Filipinos in Bahrain

Last updated
Filipinos in Bahrain
Total population
40,000 [1]
(2012)
Languages
Filipino 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]

Contents

Economy and employment

Bahrain is the eighth largest destination for Filipino domestic workers hired or rehired from 2006 to 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 US$155 million officially sent back in 2011 and a peak of US$166.2 million 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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manama</span> Capital and largest city of Bahrain

Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 200,000 as of 2020. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population. After periods of Portuguese and Persian control and a short invasion from the ruling dynasty of Saudi Arabia, followed by a longer invasion by Oman, Bahrain established itself as an independent nation in 1971 following a period of British hegemony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overseas Filipinos</span> Filipino diaspora

An Overseas Filipino is a person of full or partial Filipino origin who trace their ancestry back to the Philippines but are living and working outside of the country. They get jobs in countries and they move to live in countries that they get jobs in. This term generally applies to both people of Filipino ancestry and citizens abroad. As of 2019, there were over 12 million Filipinos overseas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overseas Filipino Worker</span>

Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is a term often used to refer to Filipino migrant workers, people with Filipino citizenship who reside in another country for a limited period of employment. The number of these workers was roughly 1.77 million between April and September 2020. Of these, female workers comprised a larger portion, making up 59.6 percent, or 1.06 million. However, this number declined to 405.62 thousand between 2019 and 2020.

Filipinos in Kuwait are either migrants from or descendants of the Philippines living in Kuwait. As of 2020, there are roughly 241,000 of these Filipinos in Kuwait. Most people in the Filipino community are migrant workers, and approximately 60% of Filipinos in Kuwait are employed as domestic workers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain</span> Country in West Asia

Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 per cent of the country's landmass. Bahrain is situated between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia, to which it is connected by the King Fahd Causeway. The population of Bahrain is 1,501,635 as of May 14, 2023, based on elaborations of the United Nations data, of whom 712,362 are Bahraini nationals. Bahrain spans some 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi), and is the third-smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore. The capital and largest city is Manama.

Filipinos in South Africa are either migrants or descendants of the Philippines living in South Africa. Roughly half of them live in Gauteng and another 40% in Kalk Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nabeel Rajab</span> Bahraini human rights activist (born 1964)

Nabeel Ahmed Abdulrasool Rajab is a Bahraini human rights activist and opposition figure. He is the president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), a member of the Advisory Committee of Human Rights Watch's Middle East Division, deputy secretary general for the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), member of the Advisory Board of the Bahrain Rehabilitation and Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO), co-founder of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), and former chairman of CARAM Asia.

The following is an incomplete timeline of events that followed the Bahraini uprising of 2011 from September 2012 onward.

Filipinos in Oman are either migrants or descendants of the Philippines living in Oman. As of 2011, there are between 40,000 and 46,000 of these Filipinos in Oman. A large destination for Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), Oman was the only Middle Eastern nation included on the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration's list of nations safe for OFWs. The country still holds the title up to this day.

Filipinos in Norway comprise expatriates and migrants from the Philippines to Norway and their locally-born descendants. As of 2019, there are approximately 25,000 Filipinos in Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippines–South Sudan relations</span> Bilateral relations

Philippines–South Sudan relations refers to the bilateral relationship between the Philippines and South Sudan. The Philippines recognized South Sudan as a sovereign state nearly a month after it declared its independence on 9 July 2011. The Philippine embassy in Nairobi has jurisdiction over South Sudan since March 2013. This was held previously by Philippine embassy in Cairo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippines–South Africa relations</span> Bilateral relations

Philippines–South Africa relations refers to bilateral relations between the Philippines and South Africa. Relations were established in November 1993, with the Philippines maintaining an embassy in Pretoria and South Africa having an embassy in Manila. Relations between the two states remains strong on both bilateral and multilateral levels, and the most influential in some international organisations including the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libya–Philippines relations</span> Bilateral relations

The Libya–Philippines relations refers to the bilateral relationship between Libya and the Republic of the Philippines. Libya has an embassy in Manila and the Philippines has an embassy in Tripoli.

Bahrain Tamarod, also known as August 14 Rebellion, was a three-day protest campaign in Bahrain that began on 14 August 2013, the forty-second anniversary of Bahrain Independence Day and the two-and-a-half-year anniversary of the Bahraini uprising. The call for protests had started in early July following and inspired by the Egyptian Tamarod Movement that led to the removal of President Mohamed Morsi. Calling for a "free and democratic Bahrain", Tamarod activists, who mobilized social networking websites, said their movement was peaceful, national and non-sectarian. They called for gradual peaceful civil disobedience starting from 14 August. The movement gained the support of opposition societies and human rights activists, including those languishing in prison. The government however, repeatedly warned against the protests, promising those who participate with legal action and forceful confrontation. Rights activists and media reported that authorities had stepped up their crackdown campaigns in the weeks leading to the protests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iraq–Philippines relations</span> Bilateral relations

Iraq–Philippines relations refers to the bilateral ties between Iraq and the Philippines. Formal relations were established on January 12, 1975.

Filipinos in Belgium comprise migrants from the Philippines to Belgium and their descendants living there. While the Belgian National Institute of Statistics has 3,067 Filipinos officially registered, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) estimated that there are 12,224 Filipinos in Belgium in December 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahrain–Philippines relations</span> Bilateral relations

The Bahrain–Philippines relations refer to bilateral relations between the country of Bahrain and the Philippines. The Philippines has an embassy in Manama whilst Bahrain does not have a resident ambassador.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuwait–Philippines relations</span> Bilateral relations

Kuwait–Philippines relations refers to the bilateral ties of Kuwait and the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of the Philippines, Beirut</span> Diplomatic mission in Lebanon

The Embassy of the Philippines in Beirut is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Republic of Lebanon. Opened in 1996, it is currently located at the W Building on Rue Mar Geries in the southern Beirut suburb of Hadeth, part of the Baabda District in the Mount Lebanon Governorate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of the Philippines, Manama</span> Diplomatic mission of the Philippines in Bahrain

The Embassy of the Philippines in Manama is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Opened in 1992, it is located in the Adliya neighborhood of central Manama, near the Salmaniya Medical Complex.

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.[ permanent dead link ]
  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. Archived from the original on 27 July 2013. 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. Archived from the original on 2017-10-03. 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 March 2013. 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. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. 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.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.