OFWs mga Bagong Bayani

Imagine a world without Filipinos

2010-10-23T12:20:00.000+08:00

Writing an essay I searched for this article and now I am reposting here so I can go back to it when I need it. I will be posting in this blog some of those that I have written for Sulyapinoy.

Imagine a world without Filipinos
By: Abdullah Al-Maghlooth (Arab News. 16 Jun 2008)
(accessed 23 October 2010)

Muhammad Al-Maghrabi became handicapped and shut down his flower and gifts shop business in Jeddah after his Filipino workers insisted on leaving and returning home. He says: “When they left, I felt as if I had lost my arms. I was so sad that I lost my appetite.”

Al-Maghrabi then flew to Manila to look for two other Filipino workers to replace the ones who had left. Previously, he had tried workers of different nationalities but they did not impress him. “There is no comparison between Filipinos and others,” he says. Whenever I see Filipinos working in the Kingdom, I wonder what our life would be without them.

Saudi Arabia has the largest number of Filipino workers — 1,019,577 — outside the Philippines. In 2006 alone, the Kingdom recruited more than 223,000 workers from the Philippines and their numbers are still increasing. Filipinos not only play an important and effective role in the Kingdom, they also perform different jobs in countries across the world, including working as sailors. They are known for their professionalism and the quality of their work.

Nobody here can think of a life without Filipinos, who make up around 20 percent of the world’s seafarers. There are 1.2 million Filipino sailors.

So if Filipinos decided one day to stop working or go on strike for any reason, who would transport oil, food and heavy equipment across the world? We can only imagine the disaster that would happen.

What makes Filipinos unique is their ability to speak very good English and the technical training they receive in the early stages of their education. There are several specialized training institutes in the Philippines, including those specializing in engineering and road maintenance. This training background makes them highly competent in these vital areas.

When speaking about the Philippines, we should not forget Filipino nurses. They are some 23 percent of the world’s total number of nurses. The Philippines is home to over 190 accredited nursing colleges and institutes, from which some 9,000 nurses graduate each year. Many of them work abroad in countries such as the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Singapore.

Cathy Ann, a 35-year-old Filipino nurse who has been working in the Kingdom for the last five years and before that in Singapore, said she does not feel homesick abroad because “I am surrounded by my compatriots everywhere.” Ann thinks that early training allows Filipinos to excel in nursing and other vocations. She started learning this profession at the age of four as her aunt, a nurse, used to take her to hospital and ask her to watch the work. “She used to kiss me whenever I learned a new thing. At the age of 11, I could do a lot. I began doing things like measuring my grandfather’s blood pressure and giving my mother her insulin injections,” she said.

This type of early education system is lacking in the Kingdom. Many of our children reach the university stage without learning anything except boredom.

The Philippines, which you can barely see on the map, is a very effective country thanks to its people. It has the ability to influence the entire world economy.

We should pay respect to Filipino workers, not only by employing them but also by learning from their valuable experiences.

We should learn and educate our children on how to operate and maintain ships and oil tankers, as well as planning and nursing and how to achieve perfection in our work. This is a must so that we do not become like Muhammad Al-Maghrabi who lost his interest and appetite when Filipino workers left his flower shop.

We have to remember that we are very much dependent on the Filipinos around us. We could die a slow death if they chose to leave us.

SHARE KO LANG PO PARA SA MGA OFW

2009-07-22T18:34:00.000+08:00

Mula sa email box ibinabahagi sa lahat:
Subject: SHARE KO LANG PO PARA SA MGA OFW

Message:

Sa may asawa, kapatid, anak, kaibigan, at kamag-anak na OFW.
At lalo na sa mga gustong mangibang-bansa. ..
Nais ko rin ibahagi sa inyo, ang natanggap kong email na ito.
Maaaring makatulong ito upang lalong maintindihan ng bawa't isa ang
tunay na ibig sabihin ng pagiging isang OFW. Tiyak na may mapupulot
tayong aral dito.

Hindi mayaman ang OFW - We have this notion na 'pag OFW o nasa abroad ay
mayaman na. Hindi totoo yun. A regular OFW might earn from P20K-P300K
per month depende sa lokasyon. Yung mga taga-Saudi or US siguro ay mas
malaki ang sweldo, but to say that they're rich is a fallacy (amen!).

Malaki ang pangangailangan kaya karamihan ay nag-a-abroad. Maraming
bunganga ang kailangang pakainin kaya umaalis ang mga pipol sa
Philippines . Madalas, 3/4 o kalahati ng sweldo ay napupunta sa tuition
ng anak at gastusin ng pamilya.

