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Why Filipinos Choose To Work Abroad?

The document discusses several common reasons why many Filipinos choose to work abroad, including higher salaries abroad that allow them to better support their families, unstable economic conditions and high unemployment in the Philippines, and low salaries even for skilled jobs in the Philippines. Some Filipinos feel they have no choice but to leave for financial reasons, while others view it as a practical decision to improve their quality of life. Common push factors include corruption, low wages, lack of benefits, and unstable employment in the Philippines, while working abroad provides better pay and opportunities.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
262 views26 pages

Why Filipinos Choose To Work Abroad?

The document discusses several common reasons why many Filipinos choose to work abroad, including higher salaries abroad that allow them to better support their families, unstable economic conditions and high unemployment in the Philippines, and low salaries even for skilled jobs in the Philippines. Some Filipinos feel they have no choice but to leave for financial reasons, while others view it as a practical decision to improve their quality of life. Common push factors include corruption, low wages, lack of benefits, and unstable employment in the Philippines, while working abroad provides better pay and opportunities.

Uploaded by

categoryking
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Why Filipinos Choose to Work

Abroad?
Nowadays, there are a lot of
Filipinos leaving the country
everyday to work for abroad. Each
Filipinos who opted to work abroad
have their own reasons why they
prefer to work abroad. Whether
its their first choice or just forced
to leave. Filipinos are becoming
more practical nowadays; some
does not value anymore the spirit
of Patriotism. Why? Because
Filipinos need money the basic
necessity in order to live. Money is
a security blanket to each and
every one in order to live; in order
to meet the daily needs such as

food, clothing, and shelter and to


provide a better education among
children. Whether to work abroad
is a matter of choice or not, every
Filipinos wished to have a decent
and quality of life.
Filipinos have different aspects
and episodes in life and they have
different reasons why they choose
to leave the country and work
abroad. But one of these is the
most
common
reason
why
Filipinos
work
abroad
and
sacrificially leaving loved ones
behind.

3 Common Reasons Why


Filipinos Choose to Work
Abroad
1. Higher Salary and Income
When the pay is high, there is a
great chance for Filipinos to send
more money to the Philippines.
Truth hurts but working in the
Philippines would make you
become poorer than what you are
now, the salary of the workers
even if graduated from a very
prestigious school has a low
bracket compared when you are
working abroad. Even sought after
and demand jobs in certain parts
of the world like nurses, engineers,

and teachers are paid poorly when


working here in the Philippines.
Many professionals would prefer
to work abroad as domestic
helpers or office clerks and leave
their teaching jobs because there
is a great possibility of getting a
higher salary and income and that
would mean they can send money
to the Philippines more often for
their loved ones left behind.
2. Unstable
economic
condition in the Philippines
The wobbling economic condition
and political situation in the
Philippines is one of the main
reasons why Filipinos work

abroad. They cannot see any light


at the end of the tunnel, others see
it a hopeless case. Lets face it,
we hear the news everyday,
wherever we are, we can hear
what is happening to our country.
Fact, our country is governed
mostly by dishonest, corrupt and
unserious officials seated in
government positions voted by the
Filipino citizens to look after the
welfare of the Filipino people but
instead they are ripping the
peoples money for their own
benefits and interest. It is a
common awareness that having a
corrupt
government,
mismanagement of the countrys

assets, gross inefficiency in


government functions and many
others that hinders the entire
country from development due to
self interest and greed, what else
can we expect from these? Each
Filipino citizen will always be
frustrated with such condition for
we know that we will not grow if
our government will continue these
circumstances.
3.

High unemployment rate

Every year many eager graduates


from college joined the Philippine
workforce
thus
stiffing
the
competition of landing to a more
compensated jobs, some Filipinos

end up acquiring work from


factories or manufacturing firms for
the purpose of having experienced
or no other choices for other job
positions.
High unemployment
rate and less job opportunities for
new graduates are unending
problems in the country each year.
With such high competition for
career
opportunity,
some
applicants are desperate to have a
job that they are willing to get paid
for lower salaries and not enjoy
benefits as long as there is
security of tenure. Sad to say,
these will make most of the
employers and businessmen grab
such inequitable condition that

keeps their businesses save labor


cost and earn more profit.Although
working abroad is very rewarding,
there is also the downside in
working to a foreign land. The
loneliness of being away from your
loved ones, the discrimination from
overseas employers, and the high
cost of living abroad is very
sacrificial for OFWs.
8 REASONS WHY MANY
FILIPINOS LIKE TO WORK
ABROAD.
There are many reasons Filipinos work abroad.
Whether its their first choice or just forced to do so,
there are many underlying reasons behind such
OFW phenomenon. Leaving the country means
detachment from family members and be contented
with long distance calls, SMS or instant messaging
conversations. It also means depriving oneself of

guiding children and watch them grow. Missing


favorite TV shows, going to family hangouts on
weekends and many other things are sacrificed in
exchanges of life abroad. Lets identify the different
reasons why a family man, a loving mother or an
only child has to leave home and find work abroad.

