Sounds like a lot of nonsense.
OFW remittances amounted to 23 Billion $$ last year.. This is the reason I cannot get a seat in pizza hut these days..Fortunately I hate Jollibee as you need to book a week in advance to be able to sit down in there! These food outlets all around the country are full to the brim EVERY DAY!! Doesnt look much like a starving country to me.

Incidentally I remember the 1997 economic crisis -the effect on the Philippines was considerable. The reason there is so little effect this time is that the Philippines exports so few manufactured goods - most exports are agricultural products to the USA.
I would have thought that most agri products like bananas and coco produce goes to near by China and Japan along with mined natural resourses such as gold,silver,nickel,copper etc..The mineral resources for example are massive..Around 4/5 trillion $ beneath their feet..A potential that probably will never be realized because of unnecessary environmental concerns and very bad foreign investment policies and laws..
The R.P cannot produce anywhere near enough of its staple foods such as rice and need to import large amounts.
The 1997 asian economic crisis hit the R.P almost to 0% growth because the serious drop of it exports to its Asian neighbours.. I would take a serious bet that it was the OFW remittances that prevented things getting a whole lot worse back then.
He conveniently forgot to mention that Filipinos don't want to work abroad, away from their familes, and only do so because there is no work for them at home.
I know of many Filipinos that work abroad,wish to settle and never return.. Thats good.. If they all came back here the islands may begin to sink!
Im not here to argue the point of the Bishop...Im just saying I think he made a valid point based on OFW facts..
He went on to say that the R.P was not suffering economically like the west as the country was actively following God`s plan.
Most Filipinos believe him so I suppose we had better just get over it!!