Mahirap maging OFW - Kailangan magtipid hangga't kaya. Oo, masarap ang
pagkain sa abroad pero madalas na paksiw o adobo at itlog lang tinitira
para makaipon. Pagdating ng kinsenas o katapusan, ang unang tinitingnan
eh ang conversion ng peso sa dollar o rial o euro. Mas okay na magtiis
sa konti kaysa gutumin ang pamilya. Kapag umuuwi, kailangan may baon
kahit konti kasi maraming kamag-anak ang sumusundo sa airport o
naghihintay sa probinsya. Alam mo naman 'pag Pinoy, yung tsismis na OFW
ka eh surely attracts a lot of kin.

Kapag hindi mo nabigyan ng pasalubong eh magtatampo na yun at sisiraan
ka na. Well, hindi naman lahat pero I'm sure sa mga OFW dito eh may mga
pangyayaring ganun. Magtatrabaho ka sa bansang iba ang tingin sa mga
Pinoy. Malamang marami ang naka-experience ng gulang o discrimination to
their various workplaces. Sige lang, tiis lang, iniiyak na lang kasi
kawawa naman pamilya 'pag umuwi.

Besides, wala ka naman talagang maasahang trabaho sa Philippines ngayon.
Mahal ang bigas, ang gatas, ang sardinas, ang upa sa apartment. Tiis
lang kahit maraming kupal sa trabaho, kahit may sakit at walang
nag-aalaga, kahit hindi masarap ang tsibog, kahit pangit ang working
conditions, kahit delikado, kahit mahirap. Kapag nakapadala ka na, okay
na, tawag lang, "hello! kumusta na kayo?".

Hindi bato ang OFW - Tao rin ang OFW, hindi money o cash machine.
Napapagod rin, nalulungkot (madalas), nagkakasakit, nag-iisip at
nagugutom. Kailangan din ang suporta, kundi man physically, emotionally
o spiritually man lang.

Tumatanda rin ang OFW - Sa mga nakausap at nakita ko, marami ang panot
at kalbo na. Most of them have signs and symptoms of hypertension,
coronary artery disease and arthritis.. Yet, they continue to work
thinking about the family they left behind. Marami ang nasa abroad,
20-30 years na, pero wala pa ring ipon. Kahit anong pakahirap, sablay pa
rin. Masakit pa kung olats rin ang sinusuportahang pamilya - ang anak
adik o nabuntis; ang asawa may kabit. Naalala ko tuloy ang sikat na
kanta dati, "NAPAKASAKIT KUYA EDDIE!"

Bayani ang OFW - Totoo yun! Ngayon ko lang na na-realize na bayani ang
OFW sa maraming bagay. Hindi bayani na tulad ni Nora Aunor o Flor
Contemplacion . Bayani in the truest sense of the word. Hindi katulad ni
Rizal o Bonifacio. Mas higit pa dun, mas maraming giyera at gulo ang
pinapasok ng OFW para lang mabuhay. Mas maraming pulitika ang kailangang
suungin para lang tumagal sa trabaho lalo na't kupal ang mga kasama sa
trabaho. Mas mahaba ang pasensya kaysa sa mga ordinaryong kongresista o
senador sa Philippines dahil sa takot na mawalan ng sweldo.

Matindi ang OFW - Matindi ang pinoy. Matindi pa sa daga, o cockroaches
which survived the cataclysmic evolution. Maraming sakripisyo pero
walang makitang tangible solutions or consequences.

Malas ng OFW, swerte ng pulitiko - Hindi umuupo ang OFW para magbigay ng
autograph o interbyuhin ng media (unless nakidnap!). Madalas nasa
sidelines lang ang OFW. Kapag umaalis, malungkot and on the verge of
tears. Kapag dumadating, swerte 'pag may sundo( madalas meron). Kapag
naubos na ang ipon, wala ng kamag-anak.

Sana sikat ang OFW para may boses sa Kamara. Ang swerte ng mga politiko
nakaupo sila at ginagastusan ng pera ng Filipino. Hindi nga sila
naiinitan o napapaso ng langis, o napagagalitan ng amo, o kumakain ng
paksiw para makatipid, o nakatira sa compound with conditions less than
favorable, o nakikisama sa ibang lahi para mabuhay. Ang swerte, sobrang
swerte nila.

Matatag ang OFW - Matatag ang OFW, mas matatag pa sa sundalo o kung ano
pang grupo na alam nyo. Magaling sa reverse psychology, negotiations at
counter-attacks. Tatagal ba ang OFW? Tatagal pa kasi hindi pa natin alam
kailan magbabago ang Philippines , kailan nga kaya? o may tsansa pa ba?

