PHOTO KIRSON CASTAÑOS/DSSC Intern
THE 2ND Mindanao Summit on Migration Governance, Peace, and Development is set to convene over 160 stakeholders to tackle and address migration governance issues and lobby policy recommendations.
Organized by the Mindanao Migrants Center for Empowering Actions, Inc. (MMCEAI) alongside partner institutions, the three-day regional summit will be on July 28-30 in Pinnacle Hotel and Suites here.
Speaking during the Kapehan sa Davao on Monday, MMCEAI executive director Inorisa Sialana Elento said while migration provides opportunities for economic advancement and social mobility, it also exposes migrants and their families to challenges such as exploitation, family separation, unsafe working conditions, and irregular migration pathways.
“Migration realities continue to evolve and become increasingly complex, requiring stronger coordination, evidence-based policymaking, and collective action among stakeholders,” Elento said.
The summit will host thematic workshops focusing on four critical pillars: children of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), irregular migration corridors, climate-induced migration, and internal migration and urbanization.
“While we are discussing OFWs, sometimes and oftentimes, we miss discussing the issues and agenda of our children of migrant workers,” she said.
The second issue is the irregular migration corridors, which means managing informal routes, particularly for returning Filipinos from Sabah and tracing their origin communities across Mindanao.
Internal migration or managing rural-to-urban population shifts was also eyed to prevent government resource strain and service delivery gaps.
The summit will also tackle establishing frameworks to protect and relocate populations forced to move due to severe weather patterns and natural disasters.
Atty. Mark Peñalver, executive director of Interfacing Development Interventions and Sustainability, emphasized that environmental stress and climate-induced disasters are now primary drivers for displacement.
“Migration right now is not just driven by economic or social issues. Looking at the bigger picture, migration is now heavily induced by environmental factors and climate change,” he stated, citing recent coastal uplifts, flooding, and landslides in parts of Mindanao and neighboring provinces that have disrupted local livelihoods like fishing and farming.
He further warned that climate-displaced individuals in temporary resettlement sites face heightened vulnerability to human trafficking and fraudulent recruitment schemes.
He added that environmental issues contribute to the economic sustainability of people in the community, and that also drives them to move from one place to another.
Policy resolutions generated during the thematic workshops will be formally submitted to national government agencies to guide future legislative interventions.
