, a close correlation between increase of overseas employment and decrease of unemployment cannot be established. The migration of highly skilled workers did not generate scarcity of skills in the country. There is evidence of brain waste in the migration phenomenon, but data are not sufficient to establish a direct brain drain effect.
There is mismatch between education and labor market in the Philippines. There is an oversupply of graduates in disciplines that are not sufficiently absorbed by the domestic labor market. At the same time, migration exercise a distortive functions in the education system, as too many students enrol in nursing and maritime schools without finding deployment abroad.

Part D – Governance of migration. The Philippines has adopted comprehensive legislation, covering all aspects of the migration phenomenon. It has also entered into bilateral agreements with various governments; it has been active in the migration concerns at the regional level; and pushed for adoption of instruments at the international level. More attention must be given to the local level, where the decision to migrate is forged and where migrants return at the end of the process.

(R-L) Fr. Graziano Battistella, Ms. Mel Nuqui, Ms.Maruja  Asis, and  Mr.Ricardo Casco pose for a souvenir photo.
Part E – Main findings, challenges and recommendations. The most important policy decisions to benefit overseas labor are not directed to the migrants themselves but to the country in general, in particular by improving the conditions for national development. Overregulation of overseas labor, forcing migrants of all categories to follow the same procedures, should be avoided. There should be better coordination among government agencies and better training of migration officers. Systematic and periodic consultation among all stakeholders, in the line of the recently started Overseas Landbased Tripartite Consultative Council, should be ensured. Migrants are a resource, not a problem. Efforts should be made to provide them and their organizations adequate capacities. To give migration a better chance to contribute to development, its potential at the local level should be maximized. The connections with the Filipino diaspora should be strengthened, facilitating the formation of business communities among permanent migrants. The diaspora should be informed about development projects in the Philippines and development opportunities should be inserted in the bilateral agreements. Finally, for the management and study of migration improvements should be fostered concerning migration data, beginning with homogenization of definitions, classifications and procedures, to continue with better equipment and training, and common policies and procedures for sharing data among government agencies. It is also desirable to undertake a national survey on migration.

Country Migration Report : The Philippines 2013

Presentation made by Fr. Graziano Battistella
Executive Director, Scalabrini Migration Center




News on PMRW and other NGOs seek to join ‘sex-fly’ probe


NGOs seek to join ‘sex-fly’ probe

NON-GOVERNMENT and migrant workers’ organizations are clamoring for inclusion in the panel that is investigating complaints that foreign affairs and labor officials assigned in the Middle East sexually exploited distressed overseas Filipino workers in exchange for their quick repatriation.

Susan Ople, president of the OFW rights advocacy group Blas F. Ople Policy Center, said a group of civil society leaders and OFW advocates will send a formal letter to Secretaries Albert del Rosario of foreign affairs and Rosalinda Baldoz of labor requesting that at least two NGO representatives and a social worker from the social welfare department be allowed to sit in the investigating body.

Ople said the group would also ask that the probe be expanded to include all forms of sexual exploitation, including sexual harassment by embassy personnel.

She said they would also propose that government formulate “a more gender-sensitive, professional and developmental approach to shelter management and OFW services.”

The Ople Center is joined in its advocacy by the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Group, LBS Recruitment Solutions, PEBA, the Philippine Migrant Rights’ Watch, and the Kabalikat ng mga OFWs.




NGOs want to be part of 'sex-for-flight' probe

MANILA – Advocates for overseas Filipino workers and a group of civil society leaders want to be included in the investigating panel tasked to probe the 'sex-for-flight' complaints against certain embassy personnel particularly in Middle East posts.

Susan Ople, head of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, said they sent a formal letter of request addressed to the secretaries of foreign affairs and labor and employment to air the following recommendations:
  1. Include at least 2 NGO representatives and a social worker from the DSWD to sit in the investigative panel;
  2. Expand the probe to include all forms of sexual exploitation including sexual harassment by embassy personnel;
  3. Regardless of the outcome of the probes, for the government to formulate a more gender-sensitive, professional and developmental approach to shelter management and OFW services.

