The overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) has been global economy’s in demand and surges in 2005 according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), even there’s a new Japanese visa regulation for Filipino entertainers.

Labor and Employment Secretary Patricia A. Sto. Tomas said from January 1 to December 31, 2005 the total number of OFWs employment contracts processed reached 981,337 which is higher than the 941,722 contracts processed in the same period in 2004.

She also said that the solid gains in the global scene has resulted the government to achieved its persistent campaign against illegal recruitment and human trafficking, as well as efficient, fruitful marketing efforts complemented by the push to improve the welfare and protection of OFWs worldwide.

"Our global welfare thrusts for the OFWs have been strengthened further with the reinvigoration of our more than 30 Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLO) in key cities overseas with significant OFW populations, including two new POLOs situated in Brussels, Belgium which is the seat of the European economy, and in Jordan complementing other POLOs in the Middle East," Sto. Tomas noted.

"Even as our figures are preliminary and do not yet include the records from the country's regional international exit points, we expect the total global deployment and number of overseas employment contracts for 2005 to increase further as the final data come in," she added.

The overseas labor market in 2005 was highlighted by both land-based OFWs and the Filipino seafarers by foreign employer continuous preference. The land-based sector of OFWs, according to her has reached 679,009 of overseas employment contracts as of December 31, 2005 surpassing by 28,803 the 650,206 processed in the same period in 2004. While on the maritime front, the total global employment contracts processed for Filipino seafarers surpassed the 300,000 mark for the first time in 2005, reaching 302,328 or 10,812 higher than the 291,516 contracts processed during the previous year.

"Per our preliminary data, more overseas employment contracts were processed for new hire land-based workers, reaching a global total of 399,696 in 2005, or 8,933 higher the 390,763 processed in 2004," she said, adding that the contracts processed for rehired OFWs also grew to 279,313 in 2005, or 19,869 more than the 259,444 previously processed.

"On the average, some 2,711 overseas employment contracts for both land- and sea-based OFWs have been processed on a daily basis in 2005, or almost five percent (5%) more than the average 2,594 contracts processed daily in 2004," Sto. Tomas further said.