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Programme Area I: Migrant Social and Economic Integration

The overall objective of this programme is to ensure that all Filipinos migrating to other countries are adequately prepared to meet the practical and psychological problems attendant to international migration.

The Migrant Social and Economic Integration Programme will undertake activities designed to provide Filipino emigrants with adequate structured information and advice about all aspects of migration to their countries of destination, as well as assistance in achieving early social and economic adjustment within their new environment.

This programme also provides for a continuing linkage with registered Filipino migrants, and a means by which migrants can be assisted by cooperating organizations in the process of adjustment and settlement in their host countries.

It will also assist in promoting and facilitating the reintegration of returning migrants into the Filipino national mainstream.

> Pre-Departure Registration and Orientation Seminar

Pre-Departure Registration

Filipino emigrants or those leaving the country to settle permanently abroad are required to register with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). Part of its registration requirements is attendance in the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) to prepare them for settlement overseas. Those who are 12 years old and below are exempt from attending the PDOS. They must, however, be registered, even if by proxy. Children of emigrants, aged 13 to 19, are required to attend the Peer Counseling Program to help facilitate their adjustment to a new environment.

The registration of Filipino emigrants started in 1981, or a year after the CFO was created. The registration process generates an information resource on Filipino emigrants, which provides reference for policy formulation and program development.

Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars (PDOS)

Country-specific pre-departure orientation seminars are conducted for departing Filipino emigrants to address their adjustment concerns in their destination countries. In these seminars, various topics are discussed such as:

* Travel regulations;
* Immigration procedures;
* Cultural differences;
* Settlement concerns;
* Employment and social security concerns; and
* Rights and obligations of Filipino migrants.

> Guidance and Counseling Services

Per Republic Act 8239 and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Order 28-94, Filipinos proceeding abroad as fiancé(e)s and spouses of foreign nationals are required to attend the CFO's guidance and counseling programs as a pre-requisite to the issuance of passports.

The objective of this program is to help Filipino fiancé(e)s and spouses of foreign nationals make informed decisions regarding their marriage to foreign nationals and to prepare them for their adjustments in cross-cultural marriages.

Among others, Filipino fiancé(e)s and spouses are provided with the following information:

* Migration laws affecting them;

* Welfare and support services available abroad;

* Rights of migrants overseas; and

* Coping up with problematic or difficult domestic situations.

> Peer Counseling

Counseling services are conducted for departing children of Filipino emigrants aged thirteen to nineteen (13 to 19) years old.

This service responds to the needs of young Filipino emigrants by helping them cope with change in their social environment. The sessions provide them with information that will help facilitate their adjustment in a new environment.

Counseling sessions are conducted through group dynamics to surface expectations and anticipated changes brought about by settlement in a new country.

> Post Arrival Services

To complement the pre-departure services provided in the Philippines, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas encourages overseas-based Filipino associations, welfare groups and other private organizations to provide post arrival services to newly arrived Filipino immigrants. The program aims to provide Filipino migrants with relevant information that will enable them to adjust and cope with the demands of settlement in a new country.

Post arrival services include language courses, orientation programs, and networking or referral services to employment agencies, migrant resource groups, and other Filipino associations within the area of settlement.

> Public Information and Education Program

Community Education Program

The Community Education Program (CEP) is an annual information campaign conducted by the CFO in coordination with various government agencies, non-government organizations, local government units and academic institutions. The program seeks to assist prospective migrants in making informed decisions regarding working or migrating abroad, as well as generate community involvement on migration concerns. It also aims to raise public awareness on various issues concerning migration, intermarriages and existing government policies and programs directed against illegal recruitment, documentation fraud and trafficking in persons, among others.

Magbiyahe: Pilipino Style Video

The Magbiyahe: Pilipino Style Video is a video production produced by CFO and co-sponsored by the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) which aims to inform passport applicants of the realities of migration and situations Filipino travelers may experience and encounter when preparing to travel or live abroad. Said video is shown to passport applicants at the Department of Foreign Affairs including its 10 regional offices in the Philippines and to Filipino emigrants at the CFO.

Public Assistance Services

CFO regularly provides assistance or referrals in response to various requests by Filipino emigrants and their families. Requests involve cases of trafficking, domestic violence, adoption, child support, sham marriages, blacklisting, whereabouts, document verification, immigration, repatriation, employment-related concerns, among others.

CFO also responds to requests for emigrant data and statistics from the other government agencies, private sector, academe, media and civil society.

Pre-departure Briefings at the Foreign Service Institute

To orient departing foreign service officers (FSOs) and employees and service attaches of various government agencies on the services and programs of the Commission, CFO participates in the quarterly pre-departure briefings organized by the Foreign Service Institute. Topics also include trafficking issues, policies concerning the management and operation of Philippine schools overseas, processing of overseas donations, and the elements of contingency plans to be submitted by Posts, among others. Participating officers were posted in Philippine embassies and consulates in Asia-Pacific, Europe, North & South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

Educational Modules on International Migration and Development

The Educational Modules on International Migration and Development project seeks to integrate issues and concerns on international migration into the social studies and values education subjects in the elementary and high school levels. It aims to provide a systematic and comprehensive mechanism for disseminating information on migration realities and concerns, and at the same time, emphasize the values of patriotism, love of country, and pride in the Filipino culture and heritage among Filipino students.

The project also aims to purposely prepare potential migrants about migration realities and to help them make informed decisions. The integration of such learning areas in the Philippine curriculum will also be extended to the tertiary level.

Migrants Advisory Information System

The Migrants Advisory Information System (MAIS) is a computer-based information tool that aims to address the information needs of our countrymen who are considering migration as an option.

It covers four (4) specific areas:

* Country Profile of Filipino Migrants' Destination Countries
* Profile of Migrants Support Groups and Welfare Organizations Overseas
* Profile of Filipino Organizations Overseas
* List of Philippine Embassies and Consulates

More information at http://www.cfo.gov.ph