I’ve been working outside the country for almost 8 years. Working here is a choice as there’s no other option back home. I work hard to earn my keep and I don’t expect any recognition for what I am doing. I believe that OFWs should not be patronized. Like me, they’re just doing everything for their families and they are not comfortable to titles that our politicians give them. There are Filipinos who also do noble work for the betterment of our country who deserved more accolades than our OFWs. Our Teachers, farmers, social workers and healthcare workers are the best examples of people who do noble jobs yet improperly compensated.
I received an email about pre conceived notions about OFWs and they are as follows:
-OFWs ARE RICH.
-IT’S TOUGH TO BE AN OFW, OFWs ARE TOUGH BUT ARE NOT MADE OF STONE
-OFWs GROW OLD
-OFWs ARE HEROES
As discussed in my previous posting, it’s tough for an OFW to save money. There are so many factors why an OFW can’t save enough. Mostly, OFWs has to send 75-80% of his income to his family back home. There are some who are not obliged to send money in the Philippines who are hooked up to extravagant spending.
The toughest thing of being an OFW I guess are cooking and doing the laundry on your own. Your Momma is not here so you have to do it all by yourself. OFWs tend to eat unhealthy meal without choices and variety. You may wonder why most OFWs are overweight and obese.
OFWs responsibility first and foremost is to his family. The money we regularly send home is for our family. It is in turn injected to our economy. Our government acknowledges our contribution to our economy by excluding us to pay taxes. We should be proud that we are able to feed our family but we should not ask for recognition.
5 comments:
Second to the last paragraph: TOTOO! I agree! o",)
Ang tagal mo na palang nagta-trabaho sa abroad Mr. Braggart.
i added you to KA BLOGS THOUGHTSMOTO, an aggregating site of all Expats/OFW blogging.
Here's the link; http://thoughtsmoto.blogspot.com
Happy Blogging!
The toughest part of being an OFW?
Realizing that our loved ones are now ready to emotionally survive without us because they've already managed to adjust with our long absence.
Realizing that the only thing we've provided our family is money. Nothing else.
Realizing that we have friends who stayed in the Philippines who are now far richer than us; and we wonder why.
Hello Nebz,
I was on vacation once and I was riding the MRT. I was standing and the ride was passing at the at the EDSA Shrine when I felt something that I can't explain. I only felt that I am an outsider and doesnt belong there. An onlooker, an observer. It's weird because the the place that I considered home doesnt seems to be so! What I'm trying to say is, yeah, our family back home have their own lives. They have their own private jokes and you will feel out of place, sometimes. It's weird!
Thanks for dropping a comment.
I can't say as much about being an OFW as I haven't even gone to work yet. What I do know, from the studies we had at school, is that the OFW phenomenon is a double-edged sword. On the one hand the continuous billions of USD remittances to the Philippines keeps the economy afloat. On the other hand, it rips families apart, the building block of society is under attack because of economic forces that drive the Filipino mom or dad into becoming an OFW. Sorry for the long comment from someone who knows so little first-hand. And thank you for sharing about the life of OFWs.
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