Migration Information RCT – Development Economics Project
This project designs a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to test whether providing accurate and accessible information about recruitment agencies improves the decision-making and welfare of potential female migrants in the Calabarzon region (the largest migrant-sending area of the Philippines).
Project Title: Enabling Migrant Workers in the Philippines to Access Information and Quality Services of Recruitment Agencies for International Jobs
Context
The Philippines is one of the world’s largest migrant-sending countries, with nearly 2 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Most rely on recruitment agencies to secure jobs abroad, but information asymmetry and predatory practices leave workers vulnerable to debt, exploitation, and misinformation.
Objective
This project designs a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to test whether providing accurate and accessible information about recruitment agencies improves the decision-making and welfare of potential female migrants in the Calabarzon region (the largest migrant-sending area of the Philippines).
Intervention Design
Group A – Manual Distribution: A comprehensive manual (in Tagalog, English, and regional languages) ranking accredited agencies based on surveys of former migrants, plus official pre-departure training resources.
Group B – Seminars + Manual: In-person town hall seminars where former OFWs share migration experiences, followed by Q&A sessions. Participants also receive the manual.
Group C – Control Group: No intervention, serving as the baseline.
Theory of Change
Better access to reliable information enables workers to select trustworthy agencies, avoid predatory practices, and prepare more effectively for migration. Interactive, community-based learning (seminars) may further enhance knowledge and confidence compared to information alone.
Expected Outcomes
Short-term: Increased awareness of accredited agencies, higher uptake of official training, improved preparedness.
Medium-term: More informed migration choices, reduced exploitation, stronger decision-making confidence.
Long-term: Improved job satisfaction, safer working conditions, better well-being of migrant workers, and potential policy adoption by the Philippine government.
Methodology & Data
Target: 27,000 potential female migrants (ages 25–44) across 450 villages.
Surveys: baseline (before intervention), midline (3 months after), and endline (4 years after).
Indicators: Preparation Index (agency choice, training uptake) and Employment Index (contract compliance, wage timeliness, well-being).
Robust strategies address attrition, spillovers, and ethical concerns.
Significance
This RCT contributes to the debate on how information provision can reduce vulnerabilities in international labor migration. If effective, the intervention could scale nationally, strengthening protection and welfare for millions of Filipino migrant workers.