HOPE FOR OFWs

“Kung kaya ng iba, bakit hindi natin kaya?” Ito ang katanungang laging bumabagabag sa akin. Kung kayang umasenso ng mga dayuhan tulad ng mga Chino, Bumbay, Koreano, Hapon, Amerkano, at iba pa sa Pilipinas, bakit hindi kaya ng mga Pilipino? Bakit kailangang mag-ibang bansa pa ang maraming Pilipino? Bakit? Sadya bang inferior race ang mga Pilipino? Hindi ko matanggap ito. Kung kaya ng ibang katutubong Pilipino tulad ni Ferdie Gedalanga na dating isang street kid o ni Cris Sabarez na dating iskwater sa Old Balara at ngayon ay kapwa matagumpay na mga negosyante at may sarili nang bahay at lupa, e bakit hindi kaya ng ibang Pilipino?

Sa aking palagay, ang problema ng maraming OFW (gayon din ng marami pang Pilipino) ay kulang sila sa tamang mindset. Sa nakikita ko, may tatlong mindset na kailangang linangin ng mga OFW sa kanilang sarili para sila magkaroon ng pag-asa sa buhay at umunlad kahit na manatili lang sila sa sarili nilang bayang Pilipinas.

Ang unang mindset ay “Stewardship” o “isip-mabuting katiwala ng Dios.” Dapat tayong maging tapat at mahusay na katiwala ng Dios sa lahat ng yaman o ari-ariang binigay niya sa atin. Kasama riyan ang ating kaperahan, kalusugan, kaisipan, pamilya, tahanan, trabaho, negosyo, atbp. Isa sa pinakamahalagang yamang tinakda ng Dios sa sangkapilipinuhan para pangasiwaan ng mabuti ay ang ating bansang Pilipinas. Sabi ni Jesus sa isa niyang talinghaga, siya ang mabuting magsasaka na naghahasik ng binhi sa kanyang lupa. Ang lupa ay ang mundo at ang binhi ay ang mga tao. Si Jesus ang naghasik sa atin dito sa bayang Pilipinas. Hindi aksidente na tayo ay mga Pilipino, lahing kayumanggi, lahing maganda. Magbibigay sulit tayo sa Dios sa paraan ng ating pangangasiwa sa mga yamang binigay niya sa atin. Sa nakikita ko, napakasama ng pangangasiwa ng maraming Pilipino sa sarili nilang bayan. Maraming mga pinunong Pilipino ay magnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan. (Mabuti na lang na ang kasalukuyang Pangulo ay mukhang matapat sa tungkulin. Kasihan nawa siya ng Dios.)

Kung sisiryosohin natin ang ating pagiging “Katiwala ng Dios” sa Pilipinas, magiging mahusay tayo sa pangangalaga at pagpapaunlad ng ating bayan. Ang lahat ng pinunong Pilipino ay dapat maging tapat sa kanilang tungkulin. Lahat ng ordinaryong mamamayan ay dapat maging masipag, malinis, maayos, at tapat magbayad ng buwis. Magtatanim sila ng maraming punong-kahoy. Hindi sila magtatapon ng basura kung saan-saan. Susunod sila sa mga batas. Lahat ng ito ay gagawin nila alang-alang sa Dios na kanilang minamahal.

Naaawa ako sa mga OFW dahil nasa ibang bansa sila, kaya ibang bansa ang pinayayaman nila. At napapabayaan nila ang kanilang sariling asawa at mga anak. Kung ganyan ng ganyan, lalong hihirap ang Pilipinas at nanganganib na mawasak ang pamilyang Pilipino. Kikita nga sila ng pera, pero nagwawala naman ang asawa nila at nasisira ang pag-uugali ng kanilang mga anak. Sa aking palagay, hindi kalooban ng Dios na magkahiwalay ang mag-asawa at mapabayaan ang mga anak. Kung lalabag tayo sa kalooban ng Dios, tiyak na may masamang ibubunga iyan. Lagot tayo.

Ang pangalawang magandang kaisipan na dapat linangin ng mga OFW ay ang “isip pag-iipon.” Huwag dapat gagastusin ng OFW ang lahat ng kanyang kita. Dapat ay mayroong ipon. Hanggat hindi nag-iipon ang OFW, ang anumang sueldo niya ay di sasapat. Hindi ang sueldo ang nagpapayaman sa tao, kundi ang ipon na nanganganak ng husto. Ang karaniwang OFW ay tulad ng isang sisidlang (container) maraming butas. Gusto sana nilang punuin ng tubig ito, ngunit lahat ng kanilang ipinapasok ay lumalabas. Subalit hindi makita ni OFW ang sanhi ng kanyang problema. Ang kanyang iniisip, “Hindi ako nakakaipon dahil masyadong maliit ang pinagmumulan ko ng tubig.” Ngunit kahit bigyan mo pa siya ng malaking pagmumulan ng tubig (kahit pa kasing laki ng subdivision water tank), hindi pa rin mapupuno ng tubig ang kanyang sisidlan sapagkat butas-butas nga. Lahat ng pumapasok ay lumalabas. Kailangan magkaroon ang OFW ng “financial discipline.”

