Neoliberalism and Migration: A Critique of the Labor Export Policy of the Philippines by Regletto Aldrich Imbong
Paper presented during the Asia Pacific Peace Research Association (APPRA) Conference 2019, 02-04 May 2019
Abstract
Since the regime of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, labor export has been institutionalized as an important economic policy in the Philippines. While there may be contrasting views among academics and analysts as to the value of the policy, the brute fact that foreign remittances have highly supported the macroeconomic stability of the country is uncontestable. While this may seem advantageous, a more critical analysis of the policy’s origin and purpose will show how this could be damaging to the country and to the Filipino workers in the long run.
This paper will present a critique of the labor export policy (LEP) in the Philippines via a critical discourse on neoliberalism. As an analytical research, I will present and evaluate relevant facts, information, and discourses to build the argument that neoliberalism, as enhancing the situations of poverty in the Philippines, conditions LEP. I will argue that being “a temporary measure to address the country’s immediate problems”[1] at the time of its conception, the policy as such does not aim to salvage a crisis-stricken economy but actually aggravates recurring crises. I will specifically argue that the LEP: 1) is a consequence of a semi-colonial and pre-industrial economy; 2) dialectically maintains the same backward economy dependent on foreign demands and remittances; and 3) is detrimental to the democratic interests of the Filipino workers.
[1] Dovelyn Rannveig Mendoza, ‘Human capital: The Philippines’ labor export model,’ World politics review. 6 June 2015, http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/15998/human-capital-the-philippines-labor-export-model (03 June 2017).