NEWS ON PMRW AND OTHER NGOS SEEK TO JOIN ‘SEX-FLY’ PROBE

(photo source - https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRcbvdCnQ2Jiw6gfJJds-fbL9yf0faCrRAnxmE86V4YQ1Gl_yLZ)

NGOs seek to join ‘sex-fly’ probe
NON-GOVERNMENT and migrant workers’ organizations are clamoring for inclusion in the panel that is investigating complaints that foreign affairs and labor officials assigned in the Middle East sexually exploited distressed overseas Filipino workers in exchange for their quick repatriation.
Susan Ople, president of the OFW rights advocacy group Blas F. Ople Policy Center, said a group of civil society leaders and OFW advocates will send a formal letter to Secretaries Albert del Rosario of foreign affairs and Rosalinda Baldoz of labor requesting that at least two NGO representatives and a social worker from the social welfare department be allowed to sit in the investigating body.
Ople said the group would also ask that the probe be expanded to include all forms of sexual exploitation, including sexual harassment by embassy personnel.
She said they would also propose that government formulate “a more gender-sensitive, professional and developmental approach to shelter management and OFW services.”
The Ople Center is joined in its advocacy by the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Group, LBS Recruitment Solutions, PEBA, the Philippine Migrant Rights’ Watch, and the Kabalikat ng mga OFWs.


NGOs want to be part of 'sex-for-flight' probe

MANILA – Advocates for overseas Filipino workers and a group of civil society leaders want to be included in the investigating panel tasked to probe the 'sex-for-flight' complaints against certain embassy personnel particularly in Middle East posts.
Susan Ople, head of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, said they sent a formal letter of request addressed to the secretaries of foreign affairs and labor and employment to air the following recommendations:
  1. Include at least 2 NGO representatives and a social worker from the DSWD to sit in the investigative panel;
  2. Expand the probe to include all forms of sexual exploitation including sexual harassment by embassy personnel;
  3. Regardless of the outcome of the probes, for the government to formulate a more gender-sensitive, professional and developmental approach to shelter management and OFW services

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Migrants' Stories, Migrants' Voices Volume 3 and 4 Now Online

Migrants' Stories, Migrants' Voices 4 presents 10 stories written by migrants and members of their families. It talks about the different and members of their families. It talks about the different faces of migration and the challenges migrants and members of their families had to go through abroad and in the Philippines. It speaks of how migrants faced the challenges of being in a foreign land and how the families left behind coped with the absence of their family members. This book is the fourth collection of migrants' stories that aim to express what our migrant brothers and sisters go through abroad and how their families left behind deal with the situation. book4 001 back4 001 This book is the third in a series of stories of overseas Filipinos and members of their families. It offers twelve stories of men and women who each have had an experience about migration. Each of the stories is an account of individual journeys and encounters; those that are both happy and sad, exciting and difficult, inspiring and painful. Each is a reflection of Philippine society – the poverty and unemployment, the compromised laws and policies, the attempts at filling in gaps – that brought about the push for migration, and resulted in misery for some and fulfilment for others. book3 001 back3 001

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

MOA - Overseas Landbased Tripartite Consultative Council (OLTCC)

MOA - Overseas Landbased Tripartite Consultative Council (OLTCC)

Nature and Scope

2.1 The OLTCC as a consultative body shall:
a) Serve as a forum through which labor, management and government can work together to address issues and concerns involving OFWs;

b) Act as an advisory body to the Secretary of Labor and Employment in terms of policies and programs affecting labor and employment in the overseas employment sector and

c) Endeavor to arrive ai a consensus on matters brought to it for consideration, deliberation and/or resolution.

Functions

The OLTCC shall have the following functions:
a) consult with the concerned stakeholders on issues and concerns involving OFWS;

b) address priority issues and concerns and recommend solutions or measures on labor and employment concerns in the landbased overseas employment sector through social dialogue and other initiatives;

c) review existing laws and regulations and propose measures and policy actions related to the landbased overseas employment sector; and

d) monitor and evaluate the implementation of international, regional and national programs, plans and projects in the landbased overseas employment sector.

MOA - Overseas Landbased Tripartite Consultative Council (OLTCC)