CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA 7) – Domestic workers top the list of skilled workers deployed overseas from Central Visayas.
During the 15th episode of the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas in Central Visayas, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) 7 regional director Reynaldo B. Jacalan disclosed that domestic workers are at the top of the list of skills that Central Visayas deployed overseas.
“Ang first gyud is ang domestic worker kanang ang trabaho kay naa sa panimalay, mao gyud na’y pinakadaghan pa nato,” Jacalan said.
(Foremost are the domestic workers, those that work in houses. They make up the highest volume of workers that work overseas.)
In Central Visayas, OWWA-7 identified the following top 10 skills that the region contributes to the overall number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW):
- Domestic workers
- Factory workers
- Bosun (an officer who is in-charge of the equipment and crews of a ship)
- Able seaman
- Ganger, also known as chargehand
- Construction workers
- Electricians
- Welders
- Land-based and sea-based pipe fitters
- Carpenters
Jacalan said the common destinations for factory workers are Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.
OWWA-7 records show that Central Visayas has around 330,000 OFWs, of which almost half are from Cebu and the rest are from Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.
However, Jacalan underscored that this figure is not yet the final total due to the addresses of the OFW, particularly the seafarers located mostly in Metro Manila.
“Kung seafarer, moingon man na’g Manila ang address kay toa man didto ang manning agency. Kung moingon sila og Siquijor basin dili sila tawagan kay layo kaayo,” Jacalan said.
(Seafarers usually use Manila as their address because that’s where the manning agencies are. If they say they are from Siquijor, they may not be contacted because of their distant location.)
In view of this, OFWs in Central Visayas may reach around 400,000, said Jacalan.
To learn more about the programs and services of OWWA-7, watch the full episode here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/vGnuiDw3Ta5Uhgqs/. (JJT/PIA7-Cebu)
