By: Fr. Nilo Tanalega, S.J.
The opportunity rarely presents itself--- when a network of organizations sharing the same interest and vision come together in one council to not just talk; but hopefully make the trains work. In this instance, the interest is the economic, social and political welfare of Filipino expatriates and the medium is the Global Filipinos’ Roundtable Consultative Discussion on Empowering Filipino Expatriates through Unified Strategies and Programs, held last January 5, 2005 at the Laurel and Recto Halls of the Senate.Change should be bi-directional. One is from the top-down, from government mandates and legislation to implemented policies that trickle down to our grassroots Filipinos. Principles that are not recognized by our state institutions commonly remain a theoretical entity, gaining its weight only if there are enough people willing to lobby for its fruition. But at the same time, change should also be bottom-up, a movement from individuals to the institutions. There is a need for a shift in mindset, to chip down the perceptions that provide resistance to more unified and humane stands on different issues. It is but logical to presume that the two are complementary and mutually inclusive.With these two approaches in mind, the goal of this paper is twofold. First is to present a concrete social reform agenda that can be appreciated by our esteemed legislators. The second is to serve a new paradigm when looking at migrant issues, in order to block self-defeating stereotypes that we unconsciously draw on when addressing our migrant Filipinos: namely that they are not just workers abroad but people. They are not means to an economic end, rather they are the end themselves: world class players in a highly globalized environment.
The following are the changes our organization, UGAT Foundation, a non-governmental organization for grassroots families, proposed and later refined in the aforementioned round table conference with the help of our affiliates. It is our hope that sharing this with you would multiply the number of individuals who will actively pursue this advocacy.In the appreciation of the later analyses, however, please bear in mind this paper’s limitations. The focus of our ministry is to assist struggling Filipino workers abroad, mostly from the grassroots level, and consequently this paper highlights them rather than the also significant in number, successful Filipino expatriates who have managed to gain capital, recognition, businesses and even political clout abroad. Justifiably so, since the foci of a reform agenda are those most vulnerable to abuse and most in need of assistance. And yes, we concede there are also laudable families who have weathered separation and reintegration with our expatriates rather successfully. We just feel that the fight against the social costs of the disruption of the family structure because of migration is not yet over.
The rate of success when it comes to working abroad is influenced by a variety of factors. Among these factors are the countries they choose to reside in, the nature of the job they apply to, with contractual workers more vulnerable, and even their gender. Some countries have legislation sensitive to migrant rights, and an amicable friendship between our governments exists, permitting a successful feedback system between states. Some countries, however, are high risk zones for Filipinos. For instance, in a certain Asian country, the outlook on migrants working in blue-collared jobs is akin to ownership, owing to racial differences. In another country, this time in the Middle East, employers are culturally predisposed to look at women differently from their men, making them prejudiced to our female expatriates, which makes them vulnerable to abuses.This aggravated by the fact that a good number of our expatriates go abroad undocumented, which makes it more difficulty for institutionalized help to reach them. The recent tsunami highlighted this concern, our government is not even certain on the number of possible Filipino casualties abroad since they risked migrating illegally. In sum, we opted intentionally to air the bad-case-scenario, for this is our opportunity to respond.
A SOCIAL REFORM AGENDA
To assess the needs of our Filipino workers abroad and their families, a consultation with social development workers with exposures in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Taiwan, Saipan, Palau, Guam, American Samoa, and the USA was conducted. These caretakers are in direct contact with our migrants and have insight on their working and living conditions.In these consultations, seven main issues surfaced.
1. On the Inability of Expatriates to Save and Invest
Recently, a group of economists from the Asian Development Bank released the results of their study on the effect of overseas worker’s remittances on the long-term poverty alleviation program of the country. The results were disappointing. It concluded that expatriate’s dollars are mostly spent on non-essentials and luxuries by recipient families. Many workers, despite having slaved in a foreign country for years, fail to establish a nest egg. Two scenarios are common. Either they come home with savings but the money supply gets depleted the first year of their return or they regularly send home what they earn but their relatives in the country fail to make the income sustainable.Much of it is psychological. Filipinos are very rarely long-sighted when it comes to monetary concerns. Risk-taking is very low, and the decision of investing is a scary prospect we would rather fend off for later. Instead, we are highly consumerists; preferring to live in the here and now, and preferring tangible but not necessarily practical proof of our labor. Thus, the katas ng Saudi is no longer the jeepneys and taxis that shall provide sustainable income to the family at home but the signature clothes, appliances and big houses.
