Sponsorship System to be Abolished

Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) H.Q.

Kuwait will soon follow the footsteps of Bahrain. The sponsorship system for foreign workers soon will be abolished. According to an article that appeared in Arab Times Online, the Minister of Social Affairs and Labour in Kuwait, Mohammed al-Afasi was quoted “This will be our gift to foreign workers on the anniversary of Kuwait’s liberation" from seven months of Iraqi occupation in 1991.” This is good news indeed for OFW’s currently working in Kuwait.

My hope is that other countries in the Middle East will soon follow like Qatar and the UAE so that Expatriates can have chances in finally landing on a job worthy of their efforts, skills and sacrifices particularly our fellow OFW’s who are known for their skills and good work ethics (without facebook of course). If that would happen certainly Filipinos here in Qatar and other part of Middle East can really bargain for their salaries as they have the freedom to look for high paying jobs.

Other countries are pressuring the Middle East’s countries to abolish this sponsorship system which is as they say is a form of modern slavery. Inshallah! I hope in the near future this system will be abolished in all countries practicing it so as to empower Expatriates to find the right job for them and be able to avoid being exploited and maltreated.

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Loans Available for OFW

The Philippine Government particularly OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) which is the lead institution that serves the interest and welfare of member-Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) has come up with a program which main purpose is to help and Finance some livelihood programs of OFW and their families through Financial Loans. Please see below the description and the criteria for the said program.

Are OFW's Rich?

"Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are not rich. We have this notion that when someone is an OFW or based abroad, he or she is loaded. Not true. An OFW might earn from P50K-P300K a month, depending on the location. Those in Saudi Arabia or the United States might earn in the high range. But to say that they're 'rich' is a fallacy (amen!). There's no place like home - Living Abroad : For some OFW's the notion maybe true but for most it's a fallacy like what the author of the article where I got the excerpt said. I have seen the plight of some unfortunate Filipinos working here in Qatar and even heard of some earning as low as QR 700.00 that is roughly Php 8,360.00. Imagine the hardships and the sacrifices it takes just to earn that meagre amount so they can send money home. I just can't imagine how they are surviving with that salary as the cost of living here is relatively higher compared to Saudi Arabia. My food allowance here ranges from QR 5...

One Car for Every OFW Tax Free

Image via Wikipedia One lazy evening my buddy Delfin, his wife and I were having coffee at a nearby coffee shop to where we live here in Qatar, it’s the usual conversation until it lead to about how difficult it is to acquire a Qatar driving license, then we turn to cars on how easy it is to own one here because banks here are so aggressively offering car loans to those who are interested even to those that are not interested. It is easier to buy a car abroad than in our country as the banks ask only of minimal requirements unlike in the Philippines where banks have their own agents to look into the credit standing of the person who is applying for a loan and sometimes even go deeper than that, as if he is some kind of a criminal being under surveillance but that’s my own observation anyway.

OFW Chronicles: Filipinos Abroad

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