Left the caciques behind: A commentary about contradictions of migration and development in the Philippines
PDF

Keywords

Asia
Philippines
neoliberalism
migration
economic crisis

Abstract

In this research, I will try to develop a study of the Philippines through a brief review of the bibliography and statistical data analysis. I aim to gather empirical evidence of the causes of extended poverty and unemployment in the country and the high levels of overseas Filipino workers. These social problems and the surge of authoritarianism in the figure of Rodrigo Duterte cannot be adequately explained without referring to the historical legacy of colonialism in the Philippines, the subordinated position of this country in the global division of labour and the structural changes fueled by hegemonic globalization since the last decades of 20th century. Based on scientific research and official data, this article will critically analyze the historical, social, and economic causes that lead to poverty and hardships affecting many Filipino citizens.

https://doi.org/10.14746/sr.2023.7.1.07
PDF

References

Al Jazeera (2021, June 14). ICC prosecutor seeks full probe into Duterte’s drug war killings. Al Jazeera. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/14/icc-prosecutor-seeks-probe-philippines-crackdown-on-drug-crime

Amnesty (2019, July 8). Philippines: UN investigation urgently needed into Duterte administration’s murderous “war on drugs”. Amnesty International. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/07/philippines-un-investigation-urgently-needed-duterte-war-drugs/

Anderson, B. (1988). Cacique democracy and the Philippines: origins and dreams. New Left Review I/169, 3-31.

Anderson, B. (1998, April 16). From Miracle to Crash. London Review of Books, 20(8). Retrieved from https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v20/n08/benedict-anderson/from-miracle-to-crash

Arcilla, P. (2021, August 12). Australia is enabling state violence in the Philippines. Jacobin. Retrieved from https://jacobinmag.com/2021/08/australia-violence-repression-philippines-morrison-duterte-human-rights

Associated Press (2014, April 27). Philippines agrees to 10-year pact allowing US military presence. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/27/philippines-us-military-presence-china-dispute

Baranowski, M. (2022). The Illiberal Turn in Politics and Ideology through the Commodified Social Policy of the ‘Family 500+’ Programme. Forum for Social Economics, 1-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07360932.2022.2138936

Bello, W. (2002, February 28). A “second front” in the Philippines. The Nation. Retrieved from https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/second-front-philippines/

Bello, W. (2009). Neoliberalism as hegemonic ideology in the Philippines: Rise, Apogee, and Crisis. Philippine Sociological Review, 57, 9-19. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23898341

Borras, S. (2007). Pro-poor land reform: a critique. Ottawa: The University of Ottawa Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26530/OAPEN_578765

Bretch, B. (1978). Poemas y canciones [Poems and songs]. Madrid: Alianza.

Camba, A. (2015). From colonialism to neoliberalism: Critical reflections on Philippine mining in the “long twentieth century”. The Extractive Industries and Society, 2(2), 287-301. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exis.2015.02.006

Carrillo, G. (2018). Transitions and continuities: a socio-historical interpretation about the economic crisis of Latin America. La Razón Histórica, 41, 168-198. https://www.revistalarazonhistorica.com/41-8/

Carrillo, G. (2020a). Transgresiones de la historia [Transgressions on history]. Pasajes, 60, 117-151. https://roderic.uv.es/handle/10550/78364

Carrillo, G. (2020b). The era of irrational global policy. Migración y Desarrollo, 18(34), 57-113. DOI: https://doi.org/10.35533/myd.1834.gcg

Cheong, Y. (1992). The political structures of the independent states. In N. Tarling (Ed.), The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, vol. 2 (pp. 387-465). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521355063.008

Chung, G. (2020, June 17). San Miguel Boss Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. Dies at 85. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/gracechung/2020/06/17/san-miguel-boss-eduardo-cojuangco-jr-dies-at-85/?sh=589d93c62be6

Commission on Filipinos Overseas (2020). Number of registered Filipino emigrants by major occupational group prior to migration. Retrieved from https://cfo.gov.ph/statistics-2/

Constantino, R. (1975). The Philippines: a past revisited. Quezon City: Tala Pub. Services. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5512/sea.1975.153

