OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS EDGED UP AT 1 MILLION

• Total number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) reached 1.043 million in 1999. The figure edged up by 15.4 percent compared to last year's estimate of 904 thousand.
• The number of Overseas Contract Workers (OCW) grew to 991 thousand in 1999. This reflected an increase of 124 thousand OCWs or 14.3 percent from 1998. On the contrary, the percentage share of the OCWs to total OFWs registered a lower share of 95.0 percent compared to 95.9 percent from the previous year.

REGIONS IN LUZON TOPPED IN 1999

• There were four regions in Luzon that reached a 100 thousand mark in terms of number of OFWs in 1999 and remained in the top four positions for the past two years. These were the National Capital Region or NCR with 199 thousand OFWs, Southern Tagalog Region (180 thousand), Central Luzon (151 thousand), and Ilocos Region (100 thousand).
• NCR continued to register highest both in level and proportion. Its percentage share to total OFWs was 17.8 percent in 1998 and 19.1 percent in 1999.
• Half or eight of the regions in the country had greater number of female OFWs leaving for overseas work. Ilocos Region topped the list with 72 thousand female OFWs, larger by 44 thousand than the total male count.
• Except for Caraga there were more female OFWs compared to males in all regions of Mindanao. Almost 7 out of ten OFWS in the larger part of Mindanao were females.

• The same pattern was observed across regions in terms of numbers of OCWs. The National Capital Region and Southern Tagalog ranked first and second in 1999, with 191 thousand and 168 thousand OCWs, respectively. Ilocos region with 995 thousand OCWs, ranked fourth after Central Luzon with 146 thousand in 1999.
• Northern Mindanao had the least number of both OFWs and OCWs with 13 thousand and 12 thousand, respectively.

MALE OFWs SURPASSED FEMALE OFWs

More than half of the OFWs (52.4 percent) were males. They totaled 547 thousand, an increase of 78 thousand over last year�s figure of 469 thousand. The female OFWs also increased by 62 thousand from 435 thousand in 1998. The OCWs likewise, showed the same increasing trend.

MORE OFWs IN AGE BRACKET 25 - 29

• The largest bulk of OFWs belong to group aged 25 to 34 years old. Those that were in age group 25 � 29 accounted to 21.5 percent of the 1999 total number of OFWs while those in age group 30 � 34 to 21.2 percent.
• The females outnumbered the males in the younger age groups (15- 34 years) with a sex ratio of about 70 males for every 100 females. The males on the other hand, outnumbered the females in the older age groups with a sex ratio of 196 males for every 100 females.

MOST OFWs ARE IN ASIA

• About 813 thousand OFWs or 78.0 percent of the 1.043 million OFWs in 1999 were in the hub of Asia. Other areas that were observed to have registered the most number of OFWs were Europe (8.8 percent or 92 thousand) and North and South America. (8.4 percent or 88 thousand).
• Among countries in Asia, the biggest share of OFWs came from Saudi Arabia with 285 thousand or 27.3 percent. Hongkong followed with 120 thousand or 11.5 percent and then Taiwan with 110 thousand or 10.5 percent share. These three countries were also the most visited places of work by OFWs during the previous year.

• In all countries of destination, Hongkong has the most number of female OFWs. Twenty-two out of 100 female OFWs had worked here. They totaled 110 thousand, 11 times more than their male counterparts. Taiwan, Singapore and Kuwait, were also the other countries where females noticeably exceeded the male count.
• Saudi Arabia on the one hand, reported greater number of male OFWs estimated at 212 thousand. Japan was next with 49 thousand male OFWs over 34 thousand female OFWs. The U.S.A. followed with 42 thousand male OFWs, more than twice greater in number than the females.

SERVICE WORKERS TOPPED THE OCCUPATION GROUP

• About 419 thousand or 40.2 percent of the OFWs were engaged in service activities. These included the cooks, waiters, barbers, beauticians, hairdressers and cleaners among others. There were also large numbers of OFWs working as production and related workers, transport equipment operators and laborers (408 thousand or 39.1%).

