Philippine Diaspora

Silingan: Oy nang, tua naman diay sa broad si Jeni, nus a man to mag pa da utro? ingna ayaw mi kalimti sa amo bahin ha hahaha.

Nanay: Mag pa da man daw sya puhon ginagmay aron nami panggasto. 

Silingan: Aw diay.... Nang ngayo kog kwarta pang touchscreen lang bi, naka asenso na bitaw mos kinabuhi ihog nalang nag tabang sako. 

Nanay: Tawn day, igo-igo ra sab gyud pangbayad sa panginahanglan. Wa gyud mi mahatag nimo. 

Silingan: Sus pa banaha nas Jeni og foreigner oy aron inig mamatay sya ang mabinlan sa kwarta. 

    It was a conversation of Nanay and our neighbor I heard when I was in grade 3, the last time I spent time with my mother that worked abroad. The majority of Filipinos believe that all OFWs are wealthy. The primary motivation for Filipinos to work overseas is to provide for their families back home. Being a OFW has downsides as well, even while helping is a wonderful thing and it feels great to finally be able to thank the people paying for their education. For instance, you might find that distant relatives with whom you don’t have a close relationship suddenly start begging you for money and other things. They become upset if you don't say yes, calling you conceited and prideful. Some people you hardly know begin borrowing money from you without providing any assurance that they would repay you since. I’m not an OFW, but I already experienced that someone borrowed a money but didn’t pay me at all.

    Don’t say that because they married a foreigner, it means they already rose from poverty. They don’t become human banks just because you see them in images traveling, eating good meals, and buying new things. It’s such a shame that because of such events, many foreigners look down on Filipinas and stereotype us as gold-diggers. They worked hard to earn all of those things. And even if you are a close relative, try not to lose your cool if they are unable to grant your request.

    It is missing the essence. For me, actually the most important gift that OFWs can give is not brought, it is when they can return home safely knowing that they made a lot of time and effort to provide the needs of the family, people who helped them become, and people who needs their help. What hurts is when their expecting not just the OFW worker but what they can bring to them. Let’s not do this, people! OFWs exert a great deal of sacrifice and effort in a place they are unfamiliar with, we have no rights to demand below the belt.