Marcos sidesteps 'brain drain,' says Germany a good place to work, live

MANILA, Philippines — In what appeared to be a departure from concerns over “brain drain” in the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday highlighted the quality of life and opportunities available to overseas Filipino workers in Germany.

During a press conference with visiting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Malacañang Palace, Marcos was asked whether he was concerned that the migration of Filipino skilled workers to Germany for greener pastures could further contribute to “brain drain.”

READ: Highly-educated Filipinos as OFWs: A double-edged sword for PH

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“Well, I think the first point that I would make is to point to the experience of our nationals who are in Germany and who have made a good life for themselves,” he responded.

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“They have identified opportunities in Germany. They have taken the big step of actually moving there. And all the feedback that we get is that it is a good place to live and work,” Marcos continued.

The President noted that Filipinos in Germany have assimilated “very easily” into German society and are “very comfortable” with their lives there.

He added that while Filipinos in some countries have reportedly experienced difficulties and hardships, Marcos said this has generally not been the case in European nations.

“So the opportunities are there, and it is a stable and orderly society, and that makes for a good place not only to work and live, but even to raise a family, as many of them have,” he said.

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“And that, I think, will be the best point to make, to show the experience of our nationals as to why the experience, the German working experience in Germany, is a good one,” Marcos continued.

READ: DMW: PH, Germany eyeing ‘sustainable’ ways to recruit Filipino workers

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There are around 45,000 Filipinos working in Germany, most of whom are employed in the healthcare sector.

For his part, Steinmeier said Germany does not need to improve its advertising to attract foreign workers.

“They’re making the case for picking up a job in Germany because they say that the working conditions there are better than in many other parts of the world, that their security is provided for, that they feel safe personally,” he said, referring to the Filipino workforce.

Based on OCTA Research’s Tugon ng Masa survey for the first quarter of 2026, 57 percent of Filipinos are willing to live or work abroad if given an opportunity.

Thirty-nine percent, on the other hand, are not willing, while four percent are undecided.

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Meanwhile, in January 2024, the Department of Migrant Workers said the Philippines and Germany had expressed their intent to establish a sustainable agreement on the recruitment of skilled Filipino workers. /jpv