SAUDI ARABIA HOLDS 22.2 % OFWs

SAUDI ARABIA HOLDS 22.2 % OFWs

Saudi Arabia was the most preferred destination of OFWs with 22.1 percent of the total OFWs working in this country during the period April to September 2010. The other preferred destinations of OFWs were: United Arab Emirates (15.1%); Qatar (6.3%); Singapore (5.9%); and Hong Kong (5.7%). Almost one-third of the total OFWs in April to September 2010 were laborers and unskilled workers (32.0%). Those who worked as service workers and shop and market sales workers made up 15.1 percent. The trade and related workers (14.9%) and plant and machine operators and assemblers (14.3%) registered similar proportions.

The total remittance sent by OFWs during the period April to September 2010 was estimated at 141.2 billion pesos. These remittances included cash sent home (104.9 billion pesos), cash brought home (30.1 billion pesos) and remittance in kind (6.2 billion pesos). Of the total cash remittance sent by OFWs, the remittance sent by laborers and unskilled workers comprised the biggest share with 20.6 billion pesos or an average remittance of 39 thousand pesos per OFW. OFWs working in Asia, comprising 80 percent of all OFWs, have the biggest share of cash remittance (70.9% of the total cash remittance). The proportions to total cash remittances that came from other countries were: North and South America (11.7%), Europe (11.3%), Africa (3.8%) and Australia (2.3%). The majority of OFWs sent their remittance through bank (73.7%) while the rest through door to door (8.0%), agency or local office (3.1%), through friends or co-workers (0.9%) or through other means (14.4%). (NSO 10)

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