Overseas Filipino

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Overseas Filipinos
Total population

11,000,000 estimates [1]
Regions with significant populations
Flag of the United States United States 4,000,000 (2007) [USA]
Flag of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 2,000,000 (2008) [2]
Flag of Malaysia Malaysia 636,544 (2003) [3]
Flag of Canada Canada 437,940 [4]
Flag of the United Arab Emirates UAE 450,000 [5]
Flag of Japan Japan 258,977 [JPN]
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom 200,000 [6]
Flag of Italy Italy 200,000 [7]
Flag of Mexico Mexico 200,000 [8]
Flag of the Republic of China Taiwan 158,116 [TWN]
Flag of Singapore Singapore 136,489 [POEA2004]
Flag of Hong Kong Hong Kong 130,810 [HKG]
Flag of Australia Australia 129,400 [AUS]
Flag of Kuwait Kuwait 144,955 [SAU]
Flag of South Korea South Korea 70,000 [9]
Flag of Germany Germany 65,000 [10]
Flag of Guam Guam 45,600 [GWM]
Flag of Qatar Qatar 58,358 [POEA2004]
Flag of France France 47,745 [6][not in citation given]
Flag of Greece Greece 40,000 [11][not in citation given]
Flag of Bahrain Bahrain 36,718 [POEA2004]
Flag of Israel Israel 37,155 [POEA2004]
Flag of Lebanon Lebanon 30,000 [LBN]
Flag of Spain Spain 26,505 [6][not in citation given]
Flag of New Zealand New Zealand 16,938 [NZL]
Flag of Norway Norway 19,291 [6][not in citation given]
Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands 18,456 [6][not in citation given]
Flag of Macau Macau 18,447 [POEA2004]
Flag of Sweden Sweden 17,343 [6][not in citation given]
Flag of Nigeria Nigeria 2,324 [SAU]
Flag of Finland Finland 1,129
Languages
Tagalog, Visayan languages, Ilocano, Tausug, other Philippine languages, English
Religions
Predominantly Catholic; Protestantism; Iglesia Ni Cristo; Islam; Nonreligious
Related ethnic groups
Filipino people, Filipino American, Filipino Canadian, Filipino Australian, Filipino British, Filipino Hong Konger

An Overseas Filipino is a person of Philippine origin who lives outside of the Philippines. This term applies both to people of Filipino ancestry who now live and reside as citizens of a different country, and those who continue to be Filipino citizens and those supporting their families back in the Philippines. It may also extend to Filipinos having extended holidays abroad, however, common usage does not usually include this group.

The term Global Filipino is now also being used to refer to a Filipino citizen who lives and works abroad. The performance of the Philippine economy over recent decades, combined with a widespread knowledge of English, a legacy of the Philippines' position as a former United States colony, have made Filipinos one of the most internationally mobile nationalities. Filipino workers greatly contribute to this, as they need to support their families back at home. As a result, many countries around the world have a substantial Filipino community.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recently coined the term Overseas Filipino Investor or OFI for Filipino expatriates. This is due to the direct economic contributions of Overseas Filipinos in means of remittances, buying property back in the Philippines, and creating businesses that would help job creation back home.[12]

Contents

[edit] Population in Diaspora

There are more than 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide, about 11% of the total population of the Philippines.[1]

Each year, the Philippines sends out more than a million of its nationals to work abroad through its overseas employment program. Others leave to become permanent residents of their country of destination. Overseas Filipinos are typically known to be as doctors, nurses, accountants, IT professionals, engineers & architects,[13] entertainers, technicians, teachers, military servicemen, students, and domestic helpers.

