TOWARDS CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR A COMPREHENSIVE OFW REINTEGRATION PROGRAM CONCEPT PAPER

Transcription

1 TOWARDS CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR A COMPREHENSIVE OFW REINTEGRATION PROGRAM CONCEPT PAPER The following resulted from a series of brainstorming and unification meeting by members of the Organizing Committee (OC) for the First National Conference on OFW Reintegration. The OC members are NGOs Atikha Overseas Workers and Communities Initiatives, BaliKaBayani, Inc. and Unlad Kabayan Migrant Services Foundation, Inc.; the Catholic church, through the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines; and government, through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). It is a draft concept paper and is hoped to be further enriched and adopted by participants to this conference held April 12 to 13, INTRODUCTION It is estimated that there are some 7M Filipinos working and living outside the country today. About 700,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are deployed every year or about 2,000 departures on a daily basis. However, while government is able to monitor the departure of documented workers (at the very least), the volume of Filipino workers coming home due to various reasons end of contract, deportation due to wars or change in immigration laws, illegal termination, contractual violation, maltreatment by employer, illness, old age, to retire, to attend to family problems, to start a business, etc. are not recorded or monitored at all. But stories abound on the difficulties many Filipinos experience when they finally decide to come home for good, or when circumstances in the host country and in their families and communities force them to return. Instead of coming home to a heroes welcome for enduring loneliness and hard work abroad in exchange for much needed remittance for family and country, majority of the OFWs come home with nothing at all to start anew, and with many adjustments to live with even within their own families and communities. A national conference with reintegration as centerpiece is, indeed, very timely amidst the current global economic and political situation. Understanding and unity among various stakeholders government, non-government, OFWs, their organizations, their families, and communities on what a reintegration program should be, is also in the offing to ensure greater impact on the implementation of programs and projects. Imperatives to OFW Reintegration A number of reasons compel us to consider the reintegration of Overseas Filipinos Workers (OFWs) as an immediate task at hand. 1

2 1. Growing Social Costs of Migration The growing feminization of migration has altered the family structure and left the Filipino family in a vulnerable situation. It has created a void in the family that of a mother who provides the emotional support and essentially holds the family together. The caretaker or even the father usually could not respond to the children s need for emotional support. The estrangement of relationships between the OFW and other family members, oftentimes irreversible in prolonged separation, causes negative effects on the OFW and their families left behind. The bond that ties the family becomes purely economic and, slowly, the emotional bond erodes. At times, these results to infidelity among spouses, marital break-ups, and early marriages among children. Values and attitudes of the children are also affected. School children in communities with massive migration are not anymore interested to finish even high school. Like their mothers, these children know that they will also end up as domestic helpers, thinking that education is not necessary for them to be able to work as domestic helpers in a foreign land. There is also an observed growing over-dependency on migrant workers income. There are some communities in the Philippines where only 20% of its working population is employed and the rest are totally dependent on migrant earnings. The grave and enormous social costs of overseas migration on the OFWs, the families and their communities could take its alarming toll in the coming decades if not arrested. The successful reintegration of the OFW into their communities is key to reuniting migrant families the soonest time possible and, thus, help rebuild familial relations scarred by migration. 2. Adverse Policies and Changing Economic and Political Situation of Receiving Countries The temporary work and life abroad of overseas Filipino workers could abruptly be ended due to growing adverse policies of receiving countries. This can be seen in the protectionist policies of many receiving countries such as programs towards localization of labor (e.g. Saudinization); wage cuts for foreign workers (Hong Kong, 2001); and stricter immigration laws (e.g. crackdown and mass deportation of undocumented workers in Malaysia, Korea and Japan, 1998). The recent past has also shown that Filipino migrant workers could be sent back to the Philippines en masse for a number of reasons: wars and intense politico-military conflict in host countries (e.g Gulf War); diplomatic conflicts between sending and receiving countries (e.g. Singapore-Philippines during the Contemplacion case in 1995); and economic recessions and increasing unemployment rates in receiving countries (e.g. Asian economic crisis, 1997) 2

