A CHALLENGE TO ALL OFWs, OR ARE WE GREEDY, UNPATRIOTIC, TRAITORS & COWARD?

EDITORIAL 

for The Migrants Magazine

Last quarter 2010 edition

A CHALLENGE TO ALL OFWs, OR

ARE WE GREEDY, UNPATRIOTIC, TRAITORS & COWARD?

By Lito Nucum

The exodus of millions of Juan & Juana Dela Cruz to find a greener pasture abroad is a product of necessity and wants, and not of whims and caprices.  To call the exodus a trend or “gaya-gaya puto maya” is a fallacy.   The Filipino way of thinking and his survival instinct has changed dramatically.    Sabel’s world now is more complicated and demanding that she is willing to bear all the hardships and sacrifices just to land a $200  monthly pay job as domestic helper in the Middle East.

What ever the reasons behind the OFW’s decision to go overseas, it is probably right to

accept our migratory nature as already being part of our Filipino attitudes & traditions.   Initially and for many OFWs our temporary exile is the dictate of our economic situation.   But many of us still continue to toil abroad because no one gets tired collecting and counting the pictures of Benjamin Franklin.  Are we becoming so greedy? 

Recently, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, during his visit to the country, made a speech before the Who’s who in the Philippines politics & society, impressing upon the OFWs to return home and help direct our focus and strength to build a better Philippines.  Are we, OFWs, being unpatriotic for choosing to work abroad at the expense of the good development of our country?  Is our country suffering from the brain drain?  I fear not so.     

This opinion of Pres. Bill Clinton promptly triggers the intellect of former NEDA Chairwoman during the Cory Aquino administration.  Professor Winnie Monsod lectured her class that Filipinos who go overseas are traitors (source GMA news).  Are we traitors? Or are we the victims of a fool and corrupt government who failed to provide jobs, thus poor Juan is forced to look for a job somewhere else, so far from his country.

Who could blame us for continuing our economic struggle in a far-flung domain?  Good business opportunities are almost allotted to the rich and our Chinese-blood brothers.  Our country is perceived as uncompetitive that fails to magnet foreign investors.  The bureaucracy & corruption sipped every drops of blood from prospect investors.  Our government,  past and present,  prove  to be inutile because they were/are busy vying for the most coveted price as being the most corrupt country in the world.   

 

So, we, the land-based and the sea based chose to remain away from home.  Our gallivanting dreams direct us to look deeper, even to unchartered territories.  We set our eyes to further horizon.   Create a job that is moon-based or air-based,   the adventurous spirit of a Filipino will try to be there too.  Fact is OFWs are all over the continents of the world.  Kabayans can be seen working in more than 150 countries, cruising from smallest island to the biggest island, cultivating from the coldest to the hottest countries, singing song while scrubbing floors in Europe or crying pail of tears on an empty stomach and empty pockets receiving verbal & physical abuses in the Arab lands.    Can we define ourselves then as coward?

OFWs, the so-called unsung heroes remain the saving grace that keeps our economy afloat for about 4 decades now.  After the semi-conductor industry, the OFWs earnings is second in infusing the mighty dollar to home.    Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is basking with pride for the rising dollar reserves owing to the OFWs dollar remittances.   And yet until now our government considers the OFWs as her milking cows.   The government cannot pride itself of taking good concerns of the OFWs because there is nothing tangible they have done to empower the OFWs.  

We are wrong anyway to depend from our government for our well-being.  From one flip-flops to another, I even started to feel sorry for having voted for P-noy, but I still pray for his government to succeed.  Truth is,  we cannot wait forever for ‘manna’ to drop from heaven. There is so much OFW can do to make a big difference, and to make a better Philippines for our children.

We remain a small voice until we empower ourselves to be heard, and we owe it to ourselves to be empowered.  Is this exactly what we want?   To be empowered is to gain strong voice economically and receive the warm embrace of the political field.    To act as one strong and healthy body OFWs should start trusting each other.  We need to unite to create our own opportunities.   We continue to patronize SM and Robinson, why not our own OFW Super Malls?  Our government keeps on borrowing funds from IMF or the World Bank,  and OFWs made what BDO is today.  Why not our own OFW Bank?  We can even finance the next MRT lines or expressway if OFW savings are made to talk and walk.   We keep on barking for foreign investors.  Why not OFW investors?   We can establish our own food chains, our own construction firms, our own industrial plants, real estate, travel agencies, manpower & recruiting agencies, our own transportation or communication companies.  The opportunities are infinite when we pool our talents, savings and resources.   We have the faith and we can surely do it. 

Just imagine 10% of USD17 billion being sent home annually as annual OFW savings.  This is equivalent to a whooping P74,8 billion at a current peso exchange rate of P44/dollar.  These worth of monies magnified by 5 years savings can be a movers and shakers when put into business. We could stop further enriching the likes of Sy, Tan and many of our Chinese brothers who are ruling over us.  Actually they are toying with us.   OFW individual savings earned him only less than 1% interest per annum, whilst super rich Henry Sy and other banks where our savings are lodged earned them about 15%.   Meaning, for every P16 interest earned, P1.00 goes to OFW, and the P15 goes to Henry Sy and the lot.   No wonder, another Chinese brother started to operate his own Robinson Bank.    No wonder Banco De Oro is now one of the fastest growing banks in the country. 

Greedy we OFWs are not, but there is a challenge poking on our conscience to prove that we are not traitors?  We can still be patriotic even if we continue working abroad.  Are you brave enough to take the challenges of time and ready to unite to empower ourselves.    Are the truly pusong pinoy ready to compete with our Spanish, Chinese & Korean brothers who are ruling the Philippine business spheres.   

Are you ready to take the challenge?  

 I am……