Moving Forward, Looking Back: the Impact of Migration and Remittances on Assets, Consumption, and Credit Constraints in the Rural Philippines

This paper investigates the impact of migration and remittances on asset holdings, consumption expenditures, and credit constraint status of households in origin communities, using a unique longitudinal data set from Bukidnon, Philippines. Taking into account the endogeneity of the number of migrants and remittances received, a larger number of migrant children reduces the values of nonland assets and total expenditures per adult equivalent. However, remittances have a positive impact on housing, consumer durables, nonland assets, total expenditures (per adult equivalent), and educational expenditures, enabling asset accumulation and investment in human capital. Neither migration nor remittances affects current credit constraint status.