The number of Filipino migrant workers has risen sharply in 2023, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). The DMW revealed that nearly 2.4 million overseas employment certificates were issued this year, marking an 18% increase from the previous year.
Hans Leo Cacdac, the Officer-In-Charge of the DMW, noted that the most substantial increase was observed among sea-based migrant workers. The figure rose to 608 thousand from 554 thousand in 2022, marking the first time that sea-based workers were given the green light for deployment throughout the year.
Cacdac further mentioned that the deployment numbers could rise even more, as there are no longer any COVID-19 restrictions impeding the process.
In conjunction with this rise in migrant worker deployment, there has been a notable increase in remittances. Filipino Overseas Foreign Workers (OFWs) have sent home 40 billion dollars in remittances in 2023, a significant rise from the 32 billion dollars recorded last year.