Entry of foreign investors to end Pinoys’ reliance on overseas jobs – Garin

House Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Janette Garin of Iloilo’s 1st District said opening the Philippine economy to foreign investors would eventually end Filipinos' reliance on overseas employment.

Garin was among the pro-charter change lawmakers who participated in Wednesday's Committee on the Whole deliberations on Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7, which sought to amend the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

Garin, a doctor and former Department of Health (DOH) secretary, highlighted that many medical professionals choose to work outside the Philippines due to the lack of opportunities in the medical industry that are at par with those abroad.

“If we open up opportunities, even for research and other fields, wouldn't our talented scientists, engineers, and professionals return to work in the Philippines?” the lady lawmaker said during the debates on RBH No. 7.

“Doesn't RBH 7 imply that the Philippines will be opened up so that companies can afford higher salaries, leading to a better life for every Filipino family?” Garin asked.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), an estimated 1.96 million Filipinos worked abroad from April to September 2022. This marked a 7.6 percent increase from the 1.83 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) in the same period in 2021.

“It hurts to admit that a lot of Filipinos who are working in Vietnam used to be managers and even company owners, but they didn't have huge capital. They ended up being recruited or pirated by foreign companies and thus they leave the country to serve another nation that they aren't used to,” she said. “Families that were left here, especially the spouses and children, are forced to cope with the sadness due to the lack of opportunities in the Philippines.”

The influx of foreign direct investments once economic restrictions are lifted would create more businesses in the country, and therefore generate more jobs.