Political Remittances on the Rise during Pandemic? Evidence from Survey Data on Overseas Filipino Workers

On October 2, 2021, the Ateneo School of Government, in partnership with the Ateneo OF-LIFE Network, launched a webinar entitled “Political Remittances on the Rise during Pandemic? Evidence from Survey Data on Overseas Filipino Workers'' presented by Jurel Yap and Gaby Mendoza from the Ateneo Policy Center. The online event was attended by various overseas Filipino workers as well as researchers. The panel also included Atty. Florisa Almodiel Luteijn, Leila A. Rispens-Noel, and Amb. Grace Relucio Princesa who served as the esteemed reactors to the paper presentation.  

The study finds that our overseas Filipino workers’ physical distance from the country cannot insulate them from social ties and clientelism when evaluating the Philippine government. Yet for OFWs who are based in countries with effective COVID response policies, their first-hand experiences can shape their governance demands and form political remittances. Defined as the transfer of political principles from a migrant’s host country to their homes, these political remittances are crucial in encouraging more critical views of the Philippine government as well as raising our country’s standards for pandemic response strategies. 

The discussions from the event illustrate how political remittances among OFWs still remain a latent force. While the study highlights the potential for political remittances to form during times of crisis, further studies can look into how these political remittances translate to concrete practices and efforts of mobilization to affect change in the Philippines. 

To know more about OF-LIFE and its programs, visit https://www.oflifealse.com. For updates on the Ateneo School of Government’s projects and events, visit http://www.ateneo.edu/aps/asog/ateneo-policy-center/events.