1. Unstable economic situation


There is a longstanding lack of confidence in the
governments effort to secure a better future for its
citizens may have driven many Filipinos to seek
employment overseas. Corruption, gross inefficiency
in government functions, relatively high tax rate, and
no sound fiscal policy has put a damper on hopes of
an ambitious Filipino, who now thinks the grass is
greener elsewhere but home.

2. High unemployment rate


Perennial high unemployment rate has been a
chronic problem in a country that produces almost a
million college graduates on courses that are
deemed popular but whose demand is on decline.
Fresh graduates join the labor force, thereby
increasing the competition for jobs available.
3. Low salary offered by local companies
The single biggest reason why Filipinos are willing to
go abroad for work is the generally low salary

offered by employers in the Philippines. Even jobs


that are sought after and in demand in certain parts
of the world like nurses, engineers and teachers are
paid poorly. No wonder many would prefer to work
abroad as domestic helpers or office clerks and
leave their teaching jobs because theyll get paid
higher overseas.

4. Contractual employment
arrangement
The high unemployment rate in the country brings
due advantage to employers who simply hire people
on contractual basis. From mall sales ladies to fast
food servers, the practice is widespread in the
country. This brings a great deal of job insecurity for
those who are employed under such conditions.
Filipinos inherently dont mind receiving basic salary,
as long as there is security of tenure. However, such
type of work arrangement is hard to find for many
sectors, knowing that the supply of workers always
outstrip the demand for their services.

5. Poor benefits
Local employers prefer to contractual employees
because it is easier to let go of them and a labor
loophole in the country no health benefits and
accident insurance coverage necessary. High

unemployment rate ensures a steady flow of


applicants, no matter how lame the job offer is. Such
unfair situation keeps employers happy almost all
the time.
6. OFWs are now more pampered
Believe it or not, OFWs are now covered by better
protection, offered advantages (hotel offers only
valid to OFWs, special lanes for overseas workers at
airport and discounted health insurance premiums to
name a few) in addition to being heralded as the
nations new breed of heroes. Heroes in the coffers
of the country, pumping in billions worth of
remittance dollars.
7. Its not so lonely to go abroad anymore
Before, going overseas is like sentencing oneself
into exile into a hostile land. No friends around, will
need to deal with unfamiliar language, weather and
food. But now times have changed, many overseas
Filipino communities have mushroomed all over the
world: Tokyo, Barcelona, Sydney, Dubai, Singapore,
New York and more. Cultural programs, tours of
Filipino entertainers have brought the overseas
Filipino workers closer to home. Not to mention the
cheaper long distance rates and availability of the
web to communicate with loved ones.

8. Discrimination in job hiring


This is a sad fact that local job applicants have to
deal with. Again this has something to do with the
glut of available workers willing to get paid lower
salaries and not enjoy benefits and paid holidays.
Employers tend to pick the best candidates but
theyre not necessarily the most qualified for the
jobs. They are usually those aged between 21 and
30, graduates of schools like University of the
Philippines or Ateneo de Manila, and are at least five
foot tall for women, even if the job nature dont
require them. The process leaves qualified but
overage applicants in the dark and decide to go
abroad.
11 Reasons Why Filipinos Want to Work Abroad
Nowadays, it is very common to see most of the
people from my home country wishing to work
overseas. The question is why most of the Filipinos
have the urge to work abroad? Even myself was
craving for it back when I was still employed with a
local company before, but here I am now working in
a foreign soil. Though I currently do not have the
best job that I want, still I have my own reasons and
some reasons I observed from other Filipinos why
we choose to work abroad.
Please be informed that everybody has his or her
own different reasons for working with foreign

employers, but these are most likely the 11 main


reasons why Filipinos want to work abroad.
1. Higher income and salary
One of the main reasons why Filipinos are willing to
go abroad for work is the low average salary and
benefits offered by local employers in the
Philippines. Jobs that are in-demand and should
have a fair compensation such as nurses,
engineers, accountants, and other professionals are
inadequately paid compare with the compensation
that are waiting for them abroad. Even for skilled
workers, such as housemaids and other laborers are
well compensated in abroad than the professionals
in my home country.
The truth may hurt, but lets face it being employed
abroad and doing the same work that we do in the
Philippines provide us double or more income and
salary than being employed in our own land.
2. High unemployment rate in the Philippines
Every year many are eager to graduate from college
with the hope to finding a well- compensated job.
But unfortunately, with less available jobs and
declining work demand in the market, a number of
college graduates are now only good enough to
work at fast-food chains, supermarkets or some