But to presume such is the same for all is myopic. After all, what Filipino wouldn’t want to retire in luxury? Perhaps the Filipino’s inability to save is also due to the servicing of debts he incurred while saving enough to leave the country or maybe salary they take home is really not enough to address the mounting needs of dependents at home.It was encouraging to know that many groups are now taking an interest in educating the Filipino on investing, one of which is Francisco Colayco who advocates a change in expenditure habits, as well as wise investment of funds. But in case a forcing function is more appropriate, as most likely is, we recommend that the government legislate Forced Investments. This Proposal involves choosing of stable institutions to invest in pre-departure and consequent channeling of a percentage of expat's salaries to these investments which may only be accessed by expat and spouse together upon return.This set-up has been utilized before by other governments through the cooperation of their expatriate’s employees. In a system similar to the deduction of social security contributions and taxes, the system would be automatic, requiring inconvenience on the part of the Filipino migrant except in the initial selection of where the money should go, a process which may be facilitated by the National Securities and Exchange Commission in order to ensure that the pool of companies for selection are relatively low-risk.It’s a win-win situation for both the country and the individual since we also desire the infusion of capital into our local industries in order to address the poverty that forced our labor force to seek greener pastures in the first place. More importantly, like taxation, such contributions may be progressive, depending on how much the worker gets as salary to begin with and fulfilling first a minimum criteria to comply e.g. amount of contribution vis-à-vis number of dependents in order to be sensitive to the comfort level to the employee.
Although at first glance in may appear as if another attempt of the government to get a chunk of these “resources”, on another level it is a measure of insurance that what they worked hard for can be placed into good use. By making the presence of both spouses a prerequisite to get the returns, one also puts premium on the couple as a unit and possibly provides incentive for the quality of reintegration
2. On the Dependency of the Extended Family on the Migrant
One cannot discuss the productive use of migrants’ remittances without addressing the concept of dependency. Economics, after all, has a social side to it as well. Because culturally we are predisposed to the concept of a “benevolent provider” in the family, it is not unusual for the extended family to come to depend on the migrant as well, in the misconception that their son/daughter, in-laws, niece/nephew went abroad to “save” them all, even if these remaining family members are well and able, and should provide for themselves. Indeed, even the opening of “balikbayan boxes” becomes a community event in some families.Although it is a value to maintain such close family ties, one must examine the validity of the sense of entitlement that exists in families of migrant workers. If it comes to the point that these funds are not utilized for the immediate families basic’ needs and welfare, and the Filipino’s sense of kinship gets in the way on saying an empathic no, a third party must come to the picture.One of the proposals our group of social development workers came up with is the creation of an arbitration court for migrant welfare issues, specifically family issues, which has the teeth to enforce their decisions.
Such courts may be set up on either the baranggay or the municipal level whichever is feasible.One may look at Family Life Workers of the Church to man such courts. The judgments are of course based on the Family Code and this proposal doesn’t imply a sectarian judgment. The premium here is in on the knowledge of family dynamics that most family lawyers lack, as ideally such cases involving the kin systems should settle their issues legally as a last resort.
3. On the Welfare of Really Young Children of Filipina Migrants
With poverty as the springboard of migration, the presence of a nurturing mother during a child’s formative years becomes a privilege rather than a right. The social costs of overseas employment especially in the children of expatriates include growing up in a single parent family, albeit a temporary one, victims of rape/incest, drugs and alcoholism, and degradation of norms/moral values considering that majority of the expatriates are women where they play key roles in child rearing and value formation. Often times, the children rebel because of lack of role model and parental guidance leading to low academic performances.
We propose therefore that Filipinas with children 7 years old and below secure permission from the DSWD first before leaving the country. This permission shall be contingent on the availability of a competent guardian for the young children.The Hector Morada’s research showed an average of 0.56 children below 7 in households of female migrant workers. At first glance this might not be a big number, but juxtaposed this with the fact the majority of our expatriates are women, most married with kids; we are still talking in terms of millions. There is a need to secure the welfare of these children and what would an extra step during departure hurt?
3. On the Resiliency of Expatriates and their Families
Resiliency is the ability to spring back from and successfully adapt to adversity. The Filipino migrant upon settling into another country has to deal with various pressures both within and outside. There is the challenge of adapting into another culture, adapting into Filipino communities abroad, and dealing with loneliness and separation among other things.There is a need to beef up ongoing research on building resiliency among migrants and their families to further understand the strengths of successful migrants and the needs for improvement among those which easily succumbed to the demands of living outside the country. This project, we are happy to say, has already been jumpstarted, c/o Maria Lourdes Ramos of the Ateneo Psychology Department, with a premium on the following factors: openness, adversity, hope & optimism and coping. Similar endeavors for the determination of the resiliency of expatriates and their families are proposed.Information is still one of the better ways to promote resiliency. One of the resolutions of the above conference is to complement the pre-departure seminars of migrants with another on-site version. The rationale is simple: each country is different; its laws, working conditions and expectations are also different. There is a need to tailor fit the orientation process to the setting so as to circulate feedback to new workers and make sure that mistakes are not repeated and productive resolution of diagnosed problems can be conducted.The key still is access. There is a need to make such orientation accessible, maybe as near to the airport terminal as possible.
The goals are twofold. Aside from insight on what to expect, the government may also utilize these gatherings to account for the Filipinos in the host country, and establish links so as to not lose track of them once they are settled and working.
