Publications
Commentaries and Insights
Commentaries and Insights are publications of the Center for International Relation and Strategic Studies (CIRSS) of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) providing readers with analysis and response of CIRSS researchers on regional and global developments and issues that impact the Philippine foreign policy.
The following are publications with themes on 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".