POEA - Philippine Overseas Employment Administration

CFO - Commission on Filipinos Overseas

CPDEP - Comprehensive Predeparture Education Program
OFWDSP - OFW Dependent Scholarship Program
OWWA - Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
ELAP - Educational Livelihood Assistance Program
IACAT - Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking
UNODC - United Nations Office on Drug and Crime
HSPA - Hawaiin Sugar Planters Association
DSWD - Department of Social Welfare and Development
SUP - Seafarer’s Upgrading Program
EDSP - Education for Development Scholarship Program

PCA - Permanent Court of Arbitration

EEZ - Exclusive Economic Zone
UNCLOS - United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea
ASEAN - Association of Southeast Asian Nations
BRP - Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas
DFA - Department of Foreign Affairs

Family Place Unbroken Rule Years in Service

Ortega Rep. of La Union 35 55

Cojuangco Rep. of Tarlac 35 52

Albano Rep. of Isabela 35 46

Gironella Mayor of Salsedo, Ilocos 35 41

Sur

Purisima Mayor of San Ildefonso, 33 33

Ilocos Sur

Mamba Mayor of Cagayan 32 32

Social
GLOBALIZATION presents an open door for people all over the world to find a good life
either for reasons such as economic opportunity, social and political freedom.
People move to places also as a result of climate change: they are the climate migrants or
emigrants. MIGRATION, latin “MIGRATIONEM”- “change of abode”, means the movement
of a person from one country or locality to another for valid reasons.

According to the UN, migration is highly attributed to well-paid jobs offered in another country.
The PHILIPPINES is an example of a country with a great number of its citizens migrating to
other countries mainly due to better opportunities offered abroad.

In the 2013 data of the COMMISSION ON FILIPINOS OVERSEAS (CFO), Filipino migrants
are recorded at 10.24 million with estimates of 60,000 Filipinos leaving the country each year.

TEMPORARY MIGRANTS works abroad and are expected to return at the end of their
contracts, and UNDOCUMENTED LABOR MIGRANTS , “IRREGULAR MIGRANTS”, works
abroad without the required permits or a valid residence or who are overstaying. The
opportunity offered in other countries and the lack of sustained economic development
accompanied by a growing population push many citizens in the country to try their luck in
another soil, sometimes even compromising their own welfare.

FILIPINO LABOR MIGRANTS contribute to the economic development of the country.

However, this economic development is also coupled with the negative impact of labor
migration. The negative impacts are experienced by the labor migrants themselves and the
families they leave behind. The existence of Filipinos looking for a better future also becomes
a chance for opportunists to take advantage of these people. This is why government
agencies responsible for overseeing labor migrants and aspirants deliver precautionary
measures, so people would avoid falling into the traps of labor migration.

FILIPINO MIGRATION is more than a century’s demographic response to the economic

hardships that citizens face.

The early migration to other countries may have started with the ACAPULCO-MANILA
TRADE during the Spanish period between the years of 1565 to 1810. TRADE opened the
doors for Filipinos to work on ships that carried products such as silk, spices, and tea from
China. These products were imported by the Spanish traders and brought to the mother
country and its colonies in the Latin American Region. The migration of Filipinos in the US in
as early as 1906, when the first batch of Filipinos overseas workers fled the country in order
to work in sugarcane plantations in HAWAII, resulted to the series of migration of Filipinos,
particularly those coming from Northern Luzon.

Living in a highly agricultural country where most of the land were owned by wealthy
landowners and where the huge population of Filipino farmers served as TENANTS, many
Filipinos were used to hardships such as exposure to the sun and other elements. Added to
these hardships was the arrangement that most of the produced crops from the land were to
be given to the owners while a small portion was left to the tenants. This push Filipinos to
migrate to other countries to work.

The years 1906 to 1934 brought an estimated 120,000 to 150,000 migrant Filipinos to the US
in spite of the fact that some Americans were opposing the immigration of more Filipinos to
their land for it affected their trade and local labor. Locals in the US competed with Filipino
migrants in securing jobs.