4. On the rate of Psychological Illness among Filipinos AbroadI
n relation to the inner strength of the Filipino abroad, there also exists a need for the government to establish some form of filtering mechanism to assess pre-departure a person’s potential to succumb to the stresses once abroad. There may be a need to put it in legislation to ensure that competent psychometricians do the work and that everyone leaving the country goes through the process.The problem with the status quo is that since it is an option, recruiters and individuals planning to go abroad are less likely to spend for these tests when they do not have to. The result is to either get lower quality of appraisal (i.e. limited testing) or to skip the process altogether.But prevention is better than cure, as such a mechanism may be able to see the individuals more likely to become psychotic, suicidal and/or depressed and thus set up interventions for his/her welfare.
5. On Moral Issues
Sadly, some unproductive Filipino group dynamics extend even abroad. It is not uncommon for our migrant to engage in spats and quarrels, not with the other culture but with fellow Filipinos as well. There is the tsismisan, the crab mentality and the lack of an establish support systems. Although being together and being hospitable is a Filipino strength, the quality of life together may still be addressed.Values is still the key. In this conference, we continue to affirm the presence of outreach missions and values seminar among our expatriates. Such is also a must when one thinks of specific moral dilemmas that our workers have to deal with in face with a different way of thinking. Continuing outreach missions of Filipino clergy and religious will boost the morale of migrant workers.
6. On the Pervasive Violence Against Expatriates
Sometimes, governmental protection is not enough, since pervasive violence and abuse to our migrants may be culturally rooted. For instance, it might be based on how certain cultures view their women, view the jobs Filipinos commonly take on, or view foreigners in general. In this light, two proposals were considered:
a. Selective Deployment of Expatriates to countries where harassment cases against Filipinos are less pervasive; and / or
b. Withdrawal of workers from the country provided that the case hasn’t been settled on the third attempt.
This, of course, may mean greater government control than some would like as some Filipinos would still risk abuse for employment as evident by the disregard of the ban to Iraq, but as the cost of causalities and victims are staggering, it is a matter no government should go soft on. Inter-government (e.g.Malaysia and Philippines) initiatives are very important in tackling issues.
There is also a need to beef up the establishment of shelters in cases of emergencies like in domestic violence and human trafficking. There are few shelters run by NGOs and they are always full. In some countries these are called Resource Centers and are run by the Labor Office. The prompt response of embassy officials to migrant issues is also appreciated along as the coordination and liaison with the Migrant Workers Support Centre of the diocese.
7. On the Inability to Send Home the Remains of Migrants who dies abroad Cremation may be a more practical option than covering costs of sending the remains home. It might also be better to raise local emergency funds for such emergencies.
A PARADIGM SHIFT
More importantly, as these proposals will no doubt be subject still to countless debates, there is a need to first establish a new mindset. In fact, there are specific instances when the paradigm shift is a pre-requisite for institutionalized action as even our well-meaning legislators unconsciously become guided by the seemingly flawless ideas that they hold. Also, there is a need to change the way of thinking among individuals.Our expatriates are lauded as modern heroes, that much is conceded. But still this perception is hinged upon the premise that they bring home remittances, aiding an ailing economy.
This is not as positive as one may initially assume. Why? For this kind of thinking reduces the expat to the level of goods being shuffled around for profit.First, there is a need to look at migrant workers not as economic beings, but as human beings.Majority of our migrants would rather stay in the country if they had a choice. True, seeing new settings and visiting famous places are dreams of a lot of people, but not when they come with the expense of separating from the people that matter to you and the culture that has provided you comfort as an individual. Besides, they are not abroad as tourists, most have to contend with the 4 Ds of overseas work. It’s dirty, dangerous, deadly and degrading. Most take jobs that the people indigenous to the place would not take. At times, discrimination exists, with protection to imported labor significantly less.Of course we are not saying that this is true for all cases. It is certain that there are also a good number of Filipinos who find their job fulfilling, their purpose recognized. And we are happy for them. This paper merely highlights these cases commonly encountered by our social workers as they are the ones that need our assistance and can most benefit through social reform.
The dehumanization of our overseas Filipinos stem from the mindset of consumerism. A desire for the maximum profit, motivated by greed and brought about by the movement towards a borderless world. They say in the globalized environment, our only competitive advantage with first world nations who have the capital is our labor force and it is best to send them where the businesses are. Of course the downside there is that there are also other third world nations offering these rich nations labor, cheaper too. So we lower our standards to get the job and suffer several indignities just so we won’t have to get off the bandwagon.Such displays our priority when we make legislation. We can’t even make the distinction human trafficking and respectable employment just so we won’t loose the dollars! And such displays the priority of our fellow Filipinos. We do not care about our welfare in a country filled with civil strife, even if it meant the possibility of being taken hostage, just for the money.
Also, we need to broaden our assessment of the impact of migration. That the migrant is not just an individual, but a member of a family. His departure affects both sides of the ocean. There is a remarkable strain on the family unit and their resiliency has to be explored---on how best to maintain relationships from a distance, raise children even from abroad and find support in the face of loneliness and separation.
We need to view MIGRANT RIGHTS AS HUMAN RIGHTS.
Although it is difficult to provide respect for quality of life and dignity because we are constrained by financial necessity, at the very least these social/ psychological interventions should come vis-à-vis with economic interventions. There is a need to remind ourselves that they are not just to be milked for remittances, rather they should be assisted to discover their resiliency, inspite of the unique situation they are in.