2011 Stock Estimate of Filipino Overseas

							     DESCRIBING THE 2011 STOCK ESTIMATE OF FILIPINOS OVERSEAS                       The following are the highlights of the 2011 Stock Estimate:                               Figure 2

The Stock Estimate of Filipinos Overseas is the aggregate of all Philippine-born    The International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s report on ‘’Health in the Post-
Filipinos, residing or working overseas. It provides a snapshot of the number of    2015 Development Agenda’’ cited that there are approximately 215 million
Filipinos overseas at any given time taking into consideration migrant flows. It    international migrants as of 2011. About 5% of this number or 10.46 million are
categorizes overseas Filipinos into permanent, temporary and irregular migrants.    overseas Filipinos in about 217 countries and territories.

Permanent migrants include immigrants, dual citizens or legal permanent residents   In 2011, the permanent migrants (47% or 4.86 million) comprise the largest
abroad, whose stay do not depend on work contracts.                                 category of overseas Filipinos, followed closely by temporary migrants (43% or
                                                                                    4.51 million). The irregular migrants (10% or 1.07 million) constitute the smallest
Temporary migrants, on the other hand, are those whose stay overseas is
employment-related and who are expected to return to the Philippines at the end     category (See Figure 1). Compared with last year’s data, the number of permanent,
of their work contracts. Although most temporary migrants are overseas Filipino     temporary, and irregular migrants increased by 10%, 4.36% and 52%, respectively.
workers (OFWs), they also include students, trainees, entrepreneurs, businessmen
and their accompanying dependents, whose stay abroad is six months or more.         Irregular migrants could be found mainly in the United States, Malaysia, and
                                                                                    Singapore. The large increase of irregular migrants in 2011 can mainly be traced to
Irregular migrants are those not properly documented, without valid residence or    Malaysia’s 124% increase of irregular migrants from 200,000 in 2010 to 447,590 in
work permits, or who are overstaying in a foreign country.                          2011; and United States’ 67% increase from 156,000 in 2010 to 260,000 in 2011.

The term “Overseas Filipinos” (OFs) refers to “migrant workers, other Filipino      Compared with the 2001 data, the number of permanent and temporary migrants
nationals and their dependents abroad”. This is consistent with the expanded
                                                                                    increased by 78% and 48%, respectively while irregular migrants decreased by 34%.
definition of “overseas Filipinos” in Republic Act 10022of 2010 amending the
Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act and its implementing rules.              The top 10 destination countries of Filipinos are US (33%), Saudi Arabia (15%),
                                                                                    Canada (8%), UAE (7%), Malaysia (5%), Australia (4%), Japan (2%), United Kingdom
                                    Figure 1
                                                                                    (2%), Italy (2%), Singapore (2%). (See Figure 2). Except for Italy and Singapore, all of
                                                                                    these countries were also last year’s top destination countries.

                                                                                    The breakdown of Filipino overseas by continent/region: Americas, Trust
                                                                                    Territories- 4,326,059 or 41% ; Asia, West- 2,987,823 or 29%; Asia, East and South-
                                                                                    1,449, 373 or 14% ; Europe- 808, 779 or 8%; Oceania- 451,042 or 4% and Africa-
                                                                                    63,508 or 1%. The remaining 3% are sea-based workers who understandably do not
                                                                                    reside in one country.

                                                                                    The number of Filipinos in Japan decreased by 69,476 or 24% mainly because of the
                                                                                    natural calamities (earthquake and tsunami) which affected the country in March
                                                                                    2011.

                                                                                    There was a 90% decrease in the number of Filipino’s in Libya, from 27,349 to 2,724
                                                                                    and a 79% decrease of temporary migrants in Syria from 13,869 to 2,890 mainly
                                                                                    because of the Arab Spring.