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Overseas migration in the
Philippines has an important bearing on the country’s
overall development process.
First, it contributes to the improvement of the
economy; and second, it alleviates poverty.
However, overseas employment is seen as detrimental
by some sectors since it causes considerable social and
economic effects on migrant workers, particularly women
and their families.
The paper posits that the
incidence and magnitude of overseas migration are
determined by the interplay of both “push” and
“pull” factors. The
limited capacity of the economy to generate remunerative
jobs serves as a push factor, while higher wage levels in
receiving/ destination countries tend to act as a pull
factor. The
impact of wages is felt more among professional groups and
in jobs needing highly technical skills.
Major concerns on overseas
migration are, likewise, discussed, including the “brain
and skills drain” issue; problems of workers in
vulnerable occupations; and how to address the needs of
returning migrant workers.
Inadequate information on migration flows was
identified as a major stumbling block in effectively
assessing the impact of migration on the labor market and
on long-term economic development.
The
increased feminization of the overseas workforce also
presented a major area of concern.
From only 12 percent of the total deployment figure
in 1975, women workers comprised more than 50 percent of
all deployed overseas workers in 1995.
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