The Work of FES on Migration Issues in the Philippines and Southeast Asia

FES’ involvement with migration issues takes place at various levels. The country offices of FES in Southeast Asia, particularly FES Philippines and Indonesia, work at the national and community levels on such basic issues as the education of departing migrants, working with relevant national agencies in protecting the rights of migrant workers, and contributing to the shaping of the institutional framework of the various stages of labor migration.

At the transnational and regional levels, in cooperation with its partners, FES seeks to support and influence policy advocacy in destination countries to safeguard the welfare of migrant workers and for the destination countries to adhere to the prescribed
norms as laid down in national laws and international conventions. For regional project activities, FES aims at strengthening the organizational capacities of migrants’ associations to represent their interests and concern by strengthening the collaboration among and between migrant NGOs and trade unions. FES engages parliamentaarians in the region in their role in addressing labor migration at various levels – national, bilateral and regional.  In its work on migration issues, FES prioritizes the protection and promotion of migrants’ rights as human beings and as workers to ensure that the economic benefits of labor migration are maximized while the social costs are minimized.

FES engagement in the Philippines

Promoting Dialogue

As the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) remains unabated, FES views its role in facilitating collaboration among different groups working with migrant issues as essential. FES engages with actors in civil society and government in broadening the discourse on the current framework of labor migration and in the full implementation of laws pertaining to migrants.

In addressing gaps in the understanding and appreciation of labor migration issues by various groups - among OFWs, migrant NGOs and other sectoral organizations, government agencies, the diplomatic corps, the media and the public at large -  FES and the Center for Migrant Advocacy-Philippines (CMA-Philippines) conduct regular briefings on migration issues. By providing sharp analyses and promoting sound recommendations for policymakers in both the national and international arenas, the FES-CMA partnership contributes in forging a broad-based cooperation among migrants and advocates in the country and overseas.   From 2005-2007, the quarterly discussions,  the Dr. Alfredo J. Ganapin (AJG) Advocacy Forum Series, created a space where stakeholders –  government, non-government groups, competent resource persons and migrant workers –  get together to discuss selected issues, examine the impact on the migrant sector,  and identify possible responses of the various stakeholders.  Themes tackled in the AJG Advocacy Forum Series include: GATS/Mode 4; Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and the Role of Trade Unions in Labor-Sending and Receiving Countries; Policy Issues on Skilled Migration: The Case of Filipino Nurses; Pinay X-Abroad: The Homecoming: Stories of Tears and Triumphs; A Migration Centennial Forum: Migration Prospects; OFWs, Trafficking and Irregular Migration; Filipino Seafarers;  Economics of Migration, ASEAN Declaration on Migrant Workers, Migrants’ Human Rights, Curbing Illegal Recruitment and Trafficking, Effectiveness of Migrant Worker Education/Information.

FES Philippines also partnered with OFW Journalism Consortium (OFWJC) in organizing various forums on the contributions of remittances to the country and the assessment of the impact of international migration on Philippine development. This cooperation helped in discussing policy issues on migrant workers in the media. This was realized through organizing workshops on migration for journalists, the maintenance of a news website and database on migrant labor and the distribution of newspackets to national and provincial media outfits (newspapers, radio stations and television stations).

Economic and Social Issues

Labor migration occurs due to mainly economic reasons. The prospect of finding gainful employment and higher earnings entices people to take risks and leave their familiar social environment. The discourse on economic gains currently revolves around the use of remittances for productive investments. In order to understand how individual and collective remittances can stimulate development at the local level, FES supports studies and analyses undertaken by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on practices, processes and policies concerning remittances.  The Philippine government through the DOLE, examine how OFW remittances can be harnessed as a development tool, to identify their benefits to the family and to understand the social implications of remittances. Our partner, the community-based NGO Atikha, Inc. Overseas Workers and Communities Initiatives (Atikha) is actively looking into ways in which such remittances can be used at the local level.

Atikha has also developed interventions to reintegrate and (re-)train returning migrant workers in order to enable them to apply their skills locally and to invest productively. Atikha provides economic and social services for overseas Filipinos, their families and communities such as trainings on enterprise development and savings mobilization, skills training for children of OFWs and counseling for returnees.    Recently, Atikha launched the Overseas Filipino Center in San Pablo City, Laguna that services the needs of the OFWs and their families.  Atikha has conducted forums on women, migration and development, thereby providing information to stakeholders on the issues and challenges of the feminization of labor migration on the origin communities.  This is one example of how FES and its partners consider the gender aspects of labor migration.

FES Philippines addressed the problem of brain drain by co-organizing with CMA Philippines a forum titled, “Policy Issues on Skilled Migration: The Case of Filipino Nurses.” The departure of large numbers of Filipino nurses and the implications of this trend to nursing education and health care delivery were examined in the forum. Among the recommendations from the forum were the institution of a National Health Service Act and introducing reforms in health financing and management of medical education in the Philippines.

Human and Political Rights

While temporary labor migration can be an excellent opportunity for the individual to improve his or her life, many migrant workers encounter grave abuses of their human rights. Together with the Philippine Migrants Rights Watch, FES Philippines conducted a study to document the pre-departure experiences of migrant workers. Findings from the study shed light on how migrants prepare for their departure, their level of knowledge about legal channels of labor migration, the practices of recruitment agencies, and migrants’ experiences in dealing with government agencies and NGOs.  The research highlighted implications on migrants’ rights education and courses of action for relevant government agencies and NGOs to prevent abuses against migrants before they leave for their overseas assignments.

