Brain Drain
A POLISCI Project
"Why Brain Drain? Why has it been very prevalent in a country like the Philippines? In the long run, is it worth it to gamble on your future overseas? Is there a future here in the Philippines?" These are just a few of the many mind-boggling questions the researchers would like to know and understand. The researchers decided to pick this topic since it is very common at present the mentality that working abroad would be of great help to one Filipino and that it would lift up one’s state of living. The Philippines, as it perpetuates dirty politics, is not an ideal working place for someone whose earning is not even enough to cover for his/her families’ necessities and needs for one week. Based on the latest statement of National Wage and Productivity Commission (2015), the minimum wage for an ordinary Filipino worker is just P444.
To better understand this phenomenon, a survey was disseminated among college students coming from different universities in Metro Manila. The survey was designed to know the views and opinions of the youth with regard to the current status of the Philippines and whether to know, if given a chance, venture in working overseas. Based on the data gathered, almost 65% of the respondents said that they are not happy with what has been happening in our country. Most of them replied that the Government has not been fully functional and been very negligent of its duties.Furthermore, When asked about the opportunity of working abroad, majority of the participants said Yes, and that they would do this to earn more income for their families.
In conclusion, the researchers can say that the Brain Drain phonemenon would continue as long as poverty is present in the country. That filipino workers would continue gambling on their lives overseas even if it takes compromising their relationship with their loved ones. That they would rather be away working than to see their families’ lives hanging by a thread. Brain drain may be bad, as one might say, but don’t you think it would still be present if the government had done its responsibilities and duties to his people that he holds dear?
Brain Drain:
a gamble on one’s life
by: AJ Batalla
Reversing Brain Drain?
by: Joyce Chong
Is there a way for reversing brain drain? Many of our skilled workers are working abroad for higher salary. We cannot blame them for wanting to work abroad. According to Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) although ASEAN countries’ economy are benefitting from the increase of population, Philippines in facing difficulty solving brain drain. Charles Davis, the ICAEW economic advisor and Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) director stated that Philippines is facing brain drain for a while now and it is depriving the labor pool of the greatest talents. He also said that 10% of the Philippine population is working abroad including professionals. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and other Middle East countries are the most popular places for OFW’s. Although Philippines also benefit from the dollars that the OFW earns, but other countries gain larger because of the productivity that those OFW’s are helping. Basically, it means that OFW’s help other countries to rise. It is possible that brain drain can be reversed it happened before in the case of India and China. Many of the workers are willing to go back to China because they are confident in their expertise eventhough their salary is not as high as other countries. In the case of the Philippines, Mark Billington, Regional Director of ICAEW South East Asia said that ” One key strategy will be to make sure that the Philippines' high-tech industrial centers are integrated into relevant international networks; this means that people can return to their home nation without fearing that their career progression will suffer.” The Philippines need to add infrastructures for the workers so they won’t work for other countries. It has been reported that in 2015 Philippines ranked the highest growth among other ASEAN countries. The building of infrastructures has been approved by the government and will be in process.
The thoughts of the younger generation
by : Rozelle Cabardo and Dominic Tan Chua
To know the views of the younger generation today, a survey was conducted to have an insight on their thoughts and opinions on the global phenomenon, brain drain. A number of 50 recipients were asked to answer a survey, and the writers concluded everything based on their answers.To be know the views of the younger generation today, a survey was conducted to have an insight on their thoughts and opinions on the global phenomenon, brain drain. A number of 50 recipients were asked to answer a survey, and the writers concluded everything based on their answers.To be know the views of the younger generation today, a survey was conducted to have an insight on their thoughts and opinions on the global phenomenon, brain drain. A number of 50 recipients were asked to answer a survey, and the writers concluded everything based on their answers.
Having a total number of 50 recipients to our survey regarding Brain Drain, our group has gathered the opinions of some of our fellow Filipinos regarding this subject. First off, despite our country being a third world country and going through hardships, the majority of the recipients have claimed that they are happy living in the Philippines, while only 32% said otherwise. Also, when the question whether they would choose to be of another race of nationality given the chance, there was a equal division of both answers, meaning it was 50/50. However, when asked if they would choose to work overseas, there was a slight difference on both sides, wherein 68% said yes and 32% said no. Furthermore, there was a variety of answers when the recipients were asked whether they think that OFW’s are advantageous to the country, about 48% agreed, 22% disagreed and about 26% said both yes and no while 2% said that it depends and another 2% remained idle. However despite the previous result, 37 out of 50 recipients still say that working abroad can still help their economic status. And finally, when asked if by chance, after they have worked abroad and settled financially would they choose to remain in the country they are working in or return home to the Philippines, and good number of 72% said that they would return to the Philippines eventually while 28% said they would choose to stay in the country they are working in. The recipients of this survey are mostly young adults who are next in line to be part of the working population in our country, and based on the results, there is a high possibility that brain drain can be avoided since there is somewhat still a sense of nationalism in our younger generation today.
Brain Drained
by: Sophia Yu
Brain Drain, or human capitalist flight, is very much present in the Philippines. Unfortunately, not a lot of people know about this issue. A lot of people even do not know the meaning of brain drain! Several young professionals (or fresh collegiate graduates) choose to work abroad rather than here, in their own native land because working abroad seems to create more opportunities for them; not only economically, but personally as well. According to POEA, there is about 10% of the Philippine population that is working abroad as OFWs, while the remaining percentage of the population still resides in the Philippines.
Brain drain is an issue not to be overlooked since it represents the state the Philippines is in, as well. Because of so many workers leaving the country, the Philippines is making very slow (or no) progress in improving the country. As a nation, we need to tackle this problem before it would worsen as time goes on. Globalization plays a great role for the Filipinos because it offers a lot of opportunities for their future.
Even movies and other films are circling brain drain (or OFW-related films). If one would go abroad, they would see fellow Filipinos working either as a cashier, a domestic helpers, or other jobs like doctors, engineers, etc.