Financial Crisis To Hit RP's Services Sector

by Emilia Narni J. David

THE PHILIPPINES should prepare to shield its migrant workers from the impact of the global financial crisis that is seen to also hit the export services sector, experts at an international forum on migration said yesterday.

Sharan Burrows, president of the International Trade Union Confederation and chairman of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, told the opening session of the three-day meet that a repeat of the 1997 Asian financial crisis may be experienced, particularly job losses by migrant workers.

The Philippines is currently one of the biggest service manpower exporters in the world.

In one of the breakout sessions, former Labor secretary Patricia A Sto. Tomas, now chairman of the Development Bank of the Philippines, said the country should actively pursue bilateral relations with countries that host overseas Filipino workers but have not yet acceded to international labor agreements that protect migrant workers' rights.

She noted other countries do not have adequate rules that safeguard foreign workers, but stopped short of identifying them.

Ms. Burrows noted a downturn of job opportunities for women mostly involved in domestic help and caregiving.

"The impact [during the 1997 crisis] was on traditionally male-dominated jobs like mining and construction but now we see that a lot of women, who are propping up the services sector, [are losing out on] job opportunities," she said in a press conference after the opening session.

She added job losses will double the number of people living on less than $2 a month.

Ms. Burrows suggested a new approach for migrant workers that will provide them equal opportunities.

In a plenary session speech, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, chairman and chief executive officer of Ayala Corp., agreed that all sectors should unite in protecting migrant workers.

"[The business sector's] role is to put more recognition to the issue of migrants and do what we can to prepare for the jobs [the migrant workers] will receive, to provide training and preparation combined with the private sector and government," he said.

Mr. Ayala noted the need to balance foreign deployment with providing local job opportunities.

"We need to stimulate our own economy and find ways to balance the negative supply. The global system has left huge service gaps and we should also be happy that we are filling that gap but we need to find commonality and balancing both needs," Mr. Ayala said. - Emilia Narni J. David

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