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The Philippines Group. Sarah Clinebell Gabriella Gomez Erin Million Jeff Sunseri. Philippines and Migration. When did Filipinos Migrate to Each Country & How Many?. # of Registered Filipino Emigrants by Major Country of Destination Source : Commission on Filipinos Overseas.
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The Philippines Group Sarah Clinebell Gabriella Gomez Erin Million Jeff Sunseri
# of Registered Filipino Emigrants by Major Country of DestinationSource: Commission on Filipinos Overseas
Filipino’s Identity, Language, & Lifestyle • The Philippines has one of the highest literacy rates Southeast Asia (87%). • Family and religious life is important to the community, many overseas Filipinos celebrate feast days of particular saints and hold bible studies of prayer meetings. • Festivals, birthdays, Christenings, and weddings are all celebrated in true Filipino style. • Filipino migrants have been know to stay within the small communities with few friends outside of them.
Self Sacrifice—Filipinos in a Foreign Land • Many migrant workers have left their family in the Philippines with no possibility of seeing their spouses and children • Many Filipinos, although highly educated, find themselves in menial jobs • Often, Filipinos work long and unsociable hours
Migration and Remittances: The Philippines By Sarah Clinebell, Gabriella Gomez, Erin Million, and Jeff Sunseri • 70% of total remittances to the Philippines are from the U.S., 15% from Canada, 5% from Japan, and 2.5% from Spain (the rest from various other countries, including Australia at 2.4%). • Migration boosts the economy back home. Remittances have become about 5% of their GNP. Also, a lot of the migration takes place at points in time where there are high levels of unemployment, leaving less unemployed at home.
The Philippines are experiencing a large amount of brain drain in the medical field. Many doctors and nurses are being recruited to work in foreign countries. About 70% of all trained nurses leave the Philippines. This loss of medical personnel is a kick to the already inadequate medical care in the Philippines. Migrants who live and work overseas, but are still legal citizens of the Philippines, are not allowed to vote via absentee ballot, nor are they offered any government protection. Filipinos living abroad are starting to fight this by forming delegations for their causes. ‘Brain Drain,’ and the Political Impact of Migration
Transnationalization and Changing Gender Relations Filipino holidays and festivals are practiced all over the world. In Japan, there is a Filipino newspaper (cartoon excerpt below). The importing of outside religions such as Christianity and Catholicism have caused major changes in Filipino social structures. Many rural Filipinos are abandoning indigenous beliefs and customs in favor of them. Filipino culture used to be male-dominated. Now, most of the migrants that leave are women, so they have become the primary providers. Women also tend to receive more education than men. However, divorce is still not legal, and there is high incidence of domestic violence.
Australia • #4 Destination for Filipino Migrants • About 2.5% of Australia’s immigrants are Filipino • First large scale immigration effort occurred during 1947 when Australia embarked on its post-war program to encourage greater immigration to supplement population
The Philippines and Australia • Australia: GDP per capita: 20,820 U.S. dollars • Philippines: GDP per capita: 980 U.S. dollars Why do Filipinos migrate to Australia? Filipinos are driven to migrate to Australia because of the unstable economic and political situation in the Philippines, which has not abated with the change of government. Many Asians consider Australia as an excellent alternative to the United States and Canada. Australia’s robust economy, job market and the casualness of “mateship” are very attraction.
Filipino Remittances in Australia • Filipinos residing in Australia account for approximately 2.4% of the total remittances sent to the Philippines • An Australian governmental study found that only a very small percentage of migrants from all countries stated they had made remittances since arriving in Australia.
Immigrants in Australia Australia promotes multiculturalism as a policy for all Australians % of immigrants who come from the Philippines • In 2002 the Philippines accounted for 3.4% of the inflow of their foreign-born population % of immigrants/foreign born in the workforce • Over 40% of Australia population is either foreign born (23.6%) or had a foreign-born parent (19%) Estimated rate of legal/illegal immigration • Net migration rate: 4.19 migrants/1,000 populations • Estimates on illegal immigration to Australia are not available.
Immigration Policy/Strategy Any temporary or guest worker immigration policies? • Yes. In 1996, to facilitate the entry of temporary skilled workers, the duration of stay for these workers was extended to four years and there is no limit on the numbers admitted. Is permanent citizenship possible for immigrants? For children foreign born? • Yes. In 2002, Australia granted citizenship to 79,200 foreign born people • From 1995 to 2002 24,424 Filipinos were granted citizenship • People born in Australia of an Australian citizen or permanent resident become Australian citizens by birth; migrants to Australia may acquire citizenship upon application and by meeting certain eligibility criteria. • Children who are 16 or 17 years of age may be able to acquire citizenship in their own right, subject to meeting certain criteria and children under 16 years of age may be included on a responsible parent’s application for citizenship.
Migration to Canada • 1970’S & 1980’S: FIRST TREND OF MIGRATION TO CITY. • EARLY 1980’S: THIRTY CITIES HAD 100,00 RESIDENTS (METRO MANILAS POP. WAS 5,924,563 UP FROM 4,970,006 IN 1975). • RESETTLEMENT FROM THE MORE DENSELY POPULATED TO LESS DENSELY POPULATED REGIONS. • IN THE LATE 1980’S & EARLY 1990’S MORE THAN ½ MILLION TEMPORARY MIGRANTS WENT ABROAD TO WORK BUT STILL MAINTANED A PHILIPPINE RESIDENCE.
