In sustainability circles, we often talk about the three P’s: People, Planet, Prosperity. But when we look at the experience of Filipino migrant workers, it’s clear that one of those P’s—People—needs more attention, particularly in how we prepare them for the emotional and relational challenges of working overseas.
The world knows Filipinos as hardworking, compassionate and resilient, especially in caregiving and domestic work. But in the quiet spaces of a foreign home, where employers and employees share not just rooms but roles, it’s the soft skills like communication, confidence and adaptability that often determine whether a worker thrives or merely survives.
Too often, the lack of these skills leads to misunderstandings, silent suffering, or worse. A worker may not know how to respectfully decline unreasonable requests, articulate his/her needs, or navigate cultural nuances. And so, even if he/she’s technically excellent, his/her well-being and sometimes his/her employment is at risk.
This is where the mission of some social enterprises like Fair Training Center (FTC) comes in. By focusing on soft skills development before deployment, they help migrant workers build the mindset, emotional readiness and interpersonal tools to engage constructively with employers, advocate for themselves, and sustain their well-being.
FTC reports that 93 percent of its graduates are still employed after the first three months, and around 84 percent go on to finish their full two-year contracts. These are significant outcomes in a sector where early contract termination is all too common. Behind those numbers are lives made more stable, families more secure and journeys more sustainable.
In doing so, FTC together with other like-minded organizations are addressing not just a labor issue, but a sustainability imperative.
When we equip our workers to be confident and self-aware, we’re not only protecting People. We’re enabling Prosperity because empowered workers are more likely to finish contracts, save, invest and lift their families out of poverty. And while it may not be obvious, this kind of personal resilience is essential to a more sustainable migration system, one where workers are treated not just as labor to be managed, but as human capital to be nurtured and individuals with aspirations and the capacity to drive change.
If we truly believe in the power of the Filipino to contribute to a better world, we must prepare them not just with skills of the hand, but of the heart and mind. Because sustainability isn’t just about recycling or reducing emissions, it’s also about ensuring that every person, wherever they work, has the tools to live and work with dignity.
And that starts with how we train and enable them, not just for the job, but for life.
The author is a social and sustainable development advocate and the Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications for SM Investments Corp.
