The Implications of Remittance Dependence: A Case of Economic Nationalism

Abstract

Migration is such a trending topic and we seldomly delve into the deeper implications of the phenomenon. We are shown the economic side and even in that aspect, the analysis has not been as in depth as we would like. It goes only as far as remittances and foreign reserves and in this paper and a relatively new concept of economic nationalism is brought into light and is one that should be studied further in the case of the Philippines. The Filipino migration culture is continuously progressing and as 由is phenomenon is sustained, there is a need to address the issue of economic nationalism in migration. Through a review of literature showing a comparison between Asian neighbors, an interview with a resource person who has studied dependents, and a number of case studies of dependents of Filipino migrant workers, this study examines manifestations of a wavering sense of economic nationalism. The study sees the same manifestations between the case studies as well as that of the subjects of the studies of the interviewee and although the interviewee does not see it as a reflection of a wavering sense of economic nationalism, the signs based on literature say otherwise. The manifestations in these subjects show how the roots of the phenomenon are deep within the Filipino person and culture and that it reflects the Filipino nation as a whole.