At Home sa Abroad: Why do so many Filipinos go abroad to work?

MANILA, Philippines – Every May 1, the Philippines joins the rest of the world in commemorating Labor Day. Thousands of Filipino workers and advocates call on the government to address the various issues that plague workers. Some of these are the need for living wages, and the prevalence of contractualization.

The government says Labor Day is there to recognize workers and their contributions to the Philippine economy, but one cannot discount the millions of Filipinos who still choose to work and live abroad. As of 2021, the Philippine Statistics Authority pegged the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) at 1.83 million.

OFWs have become part of the fabric of the Philippine economy. In 2022, personal cash remittances from OFWs grew 3.6% to $36.14 billion, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. While migration is a dream lived out for some, many would rather work and live at home.

For Labor Day, Rappler speaks to Shiella Estrada, president of Pin@y Careworkers Transnational, and Ellene Sana, executive director of nongovernment organization Center for Migrant Advocacy, to talk about what pushes Filipinos to work abroad, and what it would take to make local jobs a better option for those who would rather stay at home.

Watch as Estrada and Sana explain the interplay of local and migrant workers’ issues in At Home sa Abroad: Stories of Overseas Filipinos, hosted by Rappler multimedia reporter Michelle Abad.

Watch the video on Rappler at 7 pm, on Monday, May 1.

At Home sa Abroad: Stories of Overseas Filipinos is Rappler’s one-stop video podcast for all things Filipino diaspora. – Rappler.com

Watch other At Home sa Abroad episodes: