Security in labor migration in the Philippines: National honor, family solidarity, and migrants’ protection

(eng) Human security in labor migration has mainly been analyzed in the literature from the perspective of the migrants’ receiving countries, which has overshadowed the point of view of the migrants’ sending countries. Focusing on the case of the Philippines, this chapter examines the divergent positions of the state and of non-state actors to find out how a present sending society views labor migration in relation to human security. Analysis of the Philippine state’s actions reveals its ambivalent attitude regarding migration: on the one hand, the state promotes and deregulates labor migration to maximize profit, often at the expense of the human security of its migrant citizens; on the other hand, it tries to preserve the country’s honor and reputation abroad that appear to be particularly embodied in its women citizens. Contrastingly, the diverse viewpoints of non-state actors in the Philippines highlight the preservation of the family, the upholding of the national honor and the legal and social protection of the migrants, notably women. Far from putting an end to labor exportation, the emerging consensus is to facilitate a “secured” migration that respects the human rights and the well-being of the migrants.