According to estimates by the Central Bank of the Philippines, overseas Filipinos are expected to send back $14.7 billion in remittances to their ancestral homeland in 2007, up from the $13 billion in 2006.[14]

[edit] Overseas Filipino Workers

An Overseas Filipino Worker (often abbreviated as OFW) is a Filipino who is employed in work outside the Philippines. Some eight million Filipinos, out of a population of 80 million, have left the country to seek work abroad, attracted by jobs with salaries that far exceed those of jobs available in the Philippines. These jobs often include nursing, technology, fishing, and teaching, although a third are composed of unskilled workers.[15] Money sent by OFWs back to the Philippines is a major factor in the country's economy, amounting to more than US$10 billion in 2005.[16] This makes the country the fourth largest recipient of foreign remittances behind India, China, and Mexico. The amount represents 13.5% of the Philippines' GDP, the largest in proportion to the domestic economy among the four countries mentioned.[17]

However, the exodus of workers from the country includes an increasing number of skilled workers taking on unskilled work overseas, resulting in what has been referred to as "brain drain," particularly in the health and education sectors. Also, the exodus can result in underemployment, for example, in cases where doctors undergo retraining to become nurses.

[edit] Nations with large Filipino constituencies

  • United States. Despite race relations problems of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the American Northwest, most Filipino Americans today find it easy to integrate with American society, with a majority belonging in the upper middle class. When compared to other Asian American groups, Filipino Americans had the highest median household income, exceeding that of non-Hispanic white households, and the U.S. general population.[citation needed] The Filipino population in the U.S. is estimated to be 2,807,731.[USA] Filipinos remain as the second-largest Asian American group in the country; Tagalog is the fifth most spoken language in the U.S. Filipinas comprise a large portion of the roughly 4,000-6,000 women who annually come to the U.S. via international marriage agencies[18]. The US State Department raised its estimate to 4 million Filipinos in the US as of 2007. [19]
  • United Kingdom Nurses and caregivers have begun flocking into the United Kingdom in recent years. The island-nation has welcomed about 20,000 nurses and other Filipinos of various employment and lifestyle during the past 5 years. According to news reports, the United Kingdom is home to around 200,000 OFWs.[20] See also: Filipino British
  • Iraq. In spite of the Philippine government ban on OFWs working in Iraq, an estimated 1,000-3,000 Filipinos work there. Most work on US Military bases around the country as cooks and laundry service, sometimes as third-country national security guards. This is the only foreign nation in which Filipino men outnumber Filipino women.
  • Canada. Only a small population of Filipinos resided in Canada until the late 20th century. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration has estimated that as of 2006 there were over 400,000 Canadians of Filipino origin.[4]
  • Spain. With around 25,000 citizens, the Filipinos form the second largest Asian community in Spain behind the Chinese.[citation needed] Although many Filipinos did immigrate or ran away to Spain after the United States took over the islands in 1898, most of the Filipinos moved to the old metropoli during the 1960s and 1970s seeking jobs, which in many cases were related to housekeeping or industrial activities. There's also a significant group of Spaniards of Filipino origins (some of whom are from 3rd and 4th generations) including some famous people like Isabel Preysler, mother of famous singer Enrique Iglesias.[citation needed]
