Why no Filipino TNTs in China or Russia?

The recent pivot of our government to China and Russia for trade and political relations had some of my readers asking what are in China and Russia for the Philippines. Since it will take more than one article/column to cover the advantages or disadvantages of our government enhancing our China/Russia relations, answering "Why there are no Filipino illegal immigrants (TNTs) in China/Russia?" will give us an idea of what we can expect of our relations with these countries. The issues of our "balance of trade" and current and future investments from these countries have been announced by the government and are matters that we can anticipate and hope that it will really come.

There are actually some five (5) reasons or criteria when Filipino migrants, (both legal and illegal), decide to go to that country to work, earn a living, or live/work there permanently. I will also put percentage weights on these factors in terms of their influence in the decision.

The geographic location, the distance from the Philippines, and the ease of travel to that country is one factor. This is given a 10 percent weight as Filipinos would want to be able to return home once in a while for vacation, especially on special occasions. This is not just a matter of distance as Filipinos are all over Europe and Russia is just as far. Also, China is nearer than Australia and the Nordic countries and yet we have more Filipinos in those countries. It is more about the airline connections, route and frequency of flights to these countries. This is related to the level of economic development of these countries and China's economic growth have improved a lot on this aspect.

Another factor, is the language of the country which accounts for 15%. In Europe, I've met Filipinos who speak Italian, German, and even Swedish. There are also Filipinos who speak Cantonese and Fookien in Hong Kong and Singapore, and Nippongo in Japan; so, language is not a big hindrance in looking for employment in other countries.

The third criteria a major 30 percent factor, and it is the level of economic development of the country. Filipinos, and for that matter all migrants, would want to go and work in a richer country whose economy is much better than where they came from, and earn a salary which is much higher than in their native country. The best gauge for this is the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of the country, which is a measure of the annual value of the country's economy divided by the number of inhabitants of the country, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP). In the 2015 listing of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of the PPP adjusted per capita GDP of 185 countries, Qatar is number 1 with a GDP/capita of $132,880; Singapore is number 3 with $85,387; Kuwait is 5 with $70,542; and United Arab Emirates is 7 with $67,217. So, we can see why there are many working Filipinos in the Middle East. Hong Kong, USA, Saudi Arabia, Australia comes in at number 10, 11, 12, and 16 with GDP/capita of $56,878; $56,084; $53,802; and $47,664 respectively. Then Taiwan at 19 with GDP/capita of $46,833; Japan at 28 with $38,142; South Korea at 29 with $36,612; and Italy at 32 with $35,781. So, these are the countries that are attracting a lot of Filipino workers and migrants. Russia in at number 48 with $25,965 and China is at number 84 with $14,340. The Philippines is at number 117 with GDP/capita of $7,282 and Somalia is last as number 185 with $400.

The next criteria is the economic system of the country. This would be a 25 percent factor. While Filipinos would tolerate an undemocratic government in a foreign country for temporary work, they work better in a free enterprise economy where market forces govern wages and prices. This is important as their earning power and the availability and prices of commodities are dictated by demand and supply plus the accessibility and absence of controls over money remittances. The level of economic development of countries are also closely linked to the level of adherence to the market economy of these countries, so Filipino migrant workers tend to be in these countries for temporary work, and even settle for good.

The last criteria is the form of government in the countries which would be a 25 percent factor, for both temporary and more so for Filipino emigrant workers. Filipinos have experienced democracy, its successes and failures, and are more comfortable in a democratic environment. So, when it comes to a choice of a country where they might eventually relocate for the rest of their lives, it would be in a democratic country with the freedom of speech, religion, and the pursuit of happiness.

While the topic refers particularly to Filipino migrant workers and emigrants, reading about the refugees from the Middle East and Africa that are now flooding to Europe and to the USA, and a look back to the migration of Cubans to Florida, it seems that people's desires for better lives in other places and the criteria for choosing countries are universal. So, there is no rush at the moment or a long line to apply for a work visa in China and Russia.

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