Masarap isipin na kasama mo ang pamilya mo araw-araw. Nakikita mo mga
anak mong lumalaki at naaalagaan ng maayos. Masarap kumain ng sitaw, ng
bagoong, lechon, inihaw na isda, taba ng talangka. Masarap manood ng
pelikulang Pinoy, luma man o bago. Iba pa rin ang pakiramdam kung kilala
mo ang kapitbahay mo. Iba pa rin sa Philippines , iba pa rin kapag Pinoy
ang kasama mo (except 'pag kupal at utak-talangka) , iba pa rin 'pag
nagkukwento ka at naiintindihan ng iba ang sinasabi mo. Iba pa rin ang
tunog ng "mahal kita!", "day, ginahigugma tika." "Mingaw na ko nimo ba,
kalagot!", " Inday, diin ka na subong haw? ganahan guid ko simo ba". Iba
pa rin talaga.

Sige lang, tiis lang, saan ba't darating din ang pag-asa.

Kung OFW ka at binabasa mo ito, mabuhay ka dahil ikaw ang tunay na BAYA NI ng lahing PILIPINO!!!

PEBA and abused OFWs

2009-05-31T22:59:00.005+08:00

This afternoon I had a chat with kenji and nj about grand plans for Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards (PEBA). Well it seems that PEBA does not want to be confined to just giving awards but harnessing bloggers to take actions on the issues and concerns of the millions of OFWs and Expats around the world.

The group is seriously planning for a big event to celebrate Filipinos as Hope of the Nation and Gift to the World, the theme for this year’s PEBA. The award will recognize those bloggers who does not blog alone but are also proactive in terms of doing and providing real help to Pinoy expats and OFWs. Imagine this great bloggers asset being tapped from the bloggosphere and the different corners of the globe, working together to address the needs of OFWs, then, it would be a better working-world for the OFWs.

But why OFWs are continually abused? (even by his own countrymen)

It is so enraging how some unscrupulous placement agency like CYM International is colluding with unconscionable private lending agency RJJ Lacaba financing company have the guts to collect from the swindled 137 bus drivers 70 of which are still languishing in desperation and depression in Dubai for more than four months now.

How could they issue million worth of checks, to think that institutions such as Asian United Bank, Paramount Life and General Insurance Corporation, HQR Technical Insurance got entangled into this financial imbroglio? It is such a complicated money trail scam and a real case of human trafficking.

Good thing that The Blas F. Ople Policy Center is engaged in this, advocating for the rights of these hapless victims of injustice and extortion. Most of them are first timers to go abroad. Promised a good salary some of them paid a very exorbitant placement fee more than doubled their salary which is a violation of the law.

Tomorrow classes will start. Children of these OFW victims will not be able to go to school. Some will borrow some more money and loan again to survive. One of the victims whom I happened to talked to is Fernando T. Mateo, he is one of those who paid in full his placement fee of PhP 150,000.00. The money he used to pay for it came from the sold assets and properties of their family and the rest were borrowed from relatives. He is looking for a job. He can drive and do auto-mechanic works, you can call him at (09106403669/7859020) if you would like to hire him or have leads for work.

Read more here from momB: "OFW alert: Illegal Recruitment, Human Trafficking and Fraud | A Filipina Mom Blogger" - http://aboutmyrecovery.com/2009/05/13/ofw-alert-beware-of-illegal-recruitment-and-fraud/#ixzz0H5s7hxF7&A

Definitely it is not a perfect world. So PEBA believes that there is HOPE, that OFW can still be gift to the world for his/her diligence and world class skills. I really look forward to that day that aside from awarding bloggers, Expats and OFW bloggers are united in addressing and helping prevent OFWs being abused and taken advantage. And also NGOs and other civil society groups and mostly the government, assist and provide the necessary services OFW truly they truly deserve. After all they remain pillars for the Philippine economy to survive.

PEBA will then award not only bloggers but also those who support and benefactors of those less fortunate OFWs.

Mabuhay PEBA!

Mabuhay ang uring migranteng manggagawa!

ADD THIS IN YOUR SIDEBAR, WE LINK YOUR BLOG TO THE AWARD SITE

PINOY EXPATS/OFW BLOG AWARDS: Global Launch of the 2009 Top 10 Pinoy Expat/OFW Blog Award

2009-04-21T21:26:00.001+08:00

PINOY EXPATS/OFW BLOG AWARDS: Global Launch of the 2009 Top 10 Pinoy Expat/OFW Blog Award: "From May to October 2009 any Filipino blogger can nominate or be nominated except for last year’s top 10 PEBA awardees. Guidelines are available from its official blogsite (click here). By December 2009 winners will be announced in a public event in the Philippines whose details are still being prepared and ironed out. Sponsors, supporters and volunteers are very much welcome to make this endeavor a success."

Bagong Bayani Awards 2009

2009-04-03T14:44:00.004+08:00

(foto source- http://reynaelena.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/logokalabaw2.jpg)

Bagong Bayani Awards 2009

The Bagong Bayani Foundation Inc. (BBFI) in cooperation with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) announced their search for 2009 Bagong Bayani Awardees as officailly open.

