The number of overseas Filipinos bound in inter-marriages in host
countries has reached 309,745, latest data from the Commission on
Filipinos Overseas (CFO) show.
At a conference on overseas Filipinos organized by the Bangko Sentral Pilipinas in Manial, acting CFO director Golda Roma said that the number of inter-marriages in 2006 at 24,954 was triple the number in 1989, which stood at 7,819.
In terms of distribution, the U.S. has the highest number of Filipino inter-marriages with 124,638 or 40.24 per cent of the total. Japan follows with 94,792 or 30.60 per cent. Australia is third with 25,073 or 8.09 per cent.
Ranking fourth is Canada with 12,401 or 4 percent, and fifth among the top five is Gemany with 11.307 or 3.65 percent. The United Kingdom has only 5,780 or 1.87 per cent.
Among Asian host countries, Taiwan has the highest number with 6,950 or 2.24 percent. South Korea follows with 4,582 or 1.48 percent.
The remaining 21,989 or 7.10 per cent are distributed in other countries.
Director Roma said that most of the information gathered was taken from the records of Philippine foreign services posts and from the census of host countries. Official records show that overseas Filipinos are now scattered in 193 countries all over the world.