Political remittances of migrant workers in Indonesia and the Philippines: Preliminary research

Abstract

In-depth studies on political remittances are rarely conducted, particularly in the case of Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines, which contribute a significant number of migrants. This article compares international migrant workers in the two countries, focusing on exploring value, network, and action variables. These three variables describe the extent to which political remittances transform and provide benefits to their country of origin. Using the case-comparison method, this article finds that international migrant workers in the Philippines can optimise their political remittances better than in Indonesia. This article is an initial study to explain the degree of success with causal explanations that can be empirically tested in various contexts of changing political regimes and regulations.