Ang aking paniwala ay ito: Ang marunong, maraming ipon; ang mangmang, maraming utang. Dapat praktisin ng OFW ang “10:10:80 formula.” Pagdating ng kanyang sueldo, ang unang 10% ay dapat ibigay niya sa Dios para lalo siyang pagpalain. Ang ikalawang 10% ay dapat niyang ipunin at paanakin nang paanakin. Ang ipon ay kutson na sumasalo sa mga dagok ng buhay. Ang huling 80% ay para sa kanyang pang-araw-araw na gastusin. Dapat pagkasyahin niya ang kanyang lifestyle sa 80% ng kanyang kita. Ang sabi ng isang salawikain, “Kung maigsi ang kumot, matutong mamaluktot.”

Ang pangatlong magandang kaisipan na dapat linangin ng OFW ay ang “isip-entrepinoy.” Ang Pilipino ay dapat maging mahusay sa pagnenegosyo. Ang pamamasukan ay maganda rin sapagkat malinis na trabaho iyan; pero iyan ay pagdadagdag (addition) lamang ng kita, samantalang ang pagnenegosyo ay pagpaparami (multiplication). Bakit ang batang Tsino, pagka-graduate sa High School, ang unang tanong ay, “Anong negosyo ang itatayo ko?” Samantala, ang batang Pinoy, pagka-graduate sa kolehiyo, ang unang tanong ay “Saan ako hahanap ng trabaho?” Bakit? Sadya bang pang-empleyado lang ang Pinoy? Talaga bang ang mga Pilipino ay pawang alila sa sarili nilang bansa at ang mga dayuhan lang ang may karapatang yumaman at mag-ari ng ating ekonomiya? Hindi tama ito! Ang Pilipinas ay para sa lahing Pilipino!

Tatlo ang uri ng negosyo: buy and sell o pangangalakal, manufacturing o paggawa ng produko, at service o pagbenta ng serbisyo. Ang pinakasimple ay ang una – pangangalakal. Bibili ka lang ng produkto kung saan mura ang benta nito, at dadalhin mo sa lugar na wala nitong produktong ito at ibenta mo ng may tubo. Kailangan pa bang i-memorize iyan? Kailangan mo ba ng college degree para gawin iyan? Sa totoo lang, wala naman talagang dapat maghirap sa atin kung magiging masipag, matiyaga at marunong lang tayo. May kahirapang bunga ng kaapihan; subalit may kahirapang sila ang may kagagawan.

Sana maraming OFW ang tumulad na lamang sa Matalinong Babae na tinutukoy sa Kawikaan 31: 10-31. Ang babaeng ito ay napakasipag at napakatalino. Hindi siya kailangang mag-OFW para umasenso. Hindi rin niya kailangang magtrabaho sa labas ng bahay. Sa loob ng bahay ay marami siyang produktibong gawain. Mayroon siyang at least 10 home-based enterprises:

1. May buy and sell siya ng wool and flax
2. May food importing business siya
3. May real estate business siya
4. May farming business siya
5. May trading business siya
6. May garments business siya
7. May social work enterprise siya
8. May interior design at fashion business siya
9. May sash exporting business siya
10. May school business siya

Hindi kataka-takang umaasenso siya at pinupuri ng lahat.

Bilang pagtatapos, gusto ko lang idiin na hindi kailangang mag-OFW ang isang Pinoy para umasenso sa buhay. Manatili na lang tayo sa bayang binigay ng Dios sa atin. Maging mabuting Katiwala ng Dios tayo sa lahat ng yaman at ari-ariang binigay niya sa atin. Matuto tayong mag-ipon at magpaanak ng ipon. At huli, pumasok tayo sa maraming home-based businesses. Hindi pa natin mapapabayaan ang ating asawa at mga anak. Iyan ang kapuri-puri sa Dios.

ARE REMITTANCES GOOD FOR DEVELOPMENT?

