The Irony
When I was younger and still in the Philippines. We all loved imported things, imported food, just almost anything as long as it is imported. And what I've noticed then which I could say up to the present, people think if you're working abroad, particularly here in the US of A, you've got tons of it. As if you're lying in a bed of money...
What they don't really know is, their love ones work themselves to death, to earn every single cent they could ever find, to send back home. They sacrificed a lot, they don't even splurge on clothes lest of all food. Double jobs and if they could only work 24/7 they will do just that. There's no time for recreation. Sleeping is even a luxury in itself that Pinoys working abroad could hardly afford for the buck that would be earn.
And here comes the love ones back home, spend all they can and act like it has no ending. I'm not saying everybody is doing it, but SOME of them. Be it the wife, husband, children, parents, siblings, etc. They spend it on almost anything, latest gadgets, cars, parties and gimmicks, dining in expensive resto and some on gambling. No savings, no investments, nothing. They became lazy. And ohhh so love to brag about their imported things.
That's the irony of it, the OFW won't buy things unless it's ON SALE. Would rather stay at home than be tempted on things and waste the hard earned bucks. And will only eat inexpensive, processed, artery clogging food in order to save.
Then, they wake up one day. All of it vanished in thin air. OFW comes home, older, no savings because they send every penny back home and was thinking the extra money was safe in the bank. Voila! They're back to their old life. Electricity was cut,food scarce, and heavy in debt.
Would you want that to happen to you?
Certainly not. What OFW's can do is do some savings on their own where they are. Money for a rainy day, so to speak. Because if you send everything back home, tendency is that it'd all be gone before you know it. In Singapore, workers are required to put a percentage of their earnings to a government-held fund and serves as a forced savings type of money for you. You get everything plus interest when you leave Sg. I am not sure though if this is true for all foreign workers.
Got to check that out.
Cheers!
ctdweller said... April 4, 2008 at 6:35 AM
hi tammy...
thank you for visiting and for the tip. =) I sure would visit this site. have a great day! =)
jaren said... April 4, 2008 at 3:30 PM
This is a sad reality for many of us and I agree with lotus flower, that OFW's need to learn not to send every single penny back home and instead save on their own. Mahirap itong gawin, lalo na sa ating mga pinoy... Iniisip kasi natin na pag ginawa natin 'to, parang "nagkakait" tayo sa mga mahal natin sa buhay. But this short-term sacrifice of not giving them more than what they "need" is one of the keys towards realizing the family's dream of a better life. Kung bigay lang tayo nang bigay, they won't feel any responsibility towards earning a living on their own. It's good to give but there is such a thing as giving too much. I guess one way to remedy this situation is for us OFW's to communicate to our loved ones what it takes to send them money, in the hopes of getting them to appreciate the hard work that we put into it, and spending it more wisely.
Unknown said... April 12, 2008 at 11:16 AM
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