More Pinoys leave for work abroad than those who arrive home jobless
MARK JOSEPH UBALDE, GMANews.TV
MANILA, Philippines - Although the total number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have lost their jobs in the last three months seem alarming, it is actually less than the average number of Filipinos who gain new employment abroad on a daily basis.
In the latest data furnished to GMANews.TV, the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) showed that 3,567 Filipinos from seven countries, including the Chinese province of Macau, have been the latest casualties of the global financial crisis.
In contrast, the average daily deployment of Filipinos overseas remains steady at 3,647 every month, which more than offsets the number of lost jobs abroad since October, said POEA admnistrator Jennifer Manalili.
From January 1 to December 23 last year, the POEA processed a total of 650,563 job orders. The bulk of workers being sent abroad are skilled and highly skilled workers, Manalili said, which could ensure a higher remittance in the coming months.
The jobs of thousands of Filipinos overseas were threatened since October when US subprime companies declared bankruptcy, sparking fears among international investors that triggered an economic slowdown, which ultimately caused lay offs.
According to POEA data, two construction companies from Macau had laid off a total of 45 Filipinos due to suspension of construction projects.
Owing to its US export-dependent economy, Taiwan had the largest number of companies affected by the economic crunch. A total of 60 companies in the electronic, metal works and semi-conductor industry laid off 3,321 Filipino workers due to bankruptcy and retrenchment.
South Korea, another US export-dependent country, was responsible for sending home a total of 20 Filipinos working in the electronics industry.
Sixteen Filipinos working in Electrical/Telecommunication companies in Brunei had also been sent home.
Filipinos in Australia had also been affected by the economic downturn as 75 workers in the shipbuilding industry were laid off. The UK, on the other hand, fired 69 Filipino workers in the garment industry.
Labor Secretary Marianito Roque maintained that the Middle East is resilient amid the economic crisis. Proof of this is the 37,000 job orders from Qatar.
But based on POEA data, at least 21 Filipino workers in the United Arab Emirates, the second top destination country for Filipino migrants, had been laid off owing to an operation slowdown.
Filipino economists foresee the crisis to continue until the end of 2009, prompting Roque to advice overseas Filipinos to stick to their jobs. - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV
MANILA, Philippines - Although the total number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have lost their jobs in the last three months seem alarming, it is actually less than the average number of Filipinos who gain new employment abroad on a daily basis.
In the latest data furnished to GMANews.TV, the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) showed that 3,567 Filipinos from seven countries, including the Chinese province of Macau, have been the latest casualties of the global financial crisis.
In contrast, the average daily deployment of Filipinos overseas remains steady at 3,647 every month, which more than offsets the number of lost jobs abroad since October, said POEA admnistrator Jennifer Manalili.
From January 1 to December 23 last year, the POEA processed a total of 650,563 job orders. The bulk of workers being sent abroad are skilled and highly skilled workers, Manalili said, which could ensure a higher remittance in the coming months.
The jobs of thousands of Filipinos overseas were threatened since October when US subprime companies declared bankruptcy, sparking fears among international investors that triggered an economic slowdown, which ultimately caused lay offs.
According to POEA data, two construction companies from Macau had laid off a total of 45 Filipinos due to suspension of construction projects.
Owing to its US export-dependent economy, Taiwan had the largest number of companies affected by the economic crunch. A total of 60 companies in the electronic, metal works and semi-conductor industry laid off 3,321 Filipino workers due to bankruptcy and retrenchment.
South Korea, another US export-dependent country, was responsible for sending home a total of 20 Filipinos working in the electronics industry.
Sixteen Filipinos working in Electrical/Telecommunication companies in Brunei had also been sent home.
Filipinos in Australia had also been affected by the economic downturn as 75 workers in the shipbuilding industry were laid off. The UK, on the other hand, fired 69 Filipino workers in the garment industry.
Labor Secretary Marianito Roque maintained that the Middle East is resilient amid the economic crisis. Proof of this is the 37,000 job orders from Qatar.
But based on POEA data, at least 21 Filipino workers in the United Arab Emirates, the second top destination country for Filipino migrants, had been laid off owing to an operation slowdown.
Filipino economists foresee the crisis to continue until the end of 2009, prompting Roque to advice overseas Filipinos to stick to their jobs. - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV
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