OFWs' gains and pains

Working broad, while leaving their families in the Philippines is always a difficult decision for OFWs who are fathers and mothers to growing children. Today, more than 3,000 Filipinos leave our country daily, and out of them, about 2,000 come to the Middle East. In Saudi alone, there are more than a million Filipino migrant workers, and another one million or more are deployed in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Lebanon, Libya, Jordan and Israel. If these 2 million OFWs in the Middle East remit only US$400 a month, then they’d infuse the Philippine economy with no less than $800 million dollars monthly or $9.6 billion annually. These are tremendous contributions to our economy. But these also mean that there are 2 million Filipino families that are deprived of fathers and mothers. Consider the substantial gains but lets not forget the social cost of migration.

Trickle down economy

The OFWs’ money should trickle down to the development of the locality, where their families reside, and should be used in building houses, sending the kids to college, starting micro enterprises, buying land and investing in small-scale industries, while there should be a scientific study to validate this thesis, the proofs are both many and self-evident. We see around a lot of jeepneys, sari sari stores, tricycles and even big busses with the bold mark: “Katas ng Saudi”: We hear of many testimonies about young Filipinos finishing their college studies out of money sent from their migrant parents. We thus contend that the OFWs’ remittances are not being used for luxury and for ostentatious pretensions at lavish lifestyles. Our vision is to make the OFW’s money as wise investments in infrastructure, human resources development, industries and trade.

Cebuano OFWs, unite

Our vision is to see our OFWs from Cebu (there are about half a million of us, easily) unite and put together at least 20% of our remittances in an investment fund. We should ask our Cebu congressmen to assist in the creation of what you may call the Cebu OFWs Savings and Loan Association or if possible, a Cebuano Migrants Investment Corp., or even a Cebuano Bank for OFWs. This should serve as a model of an enlightened migration with a long-range vision. It is also our vision to see a Migrant Workers Office in every city and municipality in Cebu from Bantayan to Santander. This office should serve as the link between the migrants and their families, and between them and the POEA (for recruitment issues), OWWA (for welfare cases), TESDA (for training needs), and DOLE for all other employment related concerns.

Social costs of migration

In the name of billions of remittances, a huge social cost is being paid by our OFWs, in terms of shattered marriages and broken families, of migrants’ lives lost to murders and homicides in foreign lands, of women raped, harassed, trafficked and tortured. It is only proper that we help our OFWs and really help them well enough. Politicians, for instance, can help by refraining from using the OFWs for political gimmickry. Politicians claim to be the champions of OFWs and project themselves as their knights in shining armors.   Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. If indeed, real help is extended to OFWs in their times of crisis and great need. The best gift that politicians can give to OFWs is to strengthen the overseas labor offices and their staff who are the frontliners in helping our OFWs. Beyond slogans and political gimmicks, the frontliners need all the help. Working abroad is a great gamble. The OFWs need all the help. The best step is to help those who are helping them now. And do it soon. 

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