The Migration of Women in the Philippines

Abstract

This chapter decribes contemport patterns of female migration in the Philippines and reviews policy-making and planning as they relate to women and particularly to female migrants. Women are numerically dominant in almost all kinds of contemport Philippine migration and they constitute a large majority in the recent unbanward migration of teenage and young-adult cohorts. Contemporary and historical data on womens occupations in urban areas are also examined. Data from the turn of the century indicate that most occupations were filled predominantly by men whereas more recently women have come to participate in or even dominate many occupational categories. The final section of this essay reviews Philippine policies and programs aimed directly at women or migrants. It is concluded that despite demonstrated importance of women in the Philippine migration system there is little official recognition of these patterns in the governments programs. One of the most important characteristics of female urbanward migration in the Philippines is that it is not entirely or even primarily a migration to the largest metropolitan area. Only 1/3 of the unbanward total was found in the Manila metropolitan area in 1970. Many Philippine cities have recently been attracting disproportionate numbers of single literate women whose urban lifestyles involve a high level of economic activity especially in the urban service economy. The growth of education and female migrants occupations are discussed. The growth of education is probably the single most important social change in the Philippines in this century and its importance is especially pronounced for women. The mean level of educational attainment has risen across the population as a whole and sex differentials in educational attainment and literacy have reduced substantially. 1 of the most important social consequences of Philippine economic development is the rise of a westernized and capitalist middle and upper class and a service economy organized around it. Some occupations have expanded and others have declined. Within the professions women are predominantly concentrated in teaching and nursing. The service occupations employed only 16.6% of urban-born women in the urban sector.