After a three-year journey, the transnational research project, AspirE (Asian prospects in migrating to and within the EU), officially ended with a conference in Brussels last December 2025. In the Philippines, the Scalabrini Migration Center concluded the project with a forum, “The European Turn: A New Chapter in Global Migration from the Philippines,” held at Astoria Plaza, Ortigas Center last February 18.

The forum was a platform to share and discuss the study’s key findings with migration-related stakeholders and to examine their implications for Philippines-EU relations, particularly on migration, research, policymaking and advocacy. The participants included those who had been part of AspirE as partners who helped SMC in the recruitment of research participants, as key informants, and/or as participants in consultations and an earlier conference.

Ms. Agata Nowicka, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, graced the forum. In her message, she referred to the long-standing Philippines-EU cooperation on many fronts and noted the significance of the Philippines as an origin country of migrant workers for EU countries and the EU’s commitment to migrants’ rights, ethical recruitment and development in this partnership. Dr. Asuncion Fresnoza-Flot, Principal Investigator, Universite libre de Bruxelles, sent a message to thank everyone for their presence. She spoke about the project’s humanizing approach in the collection and analysis of data towards understand migration aspirations as they interact with broader structures.

In the presentation of findings, Dr. Marla Asis explained the “European turn” as a phase in the country’s international migration experience marked by discernible features, such as the participation and interest of EU destination governments in forging cooperation with the Philippines, the demand for workers of various skill categories (which may signal a shift from elementary occupations and feminized migration characteristic of labor migration to the Gulf and Asian destinations), and possible pathway to residence (which is not an option for migrant workers in less skilled occupations in the Gulf and Asia.

The findings about migration aspirations revealed aspirations related to education, tourism, or lifestyle and less about migration for employment. It is important to qualify these findings as reflecting the selectivity of the sample who are young, urban-based, highly educated, and with international travel history (including those who had been to Europe). Interestingly, while migration aspirations center on education, tourism and lifestyle, at the meso and macro levels, the discussion turns more towards worker recruitment, the different modalities of worker recruitment (online, direct, and third country hiring) beyond the system of regulated recruitment, and broader issues that call for transnational cooperation.

A brief about the key findings of AspirE-Philippines can be found here: https://linktr.ee/smcaspire.

The forum was enriched by the panel discussion which considered the Philippines-EU migration corridor through various lenses. Dr. Evangeline Katigbak-Montoya, Associate Professor at De La Salle University Department of International Studies, appreciated the findings on migration aspirations beyond labor migration, which suggest the role of imaginaries in the migration intentions of young Filipinos.

From the private sector, Mr. Marc Capistrano, Staffhouse International Resources, echoed the study’s findings about third country hiring. He cited the lengthy processing of workers’ contracts as a barrier to access decent work prospects and urged for needed changes in this aspect. Mr. Rod Garcia, Jr., Division Chief of Planning, Research and Development, Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), provided an overview of CFO’s programs for permanent migrants and marriage migrants, including those bound for Europe. CFO provides a pre-departure orientation for au pairs going to Europe. Director Jun Aguilar, Foreign Stakeholders Relations and Engagement Bureau, Department of Migrant Workers. He discussed the bilateral agreements that have been signed with 22 EU countries and another 22 that are under review. This

To conclude the forum, Dr. Jorge Tigno, Professor, Department of Political Science and Editor, Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, and Ms. Ellene Sana, shared their main takeaways. Among others, Dr. Tigno noted the need for a comparative analysis involving other Asian countries (the different Asia-EU case studies carried out by AspirE are examples) and Ms. Sana echoed the need for bilateral cooperation and reminded the group about the dangers of irregular migration and trafficking in the Asia-EU corridor.

The event also displayed sample panels of the comic book that will be released in the coming months. Based on data gathered by the research teams, comic book artist and sociolinguist Jimmeh Aitch wove an illustrated storyline highlighting findings from the eleven countries.

Dr. Marla Asis, Eunice Tejada and Bernard Allan Garcia comprised the research team of AspirE-Philippines. For more information about AspirE and to access the various resources produced by the project as well as forthcoming knowledge products, please see aspire.ulb.be