At least seven percent of Filipino households have an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) currently working abroad to help sustain the family, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
The country has about 27 million households, according to the latest Philippine Statistics Authority figures, translating to about 700,000 households with an OFW contributor.
The poll, conducted from March 26 to March 29, also said that 4% of Filipino adults are currently looking for work abroad as they want to help their families with their everyday living expenses.
The SWS also showed 74% of the households often receive money from an OFW, while 10% said they receive “sometimes,” 8 percent said “seldom,” and 9 percent said “never.”
According to the survey, Japan with 14% topped the list as the most cited country “where one aspires to work,” followed by Canada (13%), Saudi Arabia (11%), South Korea (11%), Australia (11%), and the United States of America (9%).
The survey likewise showed that 13 percent of Filipino adults aspire to live abroad.
The Department of Migrant Workers said nearly two million OFWs are currently working abroad.
The survey was conducted using a face-to-face method of 1,200 adults aged 18 and above nationwide, with a sampling error margin of +2.8%.
