Do OFWs bring home more than money?
MANILA, Philippines - More Filipinos than ever dream of working abroad. The prospect of good pay and its attendant benefits such as improved lifestyles and better education for offspring are factors that lure a constant stream of Filipinos to seek overseas employment every year. Figures from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) show, in fact, that remittance inflows to the Philippines in 2009 reached US$17.348 billion. This is equivalent to almost12 percent of the gross domestic product.
Since it started operations in the Philippines, Western Union has helped Filipinos send and receive money. As a leader in global payment services, it has 430,000 agent locations around the world. A network of over 7,000 locations in the Philippines enables it to provide fast, reliable and convenient service. “We will continue to be where our customers are,” says Western Union’s Patricia Zamora-Riingen, senior vice president for Pacific and Indochina. ”Wherever there is a Filipino, there will be a Western Union. Our commitment is to be where they need us to be.”
On its 20th year of operations in the Philippines, Western Union commissioned research company Symovate to conduct a study to provide answers to the question: Do OFWs bring home more than money?
“This is just a start,” says Drina Yue, managing director and senior vice president for Asia Pacific. “One of the purposes of the research is to find out where we can help more.”
The most significant result of the study entitled “A Peek into Socio-Economic and Cultural Transfers (A Study on OFWs, from Host-to-Home Country)” showed that “OFWs have become ambassadors of global culture.” It is not surprising that “97 percent of interviewees report to have noted at least one change about their OFW household member, which they perceive to be influenced by the country where they work.”
Carole Sarthou, managing director of Symovate, says, “With over 10 million or so Filipinos abroad and counting, Symovate foresees socio-economic transfers continuing unabated in the coming years. While the impact to Philippine culture may be masked by other means of socio-cultural transfer such as media, it is there, and will change our lives in both obvious and subtle ways.”
What, specifically does the study indicate? OFWs adapt by assimilating or filtering certain aspects of culture depending on what their role will be in their life overseas. “Professionals are more adaptive to the cosmopolitan mindset,” elaborates Sarthou. New attitudes are adapted and, perhaps an inevitable consequence of being away from family, respondents were more independent, more punctual or time-conscious and more observant of the laws of the host country.
“OFWs strictly follow the host country’s laws and regulations out of the fear of being deported, imprisoned or penalized with a fine.” This positive habit if following rules continues even when they come home, and often rubs off on family members. In addition, there is a tendency to be more forthright or outspoken, to be more socially conscious, and to give more importance to family, environment, religion and the political affairs of both host country and the Philippines.
Not all the habits and ways of thinking predominant in the host country were assimilated permanently, however. “Unsuccessful transmission occurs when behaviors are practiced in the host country and are left there; when there is no conscious attempt to influence families” to adopt the same. Norms or practices of the host country that run counter to Filipino culture, or those that are not relevant in the local milieu, are those that are not absorbed.
Significantly, “Regardless of their role as cultural change agents, OFWs retain Filipino values,” reveals Sarthou. Foremost among these is that family comes first. The study identifies other core values that remain intact, such as: Filipinos are hardworking and resilient, have strong personal faith and optimism and are firm believers in the importance of education as the key to a good future. The tradition of treating the elderly with respect and care also remains.
“In some cases, our OFWs become even more fiercely Pinoy in spirit,” says Sarthou. This is both a telling observation and answer to the question, “Do OFWS bring home more than money?” Ultimately, as they miss the Philippines while working abroad, the most important thing OFWs bring is a renewed appreciation for country and home.
