The Gold Standard: Government Protections for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)

As the world continues to reintegrate in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Filipinos return to the international job market abroad as construction workers, domestics, and nurses. These workers, known as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), serve as a key element in the Philippine economy and society as a whole. An essential component of keeping this field lucrative and successful is the Philippine protection system, comprised of several government agencies including the Department of Migrant Workers and the Department of Foreign Affairs. Previous research holds that the Philippine government has done an overall good job at protecting OFWs, serving as one of the premier systems worldwide. To test this idea, I studied OFW conditions in Saudi Arabia through a singular case study method, reviewing how the Philippines protects OFWs. My findings mostly concur with that of previous research, as the Philippines ultimately does a wonderful job of ensuring that OFWs enter into fair contracts and avoid abuse. Nevertheless, I add to the current debate by providing suggestions that the Philippines can implement to not only improve the efficiency of its system, but also to maintain it. These recommendations are based around increasing its international footprint through greater cooperation efforts and securing funding for the main protection agencies for OFWs.