'Unemployment forcing Pinoys to work abroad'

MANILA, Philippines - More Filipinos are likely to seek employment abroad where they may be exposed to abuses because of lack of job opportunities at home, according to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

In its message on the occasion of the 26th National Migrants’ Sunday today, the CBCP – through its Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) – said “labor contractualization that was legalized since 1995, incredibly low wages, very high underemployment and constantly soaring joblessness are just some of the major reasons why Filipinos are not encouraged to stay but would take any opportunity to work abroad in order to improve their economic situation. The country even had developed a culture of migration.”

The CBCP-ECMI’s message came on the heels of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing the country’s unemployment rate at 24 percent, representing some of 9.7 million Filipinos.

“The message of concern of ECMI articulated in the past NMS celebrations could be likened to the voice in the desert. The church has to continue denouncing the evil that comes with migration. Until probably, the country had truly improved the economy and could really provide decent wages and livelihood to the current poor, Filipinos would continue leaving even to the extent of risking their very lives,” ECMI statement read.

The Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported at least $20.12 billion in remittances from OFWs last year.

ECMI, in its report, cited the tremendous psycho-social costs of migration. It also cited government helplessness in staying the execution of Filipino drug mules in China and the refusal of many Filipinos in strife-torn countries like Egypt, Libya and Syria to be repatriated for fear of not being able to find jobs in the Philippines.

“They would rather stay abroad despite the danger they face rather than go home without a means of livelihood... Filipinos overseas are simply vulnerable to any economic or political upheaval and environmental catastrophe and yet government until now responds to such crises with a band-aid approach,” the CBCP-ECMI added.

It recognized, however, the potential of migration as a new form of evangelization.

“The Church in fact looks at migration as an opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ to other nations, not necessarily the way Filipinos were evangelized in the past, but by simply witnessing the very Christian values trough their words and actions,” the CBCP-ECMI said.

“The new evangelization could be facilitated and encouraged by the presence of chaplains and migrant pastoral workers for Filipino communities in most major countries in the world,” it pointed out.

“The OFWs are in fact bearers of hope of the new evangelization. Hence, the Church has the real responsibility of preparing them to witness their faith. That when it is time for them to go abroad, they are prepared to carry with them the mission entrusted by Jesus Christ, to proclaim the Good News throughout the whole world,” it added.