PSAP-PAROLA.ORG | Philippine Seafarers Assistance Programme

Towards a Filipino Migrant Economic Development Agenda

A Declaration adopted by the Europe-wide Filipino Migrant Consultation on
“New Approaches in Migrant Empowerment – Maximising Migrant Savings & Economic Initiatives”
Amsterdam, 27 to 30 November 2003.

This Declaration is the result of the warm sharing and rich discussions during the Consultation’s plenary sessions, workshops and caucus groups, engaged in by fifty participants from twenty seven Filipino land-based and sea-based migrant organisations in the Philippines, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and the US. It signifies the commitment of Filipino migrant organisations in Europe to further implement and elaborate the Filipino Migrant Agenda.

Preamble:

Whereas, we acknowledge the continuing movement of peoples across borders within the context of globalisation, the role of migrants and their families in both the countries of origin and host countries and the increasing recognition of their essential contributions to global economic development;

Whereas, there is a strong inter-relationship of European and Philippine experiences in the struggle for the recognition of our work and our human rights as persons, as Filipino citizens, as migrant and workers in foreign countries;

Whereas, existing international and regional standards on human rights including, in particular, those contained in the UN Convention for the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (entered into force July 1, 2003), other relevant legal instruments and policy statements including the EC Communication on Immigration, Integration and Employment(June 2003), are essential components of the bases of our work as migrant organisations;

Whereas, Filipino migrants, including undocumented migrants and workers, continue to experience violations of human rights, while economic development initiatives have been confronted by restrictions and limitations, particularly those imposed after September 11;

Whereas, we are at a convergence in which these efforts are reflected in the development of the Filipino Migrant Agenda, adopted during the Europewide Conference of Filipino Migrants held in Athens, Greece, (November 27-30, 1997) and in its current implementation, and in the holding of the International Conference on Savings, Remittances and Challenges for Development & Governance, held in Bohol, the Philippines (October 28-29, 2003);

Whereas, we value the achievements and initiatives of the Filipino migrant communities in Europe, in the assertion and fulfillment of our civil, cultural, economic political and social rights, including through the development and strengthening of economic development initiatives;

Whereas, we recognise the imperative to sustain, start up and broaden these economic development initiatives in terms of their reach within the Filipino migrant communities, their impact on the improvement of our lives and their linkages with other development efforts outside of our migrant communities;

Whereas, we strongly commend and support the current Filipino migrant economic development initiatives directed towards the empowerment of Filipino migrant communities in Europe and as a contribution to the ongoing challenges in the implementation of alternative economic paradigms in the Philippines;

Whereas, we strongly believe that Filipino migrants exist as a political, social and economic force in both the Philippines and in our host countries, and are capable of asserting our identity and our voice, as well as in creating independent economic development initiatives;

Whereas, we affirm that all Filipino migrant economic development initiatives should lead towards a sustainable development that is rights-based, people-centred and empowering, we therefore commit ourselves to undertake the following Program of Action.

Two Year Program of Action 2004-2005

Organizing:

• In refocusing on organizing efforts among migrants, hold a re-echo workshop on the experiences and insights of the economic development initiatives that are already in place and share the recommendations of the migrant economic development agenda and also disseminate this in the CFMW and other migrant community web sites.
• Sustain and further develop current migrant initiatives in economic development.
• Start up new economic development initiatives in countries where they are not yet developed.
• Reach out and popularise these initiatives in the wider migrant and European community.
• Link up with partners, who can share resources for consultation and training.

Training on:

Orientation on the following topics:

• Principles and new values which we want to promote on migrant empowerment in the migrant economic development agenda.
• Deepening the consciousness of ourselves as migrants who are social, economic and political actors and stakeholders in both the host country and the Philippines.
• Promoting savings consciousness and shifting from consumerism to entrepreneurial activities and valuing the migrant’s contribution in both the host country and the Philippines.
• Analysis and understanding of people-centered development as an alternative to the current economic globalisation and the failed development paradigm in the Philippines.
• Skills training – leadership in cooperative, project and enterprise management; in new methods and strategies for organizing in economic work e.g. accountability and transparency.
• Systematize exchanges of experience and transfer of technology and harness competence in economic development initiatives among migrant organizations abroad and with partners in the Philippines.
• Document and upgrade current practices and develop new techniques and strategies, identifying new targets in advocacy and lobby work.

Advocacy and Lobby:

To the migrant community:

• Popularise and mobilize participation of the broader Filipino migrant community in developing and strengthening the migrant economic agenda.
• Promote and replicate ‘best practice’ projects and entrepreneurial activities within the migrant community.
• Explore the feasibility and viability of a Migrants’ Bank.
• Explore the feasibility of earmarking a percentage of our remittances for strategic national development.
• In maximizing our recent achievement in OF Absentee Voting, we will aim to advance our Migrant Rights through the electoral processes e.g. demanding a migrant agenda and policy commitments from political parties.

To the migrant families in the Philippines:

• Share with our families our actual conditions and struggles as migrants and reorient their expectations on our role in the family, community and national development.
• Encourage and mobilize our family’s active participation in our advocacy and lobby work towards the Philippine government at national and local levels.

To the Philippine government:

• Sustain dialogue with the Philippine Embassies on the concerns and demands of the Filipino migrant community and monitor their delivery of services.
• Engage the government on the content and the direction of a comprehensive reintegration program.
• Advocate a comprehensive program of services acknowledging and addressing the major role of migrants in national development.
  • effective, efficient and low cost remittance service
  • preferential treatment for migrant entrepreneurial investments
  • accreditation for migrant economic development initiatives
• Negotiate with host governments bilateral and multi-lateral agreements stipulating the protection of the rights and welfare of migrants.
• Actively seek recognition of the huge economic potential of remittances as a vehicle for development.
• Negotiate that a certain percentage of our remittances are earmarked for economic development.

To the government and other institutions in the host country:

• Uphold equal rights for all migrants including regularization of the undocumented migrant workers.
• Work for the recognition of the major economic contribution of migrants to the host country and development of policies enhancing the role of migrants.
• Establish dialogue partnership with the host government on its development policy, including the Overseas Assistance Program ODA), towards the Philippines.

Networking:

• Broaden our networks to include new partners and stakeholders in our migrant initiatives, e.g. banking and financial institutions, foundations and funding agencies specializing in migrant economic development initiatives.
• Access and maximise specific government programs (host and Philippine government), which facilitate and promote the role of migrant economic development initiatives.
• Set up an E-group to facilitate the communication and exchange among all the participants in this Europewide consultation.

Amsterdam Declaration 2003:
Towards a Filipino Migrant Economic Development Agenda – in PDF format (20 KB)

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