Canada & Philippines • PER CAPITA INCOME OF CANADA: $29,800 (2003) • PER CAPITA OF PHILIPPINES: $668 (1990) • TOTAL REMITTANCES TO THE PHILIPPINES: $ 622,802 (IN 1000’S) • CANADA GDP: $958.7 BILLION (2003) • PHILIPPINES GDP: $43 BILION (1990)
Why do Migrants Leave Home? • HEAVY DEBT • 50% OF POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LEVEL • CULTIVATION OF DIMINISHING ARABLE LAND • UNEMPLOYMENT 10.3% (1991), UNDEREMPLOYMENT 2X THAT RATE • ECONOMIC GROWTH OF 1970’S SLOWED IN 1980 • HEAVY IMPORTING OF CAPITAL GOODS • HIGH PETROLEUM PRICES • WEAK EXPORT GROWTH
OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES, MANY WAVES OF NEWCOMERS HAVE ARRIVED IN CANADA. THEY COME WITH LITTLE MONEY OR BELONGINGS, BUT THEY COME WITH COURAGE AND DETERMINATION. THEY ALSO BRING CULTURES & TRADITIONS.
Impact on Migration • ABOUT 10%OF FILIPINOS (THE SO CALLED CULTURAL MINORITY) RETAIN THEIR TRADITIONAL CULTURE. • THE PHILIPPINES IS THE ONLY COUNTRY WITH THE LAW THAT EXPLICITY TRIES TO PROTECT ITS NATIONALS EMPLOYED ABROAD. • 5.96 MIGRANT(S )/1000 POPULATION • ACQUISITION OF CITENZENSHIP OF FILIPINOS TO CANADA 9,560 (2001)
Migration Information and Links to Japan Migration Information: • #3 Destination for Filipino migrants • About 20% of Japan’s immigrants are Filipino • First large migration in the 1950’s, at the end of Spanish occupation • Next large influx of workers in the 1980’s, by tourist visas. Many are now being deported. Filipino Links to Japan: • Japan occupied the Philippines during WW2. • Japan was a major source of income for the Philippines in the 1980’s through tourism, trade, and development funds.
Remittances, Earnings, and Worker Loss • Per capita income in Japan: $34,500 (2003). • Total remittances sent to Philippines from Japan: $413 million (2003). This is about 5% of total remittances sent to the Philippines.
Japan only gives visas to skilled workers. This is a recent policy to curb illegal immigration. However, they do grant many ‘entertainment’ visas to dancers and escorts. Children of foreign-born immigrants are kept hidden, and often do not attend school. They are not given citizenship if they are born there. Japan follows the exclusion model of immigration strategy. Less than 1% of their population is foreign born. Their immigration rate is almost zero. The Japanese government is beginning to recognize the influence of immigrants on their economy. They have enacted an amnesty policy that may give some immigrants legal status. Immigration Policy/Strategy
U.S. Bridges for Filipino migration have been forged by several factors • Long-standing relationship with the United States, over 100 years. • Poor economic conditions and Population pressures • Security arrangements between the islands and the United States • Resettlement from densely populated regions of the Philippines • Severe political crisis within the Filipino Governments • The U.S. accounts for the largest portion of remittances to the Philippines • 1.4 Million foreign born Filipinos call the U.S. home • Remittances from migrant workers accounts for over $6 Billion (U.S.) of the total Philippine GDP • The Philippine peso depreciated substantially, adding value to foreign currency
Statistics • The Philippines is the third largest sending country of Migrants to the U.S., behind Mexico and India respectively. • Acquisition of US citizenship averaged 34,671 Filipinos each year for the decade between 1994-2004. • Foreign born from the Philippines represented 4.4 percent of the United States' total foreign-born population of 31.1 million. • By the late 1990’s, six percent of Philippine households had one or more members working overseas, 6% of these in the U.S. • Most have homes in the Philippines and work under contract to send remittances home to their families. • The remittances they send home account for 40% of their total income. • Many migrant workers take positions in highly technical fields such as Information technology and other professional fields. • The majority of migrant Filipino workers come the the U.S. to take menial jobs with nominal pay scales. An average of 47,000 migrate each year from the Philippines to the United States
Migration from the Philippines • A poor Philippine economy along with population pressure and high unemployment brought the Philippine government to foster government sponsored foreign work programs. • Private foreign work placement gave way to the trafficking of Filipino women and children to unite families. • Initially in 1977 the foreign work placement programs were officially managed by the Philippine government but soon yielded to private placement agencies • Those seeking to immigrate to the United States must fall within one of three distinct and limited categories: Family-based immigrants, employment-based immigrants, and asylum seekers and refugees. There are no legal immigration categories for friends, cousins, aunts or uncles or grandparents. • A U.S. Citizen can only petition for a spouse, parent, child or sibling and a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) can petition only for a spouse or child. Moreover, immigrants enter through strict numerical limits, with the exception of the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, minor children and parents). • The cost to send U.S. cash to the Philippines will cost the Migrant worker an average of 10% in service fees.
THE END References: Migration Policy Institute, www.migrationpolicy.org Asian Migrant Press, www.asian-migrants.org Inter-Press Service, www.ips.org The Philippine History site, http://opmanong.ssc.hawaii.edu European Solidarity Conference on the Philippines, http://www.philsol.nl/solcon/Anny-Misa.htm Philippines Migration, www.theodora.com The Scalabrini Migration Center, http://www.smc.org.ph/Cuerpo.htm Migration Research and Policy Landscape, http://www.unesco.org