1 FFW Report on Migration Antonio C. Asper, Head, PSI-RPDAO-FFW and Precy Villacorta, Chairperson, FFW Women’s Network Philippines

Part I: Extent and Profile of Filipino Migration Stock and Flow Growth Rate Occupational Spread Georaphic Spread Profile of Migrant Workers and their Households 2

Stock and Flow of Filipino Overseas In 2007, 8.7 million Filipinos were working or living in 194 countries, of whom: –4.1M were temporary overseas workers (OFWs) –3.7M were permanently living abroad (emigrants) –0.9M were irregular workers (or undocumented) About 3,000 workers leave for overseas work everyday. The greater bulk comprises circular migrant workers. Source: Commission of Overseas Filipinos_ IMD PB Series #1 Deployed Overseas Contract Workers (Growth Rate) 3

Most Filipino Migrant Workers are employed in low technology occupations Lately, there is a trend to employment of professional and skilled workers... 4

5 In what occupations do OFWs Work? Service occupations top the list, followed by production and related workers, then by professional and technical occupations. Source: IMD, PB Series #2

6 Where Female OFWs Work Largely in Service, as domestic workers (900k), followed by Sales and then by Production workers Source: IMD, PB Series #1

Geographic Spread of Filipino Migration, 2007 RegionStatus PermanentTemporaryIrregularTotal Africa1,98369,88018,54090,403 Asia, East and South213,736747,069258,6401,219,445 Asia, West4,0822,055,647121,8502,181,579 Europe284,987555,542112,990953,519 Americas / TT2,943,812354,352354,8433,653,007 Oceania243,92784,92733,160362,014 Sea-based266,553 World Total3,692,5274,133,970900,0238,726,520 7 Source: Commission of Overseas Filipinos

Profile of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) About a third of OFWs are single In 2004, about 46% are heads/spouses of Households (HH), while 37% are sons/daughters of HH heads Sea-based migrant workers are male-dominated; land-based migrant workers are female-dominated. Migrant workers in services are mostly women; migrant workers in production are mostly men. Total migrant workers are preponderantly land- based. The trend is towards feminization of migration, both temporary and permanent. Prior to migration, 11% of emigrants were employed as professionals; 21% were unemployed housewives Older workers are comprising a growing share of OFWs College graduates make up the largest share of OFWs Source: Ducanes and Abella, “OFWs and their Impact on Poverty”, ILO Regional ProgrammeOn Governance of Labour Migration, WP #5, Jan. 2008; IMD PB Series #2,

9 Profile of Migrant Households Survey Data in 2006 shows Migrant Household heads left behind are 68% males and 42% females; Educational attainment of Household heads left behind are mostly high school or college undergraduates Household Members left behind average 4 per household By relationship to household heads, Filipino migrant workers are 46% spouses or heads, 37% are sons or daughters, 9% or sons or daughters in law, the remainder are “others” Source: IMD, PB Series #3

Part II: Migration and Development in the Philippines Economic Contributions of Filipino Migrants Impact of Migration on Poverty Alleviation Do Heads of Migrant Households Still Work? Decent Work Deficit in Migrant Work 10

11 Contribution of OFWs to the Phil. Economy Ease unemployment and under-employment In the last 5 years ending 2008, they remit an average of US$12Billion a year to the Philippine economy. Philippines is 4 th among the countries with biggest inward dollar remittances from migrant workers Remittances make up 9.6% of the GNP in 2000, up from 2% in the ’80s and 4.8% in the ’90s 6% of all Households receive financial support from their relatives abroad Reduce poverty

Impact of Migration on Poverty Families with migrant workers climb up the income ladder quite rapidly within one year of migrant working A significant number of these come from poor households, especially when the migrant worker possesses higher education. Source: Ducanes and Abella, “OFWs and their Impact on Poverty”,ILO Regional Programme On Governance of Labour Migration, WP #5, Jan

13 Do heads of migrant household still work? Majority of the heads still work, a large portion (27%) of which are self- employed while some 10% establish family-owned small businesses and employ workers themselves Source: IMD, PB Series #2

14 How Decent is Migrant Work? On a scale of High, Medium and Low, Our Perception is... Decent Work IndicatorGlobal Law and Practice National Law and Practice Employment Medium to High High in Quantity Low to Medium in Quality Respect for Fundamental Rights and Principles at Work Low Social ProtectionLow Social DialogueMedium to High

Part III: Philippine Policy Framework on Migration for Work Problems in Migrant Work Policy Framework Constraints to Protection of Migrant Workers What else is Lacking? 15

