ABSTRACT
This chapter shows the second level of "games" by examining the dynamics of state-level policy-making within the major sending countries of Indonesia and the Philippines. According to Putnam's two-level games, the bargaining decision-making parties experience constant "pressures" or "constraints" that influence the substance and fashion of their decisions. This further investigates the games played at the national level that may influence the types of decisions state governments make at the regional level. The chapter examines migrant worker policy dynamics in Indonesia with an exploration of similar features within the Philippines. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of Indonesia influences the progress towards a regional policy framework for the protection of migrant workers. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) functions as a policy-formulating institution with a direct mandate to the President of Indonesia. The Indonesian National Body for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Workers (BNP2TKI) identified its role to protect workers abroad within its official statements on its roles and vision.
