Overseas Filipino Workers and money remittances growing
Over 2 million Filipino workers deployed abroad send billions of dollars to support their families, and the Philippine economy, back home.
ABS reports that the total number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who worked abroad from April to September 2011 was estimated at 2.2 million, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO). They remitted P156.3 billion for the same period.
The number of OFWs for the same period in 2010 was estimated at 2 million or 10 percent lower; their total remittance at the time was P141.2 billion.
“The overseas contract workers [OCWs] or those with existing work contract abroad comprised 95.3 percent of the total OFWs in 2011,” NSO said in a report.
During that April-September period, there were more male OFWs, at 52.2 percent, than females. Of the 2.2 million OFWs, 23.6 percent were in the 25 to 29 year-old age bracket; 22.6 percent were 30 to 34 years old.
NSO also noted that female OFWs were generally younger compared to males. Among the female OFWs, those who were 25 to 34 years of age comprised 51.4 percent.
One in every three or 32.7 percent of the OFWs were laborers and unskilled workers. Around 15.5 percent worked as service workers and shop and market sales workers.
“OFWs who worked as plant and machine operators and assemblers comprised 13.6 percent; trade and related workers, 12.8 percent, and professionals, 10.6 percent,” NSO said.
The biggest number of OFWs came from Calabarzon, Central Luzon and the National Capital Region, with 16.5 percent, 14.3 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively of the total OFW originating from these regions.
Saudi Arabia continues to be the leading destination of OFWs with 22.6 percent of the total OFWs working in this country from April to September 2011.
The other countries that were popular destinations of OFWs were United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Singapore and Hong Kong.
The numbers of OWF’s and students going to the UK has fallen sharply since tighter regulations were introduced in the last couple of years on Tier 2 working visas and Tier 4 students visas.
Filipinos are still migrating to Britain, for instance as domestic workers or through family dependant visas and marriage visas.
The UK government has recently introduced new regulations to restrict immigration appeals against refusals of family visit visa refusals, as well as clamping down on lower paid Britons marrying foreigners.
The Home Office has this month announced that from 9 July 2012, if you want to marry a foreigner (non-EEA European Economic Area nationality) and live in the UK together you must earn £18,600.
Foreigners marrying a Filipino may be surprised to learn that their Asia bride or husband must comply with new requirements or they will be prevented from leaving the country.
New laws mean your Filipino partner attend a ‘CFO’s guidance and counseling session’ in order to get a Guidance and Counseling Certificate (GCC) and a CFO sticker.
See also:
Baroness Warsi attacks ‘racist’ Home Office crackdown on family immigration
New appeal regulations on family visit visa confirmed
YES, RIGHT OF APPEAL TO BE ABOLISHED FOR FAMILY VISIT REFUSALS
Visa and Immigration Appeals on the increase
Full right of appeal removed for UK family visit visa
If you need any immigration advice or are worried about the new immigration rules or need help with Sponsorship or Tier 2, Tier 4, applying for university if your college has closed down, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, Dependant Visa or an Appeal against a refusal, or if you have been waiting for a reply from the Home Office for longer than a year, please email:
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