HAND-CARRY "HAYDEN CAMERA" WHEN YOU LEAVE NAIA

Official Entry to Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards
FILIPINOS ABROAD: Hope of the Nation, Gift to the World

This is no longer a juicy showbiz gossip that you and I used to talk about across the fence.

The Katrina Halili story has become more of an issue of Filipino morality in the modern age, rather than a simple case of sex scandal caught on video. Most often than not, OFWs like us being away from Manila events, a story like this is a main course on our table. And being sexually related thing, people will come around and talk about it with their mind hallucinating on the details of sexual act using DDR3 processors inside their head as they digest the interesting story of “Hayden Camera”. It has already been a Collector’s Item since, being rare and high priced.

The thing is, while most of us compassionately sympathize to the agony of Ms. Halili as she bravely goes through the process, let us not forget and maybe it is worth touching the stories of those OFWs victimized by this devilish act. Sad to admit, unfortunately, Ms. Halili was not the first one on this dilemma and I could say she is still fortunate to have caught the attentions of all the government agencies plus the fact that she has the money to push through with the case, but nevertheless she is still a victim here. But for those other victims of video scandal abroad who are now being haunted by that single mistake they have done out of love and trust, probably until now are hiding away from DVD players.

We never learned from those video scandals made abroad since it was silently distributed and passed over from one USB to another, from desktop to CDs and from phone Bluetooth to other phone. They have become delightful movies during drinking sessions of all nationalities and a must-have copy in the CD rack. The worse thing about it, no one complained but rather swallowed the consequences that are killing them slowly. Well, that’s the reality of life for us who “can’t afford”. What significant here for us OFWs, I mean all of us, gender is immaterial when it comes to video scandal, is the lesson we can take out of Katrina event, that reputations and future are at stake for every dangerous adventurism. Once happened to you, you can never do a fast rewind anymore, unless it has been burned to the CD tracks. This is absolutely a misuse of modern technologies of micro-camcorder.

People back home have high regards on OFWs (especially the Customs officers) as living heroes and heroines of the new generations, not just because we bring more hard-earned dollars but because we brought dignity to the nation. Precisely this what PDOS(Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar) is all about, the Philippines wanted to send Filipino workers equipped with specific tools in specific country of deployment so they could act, react and interact accordingly as they get there. True to say also that the reason why we have the POEA is to see to it that every OFW has the skills on the job he applied for. Of course all of these are certainly to ensure that we are going to be the pride of the nation, rather than to be the shame of the nation.

Sounds negative? I guess not, because the point here is in order for us OFWs to be intelligent enough to read between the lines and not to expect everything will be laid out in layman’s term and be successful. The POEA and PDOS have reminded us in all things about how to conduct ourselves as OFWs before the grand theater of other nations, but some preferred adventurism over this and end up with broken dreams.

We need something that has a strong and extreme sense of warning that it is up to us to choose. You may get in jailed in Saudi Arabia by drinking alcohol, be sent home and after awhile walk as a freeman. You may be deported from Dubai by working while holding a visit visa and face the nation out of NAIA portal as a freeman. You may get fired from military bases in the warzones by possessing pornographic materials and arrived at NAIA as a freeman. But it is hard to pull yourself together, packed up and fly home if you have been a “star for all seasons” around the globe.

The emphasis we have here right now is for us OFWs to focus on success abroad and set aside immoral adventurism that seems to becoming a trend. We need to be aware of the unseen factors aside from the elements of success (hard work, trainings, perseverance, etc) that will surely undermine our standing around the world, and as I said this is the point of morality. Nobody will remind you but yourself about this thing once you are already in a private room, so you need something like a light bulb next to your head, “Ting! Oh yeah, the Lessons of Hayden Camera.”

What more can we give to the nation as a matter of gift when bad stories covered all stories of achievements in the eyes of the world. Fellow folks back home will eventually think that working abroad in not a good idea anymore. We are the ones who are outside the country and in direct contact with the people of the world and it is in our hand to be responsible, not just to strive to success, but also to fight against pornography and videotaping of other's privacy.

As I've observed, the lessons behind Hayden Camera are not just applicable to sexual adventurism but also in all dealings that we are about to do where our personal dignity may be at stake.

Once an OFW left the country, aside from the family responsibilities he carries, he also shoulders a social and personal responsibility to take care of his well-being as a Filipino. While most of OFWs excel abroad, sexual adventurism wasted all of these efforts. . . . and mind you guys, other nationalities take it as collective tag for all of us OFWs, an act of one seems being tagged as act of all. Sexual adventurism usually arises from getting into adulterous relationships, unfaithfulness to present partner, ambitions, homesickness and other vices which are all could be avoided if we think properly and if we put ahead of libido our purposes of going abroad.

I could not blame those OFWs in most video scandal videotaped abroad by the same devil that possessed “direk” Hayden Kho Jr. while having sex with their partners. I am not saying all, but most of those blinded-by-love OFWs were actually aware of what was going on inside the private room. They knew that a video camera was set up for the main show. But as I said it was all about adventures, love and trust without knowing that things could eventually turn upside down once there is a break up in a relationship, much more if it is an illicit one. It does not actually matter whether your affairs is totally different, what counts here is if the event turns against you and you don’t have the original copy of your adventurism . . .if this happens I tell you what, you have a fire out of control and it will burn you down through generations.

Sex is already an adventure itself, whether legit or not, it is a hell of adventures. Why do you have to add some more when you haven’t explore a lot about it? Videotaping a sexual act is insecurity and sign of madness, so if your partner fires up his mobile phone, don’t be just afraid but be very afraid and start dressing up before you end up in a situation where DELETE is never been an option.

As they considered OFWs being "Hope of Nation-Gift to the World", how can you be one, when you can't even consider YOU as gift to yourself anymore....think about that!

And in order to get the positive out of it, the next time you hit NAIA, make sure you have hand-carried the lessons of Hayden Camera.

Welcome aboard!

Official Entry to Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards

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Note: Photo posted above is produced in photoshop, definitely not Ms. Halili