"OFW for the Hope of the Nation"

Philippine economic growth was the focus of our nearby countryside. During early 1960's our economy has a grown manufacturing sector by means of agriculture products. We have wide agricultural lands that help a simple Filipinos earn for their daily needs. Rice fields, crop products are the primary agricultural source in our country. Until in mid 80's drastic changes came for the Filipinos. Everybody wants to earn more and have a good future. Filipino started searching their future in other countries looking for a greener pastures. Filipinos worldwide are strong character persons who have been always an optimistic thinker. Discriminations is always been a factor in every peoples weakness. Sometimes, we forget to trust ourselves, we can't see how important we are to our country. We think that we're just a simple worker, or a simple caregiver in the eyes of others. NO! We're not! Overseas Filipino Workers are one of the biggest factors that saving our economy! OFW remittance is such a vital source of revenue that since the mid-1980s the government has lauded these workers as the country’s “new economic heroes” or mga bagong bayani.



Base on 2006 survey reports of w ww.census.gov.ph

The number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who worked abroad at anytime during the period April to September 2006 reached 1.52 million. The 2006 estimate represents an increase of 14.3 percent over the 1.33 million OFWs estimated for the period April to September 2005. The Overseas Contract Workers (OCWs) or those with existing work-contract abroad comprised 91.4 percent (1.38 million) of the total OFWs during the period April to September 2006. This number is 14.0 percent more than the 1.21 million OCWs for the same months in 2005. OFWs who were laborers or unskilled workers, that is, domestic helpers, cleaners and manufacturing laborers comprised 35.1 percent of the total OFWs. Those who were trade workers or trade-related workers made up 14.7 percent, while those who were service workers and shop and market sales workers accounted for 13.8 percent.
The total remittances sent by OFWs during the period April to September 2006 was estimated at 102.0 billion pesos, an increase of 16.8 billion pesos from the estimate of 85.1 billion pesos in 2005. Included in the total remittances are cash sent (74.4%), cash brought home (21.0%) and remittances in kind (4.6%). Of the total cash remittance sent during the period April to September 2006, 79.3 percent were sent through banks, 13.2 percent were sent through door-to-door and the rest (7.5%) were sent through the agency/local office, friends/co-workers and other means. OFWs working in Asia, comprising 78.3 percent of all OFWs, sent the biggest cash remittance of 52.5 billion pesos. Among occupation groups, OFWs working as laborers or unskilled workers posted the highest cash remittance of 16.0 billion pesos.
This is signed by Ms. Carmelita N. Ericta the Administrator.



We contributed billions of pesos in every remittances that we sent back home to Philippines. Most of us here got a college degree. Most Filipinos or metapelet here have graduated as nurse, teachers, computer science, IT and a lot more. We just want to earn more that's why we choose to work outside of our beloved country. Filipino workers are one of the trustworthy persons all over the world. Even in Mongolia we have our kababayan there working as an English teacher, business advisers and a lot more. In the Middle East, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Kuwait you will see the presence of our engineers there. Filipinos are very intellectual person; they can easily adapt their lives with others in different places and people. We help our family to survive. We are a strong willed model for the next generations; we OFW are the paradigm how we struggle in our lives to survive in order to cope up with the fast faced world, just like what our heroes did for our country!

It is one of the helpful factors that gained the economy of our country. As a caregiver or as an individual OCW, no one can say and discriminate the way we work or how we handle our jobs. We're giving the unconditional love and care for every job that we have. It's not just a simple job; we put our hearts into it. We are always a hardworking people with a golden hearts that put devotion in our job and duties! Whilst back in our country, we gave hopes and good future not only with our beloved families but also with our very own country, the Philippines! We are not poor nor a desperate country, infact our country is full of beautiful places and sceneries that tourist love to visit, things and technologies far fetched with other modern countries! We got all beautiful shopping malls that shoppers fancied.


You don't need to be ashamed that you're a Filipino, whether OFW or not, you should be proud because we got a big part of our economy and We came from the land of paradise, Philippines! Be proud to be Pinoy!






G i a n i n n a J. C o n t a d o
Credit : Eman Uy