One in three
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) is a laborer or unskilled worker
One in three Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) is a laborer or unskilled
worker
Results from the 2006 SURVEY ON OVERSEAS FILIPINOS
The number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who worked abroad at
anytime during the period April to September 2006 reached 1.52 million.
The 2006 estimate represents an increase of 14.3 percent over the 1.33
million OFWs estimated for the period April to September 2005. The
Overseas Contract Workers (OCWs) or those with existing work-contract
abroad comprised 91.4 percent (1.38 million) of the total OFWs during the
period April to September 2006. This number is 14.0 percent more than the
1.21 million OCWs for the same months in 2005. OFWs who were laborers or
unskilled workers, that is, domestic helpers, cleaners and manufacturing
laborers comprised 35.1 percent of the total OFWs. Those who were trade
workers or trade-related workers made up 14.7 percent, while those who
were service workers and shop and market sales workers accounted for 13.8
percent.
The number of female OFWs was recorded at 764 thousand,
the males at 751 thousand. Female OFWs were generally younger compared to
male OFWs. Of the total number of female OFWs, 28.8 percent belonged to
the age group 25 to 29 years while 14.7 percent were in the age group 15
to 24 years. Meanwhile, male OFWs were somewhat evenly distributed among
the age groups 25 to 29, 30 to 34 and 45 and over.
The OFWs from CALABARZON (16.8%), National Capital
Region (16.4%) and Central Luzon (14.5%) made up almost half of the total
number of OFWs. On the other hand, Caraga and MIMAROPA reported the
smallest share of OFWs at 1.1 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively.
One out of five (21.8%) OFWs worked in Saudi Arabia.
About one in 10 worked in United Arab Emirates. Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan
and Singapore were also popular destinations of OFWs. OFWs who worked in
Europe comprised 9.5 percent while those who worked in North and South
America accounted for 9.2 percent.
The total remittances sent by OFWs during the period
April to September 2006 was estimated at 102.0 billion pesos, an increase
of 16.8 billion pesos from the estimate of 85.1 billion pesos in 2005.
Included in the total remittances are cash sent (74.4%), cash brought home
(21.0%) and remittances in kind (4.6%). Of the total cash remittance sent
during the period April to September 2006, 79.3 percent were sent through
banks, 13.2 percent were sent through door-to-door and the rest (7.5%)
were sent through the agency/local office, friends/co-workers and other
means. OFWs working in Asia, comprising 78.3 percent of all OFWs, sent the
biggest cash remittance of 52.5 billion pesos. Among occupation groups,
OFWs working as laborers or unskilled workers posted the highest cash
remittance of 16.0 billion pesos.
TECHNICAL NOTES
The data presented in this press release were taken
from the 2006 Survey on Overseas Filipinos (SOF). The SOF aims to derive
national estimates on the number of Overseas Filipinos Workers, their
socio-economic characteristics and the amount and mode of remittances, in
cash and in kind, received by their families.
The OFWs covered in this report were those working
abroad during the period April 1, 2006 to September 30, 2006. The workers
who were at home on vacation from their jobs abroad who left earlier than
April 1 of the reference year were also included in this report as long as
they worked during the specified reference period.
OFWs include overseas contract workers (OCWs) who were
presently and temporarily out of the country during the reference period
to fulfill an overseas contract for a specific length of time or who were
presently at home on vacation during the reference period but still had an
existing contract to work abroad and other Filipino workers abroad with
valid working visa or work permits. Those who had no working visa or work
permits (tourist, visitor, student, medical, and other types of
non-immigrant visas) but were presently employed and working full time in
other countries were also included.
The SOF did not ask for the total salary received by
the OFWs. Hence, the remittances presented in the results may just be a
part of the total salary received by the OFWs.
Starting July 2003 round of the Labor Force Survey (LFS),
the 2003 Master Sample (MS) Design has been adopted. Using this new master
sample design, the number of samples increased from 41,000 to around
51,000 sample households. The SOF, being a rider of the LFS, has also
adopted the new master sample design starting October 2003. Careful
evaluation must be made in comparing the results of the 2006 SOF with
other SOF results prior to the implementation of the new MS design.
Starting with the SOF 2006 round, the population
projections estimated based on the 2000 Census of Population (CPH) was
adopted to generate data presented in this report. Likewise, the data from
the SOF 2005 were also generated using the population projection of the
2000 CPH for comparability with the 2006 results. This is in compliance
with NSCB Resolution No. 1 series of 2005 entitled "Adoption of the
Methodology Used in Generating the 2000 Census of Population and
Housing-Based National Population Projections".
Source: Income and
Employment Statistics Division
Household Statistics Department
National Statistics Office
Manila, Philippines
