Skilled labour migration from developing countries: study on the Philippines

Philippines has been experiencing a ‘brain drain’ since the early seventies. This was accelerated in the nineties when advances in information technology and the growth of the information-communication industry sparked new waves of skilled migration of electronic engineers, computer programmers, designers and allied skills workers. This report provides some benchmarks of this brain drain, showing how the pattern of migration has evolved in the last 10 years. The report is presented in six sections: following the introductory section, section two looks at the patterns of temporary labour migration; section three considers the supply of high level manpower in the labour force; section four looks at selected professionals, their entry into the labour force and the numbers that have migrated; section five explores the movement of Filipino skilled workers; and section six concludes the report by outlining some policy issues that need to be considered within the context of the migration of skilled Filipino workers.

This report is part of a series of studies conducted by the International Labour Office under the DFID-sponsored project on ‘Skilled labour migration (the ‘brain drain’) from developing countries: analysis of impact and policy issues’. Available reports are indexed from TD/TNC 86.109 to TD/TNC 86.119. Show less