The number of sea-based overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) deployed abroad fell by 56.67 percent from January to August 2026, according to the latest data from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
The agency recorded 155,966 Filipino seafarers deployed during the first eight months of the year, sharply lower than the 359,938 deployed during the same period in 2025.
Passenger vessels accounted for the largest share of sea-based deployments at 34,653 workers. They were followed by bulk carriers with 33,741, container vessels with 14,168, oil tankers with 9,965, and chemical tankers with 7,380.
The decline comes despite the DMW’s recent statement that Filipino seafarers continue to be regarded as a preferred workforce by shipowners and maritime industry stakeholders around the world.
The broader OFW deployment picture also showed a significant slowdown. From January to August, the Philippines recorded 988,754 land-based OFWs deployed overseas, down 24.68 percent from the 1.31 million recorded during the comparable period in 2025.
Saudi Arabia remained the largest destination for land-based Filipino workers, receiving 169,361 deployments. The United Arab Emirates followed with 165,477, while Singapore recorded 113,263. Hong Kong had 105,966 and Qatar had 64,616.
Earlier DMW figures covering January to July had already shown a steep contraction in OFW deployment. During that period, sea-based deployments stood at 127,466, compared with 338,119 a year earlier. Overall OFW deployment was also down by about 34 percent.
The decline has been linked by recruitment analysts to weaker hiring conditions in several overseas markets, including disruptions associated with the prolonged Middle East crisis. Analysts have also pointed to slower economic and tourism recovery in some destinations as factors affecting overseas recruitment.
The latest figures highlight a widening gap between the Philippines’ longstanding reputation as a major source of maritime workers and the number of Filipino workers actually being deployed overseas in 2026. The data also indicate that the slowdown is affecting both sea-based and land-based employment, rather than being limited to the maritime sector.
