What is it?

MIGRANT PHILANTHROPY sees citizens abroad sending back home cash and in-kind donations to benefit socio-economic development causes in the Philippines. This process occurs as a means for migrants to keep their ties with their country of birth, and with people in the motherland. Transnational relations between migrant donors and those in the country of birth (individuals, groups) are then built. (see figure 1 [FIG1.TIF])

 

Who gives?

• Individual overseas Filipinos
• Organized groups of Filipinos abroad (formal, informal) o Hometown associations o Community or neighborhood-based associations in the host country o Registered charities, nonprofits and foundations in the host country o Professional associations (e.g. doctors, accountants, nurses)
o Alumni association chapters overseas o Sister city organizations between a Philippine city and a city from a developed country o Cultural groups
o Sports clubs
o Church-based organizations o Others
(see the Database of migrant donors)

What do they do overseas?

Filipinos abroad work to provide the needs of their families. These include permanent residents who, despite being nationals already of the host country (or are on the way to become one), they also work for family members who are already with them or who are still in the Philippines.

From where to where?

Filipino migrant donors in some 46 countries are donating to development causes in the Philippines, according to scanning and research by the Institute for Migration and Development Issues. Most of them support causes in rural areas, where many of these overseas Filipinos originated.

 

canada nigeria switzerland taiwan oman saudi arabia thailand vietnam southafrica spain uae uk US sweden netherlands malta malaysia new zealand lebanon macao luxembourg korea jordan japan italy israel hongkong guam greece germany france finland egypt denmark faroe islands china chile bahrain brunei belgium australia austria andorra

How big?

In old Central Bank data (2003), Filipinos abroad donated US$218 million in cash donations through formal banking channels. This was before the Central Bank revised the reporting on the flow of remittances in the Balance of Payments (a summary of financial transactions between a country and the rest of the world). The amount mentioned does not include cash donations sent through informal means to the Philippines, and the monetary worth of in-kind donations from overseas Filipinos. Given this reformatting of the reporting of remittances in the BoP, it might be difficult to estimate now the actual donations coming from overseas Filipinos. (Download: Scale of Pinoy diaspora giving.ppt)

Will overseas Filipinos give?

Answers to the above question, citing some studies, reveal a mixed bag. In a study by the Asian Development Bank (2004), particularly citing a survey of remitters and migrant households in the Philippines, 61 percent of remitters (n=1,150) are interested. Meanwhile, 36 percent of migrants’ households (n=300) are not interested to help, as 35 percent of these same households are undecided. In a survey (n=1,457) of Filipino four American Catholic dioceses (particularly the Bay Area in the State of California), 48 percent of respondents want to help development projects in the Philippines and 60 percent of respondents are helping development causes in the host country. This somewhat implies these Filipinos wanted to help more in the host country than in the motherland. (Download: Will they give tables.ppt)