Happy but homesick, OFWs wait for a better Philippines before returning
MANILA, Philippines — Most overseas Filipino workers are carrying the weight of an emotionally complex life abroad, but they cannot return home yet, not until there is a better Philippines.
Boston Consulting Group surveyed 1,337 OFWs across the United States, Asia, the Middle East and the United Kingdom in February 2026 to determine the emotions Filipino workers often feel about life abroad and how these affect their intent to return to the Philippines.
In its report released Thursday, June 18, BCG said that while 47% of OFWs said they are happy with their life abroad, 43% also said they feel homesick, revealing an emotional complexity that contributes to their uncertainty over moving back to the Philippines.
More than half of OFWs, or 56%, remain undecided about moving back to the Philippines, while only one in five Filipino workers abroad expressed certainty about returning home, based on the report.
“This emotional texture matters because return is not a purely rational calculation. It is also a feeling about home, and about whether the Philippines can hold what the OFW has become,” the report said.
Last resort
One in 14 Filipino families has an OFW, based on the report. It also cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showing there were 2.19 million OFWs in 2024, the highest in five years.
BCG said that if that population were considered a single province, it would rank eighth among the most populated in the country.
The survey, however, also showed that working abroad is not the first choice of many Filipino workers, but rather a last resort after trying several local alternatives. Only 17%, or about one in six OFWs, were certain about leaving.
Thirty-two percent of OFWs said they considered continuing in the same job, 27% considered starting a small business, 19% looked for jobs in a different province or city, while 18% looked for jobs in the same province or city where they lived.
As Filipinos leave, a majority, or 76%, cited expected salary as their top consideration. This aligns with the top priority of OFWs, with 57% saying they aspire to have a large savings fund.
This also tracks with the main reasons identified by the report as forces that push many Filipinos to work abroad: 69% want higher income potential, while one in three OFWs said they were forced to migrate due to the lack of local job opportunities.
“Migration becomes the path often only when the options at home feel too slow, too limited, or too uncertain,” the report said.
‘A Philippines ready for them’
While most OFWs remain undecided about whether to come home, 14% said they would most probably move back to the Philippines and 21% said they are certain about returning.
OFWs and the question of returning home
Selected figures from the Boston Consulting Group report "The Filipino Abroad" on overseas Filipino workers
| Indicator | Figure | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| OFWs surveyed | 1,337 | Respondents were surveyed across the United States, Asia, the Middle East and the United Kingdom in February 2026. |
| Happy with life abroad | 47% | Nearly half said they are happy with their life overseas. |
| Feel homesick | 43% | A large share also reported homesickness, underscoring the emotional tension of life abroad. |
| Undecided about returning | 56% | More than half remain unsure about moving back to the Philippines. |
| Certain about returning | 21% | Only about one in five said they are certain they will return home. |
| Would most probably return | 14% | An additional share said they are likely, though not certain, to move back. |
| Certain about leaving | 17% | Only one in six said working abroad was a definite choice from the start. |
| OFW families in the Philippines | 1 in 14 | The report said one in 14 Filipino families has an overseas Filipino worker. |
| OFWs in 2024 | 2.19 million | PSA data cited in the report said this was the highest OFW population in five years. |
The report said, however, that lack of financial stability delays even those committed to returning. Most of them, or 81%, are still waiting to reach a financial or savings goal, while 52% are waiting for a child to finish school.
For those likely to return home, the factors affecting their decision are mostly tied to the lack of job opportunities in the country. Sixty percent worry about the difficulty of landing a job, 58% consider family emergencies or financial crises, 56% are concerned about their safety or future in the Philippines, and 51% believe there are better job offers outside the country.
"Taken together, these are not the concerns of people waiting to feel emotionally ready. They are the concerns of people waiting for a Philippines that is ready for them," the report said.
The report concluded that the emotional complexity of feeling both happiness and homesickness, although prevalent among OFWs, is not enough to make them return.
In reality, the fear of losing everything they have worked hard for under current conditions in the Philippines keeps many from coming home.
“What is missing, for many, is confidence. Confidence that there are jobs worth returning to. Confidence that a medical emergency will not erase what took a decade to build. Confidence that the schools, the streets, and the systems are reliable enough that coming home does not feel like a step backward,” the report said.
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