Too often the framework of OFWs is one of mobility and heroism — not to diminish that OFWs are in fact heroic in their care and support for their families, and by extension their communities in the Philippines, and their nation itself.
But how much of a choice do OFWs have when it comes to building a decent or prosperous life in their home country when wages at home are too low, jobs too scarce, and opportunities too unevenly distributed?
Kudos to OFWs
OFWs have shown extraordinary sacrifice, resilience, and professionalism, and their remittances have long helped sustain families and stabilize the Philippine economy. OFWs deserve, as they do, recognition and even parades and adulation back home for their contributions. Not talked about much, besides OFWs massive remittances back home, OFWs also contribute to the Philippines’ “soft power” globally, exporting Filipino culture around the world and making known that its people are hardworking, dependable and smart.
Opportunities back home
But the national conversation on OFWs must always include beyond celebrating OFWs endurance and sacrifice — the lack of real and comparable (to other industrialized countries) opportunities that the Philippines government has yet to make more possible for more of its citizens.
Certainly, incremental gains and progress have been achieved. But not to the degree that OFWs still remain in the millions and when looked at per population the Philippines is among the top globally.
When you look at China and India, two other countries also with massive export workers, their economies have made remarkable gains. For some decades now, Chinese and Indian graduate students in engineering and science studying in the U.S. often have jobs waiting for them back in their countries upon graduation. Many want to go back home after their advanced studies because there are real opportunities there.
Can we say this is the same for top Filipino students studying in the U.S.? Do they want to go back home or try to stay in the U.S.?
Working abroad will always be empowering at some level
Migration for work and experience is empowering. Even if the Philippines morphed into another Japan or another economic titan like S. Korea – to be an OFW as a choice is always an encouraging option when truly given a free choice versus a survival option. To be in another country with another culture and language can be exciting and enhance personal growth.
Global economists and banks are optimistic about the Philippines’ future and forecast the nation to be among the biggest in terms of GDP, top 20 even, in a few decades.
In part, this would be partly attributed to the OFWs, particularly those in highly skilled professions, bringing back what they’ve learned abroad back home to the Philippines. In a way, the OFW experience abroad is a sort of working lab from which skills carry over to the Philippines.
Future less known for OFWs
In the coming years with the AI revolution, the need for foreign workers will undoubtedly change. Analysts are already warning that both remittances and service exports may face headwinds as AI spreads.
The general consensus with AI is that traditional overseas jobs may shrink, particularly those in the service-sector workforce and customer support. Many OFWs fall into this category. At the same time, human-service oriented work like nursing and elderly care will be safe when the AI work environment is in full bloom. Many OFWs also fall into this category.
Besides the human-service oriented work (focused on health and care), Filipinos hoping to become an OFW in the future must move from labor involving routine work to developing talent that’s specialized. Digital and AI literacy are necessary base skills.
What this means is that the Philippines must also move in that same direction that other advanced countries are moving with AI. Their workforce and schools will need to reskill their own workers domestically in order for them to also be valued as potential OFWs.
In a future where AI will leave huge unemployment globally, the OFW as a human export market is precarious. Local economies around the world will be faced with reskilling their own populations for the fewer jobs available. Could it be that the Philippines will finally be forced to be less dependent on their OFW sector and work harder to build a stronger economy after all? It’s a no-brainer that the Philippines should be preparing.
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