Most of us in this present generation have parents, siblings, relatives or any family members that work abroad. They work abroad for the purpose of gaining big salariesfor the sustenance of the financial needs of their family here in the Philippines. We would also believe that working abroad would raise us from our poor lifestyle, that it is the answer to our financial and material problems.Many of us would believe that it is the standard work after graduating in college. Almost all of us would believe that to be an OFW or Overseas Filipino Worker is the key for a better futureand a better life (maginhawangbuhay).Most of us believe with these positive things presented to us by working abroad. We are always aware of these positive things about working abroad but we are often ignorant to seeits negative effects to our relational life as members of oursociety most especially our family.
During the time of our grandparents, when they were in our age, they just work in the fields, farms or go fishing. Their technology those times were not as advanced as now. They never imagined such things as computers, laptops, i-pads and other gadgets that exist nowadays. I also believe that people those times were not as possessive and materialistic compared to the present generation. They just lived a simple life and had a simple work yet they survived. It is because money is not as necessary before compared to now. Before, they work, get their wages being contented to it all as long as their salary isenough for the needs of their family. They don’t need to pay for electricity, internet and telephone bills, buy gadgets and go shopping because during those times, they don’t have thesekinds of things. Some of them already have TVs, telephones and radios,but during those times the supply is low and the demand is also low. All they have to think is for them to eat at least three times a day and to educate their children.That was long time ago. In this generation of ours, money is a necessity. Through money, we can buy things, have possessions, go to school, travel and even do whatever we want. In other words, money is a necessity in terms of survival (e.g. food, clothing, shelter). Through money, “having” happens (aside from what were given to us). We cannot “have” without money. It’s hard to survive and live without money. Everything has a price. Plans and dreams will not come true without using money. All of us need money. Money is neither good nor bad but person can use it for the good or for the bad. It can be an instrument to do good or o do bad. Money is there to help us. All we have to do is to use it wisely and responsibly.
We are living in a highly technologized and materialistic world where in what matters most for most of us is our “having” (I am what I have) rather than our “being.” We are attracted to have cars, gadgets and lots of stuffs. We can have all these things through money. We can even enslave other people through money. If we would really trace why some of our family members go abroad and work there, it is because of money. They work abroad because of money and its relation to one’s survival. With these, we can say that they are really heroes. They are heroes of our economy and they are also heroes in their family because they choose to be away from their families in order for them to send money for their daily needs and sustenance. This act is hard in the part of the OFWs but they endured it for them to give a better future and a better life to their family most especially their children.This is an act of sacrifice. Saints became saints because of sacrifice. OFWs are martyrs of love. They work because they love their families. I can relate their situation to one of the stories in the bible. It was during the time of King Solomon where in two women said to him that they were the true mother of the child. Only one of them is the mother but both of them would insist that they were the true mother of the child. With this situation, King Solomon threatened the two that if both of them would insist that they were the mother of the child, he will divide the child into two. The other woman humbled herself and did not insist anymore even though she was the true mother of the child. With that, King Solomon concluded that the one who did not insist that she was the mother was the true mother of the child. She sacrificed for the sake of her child. In relation to OFWs, even though it is hard for our parents or siblings to work abroad and be away from us, they would do that in order for us to have a better life, better future, and for us not to experience the hardships of poverty that they once experienced. They are true heroes. All they want in the back of their minds is the good of their family most especially their children.
Working abroad is a big help in our country’s economy and for the sustenance of the needs of our family. It isfast money compared to working here in the Philippines as teacher or nurse. Majority of the rich families have family members working abroad. It is because wehave the mentality nowadays that the best work (with big salaries) for a better life and better future is to work abroad. The problem with this is its effect to our relationship with our family members someday. To work abroad is a good way of earning high salaries but its social cost is the lackof parental guidance to our children and the weakening of the parents-children relationship. Someday, if we work abroad leaving our children here, there is a big possibility that they will be lost due to lack of parental guidance and lack of experience of parental care. Maybe, they would love more their yaya, tito, tita, lolo and lola compared to us. If our generation fails in terms of parental guidance to our children, we will see its negative effects to them and even to the generation next to them (probably). Maybe, they would also work abroad and leave their children to their yayas or grandparents and their children will be worse than them.Going abroad would make the relationship between parents and children not as deep as the ones who have experienced parental guidance and real parental care (bodily). The relationship is not deep because they have less time of “embodied relationship.” For me, the relationship of the overseas parentswith their childrenis somehow weak because they have “lesser-being-with” (mitsein), “lesser-care-experience” (bodily), “lesser-journey-as-we” (parents-son). What would our children remember about us if we are always away from them? Their memory of us will be vague. Maybe, they would remember us more with the things we have given to them (than the true us). How sad it is in our part if we have this kind of situation. Maybe we will put the blame on them if they will be lost in their life. We maybe say to them: “Gin-ubra ko tanan nga sakripisyo para makaeskwela kamo nga mag-ulutod, para mahatag namon sa inyo ang inyo gusto tapos ang ibalos niyo lang sa amon ang inyo bisyo kag kadungulan?” We cannot fully blame them that their lost is their entire fault. Whatever happens to them, all of us have a part (Intersubjectivity and Infinite Responsibility to the Other). They might say to us: “Diinka sang pagdakuko haw? Diinka sang kinahanglan ta ka? Kung arikalangdi tanibasiwala pa ako nag amoni.”As parents, we have a bigger responsibility to guide them in their growing years. Not only the parents are concerned but all of us. All of us have an infinite responsibility to the other.
