Will recent events in the Middle East Affect Remittance Flows to South Asia?

For countries with substantial numbers of workers in the Middle East, recent events have not only raised concerns for the repatriation and welfare of their citizens, but have also raised fears of a possible slowdown in remittances. Will remittance flows noticeably decrease due to recent events 
in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia? Read more

PHILIPPINES: Remittances from Libya, Yemen, Bahrain 1.3% of total, says central bank

Money sent home by overseas Filipino workers in strife-torn countries in the Middle East and North Africa is only 1.3 percent to the total remittances last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said Thursday.

"The potential disruption [of money transfers] is something we can tolerate," BSP Assistant Gov. Cyd Tuano-Amador told reporters. But this disruption could eventually matter if the violence continues in strife-torn Libya, Yemen, and Bahrain, she added.

Remittances grew 8.2 percent to a record $18.76 billion last year, from $17.35 billion in 2009, as 
demand for skilled Filipino workers remains strong, the central bank reported on Feb. 15.


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PHILIPPINES: Philippine Peso Gains on Speculation Drop Overdone; Bonds Fall

The Philippine peso rose for the first time in three days as some investors took advantage of declines triggered by unrest in the Middle East to buy the currency. Government bonds fell.

The peso has retreated 0.5 percent since Feb. 18 following a 1.1 percent weekly advance that marked it’s best performance in five months. Today’s rebound was modest because of concern instability in countries including Libya, Egypt and Bahrain will drive up the cost of crude oil imported by the Philippines and curb remittances from Filipinos living in the region, according to Marcelo Ayes, a Manila-based senior vice president at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

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