Filipinos make up the 7th largest immigrant community in AUSTRALIA

 Australia

 

The Filipino community is one of the fastest growing immigrant communities in Australia. At the end of June 2011, there were 183,010 Filipinos, 31 percent more than June 30, 2006. Filipinos already make up the seventh largest immigrant community, equivalent to 3.0 percent of Australia’s overseas-born population and 0.8 percent of its total population.

 

The number of Filipinos immigrating to Australia increased rapidly in the 1980s. Early waves of immigration were comprised mostly of women arriving through the “Family Stream,” or family reunification.

Since 2004, however, the majority of Filipino immigrants have come through the Skill Stream. Skilled visas now account for 70 percent of all permanent visas granted to Filipinos and, in absolute terms, the number of skilled visas issued is one and a half times the 2008–09 levels. Accountants, software and applications programmers and registered nurses were the main occupations among the primary applicants granted General Skilled Migration visas.

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“Filipinos’ labor force participation rate of 74 percent is well above the Australian national average of 65 percent.”

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Filipinos are attracted to Australia for economic reasons. The Philippines’ per capita gross domestic product is one tenth of Australia’s on a purchasing power parity basis. Australia ranks very high, second only to Norway, on the United Nation’s Human Development Index (HDI), a summary measure of wellbeing based on health, education and income.

New South Wales in 2011 has the largest number of Filipinos with 70,388, followed by Victoria (38,002), Queensland (29,462) and Western Australia (17,231). New South Wales has 32 percent of family immigrants, while Western Australia is most popular among skilled immigrants, attracting 32 percent of Skill Stream primary applicants in 2011–12.

Among temporary immigrants the situation is similar. Nearly half of all international students from the Philippines are enrolling in an academic institution based in New South Wales (47 percent).

Age and Sex

The median age of 39.8 years is 2.5 years above that of the general population. Females substantially outnumber males—63 percent compared with 37 percent.

Employment

Of the 108,195 Filipinos who are employed, 38.8 percent are employed in either a skilled managerial, professional or trade occupation. The corresponding rate in the total Australian population is 48.4 percent.

The unemployment rate at August 2012 is 5.0 percent—this is comparable to the national rate of 5.1 percent.

Their labor force participation rate of 74 percent is well above the national average of 65 percent.

In Northern Australia, biologist Rocielie Valencia works with the aborigine community for her thesis in ethnobotany. (Source: avrotor.blogspot.com)

Education

At the 2011 Census, 69 percent of Filipinos aged 15 years and over had some form of higher non-school qualifications compared with 55.9 percent of the Australian population.
Of Filipinos aged 15 years and over, 7.1 percent were still attending an educational institution. The corresponding rate for the total Australian population is 8.6 percent.

Income

At the time of the 2011 Census, the median individual weekly income for Filipinos in Australia aged 15 years and over was $673, compared with $538 for all overseas-born and $597 for all Australia-born. The total Australian population had a median individual weekly income of $577.

Historical Background

While most Philippines-born settlement in Australia is comparatively recent, records show that in 1872, Filipinos worked as divers in the pearling industry in Broome and Thursday Island. By the early 1900s, there were about 700 Philippine-born people in Australia, mainly in Western Australia and Queensland.

Immigration restrictions from 1901 led to the exclusion of non-Europeans from entry to Australia resulting in a decrease in Philippines-born settlers in Australia. By the 1947 Census, there were only 141 Philippine-born people in Australia. This increased in the 1950s, when Filipino students entered Australia under the Colombo Plan with many remaining after graduation.

The gradual easing of immigration restrictions from 1966 together with the 1972 declaration of martial law in the Philippines led to the rapid growth of the Philippine-born population in Australia. During the 1970s and ‘80s, many Filipino women came as spouses of Australian residents, under the then-Family Reunion Program. Over the last 20 years, many have immigrated as skilled immigrants.

A Filipino contingent at the Chinese New Year Parade in Melbourne (Photo by singapore_walker of flickr.com)

Facts on Australia

Australia has a population of 22,262,501 (July 2013 est.); 92 percent white, 7 percent Asian and 1 percent aboriginal and other. The per capita income is $43,300 (2012 est.)
It is a federal parliamentary democracy in a Commonwealth realm with its capital in Canberra. Queen Elizabeth II is the chief of state represented by the Governor General. The prime minister is the head of government. The legislature is a bicameral parliament. The High Court is at the top of the judicial system.