3 If we do not want to face a crisis that could be brought about by a mass return-migration of OFWS, we have to take the issue of reintegration and the establishment of appropriate programs seriously and immediately, to facilitate such. Economists point out that the local economy s low labor-absorptive capacity could not handle a massive and sudden return of hundreds of thousands of our kababayans. 3. Aging Migrant Population There are many OFWs who have worked abroad for 15 to 20 years, even more, and are either approaching retirement age or getting physically weak and incapable of enduring work abroad. They are already training their sights into going home for good to retire and/or are at a very high risk of losing their jobs anytime. Employers tend to replace aging workers and terminate their services without due notice to prevent payment of benefits. In some cases, although employers are willing to renew contracts, government and company policies do not provide coverage for insurance and other social security benefits to older workers. Thus, employers are forced to terminate or not to renew their contracts. 4. Migrants Inability to Save for their Eventual Return While it is true that migrants are able to provide for the economic needs of their families, majority are not able to save for their eventual return to the Philippines. Despite long years of hard work and relatively higher wages abroad, many OFWs are still unable to channel their earnings to long-term investments that would secure them and their families future. The increasing family expectations and over-dependency on the OFW s income, to a large extent, make it impossible for migrants to have substantial savings. Both the OFW and members of her family have developed a propensity to spend on consumer items. They also tend to spend on misplaced priorities, which push them to further indebtedness, e.g. installment lure or construction of huge, almost palatial, houses. 5. Huge Amount of Migrant Money Untapped for Economic Development. The few OFWs who are able to save and attempted to set up a business when they return to the Philippines, experience failures due to lack of planning, training and information on business conditions in the Philippines. Due to limited capital and experience, majority would invest their small savings in micro-enterprises that are not enough to sustain the standard of living that they have been used to. Some would use up their capital for the daily needs of the family while scouting around for business opportunities. Others would go ahead and invest their hard earned money in any business venture that comes their way without proper planning and training. After a few unsuccessful attempts, most of them end up looking for employment abroad again. 3

4 The Philippines has benefited from the huge amounts of remittances being sent by OFWs for their family s needs. Figures of the Central Bank show that from USD 103M in 1975, the remittances of OFWs have reached to around USD 6 Billion or approximately PHP 312 Billion in (See Central Bank data) While recorded as the country s major source of dollar reserves, these remittances however have not been tapped for long-term economic development that will benefit not only the migrants and their families, but the entire country as well. Migration of Filipinos abroad does not automatically result in the economic development of their communities. There are a number of municipalities in the Philippines receiving approximately PHP 100 Million monthly from the remittances of overseas workers. But these huge amount of money are not invested in productive endeavors but are spent only for their families upkeep, and at times, for maintaining a lavish lifestyle. Until concrete programs are created to encourage investments of migrants in enterprises that would spur rural development, the full economic and social reintegration of Filipinos overseas would never be realized. The overseas Filipino workers will continue to do backbreaking work abroad until they are old and sick. And when they do come back, they will be as insecure as ever about their future as when they left home more so, since they are older, physically weaker and with their children and other relatives living separate lives. Definition of a Comprehensive OFW Reintegration Program Recognizing the social costs of migration and the current efforts of both government and non-government organizations to address such lead us to conceptualize a comprehensive reintegration program that would address the problems brought about by migration and to maximize its potentials for development. The Comprehensive CFW Reintegration Program (CORP) is a process that facilitates the optimization of the gains of overseas employment through the creation of awareness and development of a shared vision between OFWs and their families on the need for psychosocial and economic preparation for the eventual return of the OFWs. It requires concrete government programs side by side with efforts of other concerned sectors and institutions supporting OFW reintegration initiatives consistent with local and national development aspirations. The program aims to achieve first and foremost, the integration of the OFW back into the family and community. It considers the psychological and emotional readiness of the OFW to face life back home. In addition, it aims to achieve the personal, social and economic success of migrants and their families. It should also ensure that the reintegration of migrants contributes to the overall social and economic development of the local communities and the country. 4

5 The successful reintegration of migrants could be achieved through the concerted efforts of the migrants and their families, the national government, the local government units, migrant NGOs and other institutions, groups and individuals working for migrant issues and concerns. Features of A Comprehensive OFW Reintegration Program 1. Empowered Migrants Together with Their Families: Core Component of the Program The core of a comprehensive reintegration program is the empowered OFWs together with their families, with a firm resolve to reunite and achieve their individual and collective goals in the eventual return of migrants. It is the primary responsibility of the OFW to herself or himself to prepare for his or her return to a much better life in the community. Reintegration requires a strong organization of migrants and families. They should be empowered and be able to form organizations such as savings groups, cooperatives, provincial groups, religious and socio-civic and other organizations that could provide direction and guidance towards being responsible individuals and how to achieve social and economic success in their endeavors. The social capital of migrants (or the capacity of groups and organizations of migrants to cooperate and work together for a common good) has been tapped in providing support to the community such as in the construction of roads, churches, barangay halls, deep well and others. This spirit of cooperation among the OFWs for the benefit of their community should also be harnessed in establishing business ventures and social enterprises that will generate long-term employment and development in their communities. Reintegration must also entail the training in enterprise development of migrant relatives in the communities. The migrant families should be able to engage in alternative income generating programs to counter dependency on migrant earnings. 2. Psychosocial and Economic Components of the Program A Comprehensive Reintegration Program has two main components: the economic and the psychosocial reintegration. OFWs who have made plans to return to the Philippines usually save for their reintegration. They look forward to managing their own businesses when they finally come home. Primarily, the government must provide the right climate to enable the OFWs to invest their savings and put up businesses. Incentives for business development must be provided. 5