As a conclusion, to work abroad is good in terms of financial sustenance and survival. There are big salaries out there. Money is necessary nowadays. It is hard to live without money. I believe that all of us desires for it. The problem is that many of us thought that money can best be got through working abroad. If we need money, we can find it here in our country. It depends to our strategies in life. With this, at least we don’t sacrifice our relationship and our “being-with”with our family. I don’t really discourage you (the reader) not to work abroad. If you think it is your vocation, go for it! OFWs as I have said are also heroes. They sacrifice their time being away from their loved ones for the sake of their family’s survival and for their better future. They are martyrs of love and care. All they think at the back of their minds are what is best for their family. Of course they work hard in order for their children not to experience the hardships they had experienced. They really care for them. I knew also people with overseas parents that were not lost in their life. Even though they had lack parental guidance, they were guided at least by their titos, titas, lolos,lolas, older brothers, older sisters and also their teachers. They were not lost because others were responsible for them. What I presented to you were just the possible negative effects that might happen to the family of the OFWs. In that way, if you will beone someday and have problems with your children, you will immediately locate where you have missed (kungdiinkanagkulang). The problem as what I have said in working abroad is that, “lesser-being-with” (mitsein), “lesser-care-experience” (embodied care), “lesser-journey-as-we” (parents-son), and lack of parental guidance which all lead to “vague memory” and “Being-lost-in-life.”Life happens ones. And so, as long as we live, let us use our time in “being-with” the other (Mitsein), in making the other experience our care (Care), in being responsible of the other (Infinite Responsibility with the Face) and in making good memories with the other (Memory). In this way, we become more a PERSON, a communal being (Person).
During the time of our grandparents, when they were in our age, they just work in the fields, farms or go fishing. Their technology those times were not as advanced as now. They never imagined such things as computers, laptops, i-pads and other gadgets that exist nowadays. I also believe that people those times were not as possessive and materialistic compared to the present generation. They just lived a simple life and had a simple work yet they survived. It is because money is not as necessary before compared to now. Before, they work, get their wages being contented to it all as long as their salary isenough for the needs of their family. They don’t need to pay for electricity, internet and telephone bills, buy gadgets and go shopping because during those times, they don’t have thesekinds of things. Some of them already have TVs, telephones and radios,but during those times the supply is low and the demand is also low. All they have to think is for them to eat at least three times a day and to educate their children.That was long time ago. In this generation of ours, money is a necessity. Through money, we can buy things, have possessions, go to school, travel and even do whatever we want. In other words, money is a necessity in terms of survival (e.g. food, clothing, shelter). Through money, “having” happens (aside from what were given to us). We cannot “have” without money. It’s hard to survive and live without money. Everything has a price. Plans and dreams will not come true without using money. All of us need money. Money is neither good nor bad but person can use it for the good or for the bad. It can be an instrument to do good or o do bad. Money is there to help us. All we have to do is to use it wisely and responsibly.