other minor roles less than the true value of the


graduates abilities.
High unemployment rate and less job opportunities
for new graduates are unending problems in the
country. These increase the competition among
Filipinos who are looking for available jobs in the
country. With such high competition for career
opportunity, some applicants are desperate to have
a job that they are willing to get paid for lower
salaries and not enjoy benefits as long as there is
security of tenure. Sad to say, these will make most
of the employers and businessmen grab such
inequitable condition that keeps their businesses
save labor cost and earn more profit.
3. Unstable economic condition
Many Filipinos are already becoming hopeless to
see the countrys economic condition attain
significant progress. Lets face it again, having a
corrupt government, mismanagement of the
countrys assets, gross inefficiency in government
functions, and other things that stop an entire
country from developing due to self-interest and
greed, what else can we expect from these? Every
one of us will always be frustrated with such
condition for we know that we will not grow under
these circumstances.

There has been already a longstanding lack of


confidence in the governments effort to secure a
better future for its citizens that many Filipinos have
to make they own actions by seeking better
opportunities in overseas.
4. Pressure from the family and peer influence
If youre not coming from a wealthy family, having
severe economic burden, and considering your role
within the family (bread winner), such pressures
gives you a perspective that working abroad seems
to be the only way out. Another thing also is when
most of your friends have already flown to work
abroad and their having a good time; somehow it
gives you the insecurities, and with the right
invitation, you are enticed to follow them.
5. Enhance career and professional marketability
globally
Nowadays, the world is so very competitive that
having a global experience will give you a big career
edge among other professionals. Having a
worldwide perspective not only broadens your
horizons, but also offers you a unique understanding
of the skill sets required in a global economy.
Furthermore, it can demonstrate to future employers
that you have the ability to adapt to diverse

workplaces. Whether you like it or not, your skills


and experiences are always accounted.
6. Discrimination experienced when applying jobs
locally
Alongside with the reality and another sad fact that
local job applicants have to deal with are the
instances of discrimination in the hiring process,
both with the private and government agencies in
the country. Employers tend to choose the best
(but how do we define best?) or their favored
candidates (locally known backer approach) but
theyre not necessarily the most qualified for the
jobs. Of course there are also companies and
agencies that are fair enough to their job applicants.
However, we cant deny the fact that there are
employers who are discriminating hopeful job
applicants. This process often leaves the qualified
applicants to choose the option to go abroad and
look for better work opportunity.
7. Opportunity to travel and experience abroad
Working overseas gives you the best opportunity to
travel and experience life abroad. It gives you the
opportunity to discover new places and people. A
chance to meet other people, learn their culture,
traditions and ways of life. In addition, working
abroad gives you an opportunity to see the other

side of the world with your own eyes, then taking


pictures of your own adventures and showing them
off to your friends and relatives back at home.
8. Government supports OFWs
Government have already acknowledged the
importance of OFWS (Overseas Filipino Workers).
OFWs are now covered by better labor protection,
better healthcare and insurance plans. Also, they
are considered as the nations newest breed of
heroes because they are pumping in billions worth of
dollar remittances to the Philippines.
9. Lack of public support for local entrepreneurs
If the government is treating OFWs as modern
heroes, it may not be giving enough recognition and
support to Filipinos who are striving to start a small
business although entrepreneurship will help the
country create more jobs and attain economic
development. There are actually government laws
and programs that aim to help small Filipino
entrepreneurs and micro-business owners.
However, these are not adequately implemented
enough to cater all Filipinos who want to start a
business in the Philippines instead of working
abroad.
Aside from the government, the masses are sadly
not giving due honor and recognition to Filipinos who

reject to work abroad and who instead risk


everything to create a living in their home country.
There are even instances that Filipinos are being
ashamed to be called makabayan or martyrs one
who strives to create wealth out of the Philippine
resources. For these reasons, to avoid being
mocked for being a martyr, many Filipinos choose to
leave their country and work abroad.
10. Its their personal dream since childhood
When we were child, every one of us has the
ambition to become successful in the future, agree?
Working abroad gives us the opportunity and the
confidence to pursue and realize our own ambitions.
It maybe the house, car, own ideal business, and
other things you dreamed of. It may not seems to be
a very good reason but still I count them for we know
in reality working abroad give us the edge to earn
more and gives us more possibilities of
advancement than what you will find in the
Philippines.
11. Its the trend now
Everyones doing it right now. Youre not the only
one who dreams of becoming rich and living in the
greener side of the hill. A lot of Filipinos are already
out there and somehow you dont want to be left
behind.