Cruz, R. (1990). Nationalism in the 19th century Manila. Asian Studies, 28, 53-69. https://asj.upd.edu.ph/mediabox/archive/ASJ-28-1990/cruz.pdf

Davidson, N. (2016). Crisis neoliberalism and regimes of permanent exception. Critical Sociology, 43(4-5), 615-634. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0896920516655386

Davis, M. (2006). Planet of Slums. London & New York: Verso. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5842.2006.00797.x

Delgado Wise, R. & Márquez Covarrubias, H. (2007). The Reshaping of Mexican Labor Exports under NAFTA: Paradoxes and Challenges. International Migration Review, 41(3), 656-679. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-7379.2007.00089.x

Delgado Wise, R. (2014) A critical overview of migration and development: The Latin American Challenge. Annual Review of Sociology, 40, 643-663. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-071811-145459

Delgado Wise, R. (2021). The Migration-Development Nexus Revisited: Imperialism and the export of labor power. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348136204_The_Migration-Development_Nexus_Revisited_Imperialism_and_the_Export_of_Labour_Power

Dpa (2021, October 31). Philippines insurgency: Top communist rebel commander killed in battle with troops. South China Morning Post. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3154328/philippines-insurgency-top-communist-rebel-commander

Durkheim, E. (1982). The rules of sociological method. New York: The Free Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-16939-9

Fernando, J. (2020, December 16). China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the Philippines. Asia Pacific Bulletin, 542. Retrieved from https://www.eastwestcenter.org/publications/china%E2%80%99s-belt-and-road-initiative-in-the-philippines

Fontana, J. (2013). Por el bien del Imperio [For the good of the Empire]. Barcelona: Pasado y Presente.

Fontana, J. (2017). El Siglo de la Revolución [The century of the Revolution]. Barcelona: Crítica.

Global Witness (2019). Enemies of the State? Retrieved from https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/enemies-state/

Guevarra, A. (2021, June 23). Israel sends weapons to Duterte. Filipinx and Palestinian Struggle are linked. Truthout. Retrieved from https://truthout.org/articles/israel-sends-weapons-to-duterte-filipinx-and-palestinian-struggle-are-linked/

Green, D. (2013, March 19). On inequality, let’s do the Palma (because the Gini is so last century). From Poverty to Power. Retrieved from https://frompoverty.oxfam.org.uk/on-inequality-lets-do-the-palma-because-the-gini-is-so-last-century/

Hobsbawm, E. (1995) Age of Extremes. The Short Twentieth Century 1914-1991. London: Abacus.

Instituto Nacional de Estadística (2020). Estadística del Padrón continuo [Statistics of Census]. Retrieved from ine.es

IOM (2019). World Migration Report 2020. Retrieved from https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/wmr_2020.pdf

ILO/Australian Aid (2020). Covid-19 labour market impact in the Philippines. Assessment and national policy responses. Retrieved from https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-manila/documents/publication/wcms_762209.pdf

Kratoska, P. & Batson, B. (1992). Nationalism and Modernist Reform. In N. Tarling (Ed.), The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, Volume 2 (pp. 249-324). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521355063.006

Mangahas, A. & Lischin, L. (2016, August 18). Mindanao: living in the peace of the dead. Brookings. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/mindanao-living-in-the-peace-of-the-dead/

Marshall, A. & Mogato, M. (2016, May 25). Philippine death squads very much in business as Duterte set for presidency. Reuters. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-duterte-killings-insight-idUSKCN0YG0EB

McCombs, M. & Shaw, D. (1972). The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 36(2), 176-187. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2747787 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/267990

OECD (2016). Investment Policy Reviews: Philippines 2016.

