MANILA Philippines AP More than 500 overseas Filipino workers died between January and September this year and 936 others are being held in jails a government official said Tuesday. An estimated 4.5 million Filipinos work abroad chiefly as housemaids entertainers and construction workers. Marilyn Alarilla a Department of Foreign Affairs official said accidents crimes and health problems caused most of the deaths. Last year 576 Filipino workers died abroad including 156 women. Alarilla said the government has worked to restrict employment of Filipino housemaids in some Middle Eastern countries where many cases of abuse have been reported in the past. Under the restrictions maids can work only for diplomats and government officials in these nations. Philippine officials also require maids and most other women workers applying for work abroad to be at least 25 years old to ensure that they are mature enough to handle difficult workplace situations. Of the jailed Filipino workers 356 are in the Middle East and Africa 359 in Pacific Rim countries 172 in Central and South America and 49 in Europe. More than 260 of those jailed in the Middle East are in Saudi Arabia she said. Many Filipinos are forced to work in other countries because of a shortage of job opportunities at home. They often endure daily indignities ranging from verbal abuse to sexual advances from their employers. But Filipinos at home generally see them as privileged for being able to work overseas for higher wages. Some officials estimate that more than 6 million Filipinos work abroad since many do not register with government agencies. The money the overseas workers send home is the country's biggest source of foreign exchange in the Philippines. In 1997 overseas workers sent home dlrs 5.7 billion through official channels and much more through other means helping soften the effects on the Philippines of the Asian currency crisis. APW19981201.0788.txt.body.html APW19981201.0094.txt.body.html