The Filipinos who migrated to Hawaii were mostly farmers, while some were PENSIONADOS
OR SCHOLARS sponsored by the US government or by some missionary-related program. It
was in 1925 when the highest migration to Hawaii took place with 11,621 recruited farmers.
The physique of the Filipinos was believed to be very suitable for the job of farming, which
prompted the HAWAIIAN SUGAR PLANTERS ASSOCIATION (HSPA) to do the recruitment
of workers in the Philippines. Furthermore, the movement to the US during the time of
American colonization was easy for the Filipinos , were considered as NATIONALS. They
used AMERICAN PASSPORTS and could freely enter and exit the US. By 1930, the Filipinos
working in Hawaii reached 63,052. The figure declined only during the time of the
DEPRESSION in the 1930s, which led some of the farmers to transfer and migrate to another
part of the US, which was in the WEST COAST such as the state of California, Washington,
and Alaska.

The increase in migration changed only during the passing of the TYDINGS-McDUFFIE LAW
in 1934, which limited the entry of Filipinos in the US to 50 visas per year. A provision was
also stated in the law, which granted the possibility for Hawaii to still acquire farmers and
laborers if the state deems it necessary. However, the law didn’t prevent the migration of
Filipinos to the US. In the 1940s and ‘50s, many Filipinos came to the US as a result of the
WWII. Many Filipino women became the brides of US servicemen, which reached to an
estimate of 5,000. The war also paved way for 20,000 Filipinos to work in the US Navy in the
1970s. The SAKADAS, also known as sugar workers, also added to the growing population
of migrant Filipinos who were recruited to work in Hawaii. The journey to Hawaii was also
intended by the recruiters to quell the strike of INTERNATIONAL LONGSHOREMEN AND
WAREHOUSEMEN’S UNION (ILWU). The Filipino workers supported the union in their strike.

After WWII, the type of Filipino migrants changed. Many of the migrating Filipinos were highly
skilled and educated. They were more equipped with professional skills and could speak the
speak the language of the Americans. Many of these Filipino migrants had the intention to
stay and live in the US that by the year 1990, the population of Filipinos reached 1,450,512
with most of them in the states of California and Hawaii.

The USA was not the only favored country of the Filipinos. In the 1960s and ‘70s, migration to
other countries like Canada, Australia, and the Gulf region also started. From the middle of
the 1960s to its latter part, many Filipinos migrated to countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam,
Thailand, and Guam and worked in the construction industry. In the mid 1980s when the
country’s economy was unstable before the downfall of the MARCOS REGIME, many
Filipinos opted to work abroad particularly in the Middle East where 52% of contract workers
from 1984 up to 1991 were deployed to work. While in the year 2013, based on the data of
the CFO, the population of temporary Filipino migrants in Canada reached 89,615; Australia
60,166; Saudi Arabia 948,038; and the United Arab Emirates 777,894. It was during this
period that the country became one of the top ten sources of migrants and laborers in the
world.

GENERAL PROFILE OF MIGRANTS FROM 1980S TO 2015

There is limited information on the profile of Filipino migrants working abroad. However for the
migrant workers in the Gulf region, many are from the urban areas in the country and their
surrounding provinces where there are recruitment activities. Source areas include Metro
Manila, areas near US base facilities, and the Ilocos region, which was consistently been the
source of international migrants ever since the American period. The rest of the migrant
workers originate from all over the country including major cities such as Cebu, Davao and
Iloilo.

In the 1980s, most migrants were between the ages of 20 and early 30s and most were
males. This slowly changed up to the year 2015 wherein most of the migrants are females
aged 14 and below. This is followed by those in the age bracket of 25 to 29, with a 12%
share.

The demography during the 1980s in the Middle East and Gulf region concentrate in
construction. In 1990s, increasing number of female migrants working as nurse, house
helpers, and other service workers this continued until 2015. Many of the service workers in
the 1980s were from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan. In the recent data of CFO, most
Filipino migrants are in the US which has 1,361,984 migrant Filipinos followed by Canada with
410,440 and Japan with 138,754.

Their educational background is crucial to the kind of job they get. Finished higher education
are accepted abroad.In the 1980s, a survey revealed that 50% of Filipino migrants had
finished college or at least had taken units in college. Between 1988 and 2015, 27.33% of
migrants finished their college degree, 16.07% reached college level. Professionals and
skilled workers were usually selected for jobs abroad.

