More than 10.8 million Filipinos lived overseas in the second half of 2024, according to figures presented by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
The DFA reported a total of 10,804,958 overseas Filipinos, with the largest share — 5.4 million — in the Americas. The Asia-Pacific region followed with 2.44 million, while 2.1 million were in the Middle East.
More than half (54.41 percent) of overseas Filipinos were permanent migrants, 34.59 percent were documented or temporary migrants, and 11.01 percent were irregular or undocumented.
The United States hosts the largest Filipino community, with 4.42 million residents, followed by Canada with 973,881 and Malaysia with 950,043.
The DFA also noted it maintains 67 embassies, 27 consulates general, and four permanent missions worldwide. It plans to expand its diplomatic presence with new embassies in Fiji, Ghana, and Kazakhstan, and consulates in South Korea, Vietnam, and the U.S. in the coming years.
Sen. Loren Legarda urged continued investment in embassies and consulates, stressing their role not only in serving overseas Filipinos but also in advancing trade and economic relations.
