The padala from abroad is still flowing, but there's less of it, and fewer Filipinos are sending it.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released the preliminary results of its 2025 Survey on Overseas Filipinos on October 9. It counted 2.05 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from April to September 2025, about 138,000 fewer than in the same period of 2024, a drop of 6.3%. It is the first decline since the pandemic years.

Less money sent home

OFWs sent home a total of P240.7 billion during the period, down 8.2% from P262.2 billion a year earlier. Most of it was cash sent through banks or money transfer services, while some was brought home in person or sent in kind.

Per worker, though, the numbers barely moved. The average OFW remitted about P127,460, compared with P128,610 the year before. In other words, the drop mostly reflects fewer workers, not smaller amounts per person.

Banks handled 63.1% of the cash sent home, while money transfer services accounted for 34.1%.

Who our OFWs are

  • Women make up 57.7% of OFWs.

  • Workers aged 30 to 39 make up about 42% of the total.

  • Elementary occupations, such as cleaning and food preparation, account for 41.8% of OFW jobs.

  • Among men, the top job group is plant and machine operators and assemblers.

Where they work, and where they come from

Saudi Arabia remains the top destination, hosting 24.1% of OFWs, followed by the United Arab Emirates at 11.3%. Overall, 73.5% work in Asia, a figure that includes the Middle East.

At home, the biggest sources are Calabarzon (16.7%), Central Luzon (12.0%) and Metro Manila (9.0%). Luzon accounts for 59.5% of OFWs, the Visayas for 20.4% and Mindanao for 20.1%.

Wait, didn't remittances hit a record?

You may remember headlines saying remittances hit a record in 2025. Both can be true. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas counts all money sent to the country in dollars, including from Filipinos who have settled abroad permanently. The PSA survey covers only OFWs, only the April-to-September period and is measured in pesos.

The PSA results are preliminary, and final figures will be released later.