Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have long been considered as the Philippines’ “modern-day heroes” – and for good reason.
Not only do they carry the burden of providing for their families back home, they now also shoulder a major portion of the Philippines’ economy.
According to data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) last February, cumulative remittances from OFWs reached US$38.34 billion (or the equivalent of P2.172 trillion, in today’s exchange rates) in 2024.
That’s 3 percent higher than the US$37.21 billion (P2.127 billion) recorded in 2023, as the global economy finally recovered from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Increasing risk
But the fact also remains that OFWs are now vulnerable to a world facing a barrage of armed conflicts, as well as a growing nationalist, nativist and protectionist stance in Western countries.
Most of these OFWs caught in a growing cycle of global instability are willing to accept the hardships of war and prejudice as being much, much more preferable to facing poverty at home.
And yet, as the country itself struggles with a deepening political and economic crisis, there’s one question no government official seems to want to face, much less answer: what to do with a possible mass exodus back home of OFWs should global conflicts worsen?
This is a classic case of the PBBM administration’s policy of kicking the can down the road.
America in focus
Of particular focus nowadays are Filipinos in the United States, who now number around 4.1 million (according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau from 2022).
Of these, 310,000 (as of 2018 data from the US Department of Homeland Security) are considered illegal aliens, or, to use a Filipino term, “tago nang tago” (TNT) – although the number may be even higher as most of these TNTs avoid contact with authorities or other Filipinos out of fear of being caught.
Successive U.S. administrations had increasingly become tough on illegal immigration during the past decades, but the second term of President Donald Trump has made it clear that even legal immigrants are not immune from possible deportation.
Despite the Philippine government’s overt measures to keep its friendly status with the United States, some worry that Trump’s erratic (at times, reversing) stance on immigration and other economic issues will definitely have impacts on Filipino-Americans.
And it’s not just in the United States: other Western countries that had long been considered as “havens” for migrants are now being induced both by economic constraints and local politics to tighten their own immigration policies.
Middle East
For decades, the Middle East has long been a popular destination for OFWs due to the petrodollars that support the region’s booming economies.
However, the region has also proved to be dangerous for OFWs, as the cases of Angelo dela Cruz and other OFWs being kidnapped at the height of the Iraq war in the 2000’s has showed.
The recent escalation of conflict between Israel and Iran (and fears that the conflict could spill over to other Middle Eastern countries) has also forced the question of how to accommodate the growing number of OFWs who now wish to return home.
Since the Israel-Hamas war started in October 2023, more than 4,000 OFWs have been repatriated – around 2,000 each from Israel and Lebanon, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
And that number could rise with the recent escalation of conflict between Israel and Iran, particularly as there were reported to be around 700 OFWs in Iran as well.
As of June 19, 178 OFWs in Israel have formally signified their intention to return, a sharp increase from 85 just days after the recent Iranian missile strikes.
Reintegration program
Lawmakers have called on the DMW and other concerned agencies to adopt measures for the “reintegration” of OFWs to ensure that they can still contribute to the economy upon reaching home.
An important concern is not just the loss of the billions of dollars in remittances in this projected mass exodus of OFWs, but also the issue of finding them jobs and livelihood opportunities in a country hobbled by economic and political issues.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, in a recent statement, stressed that the government must not only fast-track repatriation but also ensure that returning Filipinos are properly cared for through programs that help them rebuild their lives.
“At habang ginagawa ang mga ito, dapat handa na ang mga ahensya dito sa Pilipinas na tanggapin ang mga OFW na pabalik ng bansa," she said.
Hontiveros also emphasized the need for well-prepared reintegration mechanisms, including livelihood assistance and psychosocial support, warning that many could be displaced if tensions in the Middle East worsen.
“Considering the potential number of Filipinos who may have to be evacuated from the region if this escalates, the government has to start organizing and making sure contingency plans are in place,” she said.
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