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Sunday, January 15, 2012

OFW remittances hit $1.78B in November

Remittances from overseas Filipinos reached $1.78 billion in November, the highest on record so far, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The remittances in November was a 10.6% increase from the same period in 2010.

For the January to November period, remittances grew by 7.3% to $18.32 billion from a year ago and outpacing the central bank's full-year 2011 remittance growth forecast of 7% despite a slowing U.S. economy and debt problems in Europe.

"The double-digit growth in remittance flows during the month could be attributed to additional funds sent by overseas Filipinos abroad to their families for holiday spending," the BSP said, in a statement.

Remittance growth is seen slowing to 5 percent this year.

The BSP said sustained demand for Filipino manpower helped support the inflows of remittances, despite an economic slowdown in the US and Europe.

For the first 11 months of 2011, major sources of remittances were the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Italy and Germany, and Norway.

The government has cut its growth forecast for 2011 to between 4.5% and 5.5% from a previous estimate of 5 to 6% with weakening trade and a faltering global economy. It also cut its 2012 growth forecast.

Remittances for the whole of 2010 reached a record $18.76 billion, up 8.2% from a year earlier. The country is one of the world's top five recipients of remittances.

Source: ABS-CBN News

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