Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 16) — Overseas Filipinos sent home more money in June, pulling up total remittances during the first semester of 2021, according to data published by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Monday.
Filipinos abroad remitted $2.93 billion during the month, 7.3% higher than the $2.73 billion tallied in June 2020.
While June’s figure marks the fifth straight month of higher remittances, the recent growth is milder than the 13.3% tallied in May.
The latest turnout brought overall remittances for the first six months of 2021 to $16.61 billion, a 6.7% hike.
Land-based workers with long-term contract sent home $2.32 billion in June, rising by 7.1%. Seafarers and land-based laborers with contract of less than a year made $548 million in remittances, expanding by 6.4% from the year prior.
The United States topped the list of sources for overall remittances for the first semester of 2021, making up 40.1% of the total tally.
It is followed by Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and Japan, said the BSP. Completing the mix are the United Arab Emirates, Canada, South Korea, Qatar and Taiwan.
These countries make up 78.4% of remittances made during the period, said the central bank.
