MANILA - The increase in money sent home by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from April to September last year reflects the growth in their earnings during the period, according to a survey conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO).

The survey showed that OFWs remitted an average of P83,000 to their families in the Philippines from April to September last year, higher than P75,000 recorded in the same period in 2007. However, NSO said OFWs may have earned more during the period.

"The remittances presented in the results may just be a part of the total salary received by the OFWs," the NSO said.

The country's remittance inflows reached P141.9 billion from April to September last year, up by P32.1 billion from P110 billion in the same period in 2007. Cash sent home accounted for 73.2 percent of total remittances, followed by cash brought home (21.5 percent) and remittances in kind (5.2 percent).

Of the total cash remittances, 76.1 percent were coursed through banks, 11.8 percent through door-to-door, 7.5 percent through other means, and 4.6 percent through agencies, local offices, friends, or co-workers.

On the average, OFWs sent P63,000 in cash during the six-month period, or more than P10,000 a month. On top of cash remittances, OFWs who went home also brought money and other items to their families.

By occupation, managers, supervisors and executives had the highest average remittances during the six-month period, amounting to P111,000. Next were professionals (P86,000), technicians (P82,000), and laborers and unskilled workers (P38,000).

NSO said migrant workers in Asia, which account for 78.2 percent of all OFWs, sent the biggest cash remittance of P69.9 billion. Some of the top destinations for OFWs include Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Qatar, Taiwan, Europe, and North and South America.