Save our “new heroes”, the Filipino OFWs and their families

Modern Day Heroes In the Filipino Families

Truth is, almost all Filipino families have an overseas Filipino worker in the family, either as close of kin or to the next degree. They are what our government dub as the modern day “heroes” as they bring to our country a profusion of dollars that would boost our economy.

In my travels the past 15 years, with myself perhaps considered a semi-OFW traveling a third of my time to foreign countries as part of my work, I have met a lot of OFWs working in different conditions, some even in countries poorer than ours. Majority of them leave their children either to the remaining parent or to their own parents or siblings for a long period of time, with infrequent vacations back home. Lucky are those who are able to negotiate for a yearly holiday.

I have met nurses, singers, domestic helpers, band members, quality control workers in factories, and many others who work for menial jobs. Some are luckier, like nurses, and other professionals in banks, financing companies and IT firms, but still, they are OFWs just the same, far from their families. They would talk about how lonely they are and how they miss their families way back home. Oh yes, there is the Internet, with all its possibilities, but this is no replacement for the warmth that physical closeness to a family member brings.

Here at Home–The Sad Truth

We are witness to real life stories, watch in movies and television or read in newspapers the sufferings and loneliness of the OFW dependents/families, missing the children’s growing years, milestones, birthdays, anniversaries, religious events, homecomings, etc.

At the same time, we also see how some OFW dependents/families behave. While the OFW parent toils abroad, lonely, bored, and craving for anything Filipino, here is his/her child/ren spending money like as if
money comes in abundance. Some are hooked on drugs, alcohol and drop out of school. Extended family members ask help to finance their needs or solve their financial problems. Because of this the poor OFW spends more than what he/she earns, not telling his/her family the real situation. Loan sharks also thrive where there are lots of OFWs. By the time the OFW is ready to come back home, there is not even any
savings left to start a new business. Because of the social impact of being separated, some become broken families, and the children are left out to fend on their own.

Save Our Modern Day Heroes–Save Our OFWs

These are the very reasons why I have thought of an advocacy—save our modern day “heroes”, save our OFWs and their families/dependents—through awareness, to both sides. It is high time that something be done. Other than deploying our foreign service staff to represent the country and taking care of protocol and workers’ documentation, our authorities can initiate a regular gathering of the Filipino community—to make them aware of the realities that are true to the lives of the Filipino diaspora. To aggressively campaign for a
better life, give them tips and options, open doors to micro-investments, and connect them with their families.

Families/dependents of our OFWs need all the support we can give them—to educate them, initiate support groups and make them aware of the harsh realities of the life of an OFW, be more down to earth, and
be more caring of their OFW parents. This way, even if families were dysfunctional (the absence of one or both parents), the dysfunctionality may be as minimum as possible.