A fifth of OFWs work in Saudi Arabia

MORE than a fifth of overseas Filipino workers are stationed in Saudi Arabia, according to the National Statistics Office.

Data from NSO showed that 22.2 percent of the total two million OFWs deployed from April to September 2010 were working in Saudi Arabia.

This was higher than the 21.6 percent in the same period in 2009.

Saudi Arabia had stopped issuing work visas for domestic workers from the Philippines and Indonesia after the two countries imposed stricter conditions on prospective Saudi employers Besides Saudi Arabia, the other preferred destinations of OFWs were the United Arab Emirates, 15.1 percent; Qatar, 6.3 percent; Singapore, 5.9 percent; and Hong Kong, 5.7 percent.

The NSO said 32 percent of the total OFWs were laborers and unskilled workers.

Those who worked as service workers and shop and market sales workers made up 15.1 percent; trade and related workers, 14.9 percent; and plant and machine operators and assemblers, 14.3 percent.

The NSO said remittances included cash sent home at P104.9 billion; cash brought home, P30.1 billion; and remittance in kind, P6.2 billion.

Cash remittance sent by laborers and unskilled workers comprised the biggest share at P20.6 billion or an average remittance of P39,000 per OFW.

The NSO said OFWs working in Asia, comprising 80 percent of the total, have the biggest share of cash remittances at 70.9 percent.

The majority of OFWs sent their remittances through banks at 73.7 percent while the rest through door to door, 8 percent; agency or local office, 3.1 percent; friends or co-workers, 0.9 percnet; and other means, 14.4 percent. –DARWIN G. AMOJELAR SENIOR REPORTER, Manila Times