The Philippine Experience in the Measurement of Migration: Perspectives of an Emigration Country

Ma. Alcestis Abrera Mangahas International Forum on Migration Statistics January 15-16, 2018, ,

The as a Sending Country

• A long history of data collection and archives • Institutionalized inter-agency coordination committees • Use of a variety of data sources – national and local surveys, administrative data, research findings • Over 25 government and private agencies engaged in collection of data

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Issues and Concerns

• Inconsistences in data definitions • Differences in language and methodologies • Controversy in the estimated numbers of overseas and overseas workers • Inadequate institutional consultations in reform and expansion of data collection

3 NEDA-SWS 2017 Study

A comprehensive study compiling currently available data on international migration, analyze gaps and recommend improvements to support policy formulation and development planning – International Migration Almanac 2017 – Scoping Report – Recommendations

4 Organizational Frameworks

• Migrant Counts Migration and Development

• Option for Foreign • Direction of Migration Employment

• Stocks and Flows • Business of Recruitment • Vulnerability at Work • Legal Status • Social Protection and Political Participation • OF and OFW Family Well- being

5 Findings

On Nature of the Phenomenon

• Inherent difficulty of measuring from the source country as restrictive migration channels may mask real intentions • Legal definitions and Operational Frameworks vs. International Standards

Inconsistences in Practice

• Survey language, residency rules, non-standardized variables • Data access

6 Findings

Incomplete and Missing Data

• Inattention to student migration; gap on return migration; poor monitoring of foreign in-migration • Complexity of irregular migration • SDG Data requirements are not yet started: Remittance prices; Recruitment/migration costs • Bettter data collection on migration and development is needed: Vulnerability of Workers; Business Prices; Family Well-being; Social Protection and Political Participation

7 Recommendations

• Governance and leadership

• Small, simple but essential improvements

• New data collection

• Investment in institutional capacity.

• Regular Reporting on the State of International Migration Data • 8

Selected Highlights

9 The Permanent and Temporary Stocks Flows Chart 3A. Stock Estimates of Permanent, Temporary and Chart 3B. Outflows of : Registered Irregular Overseas Filipinos, in millions, 2000-2013 Emigrants and Deployed Workers, in millions, 2011-2015

POEA CFO

2.00 1.80 1.84 1.83 1.84 4.87 1.80 1.69

Permanent Millions 1.60 1.40 4.21 1.20 1.00 0.80 0.60 0.40 1.16 0.20 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.09 0.00 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Sources: Commission on Filipinos Overseas, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration

10 OFWs: More Land than Sea

Chart 7. Cumulative Total of Deployed Land-based Workers and Seafarers, in 000, 1975-2015

1,600

1,400

Thousands 1,200

1,000

800

600

400 Land-based

200

0 Sea-based 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014 2015

Source: The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration 11 Emigrant Destinations: US, Canada, Australia and Japan Chart 10. Top Emigrant Destination Countries, in %, 1987-2015 100% 90% 80% 70% USA 60% 43.89% 50% 40% Canada 30% 36.24% 20% Australia Japan 5.23% 10% 4.72% 0% 1981 1985 1987 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014 2015 Italy 2.64 USA* CANADA JAPAN AUSTRALIA ITALY % NEW ZEALAND GERMANY UNITED KINGDOM SOUTH KOREA SPAIN

Note: *USA and Insular Area (American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, US Virgin Islands, Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) Source: Commission on Filipinos Overseas

12 OFW Destinations: A Dominant Middle East and Significant East Asian Flows

Chart 11. Top OFW Destinations, in %, 1987-2015 100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40% Saudi Arabia 28.24% UAE 30% 15.79% 20% Hong Kong 5.96% Singapore 10% 9.84% 0% Qatar 1987 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014 2015 9.26% Saudi Arabia UAE Singapore Qatar Hong Kong Kuwait Taiwan Malaysia Bahrain Canada Japan Oman

Source: The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration 13 The Business of Recruitment

Chart 31. Licensed Private Recruitment and Manning Agencies, By category of license, 1982-2015

Source: The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration 14 Vulnerability

Chart 35. Reported OFW Cases at Philippine Embassies and Missions, 2013-2016

30,000

24,812 25,000

20,000

15,000 Repatriated 12,068 10,177 8,295 10,000 6,631 6,894 In distress 2,798 5,000 2,998 509 523 324 251 Human 0 Trafficking 2013 2014 2015 2016

Source: Department of Foreign Affairs 15 Foreign Exchange Remittances

Chart 47. Overseas Filipinos’ Cash Remittances, in Chart 48. Frequency in Receiving Remittances, in %, 000, 1979-2015 2015

24,348 Often 71% 22,124

18,763 Sometimes 15%

Seldom 8%

10,689 Never 4%

6,050 No answer 2% 4,878

1,181 103 421 687

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014 2015

Source: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

16 How OFW Families Spend their Remittances Chart 52. How OFW Families Spend their Remittances, by Type of Expenditure, in %, 2007, 2010, 2016

Source: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

17 Moving Out of Poverty

Chart 53. OFW Filipino Households Identifying Themselves as Poor, Compared with Non-OFW Households, in %, 2001-2016 70 51% 60

50 40% 40 With OFW in the HH 30 Without OFW in the HH

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10

0 2001 2002 2003 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Source: Social Weather Stations

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