SUHAY

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠? 🤔

After reading our previous posts regarding the positive impact of the labor movement on the Philippine economy and financial aspects, are you now wondering about the impact it has on the families of Filipino migrant workers? While you would initially think that one impact is that it allows them to financially support their loved ones and compensate for their challenging financial situation, from another viewpoint, there are more adverse effects that we must address in this campaign.

𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐝, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?

In accordance with the Center for Migrant Advocacy (2019), there is a significant social cost associated with migration that could outweigh the economic benefits due to the psychological and social strain that falls on the children and family members left behind.

When a family member, particularly a parent, leaves to work overseas, the dynamics of their relationship shift. While the consequences of labor movement differ based on which parent moves overseas, children, particularly those in their early years, are nonetheless impacted by parental absence. The impact also varies when both parents are overseas.

Since children primarily rely on their parents for emotional and physical support, the distance created between them will likely lead to insecurity and instability. The responsibility to care for them will be passed on to the parents' relatives. When this occurs, the relatives will step in for the absent parents. The children's well-being will be greatly affected by their roles as substitute parental figures.

The impact of migration on those who are left behind, particularly children, is alarming and should be addressed further. There should be efforts taken to mitigate the consequences and support their circumstances. 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬' 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬❓

The drought for a better future drives many Filipinos to become labor migrants. As they fly to different countries, their fate is automatically uncertain. Once they place themselves between two countries, they become a means of either making or breaking the relationship of the Philippines with the other country.

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) carry more than just themselves when they work abroad. It is no longer about them earning money to send to their loved ones. Unconsciously, they represent Filipinos with their work ethics and integrity. Their presence promotes globalization in various countries, where they get to interact with people who are also culturally diverse. Filipinos, being known for being hospitable, have an identity that stems from other races' feedback, who have experienced the warmth of our countrymen.

The positive experiences of foreigners who had worked with or had been taken care of by an OFW have a positive impact not only on our reputation but also on the Philippines' relationships with other nations. A positive relationship will boost both countries' economies, make Filipinos the most sought-after nationality for employment, and will help secure their safety.

However, labor migration does not always strengthen ties. Sometimes, it becomes the reason for terminating all labor transactions with foreign nations. Currently, the Philippines has banned 41 countries, including Qatar, Libya, Sudan, and India, from deploying OFWs due to issues of maltreatment, murder, r**e, exploitation, and other inhumane acts committed against them.

In 2018, the Philippines put Kuwait among the banned countries after the murder of the Filipino domestic helper, Joanna Demafelis, whose body was found inside the freezer of her employer’s abandoned apartment. The ban was lifted after Kuwait signed a labor agreement with the Philippines, vowing to ensure the safety of Filipino workers. Currently, there are 268,000 OFWs in Kuwait. 88% are household workers, while 73% are females.

𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

There is a saying, “𝑷𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏’𝒔 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔.” A situation in which a person is compelled to survive and earn money for a living, making them neglect the goals and aspirations they once had.

According to the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey in 2023, 48% or around 13.2 million Filipinos regard themselves as poor. That is nearly half of all Filipino families, showing a recurring pattern that must end to avoid the risks associated with financial stress and poverty. However, achieving financial stability and breakthrough is not easy. People must be intentional and hardworking.

Their circumstances cause them to work abroad in hopes to secure a better future and to improve their families’ living conditions. And while most Filipinos work abroad for a few years, with the intention of returning to the Philippines, there are cases where OFWs permanently bring their families with them to a foreign country.

One example of that is Karen Talosig, a widow who supported her daughter, Jazmine, in the Philippines. In 2007, Karen started working in Canada under the Live-in Caregiver Program. In 2010, she had sufficient hours for permanent residency, which she applied for herself and Jazmine. However, in 2014, the Canadian embassy wrote a letter saying that her deaf child may cause excessive demands on social or health services, which she pledged would never be the case.

𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐧, 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐚𝐳𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝.

𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬.

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐎𝐅𝐖𝐬) is a term referring to Filipino migrant workers, individuals who have left their homes to make sacrifices and conquer the labor life abroad for the betterment of their families' lives. The sacrifices they made benefited not only their families but the Philippines' fluctuating economy as well.

In the dynamic landscape of the Philippine economy, OFWs have emerged as modern-day heroes, wielding significant influence through their remittance contributions. Recent years have witnessed an impressive surge in these financial lifelines, exemplifying the indispensable role of migrant workers in sustaining the nation’s economic state.

According to the Philippines Statistics Authority, about 1.96 million OFWs work abroad — the majority of them work in Asia, specifically in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Qatar. Remittances from OFWs increased by 3.6 percent to a record high of US$36.14 billion in December 2022. In fact, over the same period in 2022, the remittances of OFWs contributed a remarkable 2.8 percent in 2023.

These remittances extend far beyond mere numbers, directly impacting the lives of millions of Filipino families. Educational pursuits, healthcare expenses, and housing endeavors are made possible through the dedicated efforts of OFWs abroad. With these endless contributions of migrant workers, the government should put the fruit of their efforts and sacrifices into a good cause and not take advantage of their labor. They should provide proper assistance to meet the needs of our modern-day heroes. Acknowledging these numbers is not just about statistics; it is about honoring the sacrifices of our fellow Filipinos working tirelessly abroad.