OFW Chronicles: Filipinos Abroad

I will ask again, savings? How many of us ask the same question every now and then? Are you saving anyway? The law of supply and demand  applies here, I noticed that if you will send Php 20,000, a family of two can survive a month, send Php 30,000 it will just be the same, the money will be spent.Let me expound on it a bit further. Humans tend to consume more, knowing they have so much. An office worker promoted and salary increased will send additional money for his family back home hoping that his or her partner will be able to save. Ideally it's probable but in reality it's impossible. I can enumerate at least two reasons for this: 1) People have the capacity to adapt and adjust, when resources are scarce they will find a way to maximize what they have including recycling. Simple example would be clothing, when no extra money in the pocket we will find a way to wear even our oldest dresses in the closet with little of experiments, with the right combinations it can lo...

No one is an island, this is very true for someone like me who doesn't have any relative here in Qatar. What I have found in Buhay Qatar are not just friends but family, support group and every aspect you may need as an OFW. Whenever I feel down they are there to cheer me up, whenever I am alone they make me feel I belong, whenever I need to laugh they are not just there to deliver funny lines but to make you realize that life is not something to survive but to enjoy and cherish. The bonding, the respect and the camaraderie is so strong that every moment I am with them, I feel secure, loved and wanted.

Sa aking pansamantalang pagkariwara Sa mundong sarili kong katha Sana sa pagbabalik, galak at tuwa Sa akin ay maging sagala Sa dilim ng aking kinalagyan Mga impit kong dalangin Sa Kanya ko ipinarating Mga usal kong adhikain Sa Kanya ko na ipinalilim. Ningas ko man ay panandaliang nanamlay Munting baga ay nanatiling buhay At sa aking pagnilay-nilay Pag-aalabin muli apoy na aking taglay Bagong Pag-asa aking pinapanday. Sikat ng araw akin ng tanaw Adhikain ang aking magiging gabay Sa pamilya pangarap ay magandang buhay Pagmamahal ang siyang tulay Tungo sa nalalapit na tagumpay

I am just on my second year as an OFW and I don’t know much yet but I remember I used to hear from my friend’s father who is an OFW way back during the 80’s. He talked of Kabayans proudly saying that Filipinos abroad has special kind of bond. A bond so strong that even if you don’t know the person he will surely greet you with the famous; “kumusta Kabayan?” (How are you fellow Filipino?) “Saan ka sa atin?” (Where are you from in the Philippines?) so more or less I was expecting to experience this Kabayan bond when I arrived here in Doha. My first walk on the streets of Doha on my second day was the opposite. As I was wandering around in the neighborhood where I stay, a couple of Filipinos talking in our language so loudly came and passed by so I was so excited to know that It’s not too bad after all, I have kabayan neighbors so I look at them wearing my best smile possible and said “Kumusta Kabayan?” Instead of returning my greeting they look at each other and grinned, and as if I a...

In every saga there are misfortunes, In every endeavor there are obstacles, In every fight there are opponents. Then you will be measured by how well you handled the misfortunes? How were you able to conquer the obstacles and how well you fought? Every OFW is on a mission, searching for opportunities not for themselves but for their love ones. Uncertained but determined they will sail and travel through the unknown, risk everything that they have and even their own lives. For those who haven't experienced working abroad they will definitely envy them because on their mind going abroad is the ultimate way out and the only way to gain financial stability but who could blame them? When we are all aware with the state of our nation....So goes the infamous line "To become an OFW is not a choice but the only way towards that "elusive dream". How long will it take for an ordinary Filipino with an average income to stay away from home to finally realized that dream? Two ...

Sa maghapong walang humpay na pag-gawa Katawang hapo at kulang sa kalinga Hanap lang sa tuwina ay pahinga Ngunit naisin man ay di magawa Damit na nilabhan ay nasa kama Madalas sa malayo nakatingin Nagtatanong kung ano ang mithiin Kalaguyo at kapiling ay dilim Taghoy ng ulilang damdamin Idinadaan sa buntung-hiningang malalim Sa bawat pagpikit ng mga mata Ala-ala ng mga iniwanang sinta Na nakatunghay sa iyong gunita Ang masidhing pangungulila Kayakap mo hanggang umaga Sa muling pagbangon, bakas ng luha Na sa magdamag ay dumaloy sa mga mata Pilit mong itatago para di makita Dahil ika'y malakas sa tingin ng iba Baon mo ay huwad na ngiti at tuwa Sa agos ng buhay sa ibang bayan Wala kang ibang pagpipilian Mahirap man kailangan mong sabayan Dahil sa balikat mo iyong pasan Pangarap sa mga anak sa kinabukasan Ikaw, ako, sila, tayo na nangangarap Na sa ibayong dagat ay naghahanap Asenso na sa sariling bayan ay mailap Sa likod ng makapal na ulap Tanging tang...

Photo by www.flicker.com It was never my intention to leave my family especially my son who is just turning 2 years old this December. I left during the time that he was about to call me “dada”, when he almost about to realize who I am to him, but all those precious moments I can never have with my son, not anymore as I am here in Qatar working to earn money that I cannot get from my motherland. I left my young and beautiful wife to take care of our two precious children, my daughter who is the top of her class always is asking me, “when will you go home Daddy?”. How can I call my self a family man, when all I can do now is to provide for them. Maybe 5 years from now I’ll become a stranger to my own children even to my wife. My only refuge is my belief that someday I don’t have to work as far as I am now, that I will be able to establish a decent business which will be enough to carry us through. Which I guess is the dream of everyone like me working abroad… At least I have so...