Filipinos Take 'Going Places' Literally

High turnover among 251 nurses hired last year at his hospital -- 53 left even before they had completed their training -- has increased the risk of medication errors. For doctors, "it's an almost neck-to-neck supervision," he said.

The hospital has raised salaries, Cuanang added, but it is tough to match packages offered by recruiting agencies that include moving a nurse's family, providing lodging and paying license and exam fees.

Overseas workers sent home $7.6 billion last year, according to the Central Bank, making them the largest source of foreign exchange. An equal amount is estimated to come in through informal channels.

The government, which is facing a $3.6 billion deficit and a $100 billion debt, encourages its citizens to work abroad, said Galvez Tan, who was secretary of health in 1995. At the same time, he said, it wants people to stay.

"The Department of Health says, 'Stay in the Philippines,' " he said. "The Department of Labor says, 'Go out of the Philippines.' The Department of Education says, 'We want you here in the Philippines.' The Department of Overseas Economic Assistance says, 'No, we want you out.' "

Ricardo Saludo, cabinet secretary in the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, said emigration is increasing because of population pressure. The Philippines' growth rate of 2.4 percent is among the highest in Asia, and the rise of the value of the dollar against the peso since 1997 has made it much more lucrative to work abroad, he said.

In a poor country with an 11 percent unemployment rate, exporting workers is a pragmatic solution, experts said. "Overseas migrant workers are the vents of the pressure cooker," said Cynthia Bautista, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of the Philippines.

Among the educated, the perception that the Philippines, once second only to Japan among East Asian economies, has become the world's purveyor of maids and lounge singers is disquieting. "There's an erosion of national pride among the middle class," Bautista said.

Distant Breadwinners

On a recent night in Beijing, three Filipino performers stepped onto the stage of a darkened hotel bar. Doing a credible imitation of country singer Crystal Gayle, Marilyn Eusebio eyed several Westerners in the audience and warbled, "You've found someone new, and don't it make my brown eyes blue."

On keyboards was Ricardo "Ricky" Aure, leader of Music Match. The 33-year-old Manila native gigged at bars in Japan, Guam and Saipan before coming to China two years ago.

"There's money here," said Aure, who appears six nights a week. He and his fellow musicians each earn about $1,000 a month, and the hotel provides food and lodging.

From the torch singer at the Nanjing Hilton to the six-piece lounge band performing "The Hawaiian Wedding Song" at the Jakarta Grand Hyatt, Filipino musicians have become familiar sights in hotel bars across Asia. Most of them are sending money to families back home.

"It's the main reason we are here," said Eusebio, who, like her band mates, makes a Western Union transfer about once a month.

"Otherwise, the next day you will hear from them on the telephone," Aure said, smiling.