Best Posts in Thread: Ten million reasons

Why low oil prices could hurt the Philippines.

Ten Million Reasons Why Cheap Oil Might Hurt The Philippines - Bloomberg Business

 

Yes, there was a law passed but it is very loosely enforced (if at all) and the abuse still continues. The nurses affected are afraid to say anything though because they need the 2 years work experience and a good reference from those abusing them to have a chance at getting that coveted overseas job. It's a big 'ole Sh!t sandwich and everyone gets to take a bite.

 

I agree and many of the really well educated Filipino used to work for the U.S. Military when they were here. After Pinatubo the ones who really were the cream of the crop were offered special deals to come to the USA and continue working for the same U.S. Military and be fast tracked for citizenship. When that happened their was a serious brain drain started here and in the form of OFW/OCW that is still going on today. The truly effective ones very rarely return here until after retirement if at all because they know their families will be here waiting to drain them dry if they do. Hence a large number of Filipinos leave and never return. Taking the ones who have the ability to adapt and succeed with them. What we see here now for the most part is the dregs left over.

 

*Bright worker* is a loose term. Compare it to their family members who work for 100p a day or simply don't work and drink tanduay all day long off of someone else's work.

But look also at the nurses and engineers the Philippines sends abroad. Those aren't dumb people while their education may be really lacking at times. They are the cream of the crop often enough.... of course that doesn't speak to well of the crop but its still what it is.

 

It could be a very good thing for the Philippines if they instead worked on fixing many of there BS ways. Cheap labor in the Philippines with a favorable exchange rate for foreigners. Cheap oil as well. Its the perfect place considering location to open up manufacturing and major production with foreign companies. Bringing in foreign companies especially manufacturing could also help the infrastructure and help improve many suffering issues such as water / waterloss, expensive electricity / electricity loss, internet availability / internet speed, and so forth. That IS if the Philippines did away with many of its old arcane laws that really hurt foreign business's and force the majority to a Filipino interest.

The Philippines is so backwards sending its hardest workers and brightest workers overseas instead of employing them in the Philippines and keeping what they earn and create fully inside the Philippines. Bringing in foreign business regulated but wholly owned by the foreign entity could open up so much potential. They could even open up many non compete clauses with a number of current major Philippine produced products (coconut oil, cane sugar, and similiar) and still do very well.

But for those of us here with open eyes we know the truth. Its about sending out those more likely to demand change in the status quo in the government while keeping those easy to manipulate and use under their thumb of poverty. They don't want the Philippines own economy to grow and strengthen outside their direct control as with poverty lessened education is on the rise with a bigger class who may challenge how the country is ran.

 

More recently I believe there are more nurses than there are positions in the Philippines. Then also some hospitals were CHARGING nurses to work in their hospital because they needed the hours for their certification. I believe there was a law sponsored against the practice but I don't know if it ever passed.

 

I agree with Dave here. While cheap labor may be what the Philippines exports, that labor is probably the more diligent and intelligent portion of the workforce. Much like here in the US the smartest hardest working people tend to flock to areas where they can use those talents to make the most money. A financial professional is more likely to make a move to New York City than they are to Des Moines.

The number of Filipina nurses in the US is somewhat staggering. In this article FRONTLINE/WORLD . Rough Cut . Philippines: Have Degree, Will Travel | PBS it mentions that a large number of rural hospitals in the Philippines have closed due to this. While I realize that this article is about 9 years old I do not believe that much has changed. I work in a hospital so I see this on a daily basis.

I have also seen that business process outsourcing is expected to overtake foreign remittances in dollar value soon philippine remittances 2013 . I have to wonder if the BPO industry would grow faster with the workers that have left the country.

Edit - for some reason the article philippine remittances 2013 from philstar global is not pasting in to the article.