The Australian economy has experienced continuous growth and features low unemployment, contained inflation, very low public debt, and a strong and stable financial system. By 2012 Australia had experienced more than 20 years of continued economic growth, averaging 3.5 percent a year.
Demand for resources and energy from Asia and especially China has grown rapidly, creating a channel for resources investments and growth in commodity exports. The high Australian dollar has hurt the manufacturing sector, while the services sector is the largest part of the Australian economy, accounting for about 70 percent of GDP and 75 percent of jobs.

Australia was comparatively unaffected by the global financial crisis as the banking system has remained strong and inflation is under control. Australia has benefited from a dramatic surge in its terms of trade in recent years, stemming from rising global commodity prices. Australia is a significant exporter of natural resources, energy, and food. Australia's abundant and diverse natural resources attract high levels of foreign investment and include extensive reserves of coal, iron, copper, gold, natural gas, uranium, and renewable energy sources. 

A series of major investments, such as the US$40 billion Gorgon Liquid Natural Gas project, will significantly expand the resources sector. Australia is an open market with minimal restrictions on imports of goods and services.

Source: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/know-your-diaspora-australia

Only 3,067 officially registered Filipino's [OFW's] in Belgium and Luxembourg ?

 Belgium and Luxembourg

 

There are only 3,067 Filipinos are officially registered in Belgium. Students and OFWs are considered "temporary immigrants" (Wikimedia Commons)

According to the Philippine Embassy in Brussels, only 3,067 Filipinos are officially registered with the Belgian National Institute of Statistics. Moreover, it appears that a considerable number of them have become naturalized Belgians and Luxembourgeois over the years. The majority of Filipinos in Belgium and Luxembourg—60 percent—are women.

"Temporary immigrants" consist of students enrolled in Belgian educational institutions, as well as overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with pending applications under the Law of 1980, Article 9.3. OFWs employed by diplomats with fixed periods are considered Temporary Residents. These non-Belgium based OFWs working for members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Kingdom of Belgium and to various European Union institutions are normally taken by their respective diplomat-employers to their next place of assignment after their tenure in Belgium as diplomats.

The following lines of work are taken by Filipinos in Belgium and Luxembourg:  barbers/hairstylists (home service); bartenders; butlers; waiters; carpenters; au pairs; cooks; dishwashers; dog/cat sitters; drivers; electrical repairers; installers; factory assemblers; food processing plant packagers; gardeners; house cleaners; house sitters/home managers; hotel housekeeping staff/porters; part-time laundry workers; mechanics; office cleaners; painters; plumbers; wall paper and carpet layers; baby sitters; caterers; elderly care service providers; entertainers (Antwerp area); sewers; tutors; domestic helpers/general utility personnel working with Diplomatic Missions and households; professionals in private firms, e.g., abstractors and data encoders (a small number).

There is considerable demand for domestic service staff, but the Office National de l'Emploi (ONEM) under the respective ministries of labor of Belgium and Luxembourg do not issue work permits to foreigners mainly because of the high unemployment rate as well as the restrictive labor policies of the EU. Except for a few hotel workers and a handful of office workers, immigrant workers engaged in the service sectors mentioned above are generally considered "travaille noir," i.e., undeclared, unprotected and undocumented. The majority of the Filipino workers are challenged by limited employment opportunities and illegal residency status.

Filipino Community Organizations in Belgium and Luxembourg

There are 74 listed associations of Filipinos residing in Belgium and Luxembourg.  Umbrella organizations such as the Council of Filipino Associations in Belgium (COFAB) and the Council of Filipino Associations in Flanders (COFAF) embrace regional groupings such as the Grand Ilocandia of Belgium, the Hinunangan Association, the Pangasinenses Group, the Victorian Community, the Novo Ecijano sa Belgium and others. There are also four Knights of Rizal Chapters. There are sports organizations like the Philippine Sports Community and Filipino Sports Community of Antwerp. 

