Protecting Overseas Filipino Workers

SOME good news for the country. Last week, media outlets reported a World Bank study which praised the Philippines’ governance framework with respect to migrant workers. The report of the World Bank Group which was contained in their 2017 study entitled, “Migration to Opportunity: Overcoming Barriers to Labor Mobility in Southeast Asia” considered the Philippines as a model for policies concerning overseas workers.

As we know, our country is one of the biggest exporters of labor. It is estimated that there are approximately 10 million Filipino workers spread out in 170 countries. The Philippine Statistics Authority has a conservative number of 2.2 million based on existing work contracts—this, of course, does not include undocumented ones.

This phenomenon is brought about mainly by the lack of employment opportunities locally and the desire of Filipinos to provide for their families. And while we hope that our kababayan would not have to leave their family for opportunities abroad, the fact is that working overseas has become an important factor in improving the lives of our people and a vital contributor to our national economic growth. The same report noted that ASEAN countries, as a whole, “supply 8 percent of the world’s migrants, up from 6 percent in 1995.”

The WB praised the Philippines’ efforts at improving “information campaigns and job postings” and “working closely with receiving countries.” To be fair, these admired policies evolved over time. There was a time when our Overseas Contract Workers (OCWs)—as they were called back then—had to endure a lot of problems, misery, and abuse. Today, some still do but admittedly our agencies are much more adept at addressing these concerns compared to two decades ago. And as the WB report demonstrates, the system that evolved in our country can serve as a model to other countries in the region.

In particular, the World Bank cited the fact that the Philippines has successfully included at least 60 “migration-related provisions in strategic development plans.” It noted the plethora of Philippine legislation and regulations covering all major aspects of migration, including engagement with overseas diaspora and special protections for migrant domestic workers.

Chief among them was the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 (RA 8042), which was passed during my first term in the House of Representatives. This was then amended in 2007 by virtue of RA9422, which aimed to strengthen the regulatory functions of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). At that point, I was Speaker of the House and I pushed to address the many loopholes in the old law. When I was in the Senate in 2010, the law was amended again via RA 10022. I agree with the assessment of the World Bank that this is the most significant legislation governing migrant workers in the Philippines.

One of the issues I raised at that time was to address the seeming insensitivity and indifference of some—not all—of our diplomatic and consular officials who have been the subject of complaints from OFWs regarding their inability, which bordered on negligence, to offer assistance to distressed overseas Filipino workers.

As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I argued back then that the seeming insensitiveness and indifference of a number of our diplomatic and consular officials and personnel have been reported and they are destroying the image and dignity of a larger, more committed, devoted, and excellent public servants in the foreign service.

The growing number of OFWs led policymakers to focus on their plight and how policies can be crafted in order to protect their welfare while abroad and upon returning to the Philippines. The growing economic contribution of the OFWs by virtue of their remittances to the country has helped Philippine economic growth and should contribute to an increase in their political influence. For instance, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported that in June 2017, OFWs sent $2.46 billion to the Philippines—an increase of 5.7% from June, 2016.

I have always argued for the case of OFWs. When I was still in government as a legislator, I fought hard to provide for a policy framework that will work for, instead of against, the interest of the OFWs. In the real estate business that I developed, I was exposed to the hard work and resilience of our kababayan who battle loneliness, abuse, and discrimination just to be able to provide a bright future for their families. My first client was a wife of an OFW who bought a house from me with their hard-earned money. That trust and that responsibility has defined how I look at my business and my public life.