16 October 2018, Taguig City, Philippines – The International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders in Philippines (CIFAL Philippines) jointly with the University of the Philippines (UP) Korea Research Center and UP Asian Center convened the Conference “South Korean Migration to Philippines” at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, Philippines.

Migration’s integral role for sustainable development was recognized for the first time in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which unveils the contributions of migrants to foster development among countries of origin and destination. Migration specific references within the development framework are reflected in SDGs # 5.2 (trafficking focus on women and girls), 8.8 (migrant worker rights), 10.7 (well-managed migration policies), 10.c (remittances), 17.18 (data disaggregation including by migratory status).

In this context, the Conference was aimed at presenting diverse findings on migration flows and its linkages to development, foreign direct investments, safety and security and migration regulation. One of the most interesting findings was the declining of South Korean migration and investment in Philippines due to security reasons.

President of the South Korean Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Hoik Lee, echoed this concern, stressing that Korean businessmen opt to invest in other countries partly due to safety and security concerns in the Philippines.

With around 40 attendees from the academia, the public and private sector, this Conference was successfully carried out as it promoted and enriched the dialogue on this important development-matter from a multi-stakeholder perspective.

Photo 1: Third Secretary of the South Korean Embassy, Lee Tae speaking at the Conference South Korea migration to Philippines

Photo 2: Guests of the CIFAL Philippines Conference