6 To avoid failure in business ventures that may push the OFWs to migrate again, assistance should be provided to them and their families. Business and management training and other services that would ensure the viability of enterprises of migrants and migrant returnees must be facilitated. The psychosocial aspect of reintegration is oftentimes overlooked. Migrants are coming back to their own family, own community and own culture, but because of the long separation, this has resulted in cultural and social alienation and estranged relationships between the migrants and family members, particularly children. Having been used to the fast-paced and highly urbanized life in the receiving countries, migrants find difficulty in adjusting back to the way of life in their rural communities. They even experience difficulty in relating with their own families. Their families, in turn, having been used to the absence of the migrant (mother, father, or sister) finds difficulty in adjusting with their presence and in relating with them. To address the psychosocial problems of both the migrants and their families, support services such as counseling, information, education and value formation activities should be in place at the community level. 3. Reintegration Is A Process. Reintegration is a process that should be initiated from pre-departure, on-site and the return phase. Contrary to common impression, reintegration does not start when the OFW has to return back home. To be successful or to maximize gains while working abroad, planning for the OFW s reintegration should be initiated before one leaves the country. The migrant, together with the family, should unite on a common goal that they should attain while the OFW is still working abroad. They should also define the role of each member to cushion the impact of separation, and how they should support each other during the separation and how they should optimize the migrants earnings. While abroad, migrants should be able to join organizations that could help them cope with the separation and prepare for their eventual return. Economic projects must be initiated before the actual return of the migrants. When migrants return, reintegration programs should take into account the skills acquired by migrant workers while working abroad. It should also be able to identify what training or retooling is needed before embarking in any economic endeavor. Migrants should have access to all available savings options. Information regarding investments, enterprises and employment possibilities should be made available to the migrants and the migrant returnees. 6

7 4. Community-Based Reintegration Program. To facilitate the success of migrant and their families initiatives, the economic and social preparation of the local communities are necessary. A reintegration program to be effective should be community-based and should not focus only on helping out individual migrant households. Preparation of the local communities where migrants are going to return to is crucial to be able to counter the negative impact of migration and be able to optimize its gains. The program should elicit the unity, cooperation and participation of migrant organizations, non-government organizations, formal institutions such as the church and schools, and local government units. The comprehensive reintegration program should be integrated into the Municipal Development Plan of the local government. This should ensure that the initiatives of migrants and their organizations are considered in the development program of the whole community. Assistance and support from the local government is thus assured. Migrants, while still working abroad, could already initiate social enterprises both in their communities abroad and in the Philippines. These can then serve as a training ground for business development and management. Such enterprises would also provide jobs not only for migrant returnees and their families, but also to other members of the community. 5. Reintegration Programs as Part of the National Development Agenda Local initiatives should be conceived and implemented as an integral part of the country s national development program. Initiatives of migrants, their families, together with their local communities cannot succeed in isolation. The comprehensive reintegration program should be part of the national development program of the country. Reintegration programs should be mandated by national agencies to ensure its legal basis, and to be assured of the commitment of government for its implementation at the local level. The government should be able to mobilize its resources and coordinate various agencies involved in migrant issues and concerns to provide the necessary services in all three phases of migration: pre-departure, on-site, and return. 6. Reintegration, A Product of Concerted Efforts. To be effective, a reintegration program requires the concerted and coordinated efforts of individual migrants, migrant organizations, their families, GOs, NGOs, LGUs, enterprise development centers, schools, churches and other groups and organizations. Such concerted and coordinated efforts would create an enabling environment for a comprehensive reintegration program for OFWs. 7

8 Such cooperation and pooling of resources and expertise could materialize by piloting projects in pilot migrant communities. Concluding Statement Reintegration addresses the grave and enormous cost of overseas migration on OFWs, their families and communities, and Philippine society. However, a viable and workable reintegration program requires unity among various stakeholders government, nongovernment, OFWs, their organizations, their families, and communities and synergy in their determined action to carry out such program. It is only in upholding a common vision and in recognizing the role of each one, and each agency and organization working together, could an enabling environment be created and a comprehensive OFW reintegration be achieved. Prepared by Organizing Committee 1 st National Conference on OFW Reintegration 12 & 13 April 2002, Manila, Philippines Members of the Organizing Committee: Atikha Overseas Workers and Communities Initiatives, Inc. BaliKaBayani Foundation, Inc. Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Unlad-Kabayan Migrant Services Foundation, Inc. 8