MANILA/MEXICO CITY -- Remittances to emerging nations are projected to fall 25% this year as laborers abroad lose work to the pandemic, slamming their economies.
"I have to survive on rations of rice and canned food," a 54-year-old Manila resident said. His eldest son, working in construction in Saudi Arabia, used to send him about 10,000 pesos ($200) a month to cover food expenses. But the remittances have almost completely stopped.