A Probe into the Filipino Migration Culture: What Is There to Learn for Policy Intervention?

This paper seeks to address this gap in the literature by examining migration intentions of individuals from a high-emigration rural village in the Philippines. The results provide evidence of a culture of migration among the villagers as shown by the high proportion (at 44% of a sample of 572) of those having plans to leave for overseas work. The motivations for wanting to migrate are largely economic in nature. Earning high income is also the most common basis for choosing the destination. Nevertheless, the study shows that given more local job opportunities, a non-negligible proportion would opt to stay and be with their loved-ones. Interestingly, the desired amount of compensation abroad which roughly represents people’s willingness to stay, is not much. The analysis also reveals that migration intentions do not exhibit a simple leave-or-stay dichotomy. Understanding the nuances is essential if policymakers want to shape people’s migration-related behavior in its policy interventions.