The Global Filipino

MANILA, Philippines — On the first day of my Sociology of Globalization class last April, I asked each student why they chose to attend the class. Their answers ranged from wanting to know how globalization is analyzed from a sociological perspective, to wanting to understand how global processes affect local societies and cultures. One student’s answer stood out though. She told me that in addition to an interest in the topics related to globalization, she wanted to know how globalization has affected Philippine national identity, having visited the Philippines previously. As a Filipino, I told her that it was a challenging question to answer, and that one needs to look at several factors to comprehend a concept as complex as “national identity.”

As an overseas Filipino, I have had my share of queries about who and what being Filipino is — this, upon initially being doubted whether I was indeed Filipino due to my physical features, thanks to my Chinese ancestry. I also have had (much older) colleagues who asked me what happened to my country and why it has gone behind many of its Asian neighbors. I could only give them a sheepish smile while attempting to answer. Despite us lagging behind many of our neighbors, we Filipinos — both at home and overseas — have in ourselves a certain national “pride” especially when talking about fellow Filipinos who have given the country much recognition in the realm of sports, science and technology, academia, and even beauty pageants. We are arguably a nation of “greats,” but why then are we not a “great” nation?

What makes a nation great? It is without a doubt that economic wealth, military strength, political might, and cultural influence, make a country rise above all others. The Philippines at present, is lacking in these aspects; but should this fact discourage us in envisioning a vibrant future for our country? Should we even compare ourselves to much more powerful nations that only remind us of our current “inferior” status in the world system?

The Philippines has one of the largest diasporas in the world today. Filipinos are visible in almost all levels of the occupation hierarchy, ranging from the low-skilled to the highly-skilled, professional class. Filipinos work in the service industry, in construction, in schools and universities, in multi-national corporations, in hospitals, in the IT sector, not to mention those who offer their services to many households throughout the world. Migration has become a reality for many Filipino families that this phenomenon, arguably, has become part of the national consciousness. While people migrate for a variety of reasons, the most significant one is to further economic opportunities for one’s family. We hear of sacrifices of a parent or a child who has to live miles away from home in a place which is, in most cases, linguistically and culturally different. Our traditional notion of what a family is has also been affected by the migration of one or two family members, and this has created several challenges for many of these transnational families. Transnational families are those families that, despite living apart, try to create a sense of “familyhood” across nation-state borders. These are oftentimes done through economic remittances as well as the carrying out of responsibilities through “transnational care-giving”—“taking care” of family members from a distance, be it one’s children or one’s aging parents. This has been made possible through the sending of financial support, shipping balikbayan boxes, as well as regular communication with one’s kin, thanks to advances in communications technology and social media use.

These Filipino transnational families are continuously increasing, with the act of migrating regarded as a “noble” act. If large numbers of Filipinos engage in this “noble” deed, is it not great in itself? These migrants are considered to be “bagong bayani” who not only prop up the GDP but earn accolades for their good performance at their work places. To make our country competitive in these times, we should be able to engage with these “global” Filipinos in the task of rebuilding the nation beyond the discourse of economic remittances.

What makes a country great should not only be limited to its GDP, or its political and military influence; the country’s human resources within and without its borders should also be given much importance. A Japanese colleague once told me that she never really gave much thought about the Philippines until she visited recently. She then said that the country has much potential with its young population, as opposed to Japan’s aging populace. Recently, Japan has been opening its doors to migrant workers to address the need for labor, particularly in care work, and Filipinos are among those who are accepted. We ought not to forget overseas Filipinos who are a resource to the country, not only with the remittances—both economic and social—that they send back home, but also for the valuable work they do in the countries that welcomed them. How do we harness them for the country’s development and avoid a so-called “brain drain” and turn this instead into “brain circulation”? This has been on the policy agendas of most sending countries, including the Philippines. While government agencies and policymakers continue to address issues related to Filipino migration, what can most of us do? We can start by changing our mindset.

So, the next time we see migrant Filipinos arriving at the NAIA with loads of boxes, or if we happen to meet some Filipinos working as restaurant crew while on transit at the Dubai International Airport, or if we pass by Filipino women chatting about their alagas along Orchard Road in Singapore, think of how they try to perform their duties as a spouse/parent/sibling/child to their families back home. Think of how their remittances contribute to the country’s GDP. Think of how the investments they make or plan to make in their homeland upon their return. Think of how the skills they gain could be imparted to the next generation when they decide to return. With this mindset, we could envision a much brighter future that would enable the Philippines to stand among the world’s greats.   - Johanna Zulueta

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Johanna Zulueta is an associate professor of Sociology at Soka University. She has a forthcoming book, Transnational Identities on Okinawa’s Military Bases: Invisible Armies.