CIRSS Publications

The Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies (CIRSS) of the FSI regularly publishes Commentaries and Insights – insightful analyses and expert opinions on regional and global developments impacting Philippine foreign policy. This section features a selection of these publications focusing on the theme of migration.

Access the full articles on the FSI website by clicking on the 'View Full Article' button below each entry. 

Leveraging the Diaspora: A New Paradigm for Philippine Foreign Policy

by Eugene Sumakwel T. Servigon
2024

“Filipinos have never failed to live up to labels of excellence that they, in actuality, have had the real hand in formulating for themselves. It is this excellence that makes the diaspora exemplary partners of the DFA in boosting the international image of the Philippines through public and cultural diplomacy.”

Bridging the Gap: Realizing the Commitment to Data-Driven Migration Policies

by Ma. Anna Katerina C. Fulgencio
2024

“While the Report to Congress on the stock of Philippine international migration is an admirable attempt to quantify the Filipino migrant community, providing an identity to the community overseas, the difficulties in gathering data and the discrepancies in the figures is symptomatic of the long, arduous road states face in trying to meet the objective towards data-driven policies for migration, as it does not only involve its own mechanism but relies on international cooperation and harmonized mechanisms of data-gathering for accurate picture of migration.”

Phases of the Philippine Migration System

by Francisco Noel Rio Fernandez III
2023

“With its rich experience in the management of migration, the Philippines has not hesitated to share its experience in GFMD, the UN, and other regional and international fora in the hope that the community of nations would come to an agreement that the rights and welfare of migrants and their families would be promoted and protected by all. In these discussions, the Philippines makes reference to the four-phase system of its migration management, namely: pre-departure, assistance to nationals, engagement with the diaspora, and re-integration into the motherland for returning nationals.”

Protection without Fear: Advocating Accessible Healthcare Services for Irregular Migrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Ma. Anna Katerina C. Fulgencio
December 2021

“One of the vulnerabilities of irregular migrants, especially during a pandemic, lies in their residency status and the legal complications that this may bring about. Fearful of laws against them, irregular migrants are incentivized to distance themselves from authorities even in the medical sector, endangering their safety to keep their jobs and avoid possible detention and deportation.”

Boosting Growth Through Reverse Brain Drain: India’s Know-how

by Jemimah Joanne C. Villaruel and Jeremy Dexter B. Mirasol

Vol. IV, No. 29, December 2017

"...there are returning migrants with accumulated knowledge, expertise and skills, which are deemed potential contributions to the development and growth of the source country. This phenomenon is called “reverse brain drain.” Policymakers and business groups would do well to provide more opportunities to entice migrants to return and use their skills at home. States recognize the substantial contribution of migrants to the economy through remittances or direct investments. Migrants can also play a crucial role in opening opportunities for dialogues between host and home country, which can aid in crafting foreign policies. In this vein, India’s experience in reverse brain drain is instructive, especially for developing countries with a large diaspora like the Philippines."

The Philippines’ Labor Migration: OFWs in Qatar and the Kafala System
by Jeremy Dexter B. Mirasol
Vol. IV, No. 14, June 2017

"In migration governance, the kafala system produced a condition in which the oversight of migrants is delegated to the employer by the state. A prospective migrant worker must be sponsored by the kafeel (employer) to enter the country and work, making the worker’s status legally bound to his or her sponsor. A migrant worker cannot enter the country, stay, transfer employment, or leave the country for any reason without first obtaining explicit permission from the kafeel. There are cases of kafeels taking advantage of the kafala system – cases of underpayment, non-payment, excessive workload, forced confinement, and severe psychological, physical and sexual abuse".

Prioritizing The Protection Of Civilians In The Middle East

by Rj Marco Lorenzo C. Parcon
Vol III, No. 3 , March 16, 2016

“The focus of conflict is usually the protagonists, not the casualties. Last 13 April 2015, Mr. Pierre Krähenbühl, Commissioner-General for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, reminded the international community that the crisis in Syria, particularly the humanitarian aspect of the conflict, cannot be disregarded. States must be compelled to act decisively and act at the soonest possible time to minimize and halt the humanitarian and social damages of the crises, among others.”

Protecting the Stateless: Proposing an ASEAN Response to the Rohingya in Myanmar

by Julio S. Amador III and Joycee A. Teodoro
Vol. II, No. 16, June 2015

"In the case of the Rohingyas, ASEAN Member States should intensify their diplomatic efforts with Myanmar to allow the entry and coordination of humanitarian assistance. ASEAN should take charge in pooling humanitarian aid for the Rohingyas."

Reconciling Labor Realities with Policy: The EPS and the Overseas Filipino Workers in South Korea

By: Krista Kyla D. Seachon
Vol. II, Issue 4, March 2015

“Although the signing of the EPS is an avenue for the Philippine government to increase labor cooperation with South Korea, dilemmas in the EPS itself hinder cooperation in moving forward.”

Mi Figue, Mi Raisin: the Filipinos’ Culture of Migration in the Age of Globalization
by Edwin S. Estrada
Vol. II, No. 15, June 2015

"The Filipinos’ culture of migration can be described by the French idiom mi figue, mi raisin (half fig, half grape), which refers to something that is neither entirely good nor entirely bad. Its value dependent on how problems connected to it are addressed to facilitate national growth and development in a borderless world. Whether we like it or not, globalization is here to stay, and with it a culture of migration, whose lasting impact to the trajectory of the nation’s fate is undeniable."