"Remittances a boon for Philippines, but at what cost?; Critics say too many workers are leaving" by John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times | August 27, 2009
SANTA BARBARA, Philippines - .... With millions of the poor living atop garbage dumps and under bridges in Manila, they know their nation’s capital is not the solution.
And so they go abroad: One in 10 of Santa Barbara’s 80,000 residents work in places such as Italy, Taiwan, Singapore, and the United States....
Filipinos sent a record $1.5 billion home in June as more sought work abroad. Remittances for the first six months of 2009 reached nearly $8.5 billion, a 2.9 percent increase over the same period last year.... Economic progress has come from remittances, the staggering $1 billion sent to families nationwide each month by Filipinos working overseas in an attempt to overcome extreme poverty and joblessness in their native land.
Is it just me, or is there something wrong behind the agenda-pushing smiley-face put on this piece of poop?
Since they began leaving their island nation in droves in the early 1980s, Philippine workers have become a staple in other nations, with the money they send home in many cases remaining steady despite the worldwide financial crisis.
Yeah, it's not like the people living there need jobs.
We know what this is, readers.
Btw, do you know that Filipino are OFTEN HIRED by WAR PROFITEERS because they COME CHEAP and DON'T COMPLAIN?
See: KBR, Partner in Iraq Contract Sued in Human Trafficking Case
In her annual state of the nation address in July, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo hailed remittances as a driving force behind the economy. Labor Secretary Marianito Roque separately described the remittance system as a source of pride.
Yup, your rulers give about as much of a crap about you, Filipinos, as Americans do about theirs.
“The flow of overseas worker money in an unstable global economy demonstrates the resiliency of the Filipino people,’’ Roque said. “Under the worst circumstances, our workers are getting jobs and sending home more money than ever. They are keeping the boat stable.’’
But some critics say the money comes at a continued social cost. The poverty-stricken nation of 90 million has seen 10 million workers - more than 10 percent of its population - join the overseas labor force. The exodus of trained teachers, health professionals, and engineers, some say, has done the Philippines more harm than good as those much-needed services go elsewhere....
You know, JOBS PEOPLE DON'T WANT in OTHER NATIONS!!!!
Recent months have hit hard. Since last fall, when the global financial crisis struck, many overseas workers have been forced to secure second and even third jobs to keep the remittance flow constant.
I would SETTLE for ONE!!!!!!
About 200,000 overseas Filipinos have lost their jobs since then, economists say. I'm sorry, but my empathy there is kind of lacking.
Paper cares more about illegals than it does citizens, and that's the top reason they are imploding. American people are sick of insults posing as news.
Many have returned to the Philippines, where, accustomed to the better salaries and working conditions abroad, they often do not want to take any available jobs....
Too good for them now, huh?
The remittance system has also altered the lives of the stay-at-home families of overseas workers. A recent International Monetary Fund study found that many extended families of overseas Philippine workers are refusing to pursue jobs at home that they consider too low-paying, preferring to rely on their monthly remittance cut.....
You mean, like a WELFARE CHECK?
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