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NUMBER OF OFWs FROM REGION 12 SOAR UP
Around 90,090 (4.5 percent) Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from SOCCSKSARGEN Region worked abroad at anytime during the period April to September 2008 as reported by their families during the National Statistics Office’s 2008 Survey on Overseas Filipinos (SOF). The 2008 estimate represents an increase of 22.78 percent over the 73,374 (4.2 percent) OFWs estimated for the period April to September 2007.
Meanwhile, on the national sphere, the country sent 2.0 million OFWs who worked abroad at anytime during the period April to September 2008, which represents an increase of 14.6 percent over the 1.7 million OFWs estimated for the period April to September 2007.
The Overseas Contract Workers (OCWs) or those with existing work contract abroad included 94.0 percent (1.9 million) of the total OFWs during the period April to September 2008. This figure is 16.6 percent higher than the 1.6 million OCWs for the same period in 2007.
OFWs from CALABARZON (18.4%), Central Luzon (14.5%) and National Capital Region (14.0%) composed almost half of the total number of OFWs. On the contrary, Caraga showed up the smallest share of OFWs at 1.2 percent.
During the period April to September 2008, males dominated the total number of OFWs, registering at 51.7 percent than females at 48.3 percent. More than one fourth of the OFWs (25.7%) were in age group 25 to 29 years. Female OFWs were, by and large, younger compared to male OFWs. Of the total number of female OFWs, 28.8 percent belonged to age group 25 to 29 years and 20.3 percent were in age group 30 to 34 years. Meanwhile, male OFWs were all but evenly distributed among the age groups 25 to 29, 30 to 34 and 45 and above.
Laborers and unskilled workers, which include domestic helpers, cleaners and manufacturing laborers proved to be the major occupation group of OFWs. It showed up about one third (32.4%) of the total OFWs compared to those who worked as trades and related workers at 15.7 percent; service workers and shop and market sales workers, 14.3 percent; and plant and machine operators and assemblers, 13.0 percent.
One out of five (20.4%) OFWs were employed in Saudi Arabia. One in every seven (14.6%) OFWs worked in United Arab Emirates. Prevalent destinations of OFWs also include Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Qatar and Taiwan. About 9.4 percent OFWs also invaded Europe, registering at 9.4 while those who worked in North and South America accounted for 8.4 percent.
There was also an increase of 32.1 billion pesos from the estimate of 110.0 billion pesos in 2007 for the total remittance sent by OFWs during the period April to September 2008. It was estimated at 141.9 billion pesos that comprised cash sent (73.2%), cash brought home (21.5%) and remittances in kind (5.2%).
Of the total cash remittances sent, banks turned up to be the most popular mode of remittance with 76.1 percent, 11.8 percent through door-to-door, 7.5 percent through other means, and the rest (4.6%) through the agency or local office and friends or co-workers. OFWs working in Asia, comprising 78.2percent of all OFWs, sent the biggest cash remittance of 69.9 billion pesos. This is followed by Europe and North and South America with 133.1 billion pesos and 11.6 billion pesos, respectively. Posting the highest cash remittance of 19.5 billion pesos were the OFWs working as laborers or unskilled workers.
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