• Majority of the female OFWs (70.2%) worked as service workers while almost two-thirds of male OFWs (65.6%) worked as production and related workers, transport equipment operators and laborers.
• Saudi Arabia absorbed the most number of overseas workers in almost all type of occupation except in the service workers group.
• Of the total service workers, 111 thousand or 26.5 percent worked in Hongkong, 64 thousand or 15.3 percent in Saudi Arabia, and 43 thousand or 10.3 percent in Taiwan.
• Production and related workers, transport equipment operators and laborers were concentrated in Saudi Arabia (151 thousand or 37.0%), Taiwan (58 thousand or 14.2%), and Japan (37 thousand or 9.1%).

TOTAL REMITTANCES HIGHER BY 12 BILLION PESOS

• The total remittances during the six-month period in 1999 were estimated at P50.9 billion, higher by P12 billion or 31.1 percent from P38.8 billion in 1998. These included cash sent amounting to P36.8 billion or 72.3 percent, cash brought home of P10.6 billion or 20.8 percent and remittances in kind of P3.5 billion or 6.9 percent.

• Out of the 1.043 million OFWs, 82.5 percent sent cash remittances in 1999. About 29.5 percent of which sent below P20,000 while 70.5 percent sent P20,000 and above.
• Within the six-month period, the average cash remittance sent by every OFW was P42,760. Male OFWs sent higher average cash remittance of P54,836 or equivalent to P9,139 per month. On the other hand, female OFWs sent average cash remittance of P28,721 or P4,787 per month.
• The average cash remittances sent by male OFWs increased by 12.9 percent from their remittances last year while those of the female OFWs decreased by 0.2 percent.

REMITTANCES THROUGH BANKS STILL THE MOST POPULAR

• During the past six months, the cash remittances were sent either through banks (70.8%), agencies/local offices (2.5%), friends/co-workers (2.0%), "door to door" system (23.9%) and other means (0.8%).
• Remittances sent through "door to door" system more than double its figure from P4.3 billion in 1998 to P8.8 billion in 1999. Cash remittances sent through banks and friends/co-workers also increased by 34.7 percent and 70.0 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, cash sent through agencies/local office went down by 9.1 percent.
• A similar trend was observed among OCWs. About 62.7 percent of total OCWs (517 thousand) sent cash remittances through banks, 30 percent through "door to door", 3.8 percent through friends/co-workers and 2.2 percent through agencies or local offices.

OFWs IN ASIA HAD THE HIGHEST REMITTANCE

• From April to September 1999, the OFWs in Asia contributed the highest remittance that amounted to P25.1 billion. The workers in North and South America came next (P4.9 billion), followed by workers in Europe (P4.5 billion).
• In terms of average cash remittance during the six month period, workers in Africa ranked first with P103,029, followed by workers in North and South America with P64,706; and by those in Europe with P 58,839.
• Saudi Arabia remained as the country with highest cash remittance from OFWs. The cash remitted amounted to 9.7 billion in 1999 from 7.4 billion in 1998. OFWs in other countries also remitted billion of pesos such as those in U.S.A (P 2.7 billion in 1999, P2.2 billion in 1998), Japan (P3.5 billion in 1999, P3.0 billion in 1998) and Hongkong (P 2.8 billion in 1999, P 2.9 billion in 1998).

HIGHEST REMITTANCES FROM PRODUCTION AND RELATED WORKERS

• Among the major occupation group, the production and related workers, transport equipment operators and laborers sent the highest total cash remittance amounting P16.2 billion during the past six months of 1999. Other OFWs sending billion of pesos to the Philippines were those working as service workers with P9.8 billion, followed by the professional, technical and related workers with the total cash remittance of P8.1 billion.

• In terms of average cash remittances, the administrative, executive and managerial workers ranked first in 1999 with P 78,978. The professional, technical and related workers came second (P 64,547), followed by the clerical and related workers (P 53,404).
• The same trend was also noted among OCWs. The average cash remittance from the administrative, executive and managerial workers was estimated at a high P91952; from the professional, technical and related workers was P 64,547 and from the clerical and related workers was P 53,404.

Source: National Statistics Office
Manila, Philippines