  • Ireland. As of 2008, the Philippine embassy in London reported that there are 11,500 Filipinos in Ireland.[21]
  • Hong Kong. There are approximately 140,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong, of whom most are domestic helpers (30,000 of them being members of the Filipino Migrant Workers Union). Filipino maids are known by the locals as amahs, or more often feiyungs (less politely bun mui or bun bun). A Hong Kong work visa requires some amount of higher education; and in some cases Filipino women with college degrees and perfect command of English are willing to work as maids and nannies for a salary higher than they could make at home in professions.[HKG]
  • Singapore. Over 136,000 Overseas Filipinos work and reside in the nation-state of Singapore.[POEA2004] Moreover, about 200,000 Filipinos visit the country annually, making them one of the biggest foreign tourists of Singapore.[citation needed]
  • Taiwan. According to the 2006 data of the government of Taiwan, there are 96,000 Filipinos currently living in Taiwan. Of these, 58,704 are in manufacturing industries and 34,602 are in social or personal services (e.g. maids).[ROC] However, according to 2004 data by the Philippine Government, there are 2,037 Filipinos living in Taiwan permanently, 154,135 are in Taiwan for work contracts, and 4,500 go to Taiwan irregularly, which make a total of 160,672. It is not known why there is such a big difference between these two numbers (96,000 vs. 160,672).
  • Middle East. Many Filipinos work in the Middle East (mostly Saudi Arabia and UAE) as engineers, nurses or hospital workers, accountants, office workers, construction workers, restaurant workers and maids. It is estimated[who?] that more than 2 million Filipinos have made the Middle East their home.[citation needed]
  • South Korea According to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, as of December 2006, some 70,000 Filipinos work and live in Korea. Of this number, some 6,000 are permanent residents, some 50,000 work legally, and some 14,000 are "irregular" or do not have the proper documents.[9]
  • Lebanon As many as 30,000 OFWs are working in the nation of Lebanon. Due to the recent turmoil between Lebanon and Israel, however, many have been repatriated back to the Philippines, while others have been relocated to Cyprus, a part of the Philippine evacuation plan.[LBN]
  • Malaysia As Sabah is very close to the Philippines, there are many Filipino residents, as well as illegal immigrants there. Filipinos make up about 30% of the entire population of Sabah and they enumerate up to 900,000. Many Filipinos in Malaysia residents come to work in construction industries, fisheries, and other labor intensive sectors in hopes of a better living. Most live in stilt slums scattered behind cities or on offshore islands. The Philippine government also has promised to establish a consulate provide any necessary help to its nationals. Historically, The Philippines has a dormant claim on the territory. Native Sabahans themselves are closely related to southern Filipinos.[citation needed]
  • New Zealand There are about 17,000 Filipino residents and citizens in New Zealand called Kiwi-Pino's, Filipino-New Zealanders. New Zealand, as in the past, are currently recruiting Filipino qualified nurses. Filipinos in New Zealand, as well as prospective immigrants, often lean towards information technology, nursing and, more recently, telecommunications for careers.[citation needed]
  • Norway People with Filipino background in Norway is estimated to about 9,000, most of them living in the Oslo urban area. Most of the Filipino immigrants to Norway are females, representing 76 % of the total of 9,000.[citation needed]

