EDITORIAL - The cost of migration

When President Arroyo delivers her final State of the Nation Address next week, she is sure to mention economic gains under her watch. She must pay tribute to the millions of Filipinos working overseas, whose remittances account for a hefty chunk of economic growth figures. And she must acknowledge that a tenth of her country’s population is now overseas for lack of employment opportunities back home.

The search for better jobs makes Filipinos defy government-imposed deployment bans. This was the tragic story behind the deaths of up to 13 Filipino workers in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan. The other night the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration identified 10 of those who died together with six others last Sunday when the helicopter crashed at an air base of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The OWWA initially reported that the workers were legally deployed three to five years ago but could not return to the Philippines after the deployment ban was imposed. The other day the OWWA said the 10 had in fact entered Afghanistan from Dubai only this month and had contracts to work for a US company.

Because of security risks, companies pay premium salaries for those willing to work in conflict areas such as Afghanistan and Iraq. The greater the risk, the higher the pay. In 2004, truck driver Angelo de la Cruz defied a Philippine government ban and agreed to drive into Iraq reportedly for the equivalent of about P50,000. Filipino workers, assisted by unscrupulous recruiters, enter Iraq and Afghanistan on tourist visas through third countries.

With globalization, governments cannot prevent citizens from seeking jobs overseas, even in high-risk areas. Governments can only do so much in trying to keep their workers out of harm’s way overseas. As the tragedy in Afghanistan shows, the Philippines cannot effectively enforce its deployment bans. It cannot rescue its sailors who are held hostage by Somali pirates.

Workers’ migration has its social costs: children grow up without one or both parents, and families sometimes end up broken. The country is already suffering from the exodus of teachers, health professionals, engineers and skilled workers. While overseas workers help keep the economy afloat, the government should also intensify its efforts to create an environment that will encourage more job-generating investments. In this effort the Philippines is being left behind by its neighbors. If we want to bring our workers home, jobs with decent pay must be created right in our own backyard.