East and Horn of Africa Countries Strengthen Labour Migration Governance through Learning Visit to the Philippines

From 2 to 6 February 2026, 26 (9 Women) senior government officials and social partner representatives from Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda, EAC and IGAD, participated in a regional learning visit to the Philippines under the ILO BRMM Programme. The visit aimed to strengthen labour migration governance in the East and Horn of Africa by providing participants with practical insights into the Philippines’ well-established systems for labour migration management, fair recruitment, migrant protection, reintegration, and social dialogue.

Participants engaged with key Philippine institutions, including the Department of Labour and Employment, the Department of Migrant Workers, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the ILO Office in the Philippines. Discussions focused on overseas employment governance, regulation of recruitment agencies, migrant welfare services, skills development, qualifications recognition, and inter-agency coordination. The delegation also explored good practices related to fair recruitment, digital monitoring systems, labour administration reforms, and the protection of migrant workers throughout the migration cycle.

The learning visit strengthened participants’ understanding of institutionalized labour migration governance and highlighted practical approaches for improving recruitment regulation, worker preparation, welfare support, and reintegration systems in their respective countries. The visit concluded with a joint reflection session where participants identified priority actions and transferable practices to inform ongoing BRMM-supported policy reforms, institutional strengthening, and regional cooperation on safe, regular, and rights-based labour migration governance.