OFWs and the Rise of the New Philippine Administration

Labor migrations have been known as a prime contributor to Philippine’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through the remittances of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). With Pinoys aiming for a better and more stable source of income, professionals and workers continue to eye expanding their work environment by applying to other countries. Throughout the years various administrations laid down varying plans for OFWs with conflicting standards regarding the permanence of relying on a remittance-based economic plan.

About 10 million Filipinos are already living and working abroad and about 1 million leaves the country every year in hopes of better future. Foreign countries have already witnessed the Philippines’ potential for importing more labor workers and competitive professionals. But despite this fact, there are still cases of illegal and deceptive recruitment practices which burden a lot of Filipinos. The Philippine government tries to protect Filipinos from all over the world through laws and regulations that can help ensure and guard their rights.

In 1995, the Philippine government enacted Republic Act 8042, also known as Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, to institute and regulate policies of overseas employment and promote a higher standard of protection for the welfare of Filipino workers abroad. It was later revised and improved by Republic Act 10022.

The outgoing Duterte administration signed into law Republic Act 11641 in December 2021 to create the Department of Migrant Workers. This new department would cover both documented and undocumented OFWs and will serve as a “one-stop-shop” for all concerns regarding, pre-employment to employment and eventually reintegration.

The previous administration recognized the important contribution of labor migrations and protection of the rights of overseas workers. It will fall upon the shoulders of the incoming administration to continue and improve the current laws and regulations covering OFWs.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, is set to be the next president of the Philippines after leading the 2022 Presidential elections. He plans to copy the labor export policy of his late father during the martial law. He vouches that OFWs returning to the Philippines should be retrained with an eye to looking at the international labor market.