57% of Filipinos open to working, living abroad, survey finds — Octa

MANILA, Philippines — More than half of adult Filipinos would be willing to live or work abroad, with better job opportunities cited as primary reason for considering migration, according to a recent survey by OCTA Research.

The OCTA Research “Tugon ng Masa” survey, conducted from March 19 to 25 through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adult respondents, found that if given the opportunity, 57 percent of Filipinos are open to living or working overseas if given the chance.

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Meanwhile, 39 percent said they would prefer to remain in the Philippines, while 4 percent were undecided.

“When 57% of Filipinos say they would rather work abroad, the primary policy question is not how to stop them—it is why domestic jobs, wages, and career pathways are not competitive enough to keep them,” OCTA said in its report.

Reasons for migration

Among those willing to migrate, better job opportunities emerged as the top reason, cited by 67 percent.

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This was followed by higher wages at 61 percent and better quality of life at 58 percent.

Political instability and security concerns ranked significantly lower among respondents’ motivations for considering migration.

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“Filipinos view migration as a pathway to advancement rather than an escape from hardship,” Octa added.

Across the population

The survey also found that younger Filipinos expressed the strongest willingness to migrate.

More than eight in 10 Filipinos aged 18 to 24, or 81 percent, said they would be willing to live or work abroad if given the opportunity.

Migration aspirations were also highest among college-educated Filipinos, with 73 percent saying they would consider living or working overseas.

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The survey had a ±3 percentage point margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level./dp