The Bagong Bayani Awards pay tribute to the countries outstanding Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) as the new heroes of our time. We give due recognition to their significant efforts in fostering goodwill among people of the world, enhancing the image of the Filipino as a competent and responsible worker and contributing to the nation foreign exchange earnings.

The general pre-qualifying criterias for the nomination of any Filipino working overseas landbased or seabased are as follows.

· Must be or has been OFW for at least two(2) years
· He has no past or present criminal or derogatory records.
· Must be at good moral standing or has received recognition from past or present employer for
exemplary behavior or outstanding service; and
· The employment contract must have been processed by the Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA)

Deadline of nomination will be on or before May 29, 2009 so submit now your nominees.

Links below are the guidelines, application form and reminder about the deadline from the POEA for your reference.

1) POEA Letter to POLO Korea:
http://documents.scribd.com/docs/1kiwcqr1f4c1q6ahwfsi.pdf

2) Bagong Bayani Awards Criteria:
http://documents.scribd.com/docs/6hy6wyvb8gev099b955.pdf

3) Bagong Bayani Awards Nomination Form: http://documents.scribd.com/docs/1l2bnyre3h6dohxdhukv.pdf

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: misterdj <sulyap.managing@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Subject: Bagong Bayani Awards 2009
To: sulyap.managing@gmail.com

Dear Online Forum Members:

Please be informed of the Philippine Embassy Announcement thru POLO as below.

Sincerely,
- Dave -
WebAdmin

====================================================

To all FilCom Heads/Focal Persons in Korea:

Further to our previous email, we wish to remind you of the deadline for submission of nominees for Bagong Bayani Awards, which is on 29 May 2009.

We believe there are Filipino workers in Korea who have selflessly devoted themselves and demonstrated exemplary performance in their work and/or the community and, therefore, deserves at least to be nominated as Bagong Bayani awardee.

There are four categories of the Awards, namely, 1) Outstanding Employee, 2) Award for Community and Social Service, 3) Award for Culture and the Arts, and 4) Blas F. Ople Award para sa Natatanging Bagong Bayani.

Links below are the guidelines, application form and reminder about the deadline from the POEA for your reference.

1) POEA Letter to POLO Korea:
http://documents.scribd.com/docs/1kiwcqr1f4c1q6ahwfsi.pdf

2) Bagong Bayani Awards Criteria:
http://documents.scribd.com/docs/6hy6wyvb8gev099b955.pdf

3) Bagong Bayani Awards Nomination Form: http://documents.scribd.com/docs/1l2bnyre3h6dohxdhukv.pdf

Thank you for your cooperation.

For the Ambassador:

(Sgd.)

Delmer Cruz
Labor Attache

RP selected as target country for global initiative on migration and development

2008-11-03T21:04:00.002+08:00

GMANews.TV - Wednesday, October 29

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines was selected to be a target country for the 15-million-euro (P950-million) global joint initiative of the European Commission and the United Nations that intends to produce a new way of making migration work for development.

Ambassador Alistair MacDonald, head of the delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines, on Tuesday said that the country was selected to be one of the 16 target countries of the joint initiative which is fully funded by the European Commission and implemented by the UN Development Program. "The Philippines was selected as one of the (target) countries because of the sheer size of the Philippine diaspora," he said during a press conference at the Philippine International Convention Center.

He said that there are currently 10 million Filipinos who are working overseas, which was the total population of the Philippines 19 years ago. In other words, he said that the Philippines has a lot of ideas and best practices to share with other countries of origin in terms of migration. "There are a lot of good ideas in the Philippines (that) we can share globally, the Philippines can benefit and the Philippines can contribute," said MacDonald.

The 15 other countries selected were Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Georgia, Moldova, Ecuador, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Cape Verde, Mali, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. Meanwhile, the initiative aims to create forums where practitioners can meet and exchange knowledge with the aim of facilitating migration and development interventions.

A fair in Brussels, Belgium will be held during the first week of December where practitioners will be asked to showcase the best migration practices of their countries, while a Web site will be created to serve as a platform to share news and information regarding existing migration and development initiatives.

During the same month, a call for proposals will be launched, showcasing an allotted fund of 11 million or P690 million for concrete project proposals for the facilitation of migrant communities, migrant rights, and their remittances. The grants will provide 50,000 to 200,000 (P3.3 million to P13.4 million) to support concrete interventions and partnerships of the selected proposals.

On the other hand, Peter Sutherland, special representative of the UN secretary-general on migration, said during the same press conference that such an initiative is "an opportunity but is also a challenge to produce results." "I think we owe it to the each other or more particularly we owe it to the migrant community to make effective use of the resources at our disposal, whether it is in government, the UN, or non-governmental organizations," he said.

