The value of the Pinoy overseas foreign worker

Living in Australia and making numerous trips across to the Philippines, I run into many Filipinos who work overseas returning to the Philippines for holidays. Likewise, I also meet numerous Filipinos whilst working in Australia in my profession seeking to gain Australian qualifications.

To the casual observer, it would appear the major export of the Philippines is workers to the region and beyond. To a certain degree, the smartest and the most productive workers are picking up the international contracts leading to a possible brain drain in the Philippines.

After some investigation, I learnt that most men head to the middle east in construction, oil & gas and mining contracts whilst the majority of women remain in south-east Asia or east Asia. I was also astounded to learn remittances from Filipinos working abroad form the second largest source of foreign reserves after direct foreign investment.

What I have seen is a building boom in Makati, Mandaluyong, Bonifacio, Taguig and Paranaque City that has been running for years and shows no signs of abating. Having first visited the Philippines in 1994.

I am seeing a large middle class emerging driving consumerism in the Philippines. It would appear significant investments in real estate is now generated by OFWs with longer forms of investment in education and training.

During breaks hanging out in cafes such as Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Starbucks and restaurants in the large shopping malls; I see many young locals armed with smart phones, iPads, Galaxy tablets and notebook computers all plugged in online.

I have checked prices in the Philippines and compared to prices in Australia and I find the prices cheaper in Australia. I also notice than many of the younger consumers are engaging in studies at local colleges and universities all developing the human capital of the Philippines in a holistic method.

Overall, I see ongoing development in the Philippines improving the outcomes of locals, although as a passive observer I also see the highly educated and most productive leaving the Philippines for economic advantage overseas.

I often wonder if the people taking up the positions left vacant by the OFWs are up to the task leading to a level of wholesale incompetence or it leads to opportunities to workers who may have been overlooked in the past.