Strengthening Preparedness for Migrant Worker Reintegration : thematic analysis and local index tool development 6

ABSTRACT: Reintegration has increasingly drawn the interest of migration actors in the Philippines as the government repeatedly clarifies its intent of making overseas employment temporary and by choice. The evolving institutional and policy landscape reflects this. From a smaller unit with limited mandate in mid-1990's the National Reintegration Center for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) was recreated with an expanded set of functions over 10 years after under the migrant workers act, as amended. A recent major policy development iss the intensification of the roles of local duty-bearers and roghts-holders, especially through the local government units (LGUs). This paper therefore sought to identify the factors influencing OFW decisions to return for good and advance the discourse on what a sustainable reintegration framework may constitute in local practice. For the first phase whose qualitative results are presented here, the South Korea and Hongkong corridors were covered, involving mostly male manufacturing workers and female domestic workers in workshop-style focus groups. Interviews were also conducted with governemnt officials and NGO leaders, as well as with LGU officer. The findings reiforce existing critical perspectives in the field. Firts, reintegration is not the sole function of the national government buit the concerted effort of different actors vertically 56

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