Meanwhile, UN Population Fund Representative Suneeta Mukherjee on Tuesday supported this by saying that countries reap economic benefits from the labor of its people in foreign lands so people should strive to protect their interests at home and overseas in return. "We must remember that the tree that gives us fruit and the crop that gives us harvest needs protection. They need to be looked after, they have rights," she said.

She said that this first joint program between the European Commission and the UN represents a major innovation in strategic partnerships at a global level. "Through this program, we hope (to) address decision makers and keep them fully informed of the good practices of migration and development," she said. -

Source: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/gma/20081028/tph-rp-selected-as-target-country-for-gl-ac8c905.html

Rights: GMANews.TV

‘Filipinos paying for RP’s migration policies’

2008-11-03T20:47:00.002+08:00

by KIMBERLY JANE TAN, GMANews.TV

10/31/2008 | 06:49 PM

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MANILA, Philippines - Despite being frequently cited as a model for migration policies, the Philippine government is making its people pay for its policy of sending more and more Filipino workers abroad in order to keep the economy afloat, a civil society group said.

“Filipino society is paying a steep price for the massive exodus of its members," said Fr. Fabio Baggio of the Scalabrini Migration Center in his paper presented during the recently concluded Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) at the Philippine International Cultural Center in Manila.

Titled “Enhancing Benefits and Reducing Costs," the paper said that brain drain or the transfer of knowledge, technology and resources may cause salutary effects on the growth of countries like the Philippines.

“The Philippines appeared to have produced little effort in this important area," he said.

Thus, he said that the Philippine government’s enthusiasm for the increased deployment of more highly skilled and professional migrants should be reviewed in the light of the political consequences of the brain drain and “professional exodus."

Moreover, he said the Philippine government’s reliance on migrants’ remittances has progressively taken the appearance of a real economic dependence.

He also said that the economic benefits driven by Filipino migrants’ remittances cannot be denied both at the macro and micro levels.

“At the macroeconomic level, for the last years the surge in remittances has been boosting the Philippine peso, easing the foreign debt burden and taming national inflation," he said.

In 2007, OFWs remitted about US$14.4 billion or more than P215 billion through legal channels, constituting 9.2 percent of the total Gross National Product (GNP).

“Nevertheless, while the substantial role remittances play in increasing the Philippines’ GNP should be recognized, little empirical evidence has been produced on how migrants’ money transfers have significantly improved the domestic economy," he said.

On the other hand, he said the families of Filipino migrants appear to benefit from foreign remittances on the microeconomic level.

Economic disparity

However, he also said that while the bulk of migrant remittances appear to produce positive effects at the national and the family level, the results at the local community level are not well-established.

Baggio said he believes that overseas remittances are likely to contribute to “a widening of the economic disparities across regions."

While remittances serve to enhance family incomes, the extent to which they represent a “net increase" has not been clearly assessed.

He said that empirical data show that families of migrants tend to rely on remittances alone, reducing progressively their work effort.

“The extended separation of family members (also) affects marital and parental relationships and constitutes a threat to the stability of the family unit," he said.

The Commission for Filipinos Overseas estimated that 8,726,520 Filipino nationals were living overseas as of December 2007.

According to data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), 1,073,402 Filipinos migrated abroad as regular migrant workers in 2007, a slight increase from the 1,062,567 deployed in 2006.

With these figures, the Philippines is among the countries with the biggest number of migrants, the others being India, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Jordan and Sri Lanka.

In 2005, migrants around the world was estimated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) at 191 million, of which about 40 million were “illegals.".

A continuing global reliance on worker deployment

In the 2nd GFMD, delegates from about 163 countries, including 18 foreign officials of ministerial level, discussed ways of “protecting and empowering migrants for development."

Next year’s GFMD will be held in Greece, with the integration of migration policies in development plans as the central theme.

Greek Deputy Minister of Interior Athanassios Nakos, who attended the 2nd GFMD in Manila, said: “We aim at ensuring the thematic continuity of the forum, but also at tackling new issues that constitute today’s challenges in the migration and development field," in his speech during the closing ceremonies of the GFMD government days.

“International migration needs to be an integral part of the development agenda, as well as part of national, regional, and international development strategies," said Nakos.

Moreover, he said that Greece aims to maximize the benefits from international migration and minimize its impacts.

“We should work so that migration becomes a choice instead of a necessity," he said.

He also said that there is an increasing interdependence of all countries, whether countries of origin, of transit or of destination in migration.

“Interdependence is the key issue that we need to take into account in conceiving, adopting and implementing our migration policies at all levels," he said.

