Overseas Filipino

Overseas Filipinos
Total population
11,000,000+ estimates [1][2]
Regions with significant populations
 United States 2,877,666
 Saudi Arabia 1,159,003
 Malaysia 900,000
 Canada 639,686
 UAE 609,704
 Japan 350,972
 Australia 336,140
 Qatar 263,980
 Spain 241,268[3]
 United Kingdom 200,987
 Mexico 200,000
 Hong Kong 168,550
 Singapore 163,090
 Kuwait 155,744
 Italy 119,508
 Taiwan 94,283
 South Korea 81,395
 Germany 55,309
 Greece 51,656
 Bahrain 50,695
 France 50,013
 Oman 41,000
 Israel 39,002
 Jordan 32,896
 Lebanon 31,348
 Austria 29,824
 New Zealand 27,139
 Libya 23,713
 Guam 23,563
 Switzerland 22,431
 Norway 20,683
 Cyprus 20,284
Languages

Philippine languages, English, Spanish and language(s) of country of residence.

Religion

Mostly Christianity (Catholic or other denominations), minorities practice Islam, Buddhism, Paganism, Atheism, and other religions.

Related ethnic groups

Filipino people

An Overseas Filipino is a person of Philippine origin who lives outside of the Philippines. This term applies both to people of Filipino ancestry who are citizens or residents of a different country and to those Filipino citizens abroad on a more temporary status.

Most overseas Filipinos migrate to other nations to find employment or support their families in the Philippines. As a result of this migration, many countries have substantial Filipino communities.

Often, these Filipinos are referred to as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). The term "Global Filipino" is another word of more recent vintage but less widely used.

Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo applied the term "Overseas Filipino Investor" or "OFI" for Filipino expatriates who contribute to the economy through remittances, buying properties and creating businesses.[4]

Contents

Population

Around 8.6 million to 11 million overseas Filipinos are the estimated count worldwide or about 11% of the total population of the Philippines.[1][2]

More than a million Filipinos try their luck each year to work abroad through overseas employment agencies and other programs, including government-sponsored initiatives. A majority of them are women applying as domestic helpers and personal service workers. Others emigrate and become permanent residents of other countries. Overseas Filipinos often work as doctors, physical therapists, nurses, accountants, IT professionals, engineers, architects,[5] entertainers, technicians, teachers, military servicemen, seafarers, students, caregivers, domestic helpers and maids.

The exodus includes an increasing number of skilled workers taking on unskilled work overseas, resulting in what has been referred to as a brain drain, particularly in the health and education sectors. Also, the exodus can result in underemployment, for example, in cases where doctors undergo retraining to become nurses.

Economic impact

Remittances sent by OFWs to the Philippines contribute to the country's economy, with a value of more than US$10 billion in 2005.[6] This makes the country the fourth largest recipient of remittances with India, China, and Mexico in the top list. OFW remittances represent 13.5% of the country's GDP, the largest in proportion to the domestic economy among the four countries.[7]

In 2008, overseas Filipinos sent US$15.9 billion worth of remittances to the Philippines,[8] up from the US$14.4 billion in 2007, and US$13 billion in 2006.[9][10]

In 2009, about US$17.348 billion in remittances was sent to the Philippines by overseas Filipinos, higher than in previous years.[11]