Members of Kababayan Filcom celebrate the New Year. (Kababayan Filcom)

Cause-oriented groups like the Samahan, several socio-cultural groupings like Sampaguita, Mabuhay Friends Club, Belga-Cultura Filipina, etc., and numerous religious groupings also operate. Noticeable among these groups are those that have been established by Belgians married to Filipinas and who desire to help the Philippines through the organizations: Cadaatan vzw, Friendship for the Philippines, Kempen-Philippines Association, and Kababayan Filipino Community (Kababayan Filcom). In Luxembourg: Letzebuergesch-Philippinesch Aktioun Fir Den Development (LPAD), the Samahan ng mga Pilipino Luxembourg asbl and Philippine-Luxembourg Society.

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“There is considerable demand for domestic service staff, but the Office National de l’Emploi (ONEM) do not issue work permits to foreigners mainly because of the high unemployment rate as well as the restrictive labor policies of the EU.”

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Belgian Economy

The modern, open and private-enterprise-based Belgian economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the more heavily populated region of Flanders in the north. With few natural resources, Belgium imports substantial quantities of raw materials and exports a large volume of manufactures, making its economy vulnerable to volatility in world markets.

Roughly three-quarters of Belgium's trade is with other EU countries, and Belgium has benefited most from its proximity to Germany. In 2011 Belgian GDP grew by 1.8 percent, the unemployment rate decreased slightly to 7.2 percent from 8.3 percent the previous year, and the government reduced the budget deficit from a peak of 6 percent of GDP in 2009 to 4.2 percent in 2011 and 3.3 percent in 2012.

Despite the relative improvement in Belgium's budget deficit, public debt hovers around 100 percent of GDP, a factor that has contributed to investor perceptions that the country is increasingly vulnerable to spillover from the euro-zone crisis. Belgian banks were severely affected by the international financial crisis in 2008 with three major banks receiving capital injections from the government, and the nationalization of the Belgian retail arm of a Franco-Belgian bank.

Luxembourg’s Economy

Luxembourg’s small, stable, high-income economy—benefiting from its proximity to France, Belgium and Germany—has historically featured solid growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. The industrial sector, initially dominated by steel, has become increasingly diversified to include chemicals, rubber and other products. 

Growth in the financial sector, which now accounts for about 28 percent of GDP, has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Most banks are foreign-owned and have extensive foreign dealings, but Luxembourg has lost some of its advantages as a tax haven because of OECD and EU pressure. 

The economy depends on foreign and cross-border workers for about 60 percent of its labor force. Luxembourg, like all EU members, suffered from the global economic crisis that began in late 2008, but unemployment has trended below the EU average. Following strong expansion from 2004 to 2007, Luxembourg's economy contracted 3.6 percent in 2009, but rebounded in 2010-11 before slowing again in 2012. 

The country continues to enjoy an extraordinarily high standard of living–GDP per capita ranks among the highest in the world, and is the highest in the euro zone. Turmoil in the world financial markets and lower global demand during 2008-09 prompted the government to inject capital into the banking sector and implement stimulus measures to boost the economy. Government stimulus measures and support for the banking sector, however, led to a 5 percent government budget deficit in 2009. Nevertheless, the deficit was cut to 1.1 percent in 2011 and 0.9 percent in 2012. 

Even during the financial crisis and recovery, Luxembourg retained the highest current account surplus as a share of GDP in the euro zone, owing largely to their strength in financial services. Public debt remains among the lowest of the region although it has more than doubled since 2007 as percentage of GDP. Luxembourg's economy, while stable, grew slowly in 2012 due to ongoing weak growth in the euro area. Authorities have strengthened supervision of domestic banks because of their exposure to the activities of foreign banks.

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Philippine Embassy in Brussels, Belgium

Ambassador Victoria Sisante Bataclan

297 Avenue Moliere, 1050 Brussels

E-mail: consular.brusselspe@gmail.com; brussels@philembassy.be; brusselspe@gmail.com
Trunkline: (+32) 02 340 33 77 to 78
Fax Number: (+32) 02 345 64 25
Duty Officer: (+32) 0488 609.177
Consular matters: (+32) 02 340 33 73
Consular matters: (+32) 02 340 33 74

PHILIPPINE HONORARY CONSULATE, ANTWERP

Peter Van BogaertConsul General, a.h.

Venneborglaan 90, 2100 Deurne, Antwerp

E-mail: pb.vanbogaert@skynet.be; aguansing@skynet.be
Tel No./Fax (03) 325.71. 16

Source: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/2013/3/know-your-diaspora-belgium-and-luxembourg

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