Document Details

The Philippines has consistently ranked as one of the world's top suppliers of migrant workers, with Filipinos arriving in droves on the doorsteps of developed countries to work both legally and illegally. While their impact on the global economy has been well-documented, there has been little analytical journalism examining the social consequences of this mass exodus on Filipinos and Filipino culture. Whether they cross borders to work as domestic workers, teachers or nurses, migration causes immediate and long-term hardships that range from the emotional wrench of family separation to brain drain from the country. This thesis explores migration's footprint on the politics and economics of the Philippines. As the majority of those leaving the Philippines are women, the thesis also documents the effects of this gendered migration pattern, including the experiences of domestic workers who come to Canada.