Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Philippines, more than any other country in Asia, has witnessed these past years an unprecedented exodus of its people to all points of the globe. It is estimated that, at present, there are three million Filipinos abroad: permanent migrants, overseas workers, seamen and other kinds of expatriates. If each belongs to a family of five, then around fifteen million Filipinos are directly affected by migration.

Moved by the pastoral solicitude of the Church, we wish to address to you this message on the occasion of National Migration Day. The most obvious cause of the big outflows of Filipino workers to other countries is economic. The search for work and a better standard of living, or even survival, pulls young people and couples from their places of origin. There is hardly a community or barrio in the country which does not have people abroad. The official and unofficial repatriation of money (roughly estimated at US $1.5 billion annually) from Filipino migrants around the globe has sustained families, put children through school and, as the largest dollar earner of the national, even saved the government during these times of economic crisis. It is indeed an opportune time, during this National Migration Day, to reflect upon the situation of our migrants, overseas workers and other expatriates.

We are aware of the many serious problems of morality, poverty, and injustice that affect the people, especially women, who migrate from the provinces to the big cities in our own country. They are often exploited in the tourism industry. However, on this occasion we focus our attention on the plight of migrants and overseas workers.

Our reflection moves us, first of all, to thank the Filipinos abroad for the manifold sacrifices they have undertaken for us here at home. Their endurance in the face of adverse conditions, their determination to turn risks in to opportunities, their courage in the face of real physical threats (for example, seamen in the Personal Gulf) and moral dangers are to be admired. The courage of these migrant workers has shown us how to believe in life and to hope against many odds.

Although much has been done by our priests, religious sisters, and lay faithful, we wish to humbly acknowledge before our migrants and overseas workers the limitations that beset the Philippine Church in its pastoral care for them and their families.

But as we become more and more a nation of migrants, we are training and assigning more church personnel, clergy as well as laity, to this particular ministry. We appeal to the Major Superiors of Religious Men and women to do likewise. The need for pastoral care is great and urgent. Although many good things come from migration, it is also attended by many evils, such as exploitation, broken families, moral degradation, loneliness and other psychological sufferings.

We are particularly concerned about some factors surrounding this massive migration in our midst:

1. Illegal recruiting. Agencies have preyed upon the gullibility of people desperate for work and any means of survival. How can we expect the rights of our Filipino brothers and sisters to be respected abroad if we do not put our house in order first? We urge our government agencies concerned to leave no stone unturned in stopping these exploiters from the "trading of human beings." We encourage our parishes and other local Christian communities to inform their people about the official legal channels whereby inquires can be made and job placements obtained.

2. Over the last year, we have witnessed not only the record number of people leaving for work overseas, but also an upsurge of cases of exploitation and abusive treatment of our workers abroad. We earnestly urge that our government, through its official representatives, make stronger and more effective measures in protecting the rights of our Filipino expatriates.

We support the decision of Her Excellency the President to ban temporarily the deployment of Filipina domestic helpers abroad until protection for them is assured. This temporary ban of deployment should also apply to our Filipina entertainers with regards to countries where a considerable number of them are subjected to inhuman abuse and exploitation.

As far as the countries of destination are concerned, we are mindful of the fact that the quality of ancient and modern civilizations is often measured by the degree of tolerance and compassion extended by the people to the stranger in their midst.

3. The actual poverty of the majority of our people leaves from little choice when raced with the option to migration. With the last local elections, the democratic structures have been fully restored in our country. We exhort all our people, in and out of government, to pray and work hard for the economic recovery of our country so that fewer and fewer Filipinos will be forced to leave our country because of poverty.

We appeal also to the Churches of destination throughout the world to treat with compassion "all strangers in their midst." We are both aware and grateful for the fine work that has already been done by many of these local churches.

For every pain, there is also joy. For every sacrifice, there is corresponding good.l Migration of peoples, in whatever form or for whatever reason, has always foreshadowed the unfolding of greater designs of God. On May 17, 1987, in his homily during the Mass for Filipinos in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope John Paul II told the Filipino overseas workers: "Indeed, in Europe you are called to be the new and youthful witnesses of that very faith which your country received from Europe so many generations ago."

We exhort you, our Filipino brothers and sisters abroad, to live your Christina faith wherever you are. In that way, like St. Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, our migrant Saint, you are giving witness for Christ to all the world.

May the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, who were migrants in Egypt, bless, protect, and accompany our migrants and their families.

For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines,

Leonardo Legaspi, O.P, D.D.
Archbishop of Caceres
President