Philippine Overseas Labour: From Export to Management

After twenty years of labour export, the Philippine overseas labour programme is subject to renewed discussion, spurred by some events, like the execution of Flor Contemplacion and the trial of Sarah Balabagan. This article joins the discussion and highlights reasons why a decisive change in the management of migration is not to be expected. After reviewing the various phases of the programme, the article argues that three issues remain of crucial importance: the irregular migration of Filipinos, generated also by practices of the recruit ing industry; the protection of migrants in a region lacking specific agreements; the manage ment of migration in a globalizing economy. The article concludes with a discussion on the bill recently adopted in the Philippines which mandates for a lesser role of the government in the regulation of the migration process.