Roberto A Samson wonders if overseas Filipino workers are cultivating their relations’ vices in the Philippines
What is it that drives Filipinos to go abroad? Is it really to earn a better way of living? Is it a quest for luxury? Is it to get a better economic status to make things worthwhile for one’s family? These are the questions I often ask every time I see a Filipino in parts of the world where my profession and missionary work bring me.
I often think that for us Filipinos, our powerful faith in God, devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, respect for others (especially elders), hospitality and strong family ties are inherent traits that would have been more than enough to make us happy and live our lives to the fullest - and yet we always want something more.
We all know that poverty is one of the main causes of Filipino emigration and because of this, the Philippines is one of the top exporters of overseas workers. Name any kind of profession you need and we have it.
Aside from the brain drain that this mass migration is already creating, what do you think will happen to our country if this phenomenon continues? We will simply have less genuine leadership.
Do the few leaders we have still think only of the common good for the community and not about themselves?
Twenty-five years have now passed since the death of Ninoy Aquino Jr. His death on the tarmac clouded the hopes and dreams of many people who were following the Philippine political situation at that time. Prices of all commodities were soaring high and protests were spilling over on the streets of Manila. The nation was at a real crossroads. Then, in a gentle stroke, the people rallied behind the late Cardinal Sin and Cory Aquino in one of the finest non-violent recordbreaking revolutions in the history of mankind (named People’s Power).
Yet we know that the reconstruction of our nation is not an easy task. Protection of personal power and interests at times overshadows real service to the people, not to talk of rampant corruption, which is almost a disease practiced by so many consciously and unconsciously. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings shows how the obsession to possess the figurative ring of power and greed destroys fellowship, causing the downfall of kings and queens and their kingdoms. Sometimes it is hard to understand that real power or strength is best expressed through such attitudes as respect, the capacity to listen and acceptance of diverse opinions from one’s constituents.
How about us in our smaller world here in Ireland? What do we do to help our country? Recently, a Filipina friend married to an Irishman narrated to me that her aunt from Germany called her in desperation some weeks ago. She had lost three big balikbayan boxes (which contain all types of non-perishable items and take at least a month and a half to be shipped to Philippines). She had spent almost six months collecting and selecting different items to send to relations in the Philippines, but Typhoon Frank swallowed everything together with the cargo ship that it sank.
The boxes contained expensive branded signature items. They were not for commercial use but were a sort of pasalubong (gift) to her relations, preparing them for her arrival this end of October. Do her relations really need those signature items to live a better life?
Are the overseas Filipino workers working in different countries cultivating their relations’ vices in the Philippines? I often hear the statement: “Aba, parang akala nila sa atin sa Pilipinas ay nanganganak ako ng pera rito sa Ireland. Hindi nila alam na lahat ng ito ay galing lamang sa napakalaking sakripisyo!” (Oh, it seems that those from the Philippines think I’m just giving birth to money here in Ireland but they don’t know that it all came from big sacrifices!).
Let’s analyse this issue. Oftentimes we think that it’s good to send something to our relations in the Philippines as a token sign of our love and that we always remember them concretely. But what are the things that we usually send to our relations in the Philippines besides money remittances? Shoes, bags, shirts, trousers, dresses, vitamin pills, toiletries, perfume, anti-aging stuff, chocolates, cookies, snacks, our still-good old mobile phones, chips, mixes, electrical and some digital gadgets, etc
Honestly, what do you think our relations really need from the stuff we send? It could that we feel obliged to fill the gap of our missing physical presence through the stuff we send Filipinos are known for their generosity but it is not enough to be generous to clear our conscience, we need to be balanced in our way of giving.
Another weakness of our culture is what we Filipinos call ‘keeping up with the Santoses’ or what the Americans would call ‘keeping up with the Joneses’. *“Look, Melissa has the 50- inch flat screen telly and a Lexus Hybrid SUV. Why don’t we buy them too? Two of us are working together; we can manage to have that too!”
*“I saw Chris yesterday with the latest McIntosh ?2,500 VAIO laptop. I think we can afford that too Honey, what do you think?” Whatever others have I must have. Why? Do you not feel in fashion? Do you feel less of a person? Where’s the simple happiness that we Filipinos used to enjoy together with our family? I’ll leave this one for you all to answer.
Several months ago there were rumours that a good number of Filipinos working in hospitals were hooked in a gambling scheme on the internet. Many said that they even borrow money from the patients they are caring for or even robbing them. Another story that’s being recounted often among groups would be that several Filipinos are now experimenting with drugs to enjoy themselves.
Every one of us Filipinos must remember and have in his/her heart that wherever we go, we are not just Jose, Nena, Juan or Selya, we are Filipinos. We represent a community and everything that we do always reflects on that community. We better think twice before we spit at our own family, our own community, our country, because in the outside world, there’s no place to wash your ‘dirty laundry’.
I’m writing these knowing the responsibility that it brings. I know that I’ll be receiving a lot of complaints. Frankly speaking from my heart, this is my way of loving each and everyone of you, my fellowmen and women, brothers and sisters.