We are living in a highly technologized and materialistic world where in what matters most for most of us is our “having” (I am what I have) rather than our “being.” We are attracted to have cars, gadgets and lots of stuffs. We can have all these things through money. We can even enslave other people through money. If we would really trace why some of our family members go abroad and work there, it is because of money. They work abroad because of money and its relation to one’s survival. With these, we can say that they are really heroes. They are heroes of our economy and they are also heroes in their family because they choose to be away from their families in order for them to send money for their daily needs and sustenance. This act is hard in the part of the OFWs but they endured it for them to give a better future and a better life to their family most especially their children.This is an act of sacrifice. Saints became saints because of sacrifice. OFWs are martyrs of love. They work because they love their families. I can relate their situation to one of the stories in the bible. It was during the time of King Solomon where in two women said to him that they were the true mother of the child. Only one of them is the mother but both of them would insist that they were the true mother of the child. With this situation, King Solomon threatened the two that if both of them would insist that they were the mother of the child, he will divide the child into two. The other woman humbled herself and did not insist anymore even though she was the true mother of the child. With that, King Solomon concluded that the one who did not insist that she was the mother was the true mother of the child. She sacrificed for the sake of her child. In relation to OFWs, even though it is hard for our parents or siblings to work abroad and be away from us, they would do that in order for us to have a better life, better future, and for us not to experience the hardships of poverty that they once experienced. They are true heroes. All they want in the back of their minds is the good of their family most especially their children.
Working abroad is a big help in our country’s economy and for the sustenance of the needs of our family. It isfast money compared to working here in the Philippines as teacher or nurse. Majority of the rich families have family members working abroad. It is because wehave the mentality nowadays that the best work (with big salaries) for a better life and better future is to work abroad. The problem with this is its effect to our relationship with our family members someday. To work abroad is a good way of earning high salaries but its social cost is the lackof parental guidance to our children and the weakening of the parents-children relationship. Someday, if we work abroad leaving our children here, there is a big possibility that they will be lost due to lack of parental guidance and lack of experience of parental care. Maybe, they would love more their yaya, tito, tita, lolo and lola compared to us. If our generation fails in terms of parental guidance to our children, we will see its negative effects to them and even to the generation next to them (probably). Maybe, they would also work abroad and leave their children to their yayas or grandparents and their children will be worse than them.Going abroad would make the relationship between parents and children not as deep as the ones who have experienced parental guidance and real parental care (bodily). The relationship is not deep because they have less time of “embodied relationship.” For me, the relationship of the overseas parentswith their childrenis somehow weak because they have “lesser-being-with” (mitsein), “lesser-care-experience” (bodily), “lesser-journey-as-we” (parents-son). What would our children remember about us if we are always away from them? Their memory of us will be vague. Maybe, they would remember us more with the things we have given to them (than the true us). How sad it is in our part if we have this kind of situation. Maybe we will put the blame on them if they will be lost in their life. We maybe say to them: “Gin-ubra ko tanan nga sakripisyo para makaeskwela kamo nga mag-ulutod, para mahatag namon sa inyo ang inyo gusto tapos ang ibalos niyo lang sa amon ang inyo bisyo kag kadungulan?” We cannot fully blame them that their lost is their entire fault. Whatever happens to them, all of us have a part (Intersubjectivity and Infinite Responsibility to the Other). They might say to us: “Diinka sang pagdakuko haw? Diinka sang kinahanglan ta ka? Kung arikalangdi tanibasiwala pa ako nag amoni.”As parents, we have a bigger responsibility to guide them in their growing years. Not only the parents are concerned but all of us. All of us have an infinite responsibility to the other.
As a conclusion, to work abroad is good in terms of financial sustenance and survival. There are big salaries out there. Money is necessary nowadays. It is hard to live without money. I believe that all of us desires for it. The problem is that many of us thought that money can best be got through working abroad. If we need money, we can find it here in our country. It depends to our strategies in life. With this, at least we don’t sacrifice our relationship and our “being-with”with our family. I don’t really discourage you (the reader) not to work abroad. If you think it is your vocation, go for it! OFWs as I have said are also heroes. They sacrifice their time being away from their loved ones for the sake of their family’s survival and for their better future. They are martyrs of love and care. All they think at the back of their minds are what is best for their family. Of course they work hard in order for their children not to experience the hardships they had experienced. They really care for them. I knew also people with overseas parents that were not lost in their life. Even though they had lack parental guidance, they were guided at least by their titos, titas, lolos,lolas, older brothers, older sisters and also their teachers. They were not lost because others were responsible for them. What I presented to you were just the possible negative effects that might happen to the family of the OFWs. In that way, if you will beone someday and have problems with your children, you will immediately locate where you have missed (kungdiinkanagkulang). The problem as what I have said in working abroad is that, “lesser-being-with” (mitsein), “lesser-care-experience” (embodied care), “lesser-journey-as-we” (parents-son), and lack of parental guidance which all lead to “vague memory” and “Being-lost-in-life.”Life happens ones. And so, as long as we live, let us use our time in “being-with” the other (Mitsein), in making the other experience our care (Care), in being responsible of the other (Infinite Responsibility with the Face) and in making good memories with the other (Memory). In this way, we become more a PERSON, a communal being (Person).