Chankim....^_^ Please read this article.. It is very long but worthy to read Are You an OFW Without Savings? Because, You Never Learned! OFWs leave the country Philippines to give their family a better life – well that’s the reason of most who try their luck abroad. They want to support their sibling’s education, give their kids a better future, help their parents in their medication and also to have a house and lot for their immediate family. Aside from the seafarers, the famous destinations of Filipinos who are working land-based are the Middle East countries, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, European Countries and the North American Countries’ Canada and the United States. Most of these OFWs only promised themselves to work for a single contract then stay in the Philippines for good. They’re dreaming of saving all their salary abroad to start a better life back home. But why many Filipino workers still stay as OFWs for many years? It is because, OFWs work from contract to contract but have zero savings. OFWS AS MILKING COWS Overseas Filipino Workers are always tagged as “wealthy” by society. Because OFWs are earning dollars, the Filipinos back home who don’t really understand the life of being away from the family think that we are swimming in a pot of gold. That dollars are everywhere. Neighbors, relatives and friends who didn’t know you when you were not an OFW yet are now trying to suck you. These people are easily identified as “users” because they never want to use their resources or find their own ways to have better lives. If you don’t give them something that they ask from you, you’re the villain. You’re the one who’s greedy. Problem: Jen never felt the support of her neighbors, relatives and friends when she was striving hard to get through her family’s day-to-day life. She went to UAE as a domestic helper and was earning 12,000 pesos. She was able to send money home for her kids’ education and saved a little portion for her planned business. She went home when her contract ended. Then she met the “suckers” alternately visiting her at her house on her first week of arrival. Everybody seems to have problems with their life. Jen who is always ready to lend a hand shares what she has including the savings she has to start a business. After extending her help, the suckers can’t be reached again. Solution: You have to think that you went abroad for your own family. Your neighbors, relatives and so called “friends” are beyond your budget. They got through with their lives without you! You need to be firm so people won’t abuse you. OFWS with LAZY FAMILY MEMBERS Some family members changed their attitude when some OFWs landed in a foreign land to start their employment. They get lazy, they want more gadgets, they change their lifestyle from being simple to being flashy. Problem: Chie went abroad to work as a factory worker in Taiwan. She loaned money from the lending institution to pay for her placement fee. She talked to her family that she needs to pay the money so she won’t be charged with high interest. Unfortunately for her, 25,000 pesos salary every month isn’t enough. Her father became a drunkard, her mother frequents in neighbors’ house to play cards, her brother became a drug addict and her sister got pregnant at a teenage age. Everybody waits for her monthly remittances and always asks for more when she sends just enough money. Chie is behind her due on her loan. She keeps sending money to her family because she believes that they’re the main reason why she left the country. She firmly convinces herself that they are her responsibility. For her, it doesn’t matter if she’s exhausted from her job as long as she has money to send to her family at the end of the month. Sometimes, she even asks for an advance salary or borrow from her friends so she could provide for her family. Same with Jun who worked in Israel as a caregiver for almost a decade. He has 10 siblings (7 have their own families). He forgot to find a partner in life as he’s helping his whole clan. He even helped two of his sisters to join him in the country. He was able to send his nephews and niece to school. The family back in the Philippines was unaware that Jun felt discomfort in his abdomen. He never went to the hospital as he was putting his family’s life before his. It was already late when his family realized how much sacrifices Jun have done for them when he went home lifeless after his death cause by Crohn’s disease – a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus causing a wide variety of symptoms. Solution: As the proverb goes, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,” It means that it is more worthwhile to teach someone to do something, than to do something for them. You’re just making them more lazy by tolerating their habits. Just like what Eleanor Roosevelt said, “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” It means that, they know you’re capable of being abused so because they know that you won’t say no. Start loving yourself. Let them whine when you don’t send money because whatever amount you send, it won’t be enough for them. A family should help each other. Filipino traits of having close-family-ties is admirable but overdoing it can physically and emotionally drain you especially if your finances are limited. OFWs EXCESSIVE LIFESTYLE Some OFWs change their lifestyle when they arrive abroad. Updated gadgets, expensive clothings and jewelries are visible to other OFWs. For them, they’re just rewarding themselves from the hardships that they are experiencing abroad. If others are sending all their monies back home, these OFWs are the working to show off. They are usually called “mayabang” (boastful). They even loan money to maintain their luxurious lifestyle. Problem: Ed is going home for a vacation but he already spent all his salary abroad. He borrowed a thousand US dollars and promised to pay it back when he goes back abroad. Ed called all his barkada and showed off how “can-afford” he was. The money he borrowed only lasted for a week. It is always a dialogue among OFWs that it is hard to stay in the Philippines when you when the resources are not enough. Ed wanted to leave after two weeks of vacation. Solution: Be simple! It’s okay to reward yourself from time-to-time but buying electronics that are beyond your budget isn’t rewarding yourself anymore. That’s a huge kayabangan. Buy things that you need, not the things that you want. Yes, you’re spending your money and you pay your own debt but don’t complain if you spend your whole life abroad and your family, friends, neighbors and negative are making you their milking cows – because you displayed luxuries that all of them think your life abroad is easy. LOW-INCOME OFWs These OFWs are the most helpless group. They are receiving more or less ten thousand pesos in a month. Some of them have kids studying in college and high school. Their families are just depending on their remittances. Problem: Ann’s family is living in the province where farming is a source of income. For them, five thousand pesos in a month is enough because they don’t need to buy vegetables and cost of living is cheap. Unfortunately, school expenses are getting higher that the monthly remittances aren’t enough. Solution: A college graduate can make a living if she/he wants to. Being a fastfood employee is very popular that one can support himself/herself to go to school. Putting out family’s welfare before ours is very common practice to Pinoys. “Hindi na baleng mahihirapan ako basta huwag lang sila” is the usual dialogue you hear from breadwinners. Remember, it’s always good to give yourself a reward, help your family, show people what really is a life of an OFWs and most of all, teaching them how to value you as a person. Have savings, put it in a bank and plan a business (which you can manage all by yourself). Seeing all the fruits of your sacrifices by owning properties is the best reward you can give to yourself and your love-ones. Remember the homesickness, the strict employers you have, the sleepless nights because of 16 hours work and the dreams you have when you left the country. So are you an OFW without savings? Learn from these.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 22:53:47 +0000
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