MONEY sent home by overseas Filipinos fell to its lowest level in 11 months in April, according to latest figures released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Monday.
Cash remittances — those sent via banks and formal channels — reached $2.718 billion for the month, dropping from $2.874 billion in March and marking the weakest inflow since May 2025’s $2.658 billion. Even so, the amount was slightly higher compared to the $2.664 billion recorded in April last year.
Broken down by sector, land‑based workers contributed the bulk at $2.12 billion, while sea‑based personnel sent home $0.59 billion. Despite the monthly decline, remittances in the first four months of the year still grew, totaling $11.396 billion — an improvement from the $11.107 billion posted in the same period in 2025.
The United States remained the top source of funds, accounting for 39.7% of total inflows. It was followed by Singapore at 7.3%, Saudi Arabia at 6.4%, Japan at 5.1%, and the United Arab Emirates at 4.6%. Rounding out the leading sources were the United Kingdom (4.4%), Canada (3.1%), Qatar (2.9%), Taiwan (2.8%), and Hong Kong (2.7%), with the remaining 21.0% coming from other countries. “The United States remained the dominant source of inflows, followed by Singapore and Saudi Arabia, indicating stable geographic concentration,” the BSP noted. The central bank also clarified that remittances through money couriers are recorded under the country where the firm’s headquarters is located — often the U.S. — and cannot be traced to the actual origin of the funds.
Meanwhile, personal remittances — which include cash, goods, and transfers through informal channels — amounted to $3.037 billion in April. This was lower than March’s $3.203 billion but higher than the $2.975 billion registered in April 2025. Cumulative personal remittances from January to April stood at $12.701 billion, also higher than the $12.372 billion recorded in the same months last year.
