Fewer Filipinos worked overseas in 2016 – PSA

By Catherine Talavera (The Philippine Star), Apr 29, 2017

MANILA, Philippines – The number of Filipinos working abroad fell to 2.2 million in 2016 from 2.4 million in 2015, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Survey on Overseas Filipinos.

Based on the PSA survey conducted from April to September 2016, most of the OFWs were located in Saudi Arabia.

According to the PSA, 97.5 percent of the 2.2 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) had existing contracts.

Saudi Arabia continued to be the leading destination of OFWs, accounting for 23.8 percent of the OFWs.

“About one in every four OFWs worked in this country during the period April to September 2016,” PSA said.

Other preferred destinations of OFWs were United Arab Emirates (15.9 percent), Europe (6.6 percent),Kuwait (6.4 percent), and Qatar (6.2 percent).

The report also noted that bulk of the OFWs or 21 percent are from the CALABARZON region. This was followed by National Capital Region and Central Luzon with 12.9 percent and 12.7 percent, respectively.

Total remittance sent by OFWs during the surveyed period was estimated at P203 billion. a large chunk of which or P146 billion was remitted through cash sent home.

In contrast, cash sent home amounted to P45.7 billion, while remittances in kind amounted to P11.1 billion .

“The majority of OFWs sent their remittance through banks (60.3 percent) while the rest through agencies or local offices (2.4 percent), door-to-door delivery (1.2 percent), friends or co-workers (0.3 percent) or through other means (35.8 percent),” the PSA said.