Now a migrant-receiving country

Meanwhile, since Greece became a migrant-receiving country from being a migrant-sending country, Nakos said it has a lot of ideas to share with the world.

“Migration, in Greece, cannot any more be considered as a temporary phenomenon. Our policy is constantly reviewed and adopted to the evolving situation," he said.

However, he recognized the fact that even their country is having problems regarding the phenomenon.

“Our migration policy at an orderly migration, with due respect to the rights of individuals, the migrants themselves, and their integration in our society," he said.

On the other hand, he said that aside from their own ideas, they will be sure to include the inputs of the Manila GFMD.

“We will take back home a valuable trove of ideas and best practices presented by all of you," he told the delegates during his speech. - GMANews.TV

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/130679/Filipinos-paying-for-RPs-migration-policies

Rights: GMANews.TV

'wag Magpadala - OFWs Join Zero Remittance Day!

2008-10-29T12:27:00.001+08:00

Today is Zero Remittance Day!

Not only joining the millions of OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) on this campaign in support of the International Migrants Alliance (IMA), an alliance composed of 112 grassroots migrants’ organizations worldwide to protest the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) for being anti-migrant workers. But also due to the value fluctuation of won. I believe most of us migrant workers here will be committing to this call.

So, Zero Remittance Day - today!

Read some more here:

http://bulatlat.com/main/2008/10/25/oct-29-zero-remittance-day-for-zero-confidence-on-gfmd-gma/

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/128279/Zero-remittance-day-to-cost-govt-millions---group

OFW/OF Remittances to the Philippines

2008-10-15T09:40:00.004+08:00

Click image to see it clearly. This image was taken from Yahoo slide photos.

Saudi Based Pinoy Chemical Engineer Launches Search for the 2008 Top 10 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog

2008-07-27T20:55:00.008+08:00

Interview with an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Series

Finally my plan to feature OFW here had materialize with this interview with Jebee Kenji Solis. He has been blogging since 2005. This is how he describe his blog: "THOUGHTSKOTO is a jargon word for "these are my thoughts". Blog of a Young Filipino LDS Couple, living in Saudi Arabia. Thoughts and Musings about Life and Love, Trials and Challenges, Faith and Hope as we continue in our journey to FOREVER."

I was invited to nominate for the Top 10 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog. I find the search interesting so I asked him if I can feature him on this blog and promote his initiative. Below is the interview of Kenji.

Check out his blog here: http://jbsolis.blogspot.com/

Saudi Based Pinoy Chemical Engineer Launches Search for the 2008 Top 10 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog

1) Tell us about yourself?

I am Jebee Kenji Solis, I was born in General Santos City, studied Chemical Engineering in Mindanao State University, and has been a water specialist for more than 10 years now. I am currently the head of the Quality Assurance Department of Al Jazeerah Water Bottling, of AHQ & Sons Group of Companies here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

I was married a year and a half ago to a new accountant from Quezon City named Shiela Mae Almine who loves to stay at home taking care of our 3 month old baby girl Heavenne Sofia.

2) What made you decide to work in Saudi Arabia?

I didn't really choose Saudi Arabia, I was applying for a job in Dubai but was late in submitting my requirements. Another agent saw my resume and read my qualifications that fit in their requirements so she 'bought' my resume from another agency. It turns out that the remuneration is good, so I consented.

3) What are your unique experiences and observations of the culture and tradition of the country? Did you experience culture shock and how did you deal with it?

Saudi Arabia is a secluded country; the tradition is as old as the Bible, with custom and religion that is so intriguing and mystifying to the world. Culture shock? Yea, 3-6 months was a terrible adjustment period especially I was alone here and that my workmates are all former expats and almost like fathers to me. I immersed myself in computer, playing games, blogging, and learning new concepts. Since the work is also demanding as I am building my laboratory and establishing quality and standards, time passed by without my notice.

4) What are the advantages of living and working there?

There are so many great advantages, especially the absence of taxes. Your salary, the food you eat, the goods you purchase are all free of taxes. Saudi government recognizes the presence of Saudi Aramco's Latter-Day Saints; some of them are experts and professional Americans. They allow us to practice our religion as long as we don't do missionary work, proselytizing or gospel preaching to their people.

5) What are the challenges? How do you deal with homesickness?

After two years of my contract, I requested for family status and additional benefits that allowed me to bring my wife here. She now lives with me here and she recently gave birth to our first baby girl Heavenne. So homesickness is not a problem, except that I miss eating "buko" (young coconut) which is so scarce here.

6) What advice would you give to those who would want to live and work there?

Saudi has strict customs and laws. But we feel safe here. Because of the strictness of the law, we feel secured. You'll only feel bad if you are doing things against the law. Just obey the laws and you'll be fine, and you can save a lot. Opportunity here is everywhere.

