Bringing the Marginalized into Conversations about American Raciality - Erin Kane - Keely Gaeta - Emily Norris

Labor Brokerage State

THE PHILIPPINES IS KNOWN AS A LABOR BROKERAGE STATE . AS DEFINED BY ROBYN RODRIGUEZ , FILIPINO LABOR BROKERAGE IS THE FACILITATION OF EXPORTING THE COUNTRY ' S WORKERS ABROAD TO PLACES LIKE THE U . S ., WESTERN EUROPE , THE MIDDLE EAST , AND EAST ASIA WHILE " GENERATING A PROFIT FROM THE REMITTANCES THAT MIGRANTS SEND BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES REMAINING IN THE PHILIPPINES ". 10 % OF THESE REMITTANCES MAKE UP THE PHILIPPINES ' GDP . RODRIGUEZ HIGHLIGHTS THAT THE FORMATION OF THE LABOR BROKERAGE STATE IS A RESULT OF INSTITUTIONALIZED NEOLIBERAL PRACTICES . NEOLIBERALISM IS A SYSTEM OF POLITICAL ECONOMY THAT USES STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT POLICIES THAT ARE REINFORCED BY INSTITUTIONS . HOWEVER , THESE NEOLIBERALISM ROOTED PRACTICES IN THE PHILIPPINES HAVE RESULTED IN CURRENCY DEVALUATION , WHICH IN TURN HAS REDUCED INCOMES IN THE COUNTRY , MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO ADJUST TO THE RISING COSTS OF LIVING . ADDITIONALLY , THE EXPORTABILITY OF THE FILIPINO WORKER HAS DEPENDED NOT ONLY UPON THE PROMISE OF A GOOD WORKER BUT ONE WHO IS ALSO CHEAP . FILIPINO WORKERS ARE CHARACTERIZED AS PRODUCTIVE AND EFFICIENT . THIS IS DONE SO THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES THAT SHAPE THE MARKETABILITY OF SUCH WORKERS TO BE APPEALING TO OTHER COUNTRIES .

8.2 MILLION FILIPINO WORKERS ABROAD - AMOUNTING TO 10% OF THE COUNTRY'S POPULATION 44