Honoring Modern-day Heroes

"If the Filipinos stop working, the world will stop."

It is a bold statement, but there is truth behind it.

Filipinos are nurses, seafarers, construction, factory, mechanical workers, keeping businesses running, caring for families far from their own, and many other jobs across the world. Overseas Filipino Workers have become an important part not only of the Philippine economy but of the global workforce.

We often call them our “modern-day heroes”. But behind that title are sacrifices we do not always see.

I understood this more deeply when I interned at the Department of Migrant Workers. Before that opportunity, I already knew that OFWs faced difficulties abroad. But seeing their cases up close showed me a different side of their experience.

For many, the problems begin even before they leave the Philippines. Some fall victim to illegal recruiters who promise jobs that do not exist. Others pay enormous fees, borrow money, pawn their possessions or leave without proper documentation because they are desperate for an opportunity.

And reaching another country does not necessarily mean the struggle is over.

Some Filipino workers become victims of trafficking, abuse, contract substitution, discrimination, unpaid salaries, illegal termination, or terrible working conditions. Others suddenly find themselves stranded in the middle of a crisis or war miles and miles away from home.

Behind every OFW is a family waiting at home—a child growing up while a parent is abroad, a spouse carrying responsibilities alone, or parents waiting for their son or daughter to finally come home.

During my internship, one long-term goal stayed with me: working abroad should eventually become a matter of choice rather than necessity.

That is the Philippines we should be working toward.

Protecting OFWs is already one of the pillars of Philippine foreign policy, and rightly so. Wherever Filipinos are, our government has a responsibility to protect their rights, welfare, and dignity. We need stronger action against illegal recruitment and trafficking, better legal and consular assistance, and greater protection for workers in vulnerable situations.

But there is a bigger question we also have to confront.

Why do millions of Filipinos still feel that leaving their families and their country is the best—or sometimes the only—way to build a better life?

We can improve our protection mechanisms abroad. We can negotiate better labor agreements. We can rescue workers from abusive employers and prosecute illegal recruiters. We should do all of these.

But if decent wages, stable employment, and real opportunities remain difficult to find at home, Filipinos will continue leaving not simply because they want to, but because they have to.

Perhaps the greatest way we can honor our OFWs is not only by protecting them when they leave. It is by building a Philippines where leaving is finally a choice.

Protecting OFWs abroad is only half the job. The other half is making sure Filipinos do not have to cross oceans just to find the opportunities they deserve. Filipinos have proven how valuable they are to economies around the world. It is time for the Philippines to create an economy that values them just as much at home.