Challenge of returning OFWs

(Excerpts of article written by Johanna Son of Reporting ASEAN)

The Philippines’ five decades of experience in exporting labor – it has more than 10 million people overseas – has made it the ‘expert’ and reference point for other developing countries in managing migration. But what weak links in this has the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic exposed, whether in health insurance, paid leaves or other protection? What lies ahead? What do overseas Filipinos badly need at this point?

The Philippines has its hands full with the local pandemic, but the nation also has its nationals overseas to think of. As of April 14, 704 overseas Filipinos have been reported sick with COVID-19, with 216 recoveries and 88 deaths, according to the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs.

Moreover, the country will have to deal with the growing number of Filipinos returning home, not least because of lost or uncertain jobs in a time of a global economic contraction. This is a massive, sudden reversal of sorts in a country more used to sending people out, rather than receiving them back in huge, continuing batches. This is happening in peacetime, quite unlike repatriation during conflict elsewhere, such as in the Middle East.

The first casualties are the crew of cruise ships, an industry that has all but sunk to the bottom. The Philippines supplies the largest number of the world’s seafarers, at about one-third of an estimated 1.6 million such workers.

The Facebook page of the Philippines’ foreign office says repatriations have been happening daily since March 31. When we added the numbers of seafarers it reports as having arrived home – from Norway, the United States, United Kingdom, among others – the figure totaled 2,386 people in just two days from April 8 to mid-afternoon of April 10. Other estimates, including from Filipino officials, say the returnees are expected to reach up to 26,000 in the coming weeks. What are they going to do at home, given the uncertainty of future contracts – and amid the risk of international travel?

It’s early days still, but will this pandemic become the game changer in the future shape, and standards, of overseas work?

These are some of the topics discussed in a conversation with Thetis Mangahas, who used to be deputy chief for the International Labor Organization Asia-Pacific, Mahar Abrera Mangahas, a Hong Kong-based instructor, and Bangkok-based Johanna Son, editor/founder of Reporting ASEAN.

Johanna: What are three top issues to think about in the COVID-19 pandemic, from the perspective of overseas Filipino workers? What does this tell us about how working overseas, and the systems for this, could change in the future?

Thetis: For post-COVID action? First, social protection coverage: It’s time to be more explicit in employment contracts on insurance and other safety nets for overseas Filipino workers in times of pandemic-level illnesses. This protection has to be both at the source and destination, certainly, should be covered under bilateral and multilateral agreements. Does the ASEAN Declaration, for example, carry such a provision? Also, perhaps more reflection on the extent of protection that recruitment and manning agencies can assume in conditions such as we are experiencing today.

Second, employment protection. There has to be some protection when it comes to job terminations due to calamities and pandemics, again something that could be pursued at bilateral and multilateral levels. And in the event of termination due to situations such as a pandemic, workers should be assisted to return home. The recent report on terminated OFWs in Qatar highlight such problems.

Third, communication systems. Clear channels of communication between the overseas Filipino worker and the embassies, between the embassies and the home government, and between and among the OFWs and their families. Communication has to be two-way – what is happening in the host country and what is happening in the home country, especially in global pandemics.

Johanna: Speaking as a Filipino living overseas, we need information that is actionable, helps us decide, not messages to the effect that the host country is in charge, period – which is what has also happened, especially earlier on in the pandemic.

Mahar: First, advisories. OFWs should be given information of how COVID-19 is being dealt with in our home country. This can mean the difference between exiting an area that has COVID-19 (where an OFW may prefer to be less exposed) to entering a situation that might be worse (potential lockdowns, growing numbers of cases.)

Second, should we come back, what does self-quarantine look like? Is there financial relief for OFWs who are quarantined and cannot return to their jobs? The DOH advice needs to be given priority for greater dissemination; already we are hearing cases where OFWs do not want to get tested, or worse, flee actual testing, because they feel that testing positive would entail work stoppage with resulting economic hardship.

Third, finally, in returning to work, how is our country providing help to those who wish to return to their places of work? What precautions do they need to take?

What is happening with OFWs in general is a lack of access to quality information, which in turn, makes the OFW community either ignorant, or worse, speculative when making decisions that can affect them and their families. As much as possible, these decisions should be done with more concrete information, and less guesswork.

Conclusion

The above comments must be taken into consideration by everyone concerned with OFWs today and in the future. As of April 15, DFA reports over 14,000 have been repatriated.

Pandemics are here to stay and our OFWs will be the among the hardest hit when they happen.

Many of these issues could have been preempted from occurring if these contingencies are dealt with in the employment contract at company level (often negotiated by recruitment agencies), which in turn are governed by bilateral labor agreements entered into by DOLE with the receiving country.