Update on Philippine Migration Management, Structure and Programs

Presentation of

Cabinet-Level Secretary Imelda M. Nicolas Chairperson, Commission on Filipinos Overseas

Norwegian European Migration Network National Contact Point

Conference on Migration and Development in Oslo, Norway June 18, 2012

Stock Estimate of Overseas Filipinos as of December 2010

Overseas Filipino Workers 4.32M (45%)

Permanent Migrants 4.42M (47%)

Irregular Migrants 0.71M (8%)

Total: 9,452,984

Top 10 Destination Countries of Filipino Emigrants 1981-2010

1

2

3

4

8

7

9

5

10 6

Top 10 Destination Countries of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW)

• Saudi Arabia • UAE • Qatar • Kuwait • Hong Kong

• United States • United Kingdom • Malaysia • Taiwan • Canada

Philippine Remittances

• Philippines is the 4th top recipient of remittances in the whole world (with US$20.4 in 2011)

• Remittances constitute 10.7% of the GDP

• Highest % to GDP (2010) in Southeast Asia and 21st in the world

Source: World Bank Report 2010

Cont. on Philippine Remittances

• Remittances for past 10 years described by the Philippine Central Bank as RESILIENT, PROVIDING CUSHION AGAINST EXTERNAL SHOCKS

• Sustained remittance growth attributed to: – diversity of overseas Filipinos’ skills and

expertise in more than 200 countries – new and expanded markets for labor

migration – expansion of bank and non‐bank services

Social Cost of Migration

• Brain drain • Weakening of family stability • Absence of parental guidance

for children left behind • Remittance-dependence of

family members • Women migrants vulnerable

to abuses and violence • Hazardous working

conditions for some OFWs

President Aquino’s Social Contract with the People

“From a government that treats its people as an export commodity and a means to earn foreign exchange, disregarding the social cost to Filipino families… to a government that creates jobs at home, so that working abroad will be a choice rather than a necessity, and when its citizens do choose to become Overseas Filipino Workers, their welfare and protection will still be the government’s priority.”

Core Government Agencies Involved in Managing Migration

Department of Foreign Affairs

• Primary department of government involved in the conduct of foreign affairs

• Tasked to protect the rights and interest of Filipinos abroad

• Issue passport to nationals and visa to foreigners • Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant

Workers’ Affairs or OUMWA’s primary task is to assist OFs in distress

Department of Foreign Affairs

• ONE COUNTRY- ONE TEAM APPROACH – All govt. agencies operating abroad work under the leadership of the Philippine Ambassador in the country, regardless of their respective mother agencies, to protect the rights of overseas Filipinos

Department of Labor and Employment

• Exclusive power to administer and enforce all labor laws

• Facilitates and regulates employment both local and overseas

• Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) representing DOLE overseas

• National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO), tasked to provide responsive, productive and sustainable reintegration services to OFW returnees

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration

• Mandated to formulate policies and implement programs for the employment of skilled and qualified Filipino workers overseas: a. Licensing & regulation of private recruitment

agencies b. Conduct of market studies and research c. Maintaining a worker’s registry d. Forging MOU/MOA with foreign governments e. Registering foreign employers f. Assessment of employment contracts

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration

• Promotes the welfare of OFWs and their dependents through the provision of services such as: a. Repatriation when needed b. Legal and other forms of assistance to

OFWs in distress c. Loan Assistance d. Scholarship grants to children of OFWs e. Skills training program to OFWs

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration

• During the height of the Arab Spring and the devastating disaster in Japan, OWWA assured the availability of at least 11 billion pesos to aid the displaced OFWs

POEA & OWWA’s PEOS/PDOS

• Pre-employment orientation seminar by POEA is intended for potential migrants (esp. OFWs)

• Pre-departure orientation seminar by OWWA and POEA is a mandatory requirement for all OFWs

DOLE’S Initiatives vis-à-vis Bilateral Labor Agreements

• Philippines has bilateral labor agreements with 76 countries in the form of MOU or MOA

• DOLE issued in 2012 Guidelines and Procedures in forging bilateral agreements with core provisions on responsibilities of both sending and receiving countries

Office of the President of the Philippines

CFO Mandate

• To promote and uphold the interests, rights and welfare of overseas Filipinos

• To preserve and strengthen their socio-economic, political and cultural ties with the Motherland

Expanded CFO Clientele

• Overseas Filipinos – “migrant workers, other Filipino nationals and their dependents abroad” which include: – Filipino permanent residents abroad – Filipinos overseas who are naturalized

citizens or dual citizens – Filipino spouses of foreign nationals – Descendants of overseas Filipinos – Overseas Filipino youth – Exchange Visitor Program participants

