Lit01- Literatures of the World

MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Arts and
Sciences
Assignment/Task: SCENT OF APPLES
(20 points)

Answer the two questions succinctly or briefly.

1. What good will it brings you when you look back to your past and your homeland? (5 points)

Life is full of rich history.  Every moment of our past has served as a single brick to building the lives we
all live today.  It’s important to honor our past and pass it on.  Looking back on the past allows us to
study the nature of ourselves and helps us recognize why we do what we do. It’s important not look too
much into the past or keep your mind there for too long you can easily get trapped there. Looking back
on the positive memories of life have multiple benefits.  Understanding the person you are today
involves recalling memories.  It’s important to focus on the good, loving memories that make you feel
warm and fuzzy as opposed to the negative ones. If you’re feeling depressed, there may be a memory
that will warm your heart and help pick you up out of the slump.  If you’re sad or mourning, you can
remember a happier time and allow a warmer feeling to come back into your heart.  Even if you are
having an argument with someone, one of the best things to do is strike up a positive memory you’ve
both shared to diffuse the situation. You have your own unique life experience, but just like everyone
else, it has it’s bright spots.  Focus on them and allow them to expand in your life.

2. Write an article expressing your personal views about Filipino immigrants and the life they
have abroad. You may focus on their struggles, isolation, alienation, or even their successes.
(15 points)

In the Philippines, a deeply rooted and pervasive culture of migration has made moving
abroad common, acceptable—even desirable—as an option or strategy for a better life. For
decades, sizeable numbers of Filipinos have left home in search of permanent settlement or
temporary work overseas, trends long attributed to the fragile economy (and exacerbated by
frequent natural disasters). Today, more than 10 million Filipinos—or about 10 percent of
the population—are working and/or living abroad. While a markedly improved economic
situation in recent years has not diminished the outflows, it has allowed the country to move
beyond its longstanding labor migration policy to incorporate migration into long-term
development planning and strengthen the return and reintegration of overseas Filipino
workers (OFWs).

When the Philippines launched an overseas employment program in the 1970s, the thrust
was finding labor markets: The state not only promoted Filipino workers to the oil-rich but
labor-short Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, it also sold these uncharted Middle
East destinations to Filipinos. By the latter half of the 1970s, as deployment and competition
with other origin countries increased, surfacing labor migration problems (including poor
working conditions and abuse by employers) prompted the government to address migrant
welfare and protection. As destinations diversified and women joined the labor migration
flows, the protection aspect assumed more importance.

The government subsequently developed a number of institutions, laws, and policies aimed
at enhancing the protection of OFWs and their families, spurred on by civil-society
advocacy. This dual approach of facilitation and protection contributed to making the
Lit01- Literatures of the World

Philippines a major source country of workers and talent for the global labor market, while
also providing protection to OFWs. The “success” of this approach, however, may have
trapped the Philippines into complacency: Large, steady flows of remittances have become
the country’s lifeline. The Philippines ranks third after India and China as major recipients
of remittances. In 2016, the country received US $26.9 billion in money transfers, according
to the Central Bank of the Philippines. There are concerns that reliance on remittances may
have delayed the implementation of needed reforms.  

Recent attempts to link migration policies with development policies demonstrate a

remarkable shift in governance in the Philippines, earning positive reviews from the
international community. After several boom-and-bust decades, in the 2000s the Philippine
economy entered a period of impressive growth: Between 2011 and 2016, gross domestic
product (GDP) grew by an average of approximately 6 percent yearly, and the economy
proved resilient through political crises and transitions. Nonetheless, the positive economic
news has not slowed or halted emigration. This is likely because Filipinos have more
resources to migrate, and though the economy has grown, unemployment has yet to be
tempered. Thus, sustainable development that provides decent work opportunities
continues to elude the Philippines. This country profile examines the evolution of migration
policymaking and trends over the past several decades and through the present
administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Source: https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/philippines-beyond-labor-migration-toward-
development-and-possibly-return