MANILA: Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have remained popular among foreign employers.
Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showed a continuing growth in the number of Filipinos hired this year despite the economic slump in several host countries.
POEA chief Hans Cacdac said a total of 1,460,097 OFWs were hired from January to October this year.
Of the total deployment, Cacdac said 79 percent or 1.16 million were land-based workers while the remaining were sea-based.
Cacdac said re-hires comprised the majority, or a total of 776,844, of the overseas deployment for the year.
He said Middle East countries recruited the most number of OFWs, with Saudi Arabia as the top destination followed by United Arab Emirates. Singapore came in third.
Other favorites destinations for OFWs are Hong Kong, Qatar, Kuwait, Taiwan, Italy, Bahrain and Malaysia.
Last year, POEA reported a total deployment of 1.28 million from January to October 2010, which climbed to 1.35 million during the same period in 2011.
Labor officials said the economic slump in European countries, and the problems on peace and order in several host countries in the Middle East have not adversely affected the hiring of OFWs.
the philippine star
