Incoming National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chief Ernesto Pernia said the Philippines should aim to be like South Korea and Thailand, who no longer need to send overseas workers.
He said the economic term of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte will endeavor to produce more jobs in the country so that employment overseas will merely be an option and not a necessity for Filipino workers.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) is an estimated 2.4 million based on a survey conducted from April 1 to September 30, 2015.
A June 15 report from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) stated that OFWs around the world remitted P1.20 trillion to the Philippines in 2014.
Pernia listed the many problems of working overseas, which include injustices committed against the OFW by their recruiter or employer. He added that many OFWs would rather work in the Philippines than abroad in order to keep their families together.
