La vie est bon in Paris!

At any given time, there are about eight to 11 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Last year, OFW remittances reached over $20 billion.

“At no sweat to the Philippine government,” points out Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. That OFWs are the country’s unsung heroes is validated every second, as the money they send continuously to the Philippines props up their families, their communities, and ultimately, the country.

There are about 50,000 Filipinos working in Paris  most of them gainfully. They each earn about 10 to 12 euros an hour or about P150,000 monthly.

According to security expert and part-time tour guide Andy Celario, who has been living in Paris since 1988, people who work for a living in Paris are among the most respected OFWs in the world. Not just because they deserve to be respected, but also because they live in a society that puts people’s human rights and dignity on a pedestal.

Andy, who works with the US Embassy’s security office in Paris, says the French’s respect for human rights makes every worker there as exalted as the high and mighty of the land.

Andy, whose family hails from Central Luzon, also works as a tour guide during his off hours. Dapper in a dark suit, he drives his own passenger van, and is a favorite of many Filipino tourists visiting Paris.

For one, Andy, who speaks French fluently, knows the Filipino tourist’s psyche  his almost childlike delight for photo ops at the most recognizable landmarks, his desire to buy the most recognizable branded leather goods (from Hermes to LV to Goyard) that his wallet can afford, and his equally burning desire for the best bargains. Andy can take you to Faubourg Saint Honore or to the souvenir shop near the Eiffel Tower whose owner’s wife is Pinay. (Once the French owner hears you speaking in Tagalog, he usually marks down his prices by 10 percent!)

Andy also knows the places in the city that scream “Paris,” or the cafes and bistros whose napkins you can take home as souvenirs (read: “evidence”) of your trip to the City of Lights. Café de Flore at the Left Bank for coffee, L’Entrecote for steak and fries (steak-frites), La Duree for Macarrons, Le Bon Marche for gourmet food to take home.

Most of all, you know Andy will not take you for a ride when he drives you around town. He is also very generous with his time  his “meter” stops at a certain point when he knows his kababayans are having a good time. He also gives you very good rates (if you’re planning a trip to Paris soon, e-mail him at [email protected]).

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Andy’s parents and siblings are US citizens, but he has long given up his parents’ petition for him to work and live in the US. The American Dream may be coveted, but he is happy with the French way of life.

“The most important thing I learned while working in France,” says Andy, “is the importance of a vacation.” C’est la vie!

That may not be the best thing to say to impress people  talking about a vacation instead of hard work  but Andy says the value the French put on vacations makes them work harder. Vacations are sacred and mandatory in France, and may be the French people’s secret to success.

In fact, unemployment in France is a low seven percent compared to its neighbors’, which have hit double-digit.

Andy’s three children were all born in France; their first language is French. After three children, Andy and his wife are exempted from certain income taxes. The government also makes sure that all its residents, with official papers or not, get good medical care. They also stipulate that in a dwelling, each person has to get at least nine square meters to ensure the quality of life.

The government even provides your tuition fee if you take a year off from work (after a certain number of years of service) to learn another craft, say, cooking. Andy, the security expert, took time off to learn cooking and regaled us with the steps to whipping the best souffle.

Andy says the French are not snobbish  they simply look down on people who look down on other people, people who oppress other people. He says that if a group of Filipinos make ethnic jokes about another group of Asians, the French would call their attention to the slur. Andy recounts that once, a group of Africans tried to steal his wallet in the Metro, and in defense, he pushed them away. It so happens that in the process, the Africans fell down. The police, recounts Andy, warned him that if the pickpockets complained that they were hurt, even if they were the aggressors, Andy would have a lot of explaining to do.

In the office, even if you are at fault, if your boss humiliates you in front of witnesses  your boss, not you, will be in hot water.

A former Filipino diplomat posted in Paris once told me that few illegals in Paris get deported because the French look down on the snitches, those who report on their overstaying countrymen  not on the illegals themselves.

That’s how sacred a person’s rights, space, and his quest for happiness are in the land of liberte, fraternite and egalite.

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To elucidate on this equality, Andy tells the inspiring story of one of the star players of France’s top soccer club PSG (Paris Saint-Germain). PSG’s goalkeeper is a 19-year-old Parisian born to pure Filipino parents. Alphonse Areola was born to OFWs who were working for a wealthy French couple, whose son was into soccer. Noticing that the son of their Filipino employees was also interested in soccer, the French couple sent him to the same soccer training school attended by their own son. The employers’ son ended up in a different field, but Alphonse ended up a professional soccer player, reportedly now earning a fortune! Talk about equal opportunity!

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I personally think that the French aren’t snooty. They are just incredibly self-possessed, aware of what is their due. They are frank  they will tell you if they feel you are encroaching on their space. One Frenchman can openly share his bet in the recent French presidential elections, and another can tell you to your face, “That is my problem, and you don’t need to know.”

I recently asked one Frenchman casually if he had pets at home. He bluntly told me that was a personal question that he didn’t care to answer.

To each his own. And that individuality you must respect. That is the French way. C’est la vie! And people like Andy Celario who are living the French dream will probably tell you it is the best way.

(You may e-mail me at [email protected].)