One in every 90 persons in Romblon’s household population 15 years old and over is an overseas worker
    
In 2020, about 2,358 persons or 1.1 percent of the Romblon’s household population 15 years old and over were overseas workers. This shows a decline of 389 persons, or 14.2 percent in 2020, compared to the 2,747 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. 

Odiongan registers the biggest proportion of overseas workers

Among the municipalities of Romblon, Odiongan had the highest number of overseas workers at 456 persons. This constitutes 19.3 percent of the total overseas workers from the province. It was followed by Romblon (Capital) and Cajidiocan with a percentage share of 10.0 percent and 9.2 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, the municipality with the lowest number of overseas workers was Concepcion with 35 persons. This corresponds to a 1.5 percent share to the provincial population of overseas workers. (Figure 1 and Table A)

Throughout the province, the municipality of Alcantara registered the highest percentage decline of overseas workers at 50.9 percent. It was followed by Romblon and Looc with a corresponding decline of 36.0 percent and 34.1 percent. On the other hand, an increase was observed in some municipalities in Romblon. Concepcion had the highest percentage increase at 66.7 percent, followed by Magdiwang at 59.1 percent and Calatrava with a 50.0 percent increase in the total overseas worker population. (Table A)
 

In 2020, overseas workers who originated from the province of Romblon were most prevalent in Calatrava relative to other municipalities in the province with a 2.0 percent share of the municipality’s household population. This was followed by Magdiwang with 1.7 percent. Moreover, San Andres, Cajidiocan, and Concepcion had 1.4 percent of its household population comprised of overseas workers. Odiongan, which had the highest number of overseas workers in Romblon, registered at 1.3 percent. Meanwhile, Corcuera had the lowest percentage share of overseas workers at 0.6 percent. (Figure 2 and Table A)

Sex ratio among overseas workers stands at 123 males per 100 females

Of the 2,358 overseas workers from the province of Romblon, nearly 1.3 thousand (55.1%) were male while about 1.1 thousand (44.9%) were female. This translates to a sex ratio of approximately 123 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 454 persons or 19.3 percent of the total number of overseas workers from the province of Romblon. Other age groups with more than 10.0 percent share to the provincial number of overseas workers include 35 to 39 years with 409 persons (17.3%), 40 to 44 years with 348 persons (15.9%), and 25 to 29 years with (13.6%).  (Table 1)

Males outnumbered females for those overseas workers 15 to 34 years old and 40 and over from Romblon. It can be noted that the sex ratio of these age groups ranges from 104 to 190 males per 100 females. On the other hand, females dominated males in the age group 35 to 39 years old with a sex ratio of 96 males per 100 females. (Table 1)

More than half of overseas workers are legally married

Of the 2,358 overseas workers from the province of Romblon, around 1.2 thousand persons or 53.0 percent were legally married. In addition, 628 persons or 26.6 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 (14.2%), divorced, separated or annulled (3.1%), and widowed (3.1%). (Figure 2 and Table B)

Two in every three overseas workers are Non-Indigenous Peoples

Among 2.4 thousand overseas workers, nearly 1.6 thousand or 66.8 percent were classified as non-Indigenous Peoples. Of these, Romblomanon had the largest share of 84.8 percent, and was followed by Tagalog (6.1%), Ilonggo (1.6%), and Ilocano (1.0%). (Figure 3, Table D1)

Moreover, 758 overseas workers from the province or 32.1 percent belonged to ethnic groups solely identified by the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) as Indigenous Peoples. A large majority of these overseas workers were Bantoanon with 62.4 percent. Other major Indigenous Peoples groups as ethnicity of overseas workers originating from the province include Ati (20.7%) and Sibuyan Mangyan-Tigabukid (12.4%). (Figure 3 and Table D2)

Majority of overseas workers are Filipino Citizen

A total of 2,306 overseas workers from Romblon were Filipino citizens in 2020. This comprised 97.8 percent of all overseas workers from the province. Males outnumbered females with sex ratio of 120 male overseas workers per 100 female overseas workers. (Table 2 and Table E)

On the other hand, 32 overseas workers from the province had dual citizenship (1.4%), and 20 overseas workers who were foreign citizens (0.8%). Males dominated females among those overseas workers with dual citizenship at 78.1 percent share. Likewise, males had a 75.0 percent share among overseas workers with foreign citizenship. (Table 2 and Table E)

Among those overseas workers with dual citizenship from the province, Filipino-Americans had the largest share at 53.1 percent. This was followed by Filipino-Canadians at 15.6 percent. (Table F1)
 

On the number of overseas workers from the province with foreign citizenship relative to the reference date and time of the census, those who are citizen of Germany were the highest at 35.0 percent share and was followed by those who are citizens from United States of America at 20.0 percent and from Viet Nam and India each with 10.0 percent share. (Table F-2)

Two in every three overseas workers are Roman Catholic 
    
Of the 2,358 overseas workers from Romblon, 67.7 percent or nearly 1.6 thousand persons reported Roman Catholic as their religious affiliation.  It was followed by Iglesia Filipina Independiente with 257 overseas workers (10.9%), Church of the Foursquare Gospel in the Philippines Incorporated with 126 overseas workers (5.3%), Seventh Day Adventist with 87 overseas workers (3.7%), and Iglesia ni Cristo with 54 overseas workers (2.3%). (Table 3)

Six in every ten overseas workers have reached college level

Among 2,358 overseas workers from the province, about 1.4 thousand persons or 59.9 percent had reached or completed college level (graduate: 46.9%, and undergraduate: 13.0%). This was followed by those overseas workers who only reached or completed high school level at 594 or 25.2 percent (graduate: 20.5%, and undergraduate: 4.7%), and short-cycle tertiary course with 149 or 6.3 percent (graduate: 6.3%, and undergraduate: 0.0%). Furthermore, around 103 overseas workers from the province or 4.4 percent attained or finished elementary level (graduate: 2.7%, and undergraduate: 1.7%). (Figure 4 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 / AMO