Another important human rights issue is gender discrimination and gender-based violence. FES Philippines supported the Development Action for Women Network (DAWN) in the publication of a book on the human rights violations against women entertainers in Japan. The publication, Pains and Gains: A Study of Overseas Performing Artists in Japan from Pre-Departure to Reintegration, disseminated research findings on the study of the living conditions of overseas performing artists (OPAs) in Japan, mostly women. Their problematic work conditions render them vulnerable to exploitation by employers and customers. The book tackled migration policy, illegal recruitment, trafficking of women and violations of human rights, among others.  Another publication, Moving On: Stories of DAWN Women Survivors, compiled the stories of returning women migrant workers. The book highlights the push factors that drove women to work in Japan, the nature of their work and the difficulties they faced upon their return.

To prevent human rights abuses, migrant workers need to organize themselves in associations and/ or to join existing organizations in the host country. The question of interest representation and their own protection lies at the core of FES’ regional project. In the Philippines, FES rendered support to the promotion of the political rights of migrants by sponsoring the study and publication of  Overseas Absentee Voting: The Philippine Experience. Implemented by CMA-Philippines, the book details the long campaign and lobbying for the passage of the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) Law and identifies serious gaps in the registration and voting procedures. Based on the experience of the implementation of the OAV for the May 2004 elections, the book provides important recommendations on how to improve the implementation of the OAV to enable overseas Filipinos to participate in political exercises.

FES Regional Project on Migrant Labor in Southeast Asia

Cognizant that the migration phenomenon involves political, economic, social, cultural and even gender dynamics, FES sees the importance of engagements with parliaments in the region and parliamentarians, workers’ solidarity and civil society involvement
in promoting the protection of migrant workers and fostering migrants’ representation in policies and decisions that concern them. New actors and organizations have emerged to take up the cause of migrant workers; likewise, new strategies and interventions
have also been implemented around the region.
 

Trade Union and Migrant NGO Collaboration

At the forefront of FES’ work in the region is the promotion of more collaboration between NGOs and trade unions in the promotion of migrants’ rights and empowerment. FES sees both players as possessing specific strengths and advantages in dealing with migrants’ issues. Exploring their comparative advantages as well as their complementarities can open up possibilities for collaboration and build a stronger support base for joint action on migrants’ issues. Trade unions have traditionally been perceived as taking a secondary interest in migrant labor, and if they do engage the issue of migrant labor, they tend to see their role as protecting local workers vis-à-vis migrant workers. Organizing, service provision and institutionally representing migrants have been beyond the core tasks of trade unions. This is where NGOs in the field of migrant labor filled the gap neglected by the labor movement.

To bridge the gap between NGOs and trade unions, FES sought to create awareness of each other’s strengths and weaknesses and to discuss possibilities of cooperation in the promotion of the welfare of migrant workers. In early 2005, the FES Philippine Office embarked on developing a regional project on migrant labor. The first phase of the project was the conduct of country studies of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. The country studies covered the following aspects: current context of labor migration; a mapping out of the nature, rationale and functions of migrant workers organizations; the role of NGOs and trade unions in organizing, educating and protecting migrant workers; assessment of the programs and approaches of NGOs and trade unions in their work with migrant workers; identifying possible areas of cooperation among non-government actors.

On 25-27 August 2005, the FES Philippine Office and the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore (NUS) jointly organized the Workshop on Migrant Labor in Southeast Asia in Singapore. The workshop was attended by participants from the academe, NGOs, trade unions in Southeast Asia as well as representatives from FES country offices in the Philippines and Indonesia. The conference presented the findings of the research on the collaboration of NGOs and trade unions concerning migrant workers and explored concrete proposals and activities on how this collaboration can move forward.  The plan of action includes the publication of the country studies, the formation of an (informal) network, and the conduct of a regional conference with the objective of bringing together leaders of trade unions and migrant labor NGOs in Southeast Asia. The dialogue between NGOs and trade unions was furthered in the Regional Conference on Trade Union and Migrant NGO Collaboration in Promoting the Rights and Well-being of Migrant Workers in Southeast Asia, to be held in Manila on 7-8 September, a joint effort of the FES Regional Office, an international trade union confederation LO Norway and a regional migrant network Migrant Forum in Asia.

Follow-ups are being undertaken to sustain the advocacy and update on the initiatives of trade unions and migrant NGOs. Engagements with Global Union Federations and international and regional migrant networks are planned for the 2^nd Global Forum on Migration and Development taking place in Manila on October 2008. FES hopes to assist in creating such linkages and that such partnerships will prosper and contribute to improving the lives and life chances of migrant workers.

Role for Parliamentarians in the ASEAN

On 22-23 September 2007 in Manila, Philippines, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Philippine Office and the Migrant Forum in Asia jointly organized a regional informal workshop entitled “Labor Migration in Southeast Asia: What Role for Parliaments?” where former and sitting Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore, as well as government officials, representatives from international organizations, migrant non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and associations, trade unions and the academe based in the region participated.

Labor migration has become an integral part of globalization and the integration processes of ASEAN. As the ASEAN moves more towards regional integration and a host of issues emerge as the region experiences increasing movement of people within and outside its borders, FES sought ways to engage parliamentarians on the issues of labor migration in Southeast Asia and to look at how parliamentarians and parliaments can increase their role in addressing labor migration at national, bilateral and regional levels. The workshop was designed as a non-partisan, informal activity to encourage learning and reflection among parliaments as well as with civil society organizations (CSOs) and government officials. 

FES works in finding balance between the interests of stakeholders in the region and the individual rights of migrant workers. Southeast Asia is a dynamic region in terms of labor migration, consisting of a number of sending, receiving and sending-receiving countries. In 2005, there were 13.5 million people who moved through the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It is estimated that 5.4 million intra-ASEAN migrants contribute to 2-10% of GDPs in the ASEAN through being employed in receiving countries as well as remitting salaries and transferring know-how to the sending countries.