Wednesday, July 16, 2008

HOMELAND BOUND

I accidentally saw my article about OFWs when I was cleaning my room yesterday. 2 years ago my teacher in Social Study asked us to write an article about Overseas Filipino Worker. I just want to share mine...


Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs are people of Philippine origin who live and work abroad. They are also termed by Wikipedia as the Global Filipinos. More than that, the OFWs are our brothers and sisters. Who risk everything to help their families attain a much decent future. They are our modern day heroes. Our widespread knowledge of the English language, topped by the low performance of the economy of our country had pushed Filipinos to work abroad. Some have left their children in the care of immediate families to sustain their growing needs. Some have left their loved ones in the hope to find greener pasture to live in. Every year, our country is drained of its doctor, accountants, IT professionals, engineers, students, domestic helper, nurses and caregivers. This brain drain results not only to the diminishing of our professionals working in their fields, but also stunting the growth of our nation and crippling its future potential.

Yet, few of us often realize the sacrifices of our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and relatives who are working abroad. Few of us realize the obstacles they face. OFWs are sometimes victims of illegal recruiters, mysterious death, racial profiling, and discrimination, kidnapping and abuse. They are sometimes wrongly accused, tried and executed without fair trials. Some rot in jail away from their families. Some are maltreated, raped and forced to do inhuman acts. Some also risk involvement in conflicts in their countries such as the case in Lebanon and other countries torn by conflict and wars. Although the government had now addressed these issues, there are still those that persist.

Few of us also gasp the feeling of loneliness each OFWs suffer as they celebrate holidays away from home. Few of us comprehend the hunger of OFWs for sense of familiar touch and familiar sound as each day passes them by. Yet, beyond these, Filipinos, as they had always had, make the most of every situation. For every sick, dying and aged individual that Filipino doctors and nurses served and cared abroad, it is as if the OFWs are serving their loved ones back at home. For every child those Filipino teachers taught abroad, OFWs feel that it is as if they had taught those children in the barrios, cities and remote area of our country and their own child. For every work done by Filipino workers, builders and professionals abroad, OFWs sense as if they are doing a patriotic duty in their country. For every sweat, tears and pain of OFWs come the hope and dreams of all Filipino young and old. Though they may be far away, their thoughts are always here with us. It may seem that OFWs come and go in our country, but with us. Part of them stays. It may seem they are miles away and surrounded by different languages but their hearts have never left their homeland.

---- i had a good grade for my finals because of this article. Ahahaha Thanks to my tita, because she was the one who helped me wrote this. since she can relate to it.. ehehe.. I so love her…

Ja Ne~




2 comments:

Anonymous said...

nyahaha....
so your back with blogging? what happen to ur other blog sites? nyahahha ...
the RO stuffs, names written on the sand, sweet stuffs? lolxz i'm sure u knw what i'm talking about!
peace here---

isha!

Chen said...

this is my total escape from boredom!! hahahaha
there's no reason for me to resurrect those blogs.. it deserves to be in Lethe..Hades would be glad reading those nonsense.. hahaha kidding..