Tell your Family of your Hardships, OFWs Urged
FILIPINO migrant workers are encouraged to share to their families both the hardships that they experience overseas and their financial goals so these become the burden of all the family members.
Estrella Dizon-Añonuevo, executive director at Atikha Overseas Workers and Communities Initiative, Inc., and a member of the board of trustees of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, said the hesitance of overseas Filipino workers to tell their families about the realities of working in a foreign land has bred complacency and dependency among their families in the Philippines.
“Nakita namin iyong malaking problema na burden ng OFW ngayon – ‘yung grabeng dependency at sobrang maluhong pamumuhay ng pamilya na sila din ang nag-create kasi they don’t tell the realities to their family.
“They feel so guilty for leaving their children behind, guilty for leaving their family behind that anything na hingin sa kanila binibigay to the detriment of the OFWs kasi sila iyong nalulubog sa utang, sila iyong napapagod, at walang pahinga, but they can not say no,” said Añonuevo.
Añonuevo is among the guest speakers at the “Forum on Converging Initiatives in Engaginbg Overseas Filipinos and other Stakeholders on Migration and Development” held on September 27 at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
She said it is important that OFWs learn to say “no” and do it in such a way that they engage their family in financial planning.
“Kailangan sabihin kung hanggang kailan sila sa ibang bansa, at magkano ba ang kailangan nilang i-save and what assistance they need from their family to help them achieve the goal. It is not the OFW’s goal only, but the goal of the family, kaya kung hindi tutulong ang family, walang mangyayari. Saan pupulutin ang family kapag wala ng trabaho?” Añonuevo added.
The government, she said, also needs to improve the pre-migration orientation seminars and to include the family of would be OFWs in these seminars.
“Dapat ang goal-setting at financial planning ginagawa natin iyan pre-migration pa lang at kasama ang pamilya kasi magiging successful ka lang kung ang family mo hindi magiging maluho,” Añonuevo said.
Another step that the government must undertake is to offer various investment and saving options and to secure the commitment of the OFW and their family to set aside money for these schemes.
“We know the government is doing its best, but with the magnitude of migration of 10.5 million, our structure is not enough so kailangan talaga ng full cooperation ng mga migrants,” she said.
Consul General Bernardita Catalla said migration and development must go “hand in hand”.
“As the current administration has articulated time and again, we want every Filipino to contribute productively to the development of our country with the view that overseas employment will only be an option in the near future,” she said in her welcome remarks.
Various government agencies and other stakeholders also shared to the 135 or so participants projects and efforts that seek to ensure the well-being of OFWs.