An Overseas Filipino is a person of Philippine origin who lives and works outside the

Philippines. The poor performance of the Philippine economy over recent decades,
combined with a widespread knowledge of English, a legacy of the Philippines' position
as a former United States colony, have made Filipinos one of the most internationally
mobile nationalities. Often works overseas will support extended families back in the
Philippines. As a result, many countries around the world have a substantial Filipino
community

Issues
Many of the Overseas Filipinos face many obstacles when they arrive in their country of
destination. Usually, they are deprived of a wide range of employment rights since
domestic work does not fall within the scope of protection laws.
Some of them are withheld their pay, while others have their documents confiscated or
hidden by their employers. Furthermore, many of these domestic workers are abused,
assaulted, or sexually harassed by their employers.
However, low-skilled workers are not deprived by their government. Philippine
embassies and consulates have established a strong and stern connection with its
nationals in their respective host countries. Many OFW's are urged to report any
misconduct or abuse by employers to the said Philippine agencies rather than the local
authorities. This is a much better and preferred way by many since the contengencies
offered through this are more promising and protective. It is also to avoid any types of
prejudice and racial discrimination.
Ironically, some Filipinos of professional work and/or field are also facing this type of
issue.

Overseas Filipino Workers

An Overseas Filipino Worker (often abbreviated OFW) is a term for a Filipino who is
employed in work outside the Philippines. Some eight million Filipinos, out of a
population of 80 million, have left the country to seek work abroad, attracted by jobs with
salaries that far exceed those of jobs available in the Philippines. These jobs often include
nursing, technology, fishing and teaching. Money sent by OFWs back to the Philippines
is a major factor in the country's economy, amounting to more than US$10 billion in
2005. This makes the country the fifth largest recipient behind India, China, Mexico, and
France. The amount represents 13.5% of the country's GDP, the largest in proportion to
the domestic economy among the five countries.

However, the exodus of workers from the country includes an increasing number of
skilled workers taking on unskilled work overseas, resulting in serious brain drain,
particularly in the health and education sectors. Also, the exodus can result in
underemployment, especially in cases where doctors undergo retraining to become
nurses.

According to the World Bank, the Philippines received an amount of $12 billion worth of
remittances, ranking fourth globally tied with France. Remittances to the Philippines by
Overseas Filipinos are pivotal, especially in helping the local economy and currency, as
well sustaining the lives of their loved-ones back home.
NASA *PDF FILE AND SA POWER
POINT UNG magagandang nakuha ko !
 PROFILE OF FILIPINO OVERSEAS WORKERS
(Results from the 2000 Census of Population and Housing, NSO)

In a study…

SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF OVERSEAS WORKERS

Overseas workers more than double after a decade

Number of male and female overseas workers almost equal
Largest proportion of overseas workers were from Southern Tagalog
Overseas workers had a median age of 32 years
More than half were married
Males were mostly the heads of the households
Most overseas workers were Roman Catholics
Almost all were literate
Tagalog was the predominant ethnic group
More than 13 percent were academic degree holders/with post baccalaureate courses

HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS OF OVERSEAS WORKERS

Average household size of overseas workers was 5.86 persons

Households with overseas workers had more household amenities

HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS OF OVERSEAS WORKERS

Ratio of one household per occupied housing unit

Predominantly single housing units
Housing units of overseas workers were made of strong materials for roofs and walls
Housing units of overseas workers needed no repair
Overseas workers preferred housing units with 30 to 49 square meter floor area

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Sustain and expand employment opportunities

More strict recruitment policies
Closer family ties
Target policymakers and leaders for sustained commitment