Life Being An OFW

The day I left to work overseas was one of the saddest days in my life. I was never used to being far away from my family; I would miss the holidays with them, the not so frequent out of town trips, and I was quite worried because I have no idea how it is like working abroad and the fact that I don’t know anybody from where I was going.😦😦😦

In the life of a typical Filipino family, this situation is very common because parents would like to give better future to their loved ones especially for their children. Good opportunities in the Philippines are not abundant to achieve most of their dreams. Working abroad is one way of fulfilling these dreams.🤑🤑🤑

But working abroad does not always give full beneficial returns for each of the Overseas Filipino Workers. Some may be very lucky to have a very kind employer but some may not. Some can get the perfect job that they really wanted, others cannot. Some even get high paying jobs, some do not. Some Overseas Filipino Workers have the opportunity to bring their families with them but some do not.😑😑😑

Along with financial gains from working as an OFW come sad ending stories, disadvantages or sometimes a permanent damage. Take for example the cases of abuse against Filipina domestic helpers or those battling illness alone in a foreign land without any member of the family to attend to your needs and homesickness.😥😥😥

The foundation of the family relationship becomes weak because of the physical distance that is built when one leaves home for another country. Usual contractual jobs would last for two or more years. There are cases that an OFW who left his wife and children in the Philippines would be weak enough to give in to philandering. But this does not happen only abroad, it could also happen with the spouse who was left behind.🙄🙄🙄

Children who are left are usually not guided properly. Sometimes, both parents are working abroad and children would only be left under the guidance of one of their relatives. Sometimes the guardian cannot fully discipline them that can cause children to be stubborn and hard-headed in the long run. Long separation also creates gap between the parents and children; closeness with each other is not that firm or strong anymore.☺☺☺

For the Overseas Filipino Worker, working abroad without saving extra income for the retirement years is one of the biggest mistakes that should be avoided. This is the reason why many Overseas Filipino Workers are coming back to the country for retirement but are not successful. Finding local jobs after working abroad is also a problem for the Ex-Overseas Filipino Workers. Some companies are choosy and don’t want to accept applicants whose job experience is outside Philippines. You can be accepted in a local job sometimes, but the salary would not be the same anymore. That is why, although they would like to stay at home, they are forced to leave the country again and bear the hardships of being alone and far from their loved ones….and so the cycle goes on.😚😚😚

The sacrifices of Overseas Filipino Workers cannot be avoided, as they need to struggle to fulfill their dreams and to achieve success in life. Those hardships and sacrifices should bear good fruits rather than withered tree.😐😐😐