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By Dave L. Llorito, Research Head and
Kristine R. Payuan, Researcher
2nd of 3 parts
Based on historical data starting 1984,
deployment of overseas workers appears to be in three waves (See
Figure 1). The first wave is from 1984 until 1990 where total
deployment rose from 351 OFWs in 1984 to 446,000 in 1990. These
numbers were accounted largely by land-based workers. During that
period, the Philippines was sending an average of 35,000 workers a
month.
The second wave came in 1991-1995 when total
deployment breached the half-million mark to reach 615,019 in 1991;
686,461 in 1992; 696,630 in 1993. By 1994, it surged to 760,091 then
tapered off to 654,022 in 1995. During the said period, an average
of 56,000 a month were leaving the shores for high paying jobs
abroad.
“Some anecdotal evidence in mid-1995 showed
that many OFWs, mostly technical and professional ones, have started
to go back due to the marked improvement in the economy,” says Dr.
Cielito F. Habito, former director-general of the National Economic
and Development Authority (Neda). “During those times, we were
actually producing enough jobs. However, there were not enough
high-paying or quality jobs, so it did not reverse the process of
labor migration.”
And the third wave came in 1996 until 1991
deployment reached 700-800,000 levels. Since that period, average
deployment reached more than 66,000 a month. Among the major
precursor of the labor outflows were the Asian currency crisis that
hit the country in mid-1997 until 1998.
Among those hard-hit was the family of Zenaida
Mendez, 47, who used to have a thriving shoe business in Marikina.
The crisis wiped the family business out forcing her to work as
chambermaid in the United States. Her husband Rolando, 49, followed
her in the states and ended up as a truck driver.
“The Asian financial crisis in 1997 had severe
impact on the shoe industry in Marikina,” recalls Richel, 37, the
eldest daughter of Zenaida. “Our shoe business were doing well
before that; we even had a store in Robinsons Galleria. Even the
Shoe Expo Trading in Marikina that were selling nothing but shoes
folded up. So my parents immediately thought of leaving the States
in 1998. It was a life-changing decision; it was so hard ... After
three years, they also decided to bring my sister to the States.”
She adds: “We used to have so much; we had a
decent house and four cars. All of a sudden they were gone! We had
to sell everything: the house, the cars. It seemed we were starting
from scratch.”
By the first eight months of 2002 (January to
August), the total number of OFWs deployed reached 636,024, up 3.9
percent over the same period last year. About 29 percent of the
total figure are newly hired OFW, hired mostly for professional and
technical(35 percent), service (33 percent), and production (25
percent) jobs. With this figure, the monthly average number of OFWs
leaving has reached 79,503 a significant increased when compared to
66,000 monthly average in the third wave of labor migration. Does it
indicate that another wave is in the offing? Only time will tell.
Almost seven out of 10 of these workers went to
Asian and Middle Eastern countries and the rest are shared by other
destinations like the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and others. The
highest percentage increases however, were posted by Africa (29
percent), Americas (16.8 percent), and Europe (12.7 percent),
indicating the increasing importance of these regions as markets for
Filipino labor. Deployment to the Middle East and other Asian
countries grew by only four percent and 1.3 percent, respectively,
indicating a slowdown in demand for Filipino labor in these markets.
On a per country basis, the top 10 destinations
for OFW were Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Japan, United Arab Emirates,
Taiwan, Singapore, Kuwait, Italy, United Kingdom, and Brunei
Darussalam. Among these top 10 countries, United Kingdom posted the
highest percentages increases, followed by Kuwait, UAE, and Taiwan.
The increasing numbers of Filipino workers going
abroad in search for higher paying jobs has also been accompanied by
complaints about job-related abuses and recruitment irregularities.
Media reports about OFWs returning home in coffins, OFWs languishing
in jails and some beheadings in fundamentalist Islamic states, the
Sarah Balabagan and the Flor Contemplacion episodes, and other dark
tales coming from all corners of the globe became major political
issues in the last decade.
