Labour Migration

Migration is a livelihood strategy for millions of Filipinos in search of better employment opportunities and it is an integral part of the social and economic fabric of the country. Migration is an agent for development and an important contributor to poverty reduction. Recognizing the tremendous benefits that Overseas Filipinos Workers (OFWs) bring to the national economy, IOM continues to partner with the Department of Labor and Employment in their commitment to manage labour migration in a manner that protects the rights of their workers in more than 200 destination countries and territories. IOM promotes inclusive economic growth, where migrant workers’ rights are protected and decent work is available to all.

Strategic Interventions

To promote safe and regular labour migration, IOM focuses on:

• Offering policy and expert advice to Department of Labor and Employment and its attached agencies;
• Supporting the development of policies, legislation and administrative structures that promote efficient, effective and transparent labour migration flows;
• Promoting comprehensive migrant worker orientation at all phases of the migration cycle-pre-employment, pre-departure, post-arrival and return, including a Code of Conduct for OFW’s;
• Promoting the integration of labour migrants in their new workplace and society;
• Enhancing labour market development, skills-job matching and labour market information system;
• Enhancing capacity to harness the development potentials of remittances and return migration;
• Developing mechanisms in the pursuit of ethical recruitment, notably the International Recruitment Integrity System;
• Supporting the Philippines’ role in various migration for a, notably the Regional Consultative Processes (Colombo Process, Abu Dhabi Dialogue), Global Compact on Migration, High Level Dialogue on Migration, Global Forum on Migration and Development.