[edit] Issues

Many overseas Filipino workers, both blue collar and white collar, face many obstacles abroad. These include illegal recruitment,[22][23] mysterious deaths,[22][24] racial profiling and discrimination,[25] and kidnappings.[26][27]

In some countries, such as in Hong Kong, China, Singapore,[28] and in Middle Eastern countries, including Iraq,[13] Saudi Arabia,[22] many OFWs have reported that their pay was withheld, while others have had their documents confiscated or hidden. Furthermore, some of these workers, who are mostly domestic helpers,[28][23] are physically or sexually abused,[22][23] or even murdered.[22][24] The most well-known OFWs that have been involved in these cases include Flor Contemplacion[28] and Sarah Balabagan.[23]

The Philippine government[29] has been keen on taking action on these cases with local Philippine consulates and embassies present to assist with the OFW's needs.[29] NGOs catered for them, such as Migrante[15] and Gabriela.[30] are also present. Action by the government on these cases have had mixed results with some OFWs returning to the country happy[31] while others returning either injured or dead.[22][24]

Other problems faced by OFWs today include the risk of involvement in a conflict[31] and the risk of being kidnapped,[13][26][27] such as those in Lebanon,[31][24] Iraq,[13][27] and Nigeria.[26]

Another great risk for OFW's is the rise of Filipina women becoming sex slaves in neighboring East Asian countries, such as Japan and South Korea. Thousands of Filipina women travel abroad for domestic work only to be tricked by their foreign employers into sexual slavery. The employer takes their passports, holds wages or physically abuses them all together in order to force them into submission. With the rise of unemployment, alcoholism with Filipino men and government corruption, more and more Filipinos are traveling abroad and increasing the risk of OFW women being sexually abused.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Yvette Collymore (June 2003). Rapid Population Growth, Crowded Cities Present Challenges in the Philippines. Population Reference Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-08-14. “An estimated 10 percent of the country's population, or nearly 8 million people, are overseas Filipino workers distributed in 182 countries, according to POPCOM. That is in addition to the estimated 3 million migrants who work illegally abroad”
  2. ^ Recto Mercene (May 2, 2008), OFWs caught in Mideast air dispute, ABS/CBN News, <http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=116862>. Retrieved on 9 May 2008 
  3. ^ Backgrounder - NAM Summit - Malaysia 2003
  4. ^ a b Table 29. Stock Estimate of Overseas Filipinos As of December 2006. Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  5. ^ Khaleej Times Online - Every OFW is Philippine envoy to UAE: Arroyo
  6. ^ a b c d e f Filipino baby boom in the UK. Manila Times (September 24, 2007). Retrieved on 2008-02-27.
  7. ^ Lawrence Casiraya. "Microsoft training centers cater to 200,000 OFWs in Italy", Inquirer.net. Retrieved on 2007-08-14. 
  8. ^ Floro L. Mercene. "Filipinos in Mexican history", Manila Bulliten online. Retrieved on 2007-08-14. 
  9. ^ a b "Korean embassy hints at action vs 15,000 undocumented OFWs", Asian journal, July 16, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-14. 
  10. ^ The Manila Times Internet Edition | TOP STORIES > German ambassador helping Philippines from ‘sidelines’
  11. ^ a b Philippine Embassy in Athens, Greece and Cyprus
  12. ^ "Editorial — Overseas Filipino investors", Philippines Today, 15 October – 14 November 2001. Retrieved on 2007-08-01. 
  13. ^ a b c d [Info-Bureau] FW: STATEMENT ON FILIPINO HOSTAGE. Philippine Women Centre of B.C — requoted by lists.ilps-news.com Mailing Lists (19 July 2004). Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  14. ^ "Filipino overseas workers remittances rise by 26 pct in March", People's daily Online, 15 May 2007. Retrieved on 2007-06-07. 
  15. ^ a b Migrante International:About us. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  16. ^ Overseas Filipino Remittances. Retrieved on 2006-11-21.
  17. ^ Remittances can't replace good economic policies. Retrieved on 2007-05-10.
  18. ^ The "Mail-Order Bride" Industry and its Impact on U.S. Immigration, Robert J. Scholes.
  19. ^ Background Note: Philippines. U.S. Department of State: Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (May 2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-02. “There are an estimated four million Americans of Philippine ancestry in the United States, and more than 250,000 American citizens in the Philippines.”
  20. ^ "Filipino baby boom in the United Kingdom", The Manila Times, September 24, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-03-26. 
  21. ^ Profile of the Filipino Community in Ireland, Philippine Embassy in London, <http://www.philembassy-uk.org/default.asp?iId=KHEHL>. Retrieved on March 8, 2008 
  22. ^ a b c d e f OFW mauled in Saudi is dead. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  23. ^ a b c d A Death Sentence for a Young Filipino Maid Highlights the Problem of Abuse of asian Servants. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  24. ^ a b c d Family cries justice for OFW dead in Lebanon. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  25. ^ Malaysia's trouble with migrants. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  26. ^ a b c Nigeria kidnap: Filipinos home. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  27. ^ a b c Hero's welcome awaits Angelo dela Cruz after Iraq ordeal. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  28. ^ a b c SINGAPORE: The Execution of Flor Contemplacion - A Day of Shame for Singapore. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  29. ^ a b Shaping the World the Global Filipino. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  30. ^ B R I E L A N E T W O R K U S A A Philippine-US Women's Solidarity Mass Organization, est. 1989. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
  31. ^ a b c Leyte OFW, happy to be home though unable to bring anything. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.

[edit] External links

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[edit] General statistics from Philippine government

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