The 'new' Philippine future "beside" the exodus

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the international migration-and-development story of the Philippines, amongst the leading migrant-origin countries. Design/methodology/approach – Migration and socio-economic development data are used to depict the migration-and-development conditions of the Philippines. Findings – The Philippines has mastered the management of overseas migration based on its bureaucracy and policies for the migrant sector. Migration also rose for decades given structural economic constraints. However, the past 10 years of macro-economic growth may have seen migration and remittances helping lift the Philippines’ medium-to-long term acceleration. The new Philippine future beside the overseas exodus hinges on two trends: accelerating the economic empowerment of overseas Filipinos and their families to make them better equipped to handle the social costs of migration; and strategizing how to capture a “diasporic dividend” by pushing for more investments from overseas migrants’ savings. Research limitations/implications – This paper may not cover the entirety of the Philippines’ migrationand- development phenomenon. Practical implications – Improving the financial capabilities of overseas Filipinos and their families will lead to their economic empowerment and to hopefully a more resilient handling of the (negative) social consequences of migration. Social implications – If overseas Filipinos and their families handle their economic resources better, they may be able to conquer the social costs of migration. Originality/value – This paper employed a population-and-development (PopDev) framework to analyse the migration-and-development conditions of the Philippines. Design/methodology/approach: Migration and socio-economic development data are used to depict the migration-and-development conditions of the Philippines. Findings: The Philippines has mastered the management of overseas migration based on its bureaucracy and policies for the migrant sector. Migration also rose for decades given structural economic constraints. However, the past 10 years of macro-economic growth may have seen migration and remittances helping lift thePhilippines' medium-to-long term acceleration. The new Philippine future beside the overseas exodus hinges on two trends: accelerating the economic empowerment of overseas Filipinos and their families to make them better equipped to handle the social costs of migration; and strategizing how to capture a “diasporic dividend” by pushing for more investments from overseas migrants' savings. Practical implications: Improving the financial capabilities of overseas Filipinos and their families will lead to their economic empowerment and to hopefully a more resilient handling of the (negative) social consequences of migration. Social implications: If overseas Filipinos and their families handle their economic resources better, they may be able to conquer the social costs of migration. Originality/value: This paper employed a population-and-development (PopDev) framework to analyse the migration-and-development conditions of the Philippines.