7) Tell us about the the search you launched on the Top 10 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog?

The top 10 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog is a search contest. We would like to recognize and honor those Pinoy expats/OFW, more than 10 million of them working around the world who toils and work for their loved ones in the Philippines. We would like to highlight their stories and learn from their lessons through their blog. Considered as "Bagong Bayani" (new heroes) we ought to hear their voices and amplify them. So we can show that we care for them for they deserve to be heard and acknowledged. Since this is the first search the rule is very simple. Definitely we have some small prizes in stored for the top 10. We also have an icon or widget for nominees to display this contest to promote it. So for those who are interested to nominate Filipino expat/OFW bloggers please visit this site for more information:

http://jbsolis.blogspot.com/2008/07/search-for-2008-top-10-pinoy-abroad.html

We have already few sponsors and we are looking for more.

8) How is your blogging experience so far?

I blog to unleash my thoughts and emotions so whenever I feel like writing something or posting anything it gets published in my blog. I am happy doing this, and I hope to reach out and inspire people through my blog. We have several readers from our faiths, from the Philippines and the rest is scattered around the globe with USA, SAUDI ARABIA, CANADA, and UK topping the list of countries.

9) Any final and concluding words?

THANK YOU SO MUCH PETE for this wonderful interview!

The Overseas Class by Richard C. Paddock

2008-07-15T15:15:00.000+08:00

Tatay Pepes Restobar in General Santos City, Philippines » Blog Archive » The Overseas Class by Richard C. Paddock

I saw this article online and I am posting the link here. The article was first published in LA Times on April 20, 2006.

Kids of OFWs prone to emotional problems

2008-01-16T15:42:00.000+08:00

mula sa isang balita (MALAYA)

Kids of OFWs prone to emotional problems

BY GERARD NAVAL

CHILDREN of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) could be prone to emotional, behavioral and mental problems, psychiatric doctors said yesterday as they aired concerns over the continuous exodus of Filipino workers.

In a forum in Quezon City, officials of the Philippine Psychiatric Association said the continued deployment of workers overseas could affect the development of their children.

Dr. Felicitas Soriano, PPA president, said while there is no official study on the behavioral effects of migration on children, "clinical exposure" showed that several OFW children are having emotional problems.

"What will become of our children? We observe that many OFW children are becoming insecure and drug dependents," said Soriano.

She added that some OFW children also become materialistic and spend their parent’s money on gadgets and internet gaming because of lack of guidance.

Dr. Grace Macapagal, in-house psychiatrist for crisis intervention rehabilitation in the Department of Social Welfare and Development, said that in cases where the mother or the father leaves to work abroad, there is an indirect effect on the children left behind.

"Migration of one parent or both is a very painful time for children and can cause bad emotions to stir up," she said.

In the case of an absentee father, Macapagal said, boys belonging to OFW families develop gender identity problems which become more "obvious when they grow old."

On the other hand, there is the "feminization" of OFWs, or where more women are now working abroad, leaving the care of children to their husbands. This is causing a role where fathers are left to care for children even if they are not prepared.

Macapagal added that there are also instances where the eldest daughters become the "substitute" for the mother.

"Minsan it’s the eldest daughter who takes up the role of the OFW mother. Sometimes they also take the sexual roles of the mother to some fathers," she related.

The doctors said one way of combating these problems is the utilization of an extended family in which relatives could act as surrogate parents.

Pambungad at Pagpapakilala sa Blog na ito

2008-01-15T21:15:00.000+08:00

May panahon na mag-blog kaya magiging aktibo muli - SANA ang mga blogs ko. Nais ko na isulat karamihan ang mga entry o posting dito sa Filipino o Taglish. Dahil ang pamagat ay nasa Filipino kung kaya't susubukan ko na magsulat sa Filipino.

May unang entry na subalit wala pang maayos na pambungad kung ano ang blog na ito kung kaya't susubukan ko na bigyang linaw kung ano ang blog na ito.

Tawag ko sa sarili, akoy anak ng OFW, kapatid ng OFW, kamag-anak ng OFW, mamamayan ng bansa ng OFW. Ipinagmamalaki ko na OFW din ako.

Si tatay nagsimula maging Overseas Contract Worker (OCW, bago tawaging OFW) noong 1977. Isa siyang seaman. Bagamat maituturing ko na lumaki ako na halos walang ama, laking pasasalamat sa kaniyang pagpupunyagi dahil tulad ng sinumang magulang nais niya na mabigyan ang mga anak ng magandand kinabukasan. Kaya halos lahat
kami ngayon ay nakapag-aral na o nakatapos ng kolehiyo (ang bunso namin ay magtatapos ngayong Marso 2008). Naging OFW din ang dalawa kong kapatid mga seamen sila. Marami sa pinsan at iba pang kamag-anak ang naging OFW ang iba lalo na sa mga babaeng kamag-anak ay mga Domestic Helpers sa Hongkong, Singapore, Brunei at iba pang lugar. Ayon sa estatistika 10% ng mamayang Pilipino ay mga OFW at sila ang pangunahing pinagmumulan ng yaman ng bansa.

