"It will be from a low of 50,000 to a high of 100,000 OFWs who will be affected if ever," lawyer Jalilo dela Torre, chief of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Southern Mindanao, told reporters Wednesday at the Ugnayan sa Mandaya forum at the Royal Mandaya Hotel.
Dela Torre said the figure will already cover the whole country and not just Southern Mindanao.
Dela Torre said that the OFWs found to be highly vulnerable to the effects of the financial recession presently experienced in Western countries are factory workers in South Korea, Taiwan, and Macau.
This is followed by seafarers in cruise ships and OFWs who work in the US and its territories on a temporary working visa.
Also included in the list are household service workers in Singapore, Macau, and Hong Kong.
The same sentiment was shared by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)-Southern Mindanao chief, Carolina Agdamag, who said that there has been an increase in the demands of some countries, especially in the Middle East.
Even with volatile stock markets worldwide painting a bleak future, the labor department still foresees a silver lining for the overseas Filipino workers.
"Other labor markets are opening up, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Guam," dela Torre said.
The Dole-Southern Mindanao chief also said that even with the absence of any signs of a massive displacement of the OFWs, they are still prepared for any eventuality.
Dela Torre said that they have also created the National Reintegration Center for OFWs in order to cater to the possible influx of OFWs who may be displaced due to the financial recession. (CPM)
