MANILA, Philippines – Filipino sailors working on foreign vessels have remitted a total of $3.4 billion in 2009, up by 12 percent from $3.043 billion in 2008, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said yesterday.
TUCP secretary-general and former senator Ernesto Herrera said Asia-based sailors sent home $507.801 million in 2009, up 55.07 percent from $327.458 million in 2008.
Europe-based seamen sent home $1.156 billion in 2009, up 78.82 percent from $646.406 the previous year.
Sailors based in the United States wired home $1.706 billion in 2009, down by 16 percent from $2.031 billion in 2008.
Citing figures from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Herrera said the aggregate remittances through banks by all land and sea-based overseas Filipino workers rose 5.61 percent to $17.348 billion in 2009 from $16.427 billion in 2008.
Of the $921-million increase in aggregate remittances, land-based OFWs contributed 60 percent, while sea-based OFWs contributed 40 percent. –Shiela Crisostomo (The Philippine Star)
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