The United Methodist Church
Manila Episcopal Area
Migrant Ministry Program
By: Josephine A. Sanchez
MEA Migrant Coordinator
Background
The Philippines is one of the labor-rich countries in the world and it implements an aggressive labor export policy to employ its surplus workforce and address unemployment, and to generate foreign revenues that it needs to save its crisis-ridden economy. The recurring fiscal crisis in the country is a symptom of an unsustainable and maldeveloped third world country that is worsen by the new conditions of globalization. The government’s solution to the fiscal crisis have been to increase revenues through higher taxes, fees and tax reforms, to reduce spending through cutback in social services though unemployment is high, and the lay off of government workers. This resulting conditions adversely affected Filipino families. (more…)