This has resulted in several changes in the
country’s labor migration policy. From a mere job promotion
program during Marcos time, it became a strategic component of the
country’s foreign policy until the present.
“Overseas job became a viable source of jobs
and foreign exchange for the government but along with the economic
gains overseas employment has spawned social problems,” says
Dimzon. “There were reports about violations of human rights in
the work place, exploitation, abuse, illegal recruitment, contract
violation. Mahirap ma-address lahat dahil malayo.”
“Since we have this challenge to provide
protection to our nationals abroad, the government saw the need to
redefine its policies on overseas labor migration,” says Dimzon.
“The primacy of the labor migrant’s welfare became the primary
thrust and job promotion became secondary. This happened during the
time of President Corazon Aquino.”
During President Fidel V. Ramos’ time, the
political furor over the death Flor Contemplacion in Singapore led
to the passage of Republic Act 8042 (Migrant Workers and Overseas
Filipinos Act of 1995) institutionalizing the policy of giving
primacy to OFW welfare.
“It has become the bible of overseas
employment,” Dimzon says. She say explains that the law provides
clear rules and regulations on the sending of OFWs and dictates that
the state shall at all times uphold the dignity of its citizens
whether in the country or abroad. “This means that the government
shall extend protection to Filipino nationals abroad regardless of
whether they are properly documented or not.”
Dimzon explains that with this new law comes a
new perspective on labor migration. The view today is that
international migration is a “global phenomenon.” The state does
not promote overseas employment because the decision to seek better
opportunities elsewhere is an “individual decision.” The
role of the state, therefore, is “to manage the program” and
“to make sure that there is an orderly and systematic
documentation of Filipinos who would like to go abroad.”
Dimzon stresses: We are not exporting labor, we
are not promoting it, but we are just managing the program. We set
the system, requirements, and the procedures to be followed by labor
recruiters for them to be given license. Kung may mangyari sa
workers, puwede silang habulin.”
Dimzon stresses that under the administration of
President Macapagal-Arroyo, that emphasis has been on
manpower development so that workers can be more competitive.
“We have to hasten the development of our
human resources so we can compete internationally,” she explains.
“The government will see to it that our human resources are
trained, globally competitive, while ensuring protection for them.
In reality, the ultimate protection that Filipino migrant workers
are their skills.”
To what extent this emphasis on OFW welfare has
been effective, one can only speculate. Cases of illegal recruitment
were generally lower in the second half of the ‘90s. Adjudication
cases handled by POEA actually surged in 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997
coinciding with the second wave of labor migration. In the last few
years, however, adjudication cases appear to be tapering off to the
pre-1990s level. Nevertheless, media reports about OFW abuses abroad
appear to have not diminished.
It probably doesn’t matter. Daily, more
Filipinos are looking at overseas work as sacrifice to be made at
the present to ensure a better future.
“Life way back in the ‘70s was difficult,”
says Leilani Espiritu of Bgy. Malanday, Marikina, who has a brother
in California. “And how much more today? It is good that
they were able to leave. Now they are US citizens and their lives
have greatly improved because of that decision. They were able to
provide a good future for their daughter. They have even saved
enough to travel around the world.”
Not even the threats to terrorism could stop the
outflow. When asked about the effects of terrorism in many parts of
the world on the demand for Filipino labor worldwide, Carmelita S.
Dimzon, director of pre-employment services division of POEA
answered: “There are no indications of any negative effects at the
moment. Deployment rate is still rising. Last year, we had 862,590;
we expect to hit the 900,000-mark this year.”
Or even higher: “It is an individual decision
to go out of the country. In fact, even those who are already
working here would still want to go out of the country to seek
better opportunities. Let’s face it; people have to move.
International migration is a global reality; there are no more
boundaries. The world is getting smaller and people are getting more
informed, more mobile,” she concludes.
Part 1
| Conclusion
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