WORKING abroad will hopefully become “a choice rather than a necessity” for Filipinos in the future, according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He promised more job opportunities in the Philippines.
His predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, made the same pronouncement. During a short visit to Thailand in 2017, he told his Filipino audience, “In about 10 years, hindi na kayo lalabas (you won’t go abroad to work).” It drew cheers from OFWs.
Every post-EDSA president made similar pronouncements or pledges but without much success.
The Philippine economy has been relying heavily on the remittances of Filipinos working abroad to keep the economy afloat. These overseas Filipinos are forced to work away from home and family because of widespread poverty in the country.
Generating jobs back home – this is what the government needs to do. It must reinforce the creation of employment opportunities and ease the onslaught of price hikes that could help stop forced labor migration. The overseas Filipino workers and their families need the government in times like this to implement reforms that would deviate from the government’s labor export policy. If necessary changes would be implemented by the government, it would help end the exploitation of Filipinos here and abroad. Poverty should be addressed as it pushes Filipinos to work abroad, where they are placed in vulnerable positions as they seek to augment their income.
The challenge to the Marcos administration is to work and push for the building of a self-reliant economy to stop labor export and promote social equity and justice for the advancement of genuine national development.