CAUSES AND IMPLICATIONS OF MIGRATION

The migration of Filipinos is highly influenced by the government’s efforts to strengthen
overseas employment. Aside from the government’s program and the institutionalization of
overseas workers through government agencies that take care of the concerns of Filipino
migrants, there are other factors that contribute to the increasing number of labor migrants
from the Philippines. The most obvious reason is poverty and the lack of opportunities that
many Filipinos are looking for in the country. The pressure of our rapidly growing population
on the economy is also to be factored in, as well as the concentration of the population in the
urban areas and metro cities, resulting to congestion, unemployment and poor government
service. These factors serve as a driving force for Filipinos to work abroad:

A. Social Impact
1. Children
- the impact of migration on children left behind differs depending on which parent
leaves the country.
2. Family
- happens when the person left to lead the family cannot socialize with other people
as much as before due to family responsibilities, and once the migrant returns to the
family, the migrant might assume back the role, which might affect the relationship of
the couple especially if the one left behind has developed a level of independence in
managing the household.
3. Community Life
 - migrants who successfully works in other countries and come back are usually seen
as informal leaders, particularly in areas where they contribute to the programs and
activities of the community.
B. Political Impact
- the political impact of migration to the source country such as the Philippines appears to
be advantageous. Migration resulted to the institutionalization of Filipinos working
abroad. It has led the government to establish an agency that would facilitate the
recruitment of Filipino workers and develop a system that will recognize and accredit
private agencies that will manage and facilitate the migration of Filipinos to foreign
countries.
C. Economic Impact
- increased employment is one of the results of migration, which fully helps the economy
of the country. Increase in migration results to a higher income, which leads to higher
savings. SAVINGS could be used for investment, which would lead to higher spending.
The increase in foreign exchange increases the access to investment funds and assets
for capital expenditures, and this then leads to the creation of more employment in the
market. The increase in foreign exchange offsets the outflow of foreign exchange as a
result of foreign investment in the country. This could lead to increased spending, which
usually results in increased investment and incomes.

MIGRATION ISSUES OF FILIPINO WORKERS

One of the common challenges is the existence of illegal recruitment and placement
agencies. Add to this the so-called ‘kabit’ system wherein an individual or a non-licensed
agency works with a licensed one and preys on an applicant.

Another problem of migrants is the feeling of loneliness, which is the most challenging for
most. Another challenge is the cultural adjustment or in some cases ‘culture shock’. Many
migrants, particularly those in the Middle East, experience culture shock due to the difference
on how men and women are treated and perceived in the said regions. Women have limited
social rights. Part of the problems of Filipino migrants also includes physical and sexual
abuses and maltreatment, which are experienced particularly in Saudi Arabia.

Filipino migrants also face crisis such as war. Repatriation efforts by the government suffers
form lack of funding, which delays the process of transporting Filipino migrants and securing
their safety. Another concern of Filipino migrants is the availability of opportunities once
they return to the country. Many migrants are not able to save money and invest, thus the
cycle of economic difficulties and migration continues even at an old age.

The different challenges migrants face can be alleviated by proper knowledge on migrants’
rights. The following are some of the rights of migrants under the UNITED NATIONS
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.

International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members
of their Families (refer book)

MIGRATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The PHILIPPINES is considered as one f the major source of labor and migrants workers in
the world. Many of the Filipinos either from rural or urban areas transfer to another locality or
to another country for better opportunities. In the process for searching for better opportunities
that will provide independence and survival, many Filipino become victim of human trafficking.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING is defined under the UN Convention on Transnational Organized

Crime as having three parts. First, it includes action such as the recruitment, transportation or
receipt of the person; second is the means, which includes the use of threat, coercion, force
and deception (the elements that constitute the means, separates human trafficking from
human smuggling); last is the purpose, which may include sexual exploitation, forced labor
and selling of internal organs.

In most cases, human trafficking begins with recruitment wherein a recruiter goes around the
area and offers job to potential victim in another location usually an urban area or abroad
where opportunities are believed to be more available. When a potential recruit becomes the
prey, the prey is forced or coerced to engage in mostly illegal activities.

THE UNODC REPORT ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME (UNODC) was formed to fight
against illicit drugs and international crime; part of it is on human trafficking. In this report,
human trafficking in the Philippines from the year 2012-2015 shows two leading purposes of
human trafficking, forced labor and sexual exploitation.