Recruitment Violations –Overcharging of fees –Misrepresentation –Contract substitution –Submission of falsified documents –Illegal recruitment Employment-Related Problems –Contract violations (delayed wages) –Pre-termination of contracts –Maltreatment (verbal, physical, etc) and abuse –Confiscation of passports and travel documents Problems Encountered Trafficking of Persons, culture-isolation and broken families plague migrant work. Lately, involvement in drug syndicates have been reported 16

17 Philippine Government Policy Framework on Migration Regulation : legislation (Labor Code and R.A. ) licensing, rules and standards on recruitment and placement, pre-departure orientation, sanctions, ratification of international instruments (ILO Conventions 97 and145; UN Convention on Migrants, CEDAW) Protection: self-organizaiton (unionism and mutual benefit associations) bilateral labor agreements, protection from illegal recruitment activities, welfare program and services, voluntary social insurance, group life insurance, training, support to OFW families and during emergency repatration, adjudication of worker-employer conflicts, on-site monitoring and assistance Re-integration: training and re-training, domestic employment matching, self-employment assistance, assistance in setting up businesses, family counselling and community organizing, loans for livelihood The overall framework is good but its application is faulty, especially in respect to self-organization.

Constraints to Protecting Migrant Workers Workers’ Education and Self-Organization Narrowing the Development Gap Cultural Divide Absence of Counterpart Protective Mechanism in Destination Countries Absence of Binding International Protocols 18 Source: Sto. Tomas, Patricia, “Protecting Migrant Workers from the Philippines”, ILO Asian RegionalProgram on Governance of Labor Migration, Working Paper # 21, 2009 Protection of Migrant Work is a shared responsibility between and among the social partners and the Source and Destination countries

19 What more is needed in both sending and receiving countries? Informed and transparent labour migration admission system Standards-based approach to migration management Plan of action against discrimination and xenophobia Creation of specialized institutions Combating trafficking and exploitation Promoting decent work in migrant work Solidarity with migrant workers Combating the “police “ approach and regulating the labour market Bilateral & multilateral labor agreements

Part IV: Unionization and Union Actions on Migrant Workers Global Patterns of Union Action Improving Trade Union Models What FFW is Doing What else should Unions do? 20

21 What Unions are doing Large scale political action and mobilization: e.g, postcard campaign, anti- racism and xenophobia Advocacy for the protection of migrant workers Continuing large scale organizing among migrant workers in their workplace and communities Organizing “area-wide works councils and issuing “agricultural employment vouchers Providing direct services for migrant workers: legal, education and training, accommodations, Negotiating collective bargaining agreements and bargaining for equality Production of tool kits and facilitating access to information via online services union to union agreements between sending and receiving countries “UNI passport”

22 Improving the Trade Union Models Union to union arrangement, including GUFs Employment Promotion and Cultural Integration through skills development and language learning Institutional Social Protection plus union-based social protection scheme Regional Advocacy: in APEC, AFTA, SAARC TU-NGO Cooperation and Networking Decent Work as an Overall Framework

23 FFW Programs and Actions on Filipino Migrant Workers Organization of communities of Migrant Households Prosecution of Migrant workers’ claims in adjudication mechanisms Language Training (Finishing course in English) Advocacies for the protection of migrant workers’ rights and promotion of their interest and welfare Facilitate access to public services in training and in enrollment with the Flexi Fund of the SSS Proposed Union to Union Agreements in Managing the Flow of Migrant Workers

24 Union Sending Country (SC) Union Receiving Country (RC) POEA DFA EB ITUC/GUF DEPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS Private to Private Government to Government Government to Private Private to Government ROLE: Union (SC) Organizing workers and membership enrollment Manpower pooling, data-basing and documentation Skills training, assessment and certification Recruitment, Selection, hiring and placement Pre-departure orientation seminar Rights and interests representation Post-placement services Repatriation Re-integration ROLE: Union (RC) Placement Representation Protection Training, assessment and Certification Post-placement in-country services Repatriation LAW AND PRACTICE and IFAs ROLE Governor Mediator Arbiter FFW Proposal: Union2Union Design for Managing Deployment EB PHIC OWWA SSSDOLE Private Agency(ies) Private Agency(ies) EB MFA EB INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS Employer Worker Legend: PHIC : Philippine Health Insurance Corporation OWWA: Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration SSS; Social Security Commission DFA: Department of Foreign Affairs POEA: Philippine Overseas Employment Administration DOLE: Department of Labor & Employment MFA: Ministry of Foreign Affairs EB: Equivalent Body GUF: General Union Federation UN Conventions & Protocols ILO Convention and Recommendations

Thank you & 25