Owen, N. (1992). Economic and Social Change. In N. Tarling (Ed.), The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, Volume 2 (pp. 467-526). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521355063.009

Palma, J. (2016). Do nations just get the inequality they deserve? The ‘Palma ratio’ re-examined. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137554598_2

Petras, J. & Eastman-Abaya, R. (2006, March 17). Philippines: The killing fields of Asia. Counterpunch. Retrieved from https://www.counterpunch.org/2006/03/17/philippines-the-killing-fields-of-asia/

Philippine Statistics Authority (2019). Total approved foreign investment by country of investor. Retrieved from https://openstat.psa.gov.ph

Reuters (2021, October 5). Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, son of former dictator, runs for president of the Philippines. South China Morning Post. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3151256/ferdinand-marcos-jnr-son-former-dictator-runs-president

Robinson, W. (2014). Global capitalism and the crisis of humanity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107590250

Robinson, L., Johnston, P., & Oak, G. (2016). U.S.-Philippine relations in historical perspective. In L. Robinson, P. Johnston, & G. Oak, U.S. Special Operation Forces in the Philippines, 2001-2014 (pp. 9-16). Santa Monica: Rand Corporation. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RR1236

Sajor, L. (2020, July 7). State repression in the Philippines during covid-19 and beyond. Opendemocracy. Retrieved from https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/state-repression-philippines-during-covid-19-and-beyond/

Santos, A. (2017, November 29). South China Sea: Filipino Fishermen hope for Chinese benevolence. Deutsche Welle. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/en/south-china-sea-filipino-fishermen-hope-for-chinese-benevolence/a-41576397

Schierup, C., Brborić, B., Delgado Wise, R. & Toksöz, G. (2018). Migration, civil society and global governance: an introduction to the special issue. Globalizations, 15(6), 733-745. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2018.1503840

Stange, P. (1992). Religious change in Contemporary Southeast Asia. In N. Tarling (Ed.), The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, Volume 2 (pp. 529-584). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521355063.010

Streeck, W. (2017). ¿Cómo terminará el capitalismo? [How capitalism will end?]. Madrid: Traficantes de Sueños.

St. Louis Fed. (2019). Remittance Inflows to GDP for Philippines. Retrieved from https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DDOI11PHA156NWDB

Therborn, G. (2020). Las ciudades del poder [Cities of power]. Madrid: Traficantes de Sueños.

Trocki, C. (1992). Political Structures in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries. In N. Tarling (Ed.), The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, Volume 2 (pp. 79-130). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521355063.003

Tuaño, P. & Cruz, J. (2019). Structural Inequality in the Philippines. Journal of Southeast Asian Economies, 36(3), 304-328. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1355/ae36-3c

Turnbull, C. (1992). Regionalism and Nationalism. In N. Tarling (Ed.), The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, Volume 2 (pp. 585-645). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521355063.011

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2020). International Migrant Stock 2020. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/international-migrant-stock

Wade, R. (2017). The development state: dead or alive? Development and Change 49(2), 518-546. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dech.12381

Wallace, C. (1991, September 16). Manila senate rejects US Pact: Philippines: The 12-11 vote would bar American use of Subic Bay Naval Base. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-16-mn-1690-story.html

WEF (2019). Global Gender Gap Report 2020. Retrieved from https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf

Wilkins, F. (1954, October 2). Magsaysay opens his land reform; names group to administer new act to change feudal conditions in Philippines. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1954/10/02/archives/magsaysay-opens-his-land-reform-names-group-to-administer-new-act.html

Williamson, J. & De Dios, E. (2014). Has the Philippines forever lost its chance at industrialization? The Philippine Review of Economics, LI(2), 47-66.

World Bank (2017, November 16). Migration and Remittances Data. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/migrationremittancesdiasporaissues/brief/migration-remittances-data

World Bank (2021). Foreign Direct Investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) – Philippines. Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BX.KLT.DINV.CD.WD?locations=PH

Wurfel, D. (1958). Philippine Agrarian Reform Under Magsaysay. Retrieved from http://davidwurfel.ca/philippine-agrarian-reform-under-magsaysay DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3024074

You, J. (2014). Land Reform, Inequality and Corruption: A comparative Historical Study of Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines. The Korean Journal of International Studies, 12(1), 191-224. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14731/kjis.2014.06.12.1.191

Yusuf, S. & Nabeshima, K. (2009). Tiger Economies under Threat. Washington, D.C.: World Bank. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1596/978-0-8213-7880-9