Group Members: Custodio, Ken Christian/ Dayahan, Randy/ Encina, Allaine Harley/ Endaya,

Crista Harra/ Fabie, Yuan Ashley

Brain Drain: Overseas Filipino Workers’ Dilemma
Brain Drain is a phenomenon wherein workers migrate to other countries in search of better
opportunities. ‘’Since the early seventies, the Philippines has been experiencing a brain drain
phenomenon with the migration of highly skilled workers from the country. The continued brain
drain from the Philippines has always eluded policy solutions and remains a vexing problem”
(Alburo & Abella, 2002). The country spends its resources on education for the students, but still
it lacks the manpower of skilled workers that is much needed for the economy. The Philippines
creates lots of skilled workers like Nurses and Teachers but is still facing shortages of the said
workers in the labor market. It is already a stereotype that the country’s number one export are
not goods or products, but human labor. According to a 2020 data by the Philippines Statistics
Authority, an estimated 2.2 million Filipinos worked overseas in 2019. The majority were
women, many hoping to give their child a better future.
In this topic, Utilitarianism comes into play. People who chose to leave the country acted to
produce the greatest good for the greatest number, in exchange for their own happiness. As stated
in the Principle of Utility, they have chosen the action that would produce most overall benefit of
the group, which is their family, even though it produced the less benefit of the individual, in this
case is the worker. People who choose to work abroad seek to achieve the pleasure of financial
freedom rather than to endure the pain of poverty back home. Applying the Greatest Happiness
Principle which promotes happiness for the most amount of people, leaving the country for a
better paying job would theoretically bring greater income, thus better happiness for everyone.
But sometimes, it is not always the case.
The exodus of workers affects the local economy by causing labor shortages of certain
industries. Some examples are the Healthcare and Education Sector. On the bright side, OFWs’
remittances to the country are a major contributor to the economy. According to the BSP
(Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas), the OFWs have sent $33.5 Billion back to the Philippines in
personal remittances. Which in turn benefit their families and the country’s economy. OFW
Remittances significantly boosts the local economy through cash remittances being sent inside
the country from foreign countries. Greater Income can help their own families a lot in the
financial aspect. Enabling them to afford services, education, and basic necessities. But their
income comes at a high personal cost, parents can miss out on entire childhoods. Sometimes
their relationship with their families or children remains damaged and distant , years after they
return. Other times, their children’s lives can veer off course without a parent at home (Bacani &
Yeung, 2002). Additionally, migrant workers abroad are likely prone to discrimination. Many
workers are experiencing grueling and sometimes, dangerous working and living conditions.
One for all, All not for one. One person sacrifices everything for the benefit of majority: the
situation OFWs’ experience in the contemporary world. The exodus of the workers in the country
reflects a much greater problem. Because in reality, few good opportunities, low wages, poor
working conditions, lack of benefits is what drives most workers to go abroad than to work for
the country. Even though many of us benefit with the efforts of our ‘kababayans’ abroad, there
should be enough support provided for them to at least lessen their suffering while being far
away. At the end of the day, working abroad should just be a mere option, not a necessity.
 References
Alburo, F. A., & Abella, D. I. (2002). Skilled Labour Migration from Developing Countries:
Study on the Philippines. Ilo.org. Retrieved December 28, 2023, from
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---migrant/
documents/publication/wcms_201780.pdf
Yeung, J., & Bacani, X. C. (2020). When love is not enough. Cnn.com. Retrieved December 30,
2023, from https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2020/11/asia/hong-kong-filipino-helpers-
dst/