Countries with Filipino populations

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Stock Estimate of Overseas Filipinos As of December 2009". Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. http://www.poea.gov.ph/stats/Stock%20Estmate%202009.pdf. Retrieved 2011-05-28. 
  2. ^ a b Yvette Collymore (June 2003). "Rapid Population Growth, Crowded Cities Present Challenges in the Philippines". Population Reference Bureau. http://www.prb.org/Articles/2003/RapidPopulationGrowthCrowdedCitiesPresentChallengesinthePhilippines.aspx. Retrieved 2007-08-14. "About 10 percent of the country's population, or nearly 8 million people, are overseas Filipino workers spread in 182 countries, according to PoPCOM. This does not include the estimated 3 million illegal migrants who work abroad." 
  3. ^ a b http://www.elcorreo.com/agencias/20110802/economia/filipinas-alerta-trabajadores-deficiente-mercado_201108021021.html
  4. ^ "Editorial — Overseas Filipino investors". Philippines Today. 15 October – 14 November 2001. http://www.philippinestoday.net/October2001/editorial1001.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-01. 
  5. ^ "[Info-Bureau] FW: STATEMENT ON FILIPINO HOSTAGE". Philippine Women Centre of B.C — requoted by lists.ilps-news.com Mailing Lists. 19 July 2004. http://lists.ilps-news.com/pipermail/info-bureau/2004-July/000401.html. Retrieved 2007-03-21. 
  6. ^ "Overseas Filipino Remittances". http://www.bsp.gov.ph/statistics/spei/tab11.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-21. 
  7. ^ "Remittances can't replace good economic policies". Archived from the original on 2006-03-05. http://web.archive.org/web/20060305192447/http://www.inq7.net/globalnation/sec_new/2005/dec/02-01.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-10. 
  8. ^ "UPDATE 1-Manila c.bank sees 15 pct remittances growth in 2008". Forbes. 2008-10-13. http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/10/13/afx5548834.html. 
  9. ^ "Filipino overseas workers remittances rise by 26 pct in March". People's daily Online. 15 May 2007. http://english.people.com.cn/200705/15/eng20070515_374856.html. Retrieved 2007-06-07. 
  10. ^ . http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/02/15/afx4659876.html. 
  11. ^ http://www.gmanews.tv/story/191757/new-system-to-slash-ofw-remittance-fees-says-bsp
  12. ^ "Profile of Filipinos in Brazil". Backgrounder: Brazil. Philippines: Office of the Press Secretary. 2009. http://www.ops.gov.ph/brazil2009/backgrounder.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-20 
  13. ^ Kwok, Abigail (2009-04-29). "38 OFWs in Brazil jail for drug trafficking". The Inquirer. http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view/20090429-202073/38-OFWs-in-Brazil-jail-for-drug-trafficking. Retrieved 2010-05-22 
  14. ^ "Table 29. Stock Estimate of Overseas Filipinos As of December 2006" (PDF). Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). http://www.poea.gov.ph/stats/2006Stats.pdf. Retrieved 2007-09-02. 
  15. ^ http://www.visabureau.com/canada/news/31-12-2008/philippines-takes-over-china-as-number-one-source-of-canadian-immigrants.aspx
  16. ^ Philippine Embassy in Athens, Greece and Cyprus
  17. ^ Profile of the Filipino Community in Ireland. Philippine Embassy in London. http://www.philembassy-uk.org/default.asp?iId=KHEHL. Retrieved March 8, 2008 
  18. ^ . Japan=Overseas Filipino: Department of Foreign Affairs to Filipinos in Japan 'Heed advisories'. March 12, 2011. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/03/12/11/dfa-pinoys-japan-heed-advisories/. 
  19. ^ http://www.ezilon.com/cgi-bin/information/exec/view.cgi?archive=1&num=476 Mercene, Floro L. Filipinos in Mexican history. "By Pinzon’s estimate, there are about 200,000 descendants of Filipinos in southern Mexico. They are concentrated in the Costa Grande north of Acapulco. The town of Coyuca 35 miles north of Acapulco was called Filipino town in the old days. There is also a large Filipino community in Colima, about eight hours ride north of Acapulco." Retrieved 09 NOV 2010.
  20. ^ Quismundo, Tarra (8 May 2007). "Filipino workers recount nightmare in Nigeria". The Inquirer (Manila). http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view_article.php?article_id=64666. Retrieved 2008-10-10 
  21. ^ Caber, Michael (5 May 2007). "Kidnappers, officials meet on hostages in Nigeria". Manila Standard Today. http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news4_may5_2007. Retrieved 2008-10-10 
  22. ^ Flores, Maynard (28 October 2008). "Nigeria-base OFWs renew appeal to PGMA to lift the ban". The PBSN Blogsite. http://philbrgysocietyinnigeria.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/nigeria-base-ofws-renew-appeal-to-pgma-to-lift-the-ban/. Retrieved 2008-10-10 
  23. ^ http://www.philembassy.no/book/export/html/53
  24. ^ "Philippines monitors condition of Filipino workers in Pakistan". M&C. Nov 5, 2007. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/southasia/news/article_1371134.php/Philippines_monitors_condition_of_Filipino_workers_in_Pakistan. Retrieved 19 December 2009. 
  25. ^ "Korean embassy hints at action vs 15,000 undocumented OFWs". Asian journal. July 16, 2007. http://www.asianjournal.com/?c=186&a=21596. Retrieved 2007-08-14. 
  26. ^ The "Mail-Order Bride" Industry and its Impact on U.S. Immigration, Robert J. Scholes
  27. ^ "Background Note: Philippines". U.S. Department of State: Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. May 2007. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2794.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-02. "There are an estimated four million Americans of Philippine ancestry in the United States, and more than 250,000 American citizens in the Philippines." 

External links

General statistics from Philippine government

From other sources