a) What are the positive and negative effects of migration in the Philippines?

More individuals around the world are leaving their native nations in search of
better employment opportunities. More than 1 million Filipinos leave the country
each year to work overseas, and 10 million Filipinos currently reside outside of the
country (ILO, n.d.). Migration in the Philippines has a positive effect on the country,
with many benefits to both the migrants and the countries they leave behind.
According to IPPMD Philippines (n.d.), migration highly contributes to the country’s
economy because of the remittances that are sent back to the country. It minimizes
both unemployment and underemployment as well. Migration also provides major
beneficial implications in terms of labor force growth, improved cultural diversity, the
filling of skill gaps in the labor market, and a boost to the local economy. However,
migration also brings negative impact on Filipinos’ social and mental health. The
migrant gets separated from their families for a long time which may cause broken
relationships in the long run. As for the children left behind by a migrant parent, they
often get neglected resulting in problematic behavior. It is important to remember
that these negative impacts can be mitigated if the government give programs
exclusive for migrants and their families. The government should look beyond the
economic benefits of migration and focus on how they can alleviate the emotional
and mental distress that it brings for them (Liamzon, 2019).

b) Explain why the Philippine government needs to regulate the migration of

Filipinos abroad.

To put it simply, if the number of migrating Filipinos continues to increase as time

goes by, it only means one thing – there not enough job opportunities for the entire
Philippine population, hence, they end up looking for better work outside of the
country. Therefore, the Philippine government has to make sure that job
opportunities are available for all Filipinos. In addition to this, migration results to
labor shortage in the country. Magsambol (2022) reported that Philippines lacks
106,000 nurses which is mainly caused by migration. Most Filipino nurses end up
working abroad because of the salary. However, we cannot blame them for that as
healthcare workers here in the country are underpaid. The government needs to
make sure that all Filipinos – not only healthcare workers – are compensated fairly
according to their level of education, skills, and experience. On the other hand, a lot
of Filipinos become victims of human trafficking and abuse from their employers.
The number of Filipino victims is alarming enough for them to take action
immediately. In 2021, Michelle Abad reported that an OFW claims that immigration
officers are involved in human trafficking in Syria. The government needs to look into
these kinds of crime to protect Filipino migrants.
References

Abad, M. (2021). OFW says immigration officers involved in trafficking her to Syria.
Rappler. Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/nation/overseas-filipino-says-
immigration-officers-involved-trafficking-syria/

International Labour Organization. (n.d.). Labour migration in the Philippines. Retrieved

from https://www.ilo.org/manila/areasofwork/labour-migration/lang--en/index.htm

Liamzon, C. (2019). The pros and cons of Philippine migration. World Mission
Magazine. Retrieved from https://worldmissionmagazine.com/archives/april-may-
2019/pros-and-cons-philippine-migration

Magsambol, B. (2022). Philippines lacks 106,000 nurses – DOH. Rappler. Retrieved

from https://www.rappler.com/nation/philippines-shortage-nurses-hospitals-doh/