CFO Core Programs

• Policy Advocacy • Socio-Economic Development of OFs • Integration and Reintegration of OFs • Culture and Education (especially for 2nd

and 3rd generation OFs) • Institutional Development

CFO Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS)

For Emigrants aged 20-59 yrs. old • Country-specific discussions

• 33,579 attendees in 2011 * Average of 138 attendees /day in Manila in 2011

CFO Peer Counseling Session

For Emigrants 13 to 19 years old

* 11,162 counselees in 2011

CFO Guidance & Counseling Program

For Filipino Spouses / Other Partners of Foreign Nationals

* 19,321 Filipino spouse/partner counselees in 2011, 90% are women

Exchange Visitor Program

Pre-departure Orientation Seminar for

J-1 Visa Holders for the United States

Country Familiarization Seminar for Au Pairs

• In 2011, a TWG was formed to draft guidelines for the total lifting of the ban on Au Pairs

• CFO was requested to conduct pre-departure orientation program for Au Pairs & their registration, once ban is lifted

• In May 2012 ban was lifted

Required Steps for Au Pair Program

Country Familiarization Seminar for Au Pairs

1. Denmark- 197 or 49.37% 2. Norway- 125 or 31.33% 3. The Netherlands- 47 or 11.78% 4. Switzerland- 17 or 4.26% 5. Germany- 10 or 2.51% 6. Iceland- 3 or 0.75%

Destination Countries of Au Pairs (from mid-May to June 10, 2012)

Major Legislations related to Migration

• Migrant Workers and Filipinos Overseas Act of 1995, amended by R.A. 10022 in 2010

• Anti-Trafficking in Person Act of 2003 • Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003 • An Act Instituting a "BALIKBAYAN PROGRAM" • Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of

2003

CURRENT PROGRAMS/INNOVATIONS

• CFO, WITH THE HELP OF NEDA (GOVT. PLANNING BODY), SUCCEEDED IN INCLUDING 60 MIGRATION-RELATED PROVISIONS IN THE PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR 2011-2016

MIGRATION-RELATED PROVISIONS IN PHIL. DEVT. PLAN (PDP)

• MIGRATION-RELATED PROVISIONS IN PDP RANGED:

-- FROM TURNING BRAIN DRAIN TO BRAIN GAIN TO FINANCIAL LITERARY -- FROM SITUATION OF WOMEN IN LABOR MIGRATION TO ANTI-TRAFFICKING

-- FROM STRENGTHENING SAFETY NETS FOR OFWS TO THE APPRECIATION OF PHIL. HERITAGE AMONG 2ND & 3RD GENERATION

-- FROM LEVERAGING OF REMITTANCES FOR PRODUCTIVE USE TO REINTEGRATION

Overseas Filipinos Remittance for Development (OF-RED)

• Aimed at leveraging OFs remittances for local economic development through social enterprises, cooperatives, rural banks, microfinance institutions in cooperation with local government

Remittance for Development Council (ReDC)

• The Council is an advisory and policy-recommending body that aims to explore new projects and expand existing initiatives to create a better environment in maximizing the benefits from OF remittances

Financial Literacy Program for OFs

• This program aims to educate the overseas Filipinos and their family on the proper management of their finances through savings, investments, financial planning, budgeting, etc.

Diaspora to Development (D2D)

Diaspora to Development (D2D)

• The D2D initiative was designed to mobilize the Filipino diaspora communities and become partners of the country’s development by identifying 10 areas of engagement

Youth Leaders in the Diaspora (YouLeaD)

• YouLeaD is CFO’s new flagship program targeting 2nd and 3rd generation overseas Filipino youth leaders to have better understanding and appreciation of their social, economic and cultural ties to the Philippines & to become country’s development partners

Philippine Schools Overseas

• At least 40 PSOs outside the Philippines that provide basic education to Filipino children in line with Philippine education’s curriculum

Remaining Challenges

1. Migration and development policies are implemented by various government agencies, lack of coherence and institutionalized coordination between and among them in relation to M & D

2. Need for timely, comprehensive and harmonized databank on M & D; this problem could be addressed with the implementation of the EU-funded project on Philippine Migration Data Management by July, 2012

Remaining Challenges

3. Dearth of mainstreaming M & D in Local Governent Units (LGUs). The Philippine government through NEDA and with funding from EU is undertaking a project in Region 4 to serve as template for mainstreaming M & D in LGUs

Office of the President of the Philippines