Conclusion
There are many other reasons why many Filipinos
want or need to work abroad. Some of these
reasons are personal, others are financial, and there
are also reasons that are only temporal. Although
working abroad is very rewarding, there are also a
number of disadvantages in working in the foreign
lands, such as the loneliness of being away from
your family, discrimination from overseas employers,
and the high cost of living abroad. Finally, this post
doesnt encourage or discourage Filipinos to work
abroad. We only give you the realities, both sad and
rewarding, of what is happening to us Filipinos
locally and abroad.
So how about you, what do you think are the other
reasons why many Filipinos are working abroad?

10 Reasons Why Filipinos Still


Want to Work Abroad
Why do so many want to work overseas despite the
thousands of job opportunities in the Philippines?
Below are ten reasons why Pinoys are still aching to
fly off to greener pastures, collected from different
sources and surveys in the past 5 years.

1. Pinoys love to travel


Now honestly, who wouldn't? In a recent study, a
whopping 47% of the participants wanted to go
abroad "Just to travel". This goes to show that we do
have the adventurous spirit in our blood. Seeing the
world with our own eyes, and taking pictures of our
misadventures, and then showing them off to our
friends.
If only you could work while travelling. Oh wait, you
now can. There are thousands of opportunities to
work NOT in an office area, but at the safety and
comfort of your own home, or someone else's home.
Or someone else's couch. :)

2. To become successful
There's a social stigma about being able to work
abroad means that you are already a successful
person. Mostly that is true. When established
doctors and lawyers are taking up a new course that
would help them work overseas, you know that
there's definitely something to it than just being an
OFW. Working in "financially powerful" countries
gives the image that you are one of them.
Now here comes the serious part.
3. Better salaries
With Pinoys, there's always the mentality of "the
grass is always greener on the other side". It does
not mean we are greedy sombishes, but we always
want to look for ways to improve our lives, as well as
the lives of our family. Sadly, the money that an
average worker here is extremely low compared to
the amount their OFW counterparts are making. If a
skilled construction worker in the Philippines can find
ways to legally work abroad, they would be earning
ten to fifteen times more, not insurance and benefits.
4. Poor benefits in the country

Health insurance and benefits are hard to get by, of


course you need to spend money to get insured.
Money that most of us don't already have. If you're
self employed, this is difficult compared to having a
company who does the processing and applications
for you. The sad thing is a lot of employers don't
offer health insurance or accident insurance to their
workers, as these are not a requirement.
5. Unstable economy
A lot of people frown upon the government lately.
Filipinos now lack the confidence in their political
leaders with all the corruption, scams, scandals
and hullabaloo that is happening all over the news.
We just can't see them providing a stable future for
us. To those who are, however, content with how the
country is being run, and with the finger-pointing that
happens on a daily basis over at the palace, well.. I
don't know how you manage to do that at all.

6. Unemployment rate

is like the lottery


And that's not a good thing. According to the latest
survey done by the Social Weather Stations (SWS),
there are over 11.3 million unemployed people in the
country as of March 2011. That number looks like
the jackpot prize from the lottery, which was coined
by a well-known personality in the business section
as the "dumb man's tax".
According to the SWS, this staggering result is
mainly due to the multitudes of students taking on a
profession which was deemed popular but is actually
on a decline. This false marketing is beneficial for
schools and employers, but not so much for the
ordinary Juan.
7. Jobs don't last long here
This is true for most employees of contact centers,
malls, restaurants and other establishments who
decide not to keep people for too long. Because
after all, pay increases are bad for employers, so
they cut their people short to hire new batches of
fresh employees who won't last as long as they hope
to.
There's also the famous line, "We can afford to let
you go, there will be more people who want your
job." I'm glad I haven't tried being on the bad end of

that conversation, but I can just imagine what it must


be like. Sadly this is a very common mentality
among most, if not all employers, regardless the
department or field.
8. It's hard to get a job if you're not the
Philippines' Next Top Model
It is a known fact, that A LOT of employers in the
country prefer aesthetically enhanced individuals
and half-breeds over true blue Pinoys. Look around
you. Take a stroll outside the cave you live in, and
notice that most of the people with the high-paying
jobs in the country are somewhat in need of some
sunburn.
Employers also prefer graduates of "top schools".
The notion behind this is obviously that these said
"top schools" provide better education, and therefore
give out more competent individuals. The illusion of
"not so top schools" = not so competent individuals
is then created. A bit harder for the people who can't
afford these said "top schools" to get good jobs.
They either have to be super talented by their own
efforts, or know how to kiss so much ass you're
practically sleeping with your bosses to get
promoted.