Trafficking Victims Assisted in Prosecution of Trafficking in Persons Cases (by form of cases)
2012 2013 2014 2016

FORCED LABOR 69 48 131 23

SEXUAL 694 747 952 562

EXPLOITATION

In the world report of the UNODC, sexual exploitation accounts for 79% of human trafficking
followed by forced labor with 18%. The report also include the data on the number of persons
convicted with human trafficking in the Philippines. In the said data, many of those who
committed the crime the crime and were convicted from the year 2012-2015 were females.
This is also consistent in the over-all report on human trafficking where females are often
times guilty of committing the crime. However, the report also shows the big number of
females as the usual victims of human trafficking.

Number of Persons Convicted at Regional Trial Court of Trafficking in Persons (by gender)
2012 2013 2014 2016

FEMALES 15 21 28 29

MALES 17 16 29 19

COMMON CHARACTERISTIC OF VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING

1. Originates from poor areas;
2. Lack of Education;
3. Weak family ties and family support;
4. Product of broken families; and
5. Victim of violence

RESPONSE OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Human Trafficking is an international concern that the Philippine government, as part of the
signatories on the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially
Women and Children, is trying to address i order to protect the rights of the citizens.

1. THE EXPANDED ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSON’S ACT OF 2012 (RA 10364)

- enhanced RA 9208 also known as Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
- to ensure the protection of Filipinos from human trafficking. Provides details of the
punishments that are to be given to the offenders, the publication of the names of the
criminals and the accountabilities of those who will be proven as accessories to the
crime.

2. INTER-AGENCY COUNCIL AGAINST TRAFFICKING (IACAT)

- the government’s response to Section 16 of RA 10364, that aims to create programs that
will address trafficking in persons. Provide preventive, protective and rehabilitative
programs for victims of human trafficking. The agency’s main responsibility is to
formulate policies, assist victims in its aims for justice, train personnel that will work as
front liners in addressing the cases of human trafficking and engage in education
campaigns with the local government units.

GUIDELINES FOR FILIPINO MIGRANTS

The challenges faced by Filipino migrants start from the time they plan to work or migrate to
another country. Therefore it is crucial that they arm themselves with knowledge on how to
protect themselves from the time they plan to work in a foreign land up to the time they leave
the job. The PHILIPPINE OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT ADMINISTRATION (POEA)
formulated the following to make every Filipino be more cautious in looking for employment
abroad.

POEA’s 10 Don’ts for Filipino Migrants ( refer to book )

PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR OVERSEAS WORKERS

The OVERSEAS WORKERS WELFARE ADMINISTRATION (OWWA) is a government
institution in charge of protecting and promoting the well-being of its members.
Different programs and services developed by the institution to assist its member in fully
realizing their goals and potentials:
1. Disability and Dismemberment Benefits
- entitles a member to a benefit of up to PHP 100,000 for injuries due to accidents while
working in another country.
2. Death Benefit
- family members of an active OWWA member who dies through natural death receive an
amount of PHP 100,000, PHP 200,000 if the cause of death is an accident. The
beneficiaries will also receive an additional PHP 20,000 for funeral expenses.
3. Pre-departure Education Program
- an orientation for Filipino migrants that will help them immediately adjust to the culture of
the country where they will work and stay.
4. Comprehensive Pre-departure Education Program (CPDEP)
- program for household service workers that provides orientation and training on the
language and culture of the receiving country and other areas that will help the migrant
adjust to the new environment and culture.
5. Seafarer’s Upgrading Program (SUP)
- provides retraining and help seafarers acquire new skills, knowledge, and expertise. The
program also provides an amount of PHP 7,500 for training assistance.
6. Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP)
- scholarship program given to beneficiaries or independents that are finishing a 4 to 5
year course.
7. OFW Dependent Scholarship Program (OFWDSP)
- scholarship program given to dependents of an active OWWA member. The scholarship
provides PHP 20,000 allowance per year.
8. Educational Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP)
- scholarship program given to dependents of a migrant who is an active member during
the time of death. One child gets the benefit and receives a corresponding allowance:
Elementary - PHP 5,000
High School - PHP 8,000
College - PHP 10,000
9. Repatriation Assistance Program
- helps migrants receive immediate repatriation due to health and physical issues.
10. Reintegration Program
- offers a livelihood opportunity to migrants who are coming home. This includes the Balik-
Pinas! Balik-Hanapbuhay! program which helps migrants reintegrate with the community.