Going home

First the running info- no run today, it's rest day. I may run tomorrow with my old gym run club. Or else just run in the morning on the treadmill. Either way, I hope to do 4 miles.

On to the title of this post...For the past few days, I have been thinking about coming home to the Philippines. This is something I have thought about for the past 15 years, of course, but recently I received two emails: one from a high school batchmate, who relayed the sentiments of a former teacher in high school. The other one was from a high school batchmate. The former teacher lamented the fact that Phil. science and technology is still so backward, despite all the money invested in special science high schools. She was disappointed that all these science graduates end up abroad, and their training and skills do not benefit the Philippines. The batchmate opined that if there are no opportunities in the Philippines, we should be making these opportunities.

I have studied the phenomenon of brain drain for a long time, as well as the more general phenomenon now called the Filipino diaspora. Public policy of course is different from personal decision-making, but some perspective can be gained from country-wide data. These data include the estimated 8 million Filipinos abroad (10% of the population), and the $11 Billion that overseas workers remit back to the country (around 12% of GDP). Indeed, without these overseas workers, the Philippine economy will take tremendous hit. Many families are kept out of poverty because of a relative or two who send back money. It is also clear that there are not enough jobs to absorb these overseas workers. With unemployment at 19%, these folks will join the ranks of the unemployed, or at least take over jobs from those currently employed.

But perhaps these overall numbers do not or should not apply to the most skilled and educated of these overseas workers. For indeed, if the best and the brightest all get up and leave, what will happen to the country? But what would it take to make the best and brightest come back? Certainly jobs that will pay the equivalent of what these folks earn abroad will be hard to find. But perhaps there are positions that, while not paying as much, would be meaningful enough, challenging enough, and important enough that it would appeal to these balikbayans. The challenge for balikbayans is finding these positions (I'm not really sure that "making opportunities", whatever that means, will always work). The challenge for the government, and those in the Philippines is welcoming these balikbayans, and not making them feel unwanted. Too often the attitude of those left behind is one of disdain. Some of us who are abroad want to contribute, and are trying to find ways how...

More on this in future posts...