INAFI, Atikha and Others Hold International Conference on Migration and Development

The International Conference on Migration and Development was held on May 23-27, 2006 in Tagaytay City. It was attended by around eighty delegates coming from countries of Latin America, Africa, Europe and America. The conference was sponsored by the International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions (INAFI) Asia and INAFI Philippines with support from Oxfam Novib. It was also co-sponsored by Atikha, Inc., Institute for Migration and Development Issues (IMDI) and Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM).

The delegates actively participated in the activities that revolved around the conference theme, Converging Initiatives and Best Practices in Harnessing Migrants’ Philanthropy, Investments and Remittances for Local Economic Development. The conference involved various stakeholders in the issues of migration and development like migrant organizations, non-government organizations, microfinance institutions, international development organizations, government agencies and business institutions. It brought together migration and development stakeholders and microfinance practitioners who shared various practices in harnessing diaspora philanthropy and migrants’ investments for local development. It also identified issues and challenges in the field of migration and development.

Guest speakers---former Sen. Wigberto Tanada (President, PRRM), Mr. Frank Hess (First Secretary, Head of Operations section, European Commission to the Philippines) and Mr. Atsumasa Tochisako (President and CEO, Micofinance International Corporation)---noted the unprecedented growth of migrants and remittances in the world; that international migration could no longer be ignored. They also challenged the delegates to face the challenges in harnessing the development potential of overseas migration.

On the first day of the conference regional (Asia, Africa and Latin America) and country perspectives (India, Philippines, Bangladesh and China) on migration and development were presented. Ms. Mai Anonuevo presented the Philippine country paper entitled, Realizing the Development Potential of Overseas Filipino Organization. The paper discussed the current initiatives of NGOs and a government agency in the country in harnessing the development potential of migration. (The status of current work and the ideas presented in the paper were drawn from a workshop conducted on April 28, 2006 that was attended by the following GO and NGOs: Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO), Unlad Kabayan Migrant Services Foundation, Inc. (Unlad Kabayan), Atikha, Kanlungan, Inc., KAKKAMPI, Economic Resources Center for Overseas Filipinos (ERCOF) and IMDI.)

Various migration issues and initiatives on gender, microfinance, social cost of migration and role of development agencies and diaspora organizations were tackled on the second day of the conference. Experiences and practices in harnessing migrants’ philanthropy and investments, and microfinance were also shared and discussed.

Culminating the day was the presentation of the draft conference statement. Among others the conference recognized the duality of international migration, its positive and negative effects. It also reiterated that migration’s development potential must be harnessed for the development and benefit of the developing countries and poor people of the world. The conference called for the promotion of the migration and development agenda to all stakeholders, and the propagation of programs that “further people’s awareness of the lives and rights of migrants (especially women), as well as services addressing the social costs they face.” The delegates also called for active efforts to direct migrant remittances, philanthropic funds and savings, investments, skills and expertise for development.

The whole of the third day of the international conference was devoted to the field visit of Atikha projects in San Pablo City in Laguna and Mabini in Batangas. (See related article entitled, Atikha Welcomes Delegates to the Conference on Migration and Development.) The delegates were warmly welcomed in the San Pablo City Women, Family and Overseas Filipinos Center; shown how virgin coconut oil is produced in Atikha’s VCO plant in Barangay Sta. Isabel; treated to a play presented by members of the Batang Atikha Savers Club of Mabini and were toured in the so-called Italian Village of Mabini, Batangas.

Two diaspora fora were held during the last day of the conference, the Filipino Diaspora Forum in the morning and the International Diaspora in the afternoon. The Filipino Dispora Forum was supported by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and was attended by around 25 representatives of overseas Filipino organizations (OFW-MBC, Kapatiran, Ercmove, Asian Migrant Center and Friends of Atikha, San Diego), NGOs and microfinance institutions (Atikha, Koop Balikabayani, etc.), GOs (Bangko Sental ng Pilipinas, Department of Foreign Affairs and Commission on Filipino Overseas) and some members of the academe. The Forum resolved to work towards a formation of a body that will seek the convergence of initiatives of various stakeholders in the country in tapping the development potential of migration. A working group was created to do the task of conceptualizing that body. The Working Group is composed of the following: Mr. Marlon Palomo (INAFI), Ms. Mai Anonuevo (Atikha), Mr. Jeremiah Opiniano (IMDI), Mr. Joseph Gloria (PRRM), Mr. Nestor Duldulao (Overseas Filipino Worldwide-Mutual Benefit Corporation), Ms. Corazon Dee (ERCMOVE), Leila Rispens-Noel (Oxfam-Novib), Mr. Rex Molina (Asian Migrant Center), Rosario Canete (Unlad Kabayan), Mario Firme (Friends of Atikha), Atty. Ildefonso Bagasao (ERCOF), Genie Gloria (Banco de Oro), Marie del Rosario (Commission on Filipino Overseas), Bel Caraan (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) and Estrella Roman(Department of Foreign Affairs).