PR
The deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) has dropped by a whooping 67% in 2018 according to recruitment consultant and migration expert Emmanuel Geslani citing statistical preliminary data from 2006 to 2018 provided by the POEA Planning branch
Two tables were provided in one set of figures comparing 2017 total deployment where 2,044,877 OFWs was indicated while preliminary data up to the 3rd quarter show 1,363,085 in 2018 that indicate the 67% drop while another table shows 1st semester 2018 figures of 1,050,621 compared to 2017 data of 1,992,746 never the less those figures are quite alarming specifically the drop in the in land-based workers in the first table which deployed only 1,025,583 in 2018 compared to 2017 1,595,414 a drop of 64%.
Further analysis of the data shows a very large drop in rehires in 2018 of 606,665 to 1,136,334 in 2017 that is quite significant meaning that the decrease in rehires indicates fewer OFWs were rehired and those who finished their contracts were not rehired and did not return to their jobsites.
Two tables were provided by the POEA Planning branch that showed statistics for only the 1st semester meaning till June of 2018 while the other table showing preliminary data up to the 3rdquarter for the year 2018. No explanation on the tables was given by the Planning branch except to say that the main reason for the 2018 preliminary incomplete data is that POEA computer system generates only what data is gathered by the Bureau of Immigration on OECs of departing OFWs which should match data of the Planning branch.
However the trend in the 2018 data is quite alarming which will indicate that deployment of OFWs may not reach the 1,700,000-1,800,000 level which is a much bigger drop compared to the predicted drop by DOLE of 20-30% in Saudi Arabia which is the largest labor market in the Middle East or an earlier prediction of Geslani of a 10-15% drop in 2019.
The reduction of deployed HSWs in 2018 in addition to the lower forecast of OFW deployment in 2019 by migration expert Emmanuel Geslani will have a devastating effect on our dollar remittances aside from the loss of employment opportunities for our HSWs and OFWs in the Middle East especially in Saudi Arabia and other surrounding countries like Bahrain which now allows tourists to apply for working visas. Qatar has slowed down construction activities for the World Cup 2022 but continues to import more skilled workers for the new hotels and restaurants that will cater to the World Cup.
Deployment of skilled workers is expected to decline by 10-15% or about 80-100 thousand jobs for OFWs due to the unstable price of crude oil leading to a precarious financial situation of Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries directly affecting their economies that will dampen business and government spending.
Saudi Arabia is progressing in the implementation of “Saudization” which accounts for the lost of our white collar workers in that country and more companies are folding up due to the inability of the alleged failure of the Saudi government to pay their contracts.
Saudi is pushing OPEC to reach the $ 70 dollars per barrel to infuse more income for the government to lower their deficit so that construction projects can increase and infrastructure development on the pipe line can be started.
Under the National Transformation Program (NTP) 2020 and the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, the government plans to develop sea ports, railway lines, airports and manufacturing facilities, with an aim to reduce the country’s dependency on the oil sector and reduce unemployment.
Meanwhile the recruitment sector is gearing up for the deployment of skilled workers to Japan this second quarter of 2019 as the Japanese government issues the guidelines for the entry of Filipinos into 14 identified areas of work that OFWs can enter Japan on visas which will allow a maximum of 5 years stay.
Other markets the recruitment industry is gaining a foothold is in Eastern Europe countries of Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Croatia.
Pls. refer to: Mr.Manny S. Geslani, +63 9175770630, + 63 9399130912