The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on Monday said the recovery of the deployment of workers in land-based jobs is slower compared to sea-based employment as it noted an overall uptick in the deployment of overseas Filipino workers this year as the top countries of destination begin to ease restrictions.
At the Laging Handa public briefing, POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said while the deployment for seafaring jobs is already returning to pre-pandemic record, land-based deployment is only back at 30 percent in 2021, without stating specific numbers.
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“Unti-unti na po siyang bumabalik sa ating pre-pandemic level bagamat ang landbased natin ay medyo umaangat, hindi ganoon kabilis tulad ng seabased natin,” Olalia said.
“Meron po tayong pinag-angat ng 30 percent magmula sa datos ng 2021 kumpara sa 2022 sa deployment natin sa ating landbased workers.
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According to Olalia, the deployment of overseas Filipino workers dropped by over 74 percent in 2020 and the government data shows over 3.737 million Filipinos went home due to the pandemic, more than half of whom, or over 2.31 million, are returning OFWs.
“Meron na tayong napalipad na mahigit 60 at madadagdagan pa sa mga susunod na linggo o buwan. Ang ating deployment doon ay aabot ng mahigit 500 workers,” Olalia said.
