Aviation Brain Drain

It is common knowlege that overseas employment continually attracts Filipino skilled workers (OFW's) for the past 25 years now. That doesn't spare the Philippine Aviation Industry either. Airline & Corporate Pilots, Aeronautical Engineers, Aircraft Mechanics and Avionics Technicians are amongst the numerous OFW's that leave the country daily. They are among the very best in the world and highly sought after. On the average, these airmen are offered up to 5 times their present salaries. How can you beat that? This mass exportation of skilled aviation OFW's is severely depleting our much needed and highly trained technical work force. And the government seems helpless to regulate this exodus. Based on an international survey, aviation workers are in high demand worldwide. It said that in the next 3 years China, Korea, Singapore, the Middle East and Africa would need such skilled workers by the millions. Yes, the worldwide aviation industry is rapidly growing by leaps and bounds. What would be left behind our aviation industry? The younger set of airmen left behind will just gain more experience then add to the growing list of OFW's later on. Yes, it's true that the government earns billions of dollars from OFW remittances but what if almost all of our airmen have gone? Our aviation industry will surely suffer. We need aviation to bolster our growing economy. What an alarming scenario, isn't it?