Ako naman ang dalawang taon kontrata sa Riyadh, KSA ay nagpatuloy ng limang buwang extension, mula 2002-2005. Naging intern sa isang foundation sa Gwangju, Republic of Korea ng 2005-2006. Bumalik muli ng 2007 at hanggang sa kasalukuyan isang OFW. Naghahangad na makatapos na sa pag-aaral ang bunsong kapatid at tulad ng karamihan nag-aaral para maging Nurse.

Ang blog na ito ay maglalaman ng kuwentong buhay ng mga OFW. Hindi lang personal na kuwento ko kundi gayon din ang mga kaibigan at iba pang mga kakilala.

Layunin din na maging resource ang blog na ito. Maraming mga samahan at organisasyon na tumutulong sa mga OFW kung kayat marapat lamang na mabanggit sila. Mailalathala din ang iba pang mga balita at mga entrepreneurship/business opportunities para sa mga OFW at iba pang mga best practices at success stories na dapat malaman.

Kung kayat sino man ang gusto na magbahagi, kayo po ay welcome.

Maari po akong ma-email sa address na - peterahon@gmail.com

Buhay Amerika

2007-11-16T10:24:00.000+08:00

Buhay Amerika

Nov 15, '07 8:10 PM
for group filipinocommunity

Akala ng mga tao na nasa Pilipinas kapag nasa America ka akala nila madami ka ng pera. Ang totoo, madami kang utang, dahil credit card lahat ang gamit mo sa pagbili mo ng mga gamit mo. Kailangan mo gumamit ng credit card para magka-credit history ka, kase pag hindi ka umutang o wala kang utang, hindi ka pagkakatiwalaan ng mga kano. Pag wala kang credit card, ibig sabihin wala kang kapasidad magbayad.

Akala nila mayaman ka na kase may kotse ka na. Ang totoo, kapag hindi ka bumili ng kotse sa America maglalakad ka ng milya-milya sa ilalim ng init ng araw o kaya sa snow. Walang jeepney, tricycle o padyak sa America.

Akala nila masarap ang buhay dito sa America. Ang totoo, puro ka trabaho kase pag di ka nagtrabaho, wala kang pangbayad ng bills mo sa kotse, credit card, ilaw, tubig, insurance, bahay at iba pa. Hindi ka na pwedeng tumambay sa kapitbahay kase busy din sila maghanap buhay pangbayad ng bills nila.

Akala nila masaya ka kase nagpadala ka ng picture mo sa Disney, Seaworld, Six Flags, Universal Studios at iba pang attractions. Ang totoo, kailangan mo ngumiti kase nagbayad ka ng $70+ para makarating ka dun, kailangan mo na naman ang 10 hours na sweldo mong pinangbayad sa ticket.

Akala nila malaki na ang kinikita mo kase dolyar na sweldo mo. Ang totoo, malaki pagpinalit mo ng peso, pero dolyar din ang gastos mo sa America. Ibig sabihin, ang dolyar mong kinita sa presyong dolyar mo din gagastusin. Ang P15.00 na sardinas sa Pilipinas $1.00 sa America, ang isang pakete ng sigarilyo sa pilipinas P 40.00, sa America $6.50, ang upa mo sa bahay na P 10,000 sa pilipinas, sa America $1,000++.

Akala nila buhay milyonaryo ka na kase ang ganda ng bahay at kotse mo. Ang totoo milyon ang utang mo. Ang bago mong kotse 5 taon mong huhulugan. Ang bahay 30 taon mong huhulugan. Ibig sabihin, alipin ka ng bahay at kotse mo.

Madaming naghahangad na makarating sa America. Lalo na mga nurses, mahirap maging normal na manggagawa sa Pilipinas. Madalas pagod ka sa trabaho. Pag dating ng sweldo mo, kulang pa sa pagkain mo. Pero ganun din sa ibang bansa katulad ng America. Hindi ibig sabihin dolyar na ang sweldo mo, yayaman ka na, kailangan mo ding magbanat ng buto para mabuhay ka sa ibang bansa. Isang malaking sakripisyo ang pag alis mo sa bansang pinagsilangan at malungkot iwanan ang mga mahal mo sa buhay. Hindi pinupulot ang pera dito o pinipitas. Hindi ako naninira ng pangarap, gusto ko lang buksan ang bintana ng katotohanan.

Unkown Author (circulating from blog to blog)