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, Paris, France
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, Paris, France
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• 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
The Philippines as a Sending
Country
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Issues and Concerns
• Inconsistences in data definitions
• Differences in language and
methodologies
• Controversy in the estimated numbers of
Filipinos overseas and overseas workers
• Inadequate institutional consultations in
reform and expansion of data collection
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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
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Organizational Frameworks
• Migrant Counts
• Direction of Migration
• Stocks and Flows
• Legal Status
Migration and Development
• Option for Foreign
Employment
• Business of Recruitment
• Vulnerability at Work
• Social Protection and
Political Participation
• OF and OFW Family Well-
being
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• Inherent difficulty of measuring from the source country
as restrictive migration channels may mask real
intentions
• Legal definitions and Operational Frameworks vs.
International Standards
On Nature of the Phenomenon
Findings
Inconsistences in Practice
• Survey language, residency rules, non-standardized
variables
• Data access
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• 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
Incomplete and Missing Data
Findings
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• Governance and leadership
• Small, simple but essential improvements
• New data collection
• Investment in institutional capacity.
• Regular Reporting on the State of International
Migration Data
•
Recommendations
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Selected Highlights
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Stocks Flows Chart 3A. Stock Estimates of Permanent, Temporary and
Irregular Overseas Filipinos, in millions, 2000-2013 Chart 3B. Outflows of Overseas Filipinos: Registered
Emigrants and Deployed Workers, in millions, 2011-2015
The Permanent and Temporary
Sources: Commission on Filipinos Overseas, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
Permanent
4.87
4.21
1.16
1.69 1.80 1.84 1.83 1.84
0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.09
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Millio
ns
POEA CFO
11
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014 2015
Th
ou
sa
nd
s
Source: The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
Chart 7. Cumulative Total of Deployed Land-based Workers and Seafarers, in 000, 1975-2015
OFWs: More Land than Sea
Land-based
Sea-based
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Chart 10. Top Emigrant Destination Countries, in %, 1987-2015
Source: Commission on Filipinos Overseas
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)
Emigrant Destinations: US,
Canada, Australia and Japan
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1981 1985 1987 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014 2015
USA* CANADA JAPAN AUSTRALIA ITALY
NEW ZEALAND GERMANY UNITED KINGDOM SOUTH KOREA SPAIN
USA 43.89%
Canada 36.24%
Japan 4.72%
Australia 5.23%
Italy 2.64
%
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0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1987 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014 2015
Saudi Arabia UAE Singapore Qatar Hong Kong Kuwait
Taiwan Malaysia Bahrain Canada Japan Oman
OFW Destinations: A Dominant Middle
East and Significant East Asian Flows
Source: The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
Chart 11. Top OFW Destinations, in %, 1987-2015
Saudi Arabia 28.24% UAE
15.79%
Singapore 9.84%
Qatar 9.26%
Hong Kong 5.96%
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Source: The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
Chart 31. Licensed Private Recruitment and Manning Agencies, By category of license, 1982-2015
The Business of Recruitment
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6,631
2,798
6,894
2,998
12,068 10,177
24,812
8,295
509 523 324 251
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
2013 2014 2015 2016
Source: Department of Foreign Affairs
Vulnerability Chart 35. Reported OFW Cases at Philippine Embassies and Missions, 2013-2016
In distress
Human
Trafficking
Repatriated
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Chart 47. Overseas Filipinos’ Cash Remittances, in
000, 1979-2015
Foreign Exchange Remittances
Source: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Chart 48. Frequency in Receiving Remittances, in %,
2015
103 421 687 1,181
4,878 6,050
10,689
18,763
24,348
22,124
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014 2015
71%
15%
8%
4%
2%
Often
Sometimes
Seldom
Never
No answer
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How OFW Families Spend their
Remittances
Source: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Chart 52. How OFW Families Spend their Remittances, by Type of Expenditure, in %, 2007, 2010, 2016
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Moving Out of Poverty
Source: Social Weather Stations
Chart 53. OFW Filipino Households Identifying Themselves as Poor, Compared with Non-OFW Households, in %,
2001-2016
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2001 2002 2003 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
With OFW in the HH
Without OFW in the HH
51%
40%