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The Philippines is one of the world's top migrant‐sending countries. Besides financial transfers and the spread and magnitude of Filipino presence on a global scale, feminization of migration has been an important characteristic of this outmigration trend since the 1980s. Heightened globalization, lack of economic opportunities, government policies, and demographic shifts have all propelled this exodus. There is an existing policy that governs the flows of migrant workers in the Philippines as well as international commitments to safeguard the rights of migrant workers. In this Praxis feature, political scientist Jean Encinas‐Franco from the University of the Philippines evaluates to what extent has the implementation of this existing Philippine migration policy been consistent with standards and norms pertaining to women's rights, particularly against discrimination. Using a feminist perspective, Encinas‐Franco finds that some provisions of the policy are not consistent with existing international standards. She also argues that while protection against abuse and discrimination is a fundamental concern, the right of women migrant workers to travel and avail of employment opportunities that are not otherwise available in the country should also not be compromised. The Philippine experience and possible policy improvements could be instructive to other migrant‐sending countries in Asia and beyond.

This essay seeks to trace the relevant national and global contexts from which the bagong bayani discourse of OFWs emerged. It does so by discussing the evolution of labor out-migration in the Philippines from its beginnings in the colonial times, to overseas employment's institutionalization in the Labor Code of 1974, until the administration of President Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino. It specifically presents the political, social, and economic context around which Aquino managed and continued the state-sponsored labor export program initiated by Marcos. Finally, it discusses the factors that made it possible for Aquino to designate migrants as "heroes". The argument is that bagong bayani is a product of the global and national context. It can be best understood by examining transformations in global and political-economic structures, and discursive origins of heroism in the Philippine context. Presenting these contexts will provide a clearer understanding of why it has become commonsensical to regard OFWs as bagong bayani.Keywords: Bagong bayani, "modern-day heroes," labor expert, OFWs discourse, labor out-migration