Mubasher: Remittances from Philippine workers in Kuwait registered a 16% year-on-year drop during the first half of 2018, according to recent data released by the Central Bank of the Philippines.
Remittances reached KWD 106.1 million ($351 million) in H1-18, compared to KWD 126 million ($416.5 million) in H1-17 on the back of the crisis over Philippine workers in the GCC nation early in 2018.
At the beginning of 2018, four Philippine women were lost in Kuwait because they had been abused by their employers, which had driven several to suicide.
The crisis led Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to affirm the continuation of a total ban on the deployment of Philippine workers (OFWs) to Kuwait.
On a monthly basis, Philippine workers’ remittances plunged 21.5% to $51.3 million in June, hitting the lowest level since February, from $62.3 million in May.
It is worth noting that the total number of Philippine workers in Kuwait is 242,100.