In the course of doing work with the International Organization for Migration and the Small Enterprises Research and Development Foundation, I reviewed literature on the impact of remittances in Philippine countryside development. My review suggested the following chain of causes and effects attendant to remittances:

a) Remittances alleviate poverty through increased incomes at the grassroots level in rural communities.
b) Increased incomes lead to increased savings and investments as well as demands for goods and services (for consumption) among migrant families, which stimulate local enterprises to produce more.
c) Increased economic activities create employment opportunities for non-migrant families, and improve the competitiveness of a locality.
d) As employment and investments increase in a locality, individual incomes increase as well, along with savings, which can be re-invested back into capital markets or the creation of new enterprises.
e) The outcome is better quality of life for families and households, and as the outcomes are sustained, will redound to migrant workers exercising real freedom to choose whether to return back to this country (reintegration) or continue with migration.
f) Interventions are needed to ensure that the above benefits of development do not perpetuate income inequalities as remittances are siphoned back to (a) developed, urban areas through consumption patterns in goods and services offered by outsider entrepreneurs and (b) non-rational investments in speculative and unproductive assets that in the long run work against the livelihood of poor, mostly agricultural, communities.
g) Interventions are also needed to address issues that suggest remittances may impact on values that lead to lack of development in families and communities, such as when it leads to the devaluation of child care among parents, lack of dignity in labor, of working in the country, and of living in the country.
The following important lessons are to be taken into account when designing interventions for channeling remittances.
a) Ensure that the primary beneficiaries (or the biggest gainers) of development are the poor, particularly the migrant families, as well as the communities where they come from.
b) Attend to the investment climate of localities being targeted for development as they are a determinant factor in whether remittances are spent by recipient families on consumption or profitable investments (Pernia & Salas, 2005).
c) Ensure that recipients of remittances (such as families left-behind, or donee recipients) utilize remittances in the best interest of the OFWs and long-term local economic development.

(Ideas collected from various IOM publications and materials by Anji Resurreccion for SERDEF, Philippines)

OFW GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

I am a licensed Business Management System (BMS) trainer.  The BMS paradigm says that competitiveness can be measured by answering the questions: Who dictates the price?  Who lines up begging to be patronized?  According to this view, something is said to be competitive when it approximates monopoly situation; that is, it has no competitors.  As such, the buyer has no choice but to line up, wait his turn, and pay whatever selling price is demanded.

 Given this point, it appears that the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) are not exactly that competitive.  Why?  Because there are more Filipino workers than jobs available.  Many Filipinos are precariously stranded in some remote Middle Eastern countries hoping to be given a work contract.  They unduly risk their lives.  To survive, many of them resort to fishing and begging alms from kind-hearted fellow Filipinos. Given their desperate situation, many of them have no choice but to accept whatever outrageously low salary rate is offered, thus further spoiling the labor market situation for OFWs.  It is the foreign employer who dictates the price. They exploit our seemingly hopeless situation.  Some of them are merciless. If we do not agree to their offer and if they say,  “Alright, if you don’t like to accept my rate, that’s up to you. I will just look for someone else.” The poor OFW would quickly say, “OK OK, I agree to your dirt cheap rate.”  If this is what’s happening, then we cannot be called competitive.

 On the other had, the OFW may also be considered competitive in a way.  Why? Because of the many nationalities willing to be virtual slaves in rich countries, Filipinos seem to be the “first preference” or the “customer’s first choice.”  Why are we their “first choice”?  Because we are said to be good English speakers; we have relatively good work attitudes (we are supposedly meek and submissive workers); and we are better educated than the workers of other nations.  The OFW is willing to accept a job that is way below his skill level and educational background.  In other words, he has no qualms about being under-employed.  For example, our doctors are willing to work as nurses; our nurses as care-givers; many of our engineers as utility or maintenance people; our licensed CPAs as mere bookkeepers; and our teachers who hold Master’s or PhD degrees as domestics helpers.

 In other words, the issue of competitiveness is not that simple. If the OFW is the “first choice” of foreign employers because they are clearly more skilled than the other nationalities, besides the fact that our people are willing to accept jobs that are lower than their educational qualifications and willing to receive salaries that are just 10% of their true worth, can we say that Filipinos are competitive?  Yes, they may be the employer’s first choice, but they are virtual slaves anyhow.

 Genuine competitiveness is when we have a rare, in-demand, unique ability that other peoples cannot copy and then the employers have no choice but to line up and compete with each other to hire us.  If the OFW says to the potential employer, “I will not accept a salary below 2,000 dollars a month. Take it or leave it!”  If they have no choice but to say, ”Sure, sure! I will give you whatever price you demand; just work for me.” That is being competitive!  Oh, when will this ever be?

 I am irritated by our present situation!  How low our self-image has fallen.  We are so demoralized and desperate.  This is so wrong.  The truth is, I really believe that we Filipinos are better skilled and more resourceful than the workers of many nations. It is hard to explain why, but for me, Filipinos are especially gifted by God.  Apart from our unique abilities, I think we are also one of the most attractive peoples on the face of the earth – not too large, not too small; not too pale, not too dark.  And we are vaunted to be excellent in relating with other nationalities, so much so that we are often labeled as “the ideal immigrant.” It is because we are able to easily adjust to the newly adopted home nation.

 However, if you ask me, I wish that we were not just competent workers or servants of foreigners; but more importantly, to become competent entrepreneurs, to be job-creators and not just job-seekers.  I pray that God’s promise in the Bible will come true for us:“For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.” (Deut. 15:6).  Amen!