Filipinos in Bahrain

Filipinos in Bahrain
Total population
40,000[1]
(2012)
Languages
Tagalog or other languages of the Philippines, English and Arabic
Religion
Roman Catholicism or other Christian denominations, Islam
Related ethnic groups
Filipino people, Overseas Filipinos

Filipinos in Bahrain are either migrants or descendants of the Philippines living in Bahrain. As of 2012, there are approximately 40,000 of these Filipinos in Bahrain.[1]

Economy and employment

Bahrain is the eighth largest destination for Filipino domestic workers hired or rehired from 2006–2011, and has 21,254 documented overseas Filipino domestic workers as of July 2012.[2] In addition, Filipinos in Bahrain commonly work as accountants, construction contractors, engineers, sales associates, as well as business and government support staff.[1][3] In March 2011, the Philippine government implemented a "deployment ban" on hiring Filipinos in Bahrain due to the Bahraini uprising as a part of the Arab Spring, allowing existing Filipino employees to continue working in Bahrain while preventing new workers from entering the nation, but this ban was lifted several months later that year.[1][4][5] Filipinos working in Bahrain remitted US$151.82 million from January to November 2012, about 7 per cent more than in the same period in 2011. As per November 2012, Filipinos now account for 10 per cent of Bahrain’s population, working mostly as hotel, restaurant and mall employees.[6]

Bahrain is a source of remittances sent back to the Philippines, with roughly $155 million USD officially sent back in 2011 and a peak of $166.2 million USD sent back in 2009.[7] Six Filipino banks have correspondent accounts with banks in Bahrain to allow for remittance transfers.[8]

Society and culture

In October 1994, the Philippine School Bahrain was established to serve the overseas Filipino community.[9] The school currently has nearly 900 students in three separate schools: a pre-school, an elementary school, and a secondary school all housed in three separate buildings in the Kanoo Gardens district in Manama.[1] The school is accredited by the Philippine Department of Education and is seeking accreditation by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities.[9]

In 1998, Akmad Sakkam, the previous Filipino Ambassador to Bahrain, said that "Bahrain is the only country in the Middle East where there are no Filipinos in jail",[1][10] attributing this to good diplomatic relations and a sense of understanding between the Philippine and Bahraini governments.[1] However, by 2006, this number later rose 18 Filipinos in prison, the majority of them being women.[11] In 2011, a Filipino man in Bahrain was convicted of "encouraging moral depravation" and jailed after cross-dressing and was later deported.[12]

Philippine holidays such as Independence Day, commemorating the Philippine Declaration of Independence, are celebrated in Bahrain.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hampton, Maricar (6 July 2012). "Filipinos etching credible mark in Bahrain". FilAm Star. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  2. ↑ "DOLE plans to end deployment of maids overseas in 5 years". Global Nation Inquirer. 25 August 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  3. ↑ Cariño, Jorge (17 March 2011). "'Bahrain loves Filipino workers'". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  4. ↑ "Bahrain PM assures PH of Filipinos' safety". Global Nation Inquirer. 20 March 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  5. ↑ Medenilla, Samuel (9 June 2011). "Deployment ban in Bahrain lifted". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  6. ↑ "Philippines and GCC explore investment". Investvine.com. 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2013-02-11.
  7. ↑ "Overseas Filipinos' Cash Remittances". Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  8. ↑ "Philippine Banks With Remittance Networks Abroad" (PDF). Scalabrini Migration Center. p. 1. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  9. 1 2 "Philippine School Bahrain". IACPSO. 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  10. ↑ "Filipinos in Bahrain most law-abiding". Bahrain Tribune. 2 March 1998.
  11. ↑ del Rosario, Eunice (13 October 2006). "GDN:Embassy call for Filipinos to obey law". Bahrain Center for Human Rights. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  12. ↑ "Filipino cross dresser solicits online, jailed". Gulf News. 26 January 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  13. ↑ "Philippine Embassy in Manama Celebrates 114th Philippine Independence Day". Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
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