PREPARING TO WORK ABROAD:
FILIPINO MIGRANTS’ EXPERIENCES PRIOR TO DEPLOYMENT

This study was inspired by the vision and commitment of the Philippine Migrants Rights Watch (PMRW) to promote the empowerment of Filipino migrants. We acknowledge with many thanks the support provided by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) for making this project possible.

Key personnel from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) kindly accommodated our request for interviews and for data on matters pertaining to pre-migration processes and requirements. The POEA Central Office, POEA-Region VII and OWWA-Region 11 granted permission to conduct the survey among departing migrant workers attending their pre-departure orientation seminars. Gerry Gonzales and Lito Abadilla of the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI), Visayas and Mindanao offices, respectively, provided ready assistance in the data collection in Cebu and Davao. We received valuable cooperation from the following organizations: Advancement of Workers Awareness Regarding Employment (AWARE), Kabalikat ng Migranteng Pilipino (KAMPI), National Greening Movement (NGM), Women in Development Foundation (WIDF), Confederated Association of Licensed Entertainment Agencies (CALEA), and Pilipino Manpower Agencies Accredited to Taiwan (PILMAT). We extend special thanks to the many migrant workers who took part in the survey, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. As in all our studies, we hope that this research project faithfully reflects migrants’ realities, which will hopefully shape meaningful actions.

Principal Investigator
MARUJA M.B. ASIS

With the assistance of Michelle Taguinod and Ma. Cecilia Guerrero

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