9. OFW'ss are living the big life


Do you know people who work abroad as nurses,
caregivers, chefs, construction workers, etc? Have
you seen their Facebook pictures lately? I don't even
have to explain much on this one.
An unfortunate fact, however, is that a lot of OFW's
are practically begging to come back to the country
for fear of their safety. This is very rampant
especially when turmoil is happening left and right.
What's sad is that although there's the image of
OFW's making it big, a whole lot of them are actually
having a hard time, and their side of the story isn't
what's being talked about when it comes to working
abroad.
10. Everyone's doing it
Why not go work abroad? Everyone's doing it now.
You're not the only one who dreams of becoming
rich and living in the greener side of the hill. There
are lots of Pinoys there already, you won't be lonely.
It's going to be so much fun. We're going to be
working together. And earn paper together. And buy
luxury cars together. And buy iPhone 5s together.
And give our kids smartphones for their first birthday.
And come back home to build mansions for our
loving parents. It's going to be great.

When I was little, I wanted what many Filipino children all over the
country wanted. I wanted to be blond, blue-eyed, and white. I thought-if I just wished hard enough and was good
enough, Id wake up on Christmas morning with snow outside my window and freckles across my nose!
More than four centuries under western domination does that to you. I
have sixteen cousins. In a couple of years, there will just be five of us left in the Philippines, the rest will have gone
abroad in search of greener pastures. Its not just an anomaly; its a trend; the Filipino diaspora. Today, about eight
million Filipinos are scattered around the world.
There are those who disapprove of Filipinos who choose to leave. I used to. Maybe this is a natural reaction of
someone who was left behind, smiling for family pictures that get emptier with each succeeding year. Desertion, I
called it. My country is a land that has perpetually fought for the freedom to be itself. Our heroes offered their lives in
the struggle against the Spanish, the Japanese, the Americans. To pack up and deny that identity is tantamount to
spitting on that sacrifice.
Or is it? I dont think so, not anymore. True, there is no denying this phenomenon, aided by the fact that what was
once the other side of the world is now a twelve-hour plane ride away. But this is a borderless world, where no
individual can claim to be purely from where he is now. My mother is of Chinese descent, my father is a quarter
Spanish, and I call myself a pure Filipino-a hybrid of sorts resulting from a combination of cultures.
Each square mile anywhere in the world is made up of people of different ethnicities, with national identities and
individual personalities. Because of this, each square mile is already a microcosm of the world. In as much as this
blessed spot that is England is the world, so is my neighbourhood back home.
Seen this way, the Filipino Diaspora, or any sort of dispersal of
populations, is not as ominous as so many claim. It must be understood. I come from a Third World country, one that
is still trying mightily to get back on its feet after many years of dictatorship. But we shall make it, given more time.
Especially now, when we have thousands of eager young minds who graduate from college every year. They have
skills. They need jobs. We cannot absorb them all.
A borderless world presents a bigger opportunity, yet one that is not so much abandonment but an extension of
identity. Even as we take, we give back. We are the 40,000 skilled nurses who support the UKs National Health
Service. We are the quarter-of-a-million seafarers manning most of the worlds commercial ships. We are your
software engineers in Ireland, your construction workers in the Middle East, your doctors and caregivers in North
America, and, your musical artists in Londons West End.
Nationalism isnt bound by time or place. People from other nations migrate to create new nations, yet still remain
essentially who they are. British society is itself an example of a multi-cultural nation, a melting pot of races, religions,
arts and cultures. We are, indeed, in a borderless world!
Leaving sometimes isnt a matter of choice. Its coming back that is.
The Hobbits of the shire traveled all over Middle-Earth, but they chose to come home, richer in every sense of the
word. We call people like these balikbayans or the returnees-those who followed their dream, yet choose to return
and share their mature talents and good fortune.
In a few years, I may take advantage of whatever opportunities come my way. But I will come home. A borderless
world doesnt preclude the idea of a home. Im a Filipino, and Ill always be one. It isnt about just geography; it isnt
about boundaries. Its about giving back to the country that shaped me.
And thats going to be more important to me than seeing snow outside my windows on a bright Christmas morning.
Mabuhay. and Thank you.

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