Shortly before the United States held its Fourth of July festivities, about 60 Filipinos were sent home in handcuffs as part of the post-Sept 11 crackdown on foreigners illegally staying in the United States.

Thousands of other Filipinos staying there illegally have also been told to leave for violating US immigration laws, according to reports published in media here and in the ethnic Filipino press abroad.

But their stories and the fact that the Sept 11 terrorist attacks have tightened immigration laws and policies have not put a damper on the Filipinos' desire to pack up and leave.

Nineteen percent of people in this country of 80 million people — which already has 7 million Filipinos working or living overseas — want to pack up and leave, according to a recent survey by the private polling agency Pulse Asia.

Many say they are tired of the Philippines' economic woes, and do not see prospects changing much in the future.

This is partly why Filipinos are among the fastest-growing immigrant populations in the industrialised world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, the European Union, and New Zealand.

Many leave also because of wanderlust, the desire for a better life, lack of job opportunities, and a growing sense of instability about the future.

Divina Paredes immigrated to Auckland, New Zealand two years ago to provide a brighter future for her son, who is a special needs child.

"I thought we could live comfortably in the Philippines even if it was a constant struggle for me to coordinate the services he needs, and yes, work to the bone to make sure we were financially secure," says Paredes, a widow.

40 percent in poverty

But she realised that the needs of special children were hardly a priority in the Philippines, where nearly 40 percent of the people live in poverty.

Upon arriving in New Zealand, Paredes immediately found a job as a business journalist for an IT management magazine. She also found a free special school near their home for her son, and he enjoys a host of other services including respite care.

"There is near-zero traffic here, and the air is very clean," she adds. "It is very easy to deal with government agencies and you do not need to know someone to have your papers processed. That's a sea change from what we Filipinos are used to."

Tress Martelino-Reyes, another journalist, has decided to apply for immigration to Canada with her husband and three children. "It was really my husband who said 'let's go find something else'," says Reyes.

Reyes points to the country's never-ending political instability and low quality of life as factors in their decision to leave the Philippines. "We just want to be able to give our children a choice," she says.

The Pulse Asia survey during the first quarter of 2002 in Metro Manila, the capital, shows that 40 percent feel that "their personal quality of life worsened over the past year, while 19 percent felt their life got better''.

Another 40 percent said their situation remained stagnant.

Quality of life down

"Externally, 52 percent of respondents feel that the national quality of life — the quality of life of most Filipinos — has deteriorated, while 12 percent feel that things got better. Thirty-six percent feel that things stayed the same, the survey added.

Four million Filipinos are unemployed, and another four million underemployed.

"Economic matters understandably still rank highest among the people's most urgent national and personal concerns," the survey said.

Public trust in officials is low, and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo herself barely manages a 35 percent trust level, with as much as 35 percent of those polled remaining "undecided about trusting or distrusting her".

Those who want to leave the country say it has become tiring to have to struggle everyday and not have enough security about the future.

Reyes says that she feels bad that she would be part of the country's brain drain, but has no other choice. "Government doesn't even take care of us. Even the most basic needs are not met such as running water and electricity. We're all just trying our best to survive," she adds.

If Reyes and family are granted immigrant status, they will be joining about 90,000 Filipinos, mostly from the middle class, who have made Canada their home.

Fernando, who works as an occasional driver for a company, is also eyeing Canada as a destination, although he doubts whether he would qualify under the Canadian immigration category of "independent immigrant".

Excellent free education

Fernando only finished a minimum of three years in high school, and his wife also has no college education.

The Canadian Immigration Act, revised after the Sept 11 attacks, puts more emphasis on skills and education, and gives additional points to applicants who already have relatives in Canada.

Fernando, who has two children, says he hears that Canada has excellent free education. "I want my children to have a good education," he says.

He is hoping that his sister will be able to get a permanent resident visa and file a petition on his behalf.

Most governments, particularly those who receive an influx of immigrant and refugee applications, deny that they have instituted tougher and discriminatory immigration laws after Sept 11.

Dr Leanne Blackley, principal migration officer of the Australian Embassy in Manila, says Australia's Migration Act 198, which had been strengthened over the years was ample to deal with terrorism.

Anti-immigrant backlash

Asked if it is harder now for those from the Philippines, which has been included in the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) list of countries known to harbour Muslim extremists and terrorists, to come in as tourists and immigrants, Blackley stated, "No".

The Philippines ranks sixth, and accounts for 3.5 percent of foreign-born settlers in Australia as of June 2000. It ranks third, however, in the list of nationalities with the highest overstay, after Macedonia.

Reyes says she is all too aware of the anti-immigrant backlash after Sept 11. But she says she is more worried about finding a job in Canada, and having her children adjust to life there.

"We're now in our early middle age. Now is when we begin to think, 'what do we want?' It's a time for change. If there's change, it should happen now," she adds. — IPS