The next 50 years of Philippine labor migration

Last week, I spoke at the conference entitled “The Past, Present, and Future of Philippine Labor Migration: 50 Years and Beyond” organized by the Philippine Migration Research Network. Fifty years ago in 1974, the Philippines enacted the Labor Code, paving the way for the country’s participation in international labor migration.

Since then, national agencies such as the Philippine Overseas Employment Authority were established to facilitate the orderly deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Today, multiple agencies governing diverse aspects of labor migration are now placed under one roof—the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which has been operating for two years now.

The migrant labor policies of the past 50 years have been consequential not only for the lives of individual migrants themselves but the entire fabric of our nation—and even our world. OFWs continue to work hard to improve their lives and that of their families. In the process, they also reshape both the societies in which they work, live, and thrive, as well as the motherland—for instance, through overseas remittances and absentee voting.

During the conference, several scholars remarked on the Philippines still being a model of migration governance among labor-sending countries. Positive features cited include the different types of support given to OFWs from before they leave until they return, as well as the proactive use of diplomatic tools such as bilateral labor agreements. However, numerous criticisms were also raised—for instance, in the way nurse migration is managed while failing to address domestic shortages and local working conditions.

Serious questions were also asked—for example, on whether labor migration as a national policy must continue, and how migration overseas can eventually become a matter of choice rather than a matter of necessity for most Filipinos. I think from a sociological perspective, Filipinos are a global people that will continue to move in various ways and leave behind a worldwide footprint no matter what.

From an economic point of view, as long as there is scarcity of employment opportunities at home, Filipinos will always aspire to look for better jobs abroad. The Filipino migration journey is not monolithic. From fellow scholars I heard about female domestic workers suffering from employer abuse, but also about women migrants who pursued their dream careers and even invested in small businesses. Now that I myself am an OFW in Singapore, I also witness first-hand the diversity of migrant experiences—in the hospitals, financial district, or Lucky Plaza.

During the conference, I offered a public health perspective, which is often neglected in the migration discourse. Ten years ago, I helped the Department of Health establish the Philippine Migrant Health Network, now a dynamic community of stakeholders from the health, migration, labor, foreign affairs, and other sectors jointly promoting the health rights of Filipino migrants.

During the pandemic, the government assisted more than two million Filipinos to return home—perhaps the largest repatriation effort ever. We must not forget the lessons from COVID-19, which taught us how to respond to migrant needs in times of health crisis.

Additionally, health policies catering to migrant workers must also be revisited, such as the regulation of clinics conducting pre-employment medical exams and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. policies governing OFW contributions and the benefits that they and their families are entitled to. As we look to the future, Philippine labor migration must be envisioned in light of three C’s of the 21st century’s emerging “polycrises”—climate change which can drive new forms of migration and vulnerabilities; COVID-like pandemics that can weaken health system responses to the needs of migrants; and conflict that can arise from increasingly destabilizing geopolitics which may endanger not only overseas jobs but migrant lives.

There was so much multidisciplinary expertise and intellectual energy in the room. One challenge raised is how to ensure that such rich scholarship and deep discourse are translated into policies and programs that benefit our Filipino migrants. My recommendation is for the DMW to establish a technical advisory group composed of migration scholars from different disciplines—health, economics, the social sciences, among others.

Similar models already exist, such as the National Panel of Technical Experts of the Climate Change Commission and the National Academy of Science and Technology of the Department of Science and Technology. Establishing such a body will ensure that the next 50 years of labor migration in the Philippines are informed by rigorous analysis, vigorous debate, and the best available science.

Renzo R. Guinto, M.D., Dr.P.H., is associate professor at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute based at the National University of Singapore.