The Drivers of Diaspora Donations for Development: Evidence from the Philippines

SummaryUsing administrative data on donations channeled through the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, this paper explores which host and home country factors are associated with donations made by permanent migrants to the Philippines. On the host country side, donations increase with the income level of Filipinos and with the number of hate crimes against minorities. On the home country side, donations are not well-targeted. As donations mainly flow to provinces with high emigration rates, they do not reach less developed Philippine provinces. However, the diaspora is responsive to natural disasters and channels donations to provinces when they are hit by a typhoon.