Nearly one in every 60 MIMAROPAns 15 years old and over is an overseas worker
    
In 2020, about 37,233 persons or 1.7 percent of the MIMAROPA Region’s household population 15 years old and over were overseas workers. Moreover, a total of 5,402 persons or 17.0 percent were added from the reported 31,831 overseas workers reported in the 2015 Census of Population (2015 PopCen). (Figure 1 and Table A)

An overseas worker is one who is currently out of the country due to an overseas employment. He/she may or may not have a specific work contract or may be presently at home on vacation but has an existing overseas employment to return to. 

Oriental Mindoro registers the biggest proportion of overseas workers

Among provinces in the region, Oriental Mindoro had the highest number of overseas workers at 19.3 thousand persons. This constitutes 51.8 percent of the total overseas workers from the MIMAROPA Region. In addition, a total of 2.8 thousand persons or 17.0 percent were added to the 16.5 thousand overseas workers coming from this province as reported in the 2015 PopCen. (Figure 1 and Table A)

Meanwhile, the province with the lowest number of overseas workers was Romblon at nearly 2.4 thousand. This corresponds to 6.3 percent share to the regional population of overseas workers. Relative to the 2015 PopCen, Romblon and Occidental Mindoro exhibited a decline in the reported number of Overseas Workers by 14.2 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively. (Table 1 and Table A)

In 2020, overseas workers who originated from the MIMAROPA Region was most prevalent in Oriental Mindoro relative to other provinces in the region with 3.1 percent share to the province’s household population. This was followed by Marinduque with 2.7 percent of its household population comprised of overseas workers. Meanwhile, Palawan, excluding the highly urbanized City of Puerto Princesa, had the least percentage share of overseas workers at 0.7 percent. (Figure 2 and Table A)

 
Sex ratio among Overseas Workers stands at 87 males per 100 females

Of the 37.2 thousand Overseas Workers from the MIMAROPA Region, nearly 19.9 thousand (53.4%) were female while about 17.3 thousand (46.6%) were male. This translates to a sex ratio of 87 males for every 100 females.  (Table 1)

The highest representation of overseas workers in terms of age group falls between 30 to 34 years with a total of 6.8 thousand persons or 18.4 percent of the total number of overseas workers from the MIMAROPA Region. Other age groups with more than 10.0 percent share to the regional number of overseas workers include 35 to 39 years with 6.3 thousand persons (16.8%), 25 to 29 years with 5.9 thousand persons (15.9%), and 40 to 44 years with (13.4%).  (Table 1)

Females outnumbered males for those overseas workers 25 to 40 years old from the MIMAROPA Region. It can be noted that the sex ratio of these age groups ranges from 71 to 98 males per 100 females. On the other hand, males dominated females on those age groups 15 to 24 years old and 50 years old and over with sex ratio ranging from 100 to 146 males per 100 females. (Table 1)

More than half of overseas workers are legally married

Of the 37.2 thousand overseas workers from the MIMAROPA Region, around 18.9 thousand persons or 50.9 percent were legally married. In addition, 10.0 thousand persons or 26.9 percent were never married. The rest of the total population of overseas workers was categorized as follows: in common-law or live-in marital arrangement (13.6%), divorced, separated or annulled (5.5%), and widowed (3.1%). (Figure 3 and Table B)
 

Nearly nine in every ten overseas workers are Non-Indigenous Peoples

Among 37.2 thousand overseas workers, nearly 33.3 thousand or 89.3 percent were classified as non-Indigenous Peoples.  Of these, Tagalog had the largest share of 
74.8 percent, and was followed by Bisaya / Binisaya (7.1%), Ilocano (5.0%), Romblomanon (4.7%), and Ilonggo (3.4%). (Figure 4, Table C and Table D-1)

Moreover, 3.3 thousand overseas workers from the region or 9.0 percent belonged to ethnic groups solely identified by the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) as Indigenous Peoples. More than half or 50.2 percent of these overseas workers were Cuyonen / Cuyunon. Other major Indigenous Peoples groups as ethnicity of overseas workers originating from the MIMAROPA Region include Bantoanon (14.5%), Palawan-o (5.1%), Ati (4.7%), and Cagayanen (4.2%). 
(Figure 4 and Table D-2)

More than three in every 500 overseas workers has dual citizenship

About 36.8 thousand overseas workers from the MIMAROPA Region are Filipino citizens in 2020. This comprised 98.8 percent of the all overseas workers from the region. Females outnumbered males with sex ratio of 86 male overseas workers per 100 female overseas workers. (Table 2 and Table E)

On the other hand, 254 overseas workers from the region had dual citizenship (0.7%) and 207 overseas workers who were foreign citizens (0.6%). The sex ratio for overseas workers with dual citizenship is 125 males per 100 females. Meanwhile on overseas workers who were foreign citizens, males dominated females with a share of 80.2 percent. (Table 2 and Table E)

Among those overseas workers with dual citizenship from the region, 86 were Filipino-Americans (33.8%). In addition, Filipino-Italians and Filipino-Canadians each totaled to 37 persons (14.6%). Further, Filipino-Germans and Filipino-Australians reached 15 persons (5.9%) and 10 persons (3.9%), respectively. (Table F-1)
 

On the number of overseas workers from the region with foreign citizenship relative to the reference date and time of the census, those who are citizen of the United States of America were the highest with 31 persons (15.0%). It was followed by those who are citizens from Germany with 18 persons (8.7%) and Vietnam with 17 persons (8.2%). (Table F-2)

Four in every five overseas workers are Roman Catholic 
    
Of the 37.2 thousand overseas workers from the MIMAROPA Region, 80.5 percent or nearly 30.0 thousand persons reported Roman Catholic as their religious affiliation. It was followed by Iglesia ni Cristo with 1.1 thousand overseas workers (3.7%), Seventh Day Adventist with 688 overseas workers (1.8%), and Islam with 516 overseas workers (1.4%). (Table 3)

Twelve in every 25 overseas workers have reached college level

Among 37.3 thousand overseas workers, nearly 18.0 thousand persons or 48.3 percent had reached or completed college level (graduate: 34.1%, and undergraduate: 14.2%). This was followed by those overseas workers who reached or completed high school level at 13.2 thousand or 35.5 percent (graduate: 26.1%, and undergraduate: 9.3%), and elementary level at nearly 2.6 thousand or 6.9 percent (graduate: 4.0%, and undergraduate: 2.9%). Furthermore, around 2.3 thousand overseas workers from the region or 6.3 percent attained or finished a short-cycle tertiary course (graduate: 6.2%, and undergraduate: 0.1%). (Figure 5 and Table G)

The statistics presented in this special release were based on the information provided by the respondent or any responsible member in the household who may provide accurate answers to the questions and give correct information about the household.

(SGD) LENI R. RIOFLORIDO
Regional Director

MLLM / OHG / RRL