OVERSEAS WORKER - A DREAM OR REALITY?

There's been much of written stories down the road of OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) - A triumphant and disappointment stories in every news  across the country. Domestic helpers, Electricians on construction sites are common jobs for most of Filipinos. Basically, Filipinos around the world works very hard and loves to dream and continue to strive in any adversities that they may fall into.


An engineer, a laborer, a doctor, a musician, and entertainer - you name it. Every walks of life in the Philippines thought of getting out of the "poor" life they're into. A common reason is because of the lack of monetary funds or consistent income jobs to support the whole family, since Filipinos are very clingy people - the family really stays together through hardships and wealth. Nowadays you can't find individuals who go out of the country just because of leisure - unless your'e into politics, showbiz and business or high profile criminal, the rest - for sure, are hardworking Filipino people.


If you had experience a day or two in the metropolis, probably most people that you'l see in the streets are job hunters or young and old who's in mind is to get a good living to meet a day's need. Philippines right now, is on the cusp of breaking into a new generation of labor work force - either of making it or breaking it big.


Mind you, people around the world knows a lot about the country and generally they know that it is really poor - they took advantage of that. Filipinos have so much potential to offer and great talent to boot, recent stories of great accomplishments are heard and seen, from an athlete to singers - hence there are so much people who are still hoping for a better one. Yes, we are inspired by it, yes we are happy about everything that is good to hear. But, reality check - it is not enough in a million ways. Over 90Mn people everyday are keeping it up to survive, their needs are getting expensive, bigger and the government cannot provide a better services compared to other countries - in terms of medical support, jobs and other basic necessities. Obviously, there's no fund and its nowhere to be found.


Overseas workers will always be an overseas worker in many years to come unless the country will become self reliant, produce their own jobs and products, employ there own people and specially create a high paying jobs not from foreign investors but from local businesses. The main reason why these investors are flocking into Philippines, Vietnam, India and China is all because of of "business cost". Foreign investors should be here to support for a short period of time and let the locals do the rest afterwards. 


Low cost of labor means low cost in production and better financial income for them only - that's fair business, right?. Their country of origin stakes more capital-labor cost than low cost countries that is why they are here. Safety issues are not really the issue as to what is the government is portraying for - It may be true in some degree, but yet bigger investors are in Afghanistan and Iraq because of the oil and revenue they will get.


Philippines is deemed as great talent with a low cost labor people - that is true. And the time will come that Filipinos around the world will be everywhere searching for the better pay they wanted to have. Filipinos should find ways to engage in a more fulfilling jobs with a more decent pay. 


There is a way and the government and the investors can give an answer in a manner that it will be easier to the people, the question that lingers is When?

"I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolution of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops" 

- Stephen Jay Gould