Tuesday, August 25, 2009

OFW Topic - Ticket to Stardom



An entry of complex ideas, mixed up feelings or whatever. I don't know..nalito na rin ako

More often than not, I have encountered articles featuring Overseas Filipino Workers, their successes, failures and misfits. Some foreign writers touched and shared their personal stories, their momentous experiences with OFWs and their first encounter of the third kind with the Pinoys (parang alien 'no). Para bang kung maka-kwneto ay parang it was the most extraordinary encounter they had in their lives.

Mostly these stories talked about how a Filipino touches one's life, how an OFW rendered above-expectation kind of services, how a Filipino display heroic acts in extreme situation, or commendable no non-sense OFW's performance at the end of his every overseas day. These are all good stories. I am not saying no bad stories were written about us, yes, there are and plenty of them too!

Something about good stuff, however, I can call it "Isang paghanga in totality" to all OFWs by other nationalities in the country where an OFW is working. And mind you, as you go through the reading of these kind of articles, you can feel something inside yourself of some unexplainable of some sort of happiness and pride. The fact that you are not the one being talked about in the article... you can feel the sense of pride... probably you're even vocalizing your thought in soft tone.."ehem... that's us....I am Filipino too"

From those Fil-am Holywood stars, to Manny Pacquiao waving the Philippine flag in Las Vegas, to that Filipino nurse whose name was entered into the book of heroes of 9-11, to that honest OFW in Hongkong, to those extraordinary leadership exerted by Filipino communities in the Middle East which affects the region, to life-saving Pinoy doctors of the UK and the US, to all Filipino seamen and airmen, to all Pinoy desert-settlers working day and night, to all Fil-Am freedom fighters in Iraq and in Afghanistan...up to democratic icon - our very own Pres. Cory Aquino... as a Filipino.. what can you possibly feel...when someone uplifting the spirit of your being a Filipino?

Be honest...ang saya ng feeling di ba? Nakakasama ka sa papuri kahit di naman ikaw ang tinutukoy?

Ironically, while most of them posting articles praising and saluting OFWs, some "Filipinos" who are undeniably gifted in writing wrote non-sense and insulting entries to their blogs and columns about OFW just to shoot themselves to instant stardom. If you want to try it... write something stupid about us OFWs and see for yourself...you are a shooting star the next day. But where does a shooting star go...most of the time into the quite abyss of the ocean. Dun mag isa ka na lang!

One should undestand and this has been mentioned many times, that OFWs are not just those who do "kadiri" works, or those you guys see in your porn DVD, OFWs are not just women... mostly we are those wearing Levi's Maong jacket upon arrival at NAIA..sporting long hair and mustache... so why play on women OFWs?

In order to educate some little brains of some so-called writers, OFW are not just low-salaried overseas workers, there are those big bosses OFWs whom you used to run to borrow money without any intention of paying them back (kasi inisip mo balato na yun). OFWs are also those you are pretending as friends upon their arrival and you keep on asking them about the date of their arrival...the fact that everyone knows when..and you are actually trying to make an opening line before you will say " pare kelan ka pa dumating, painum ka na naman". Sila rin yung kinukuha mong ninong at ninang kahit wala sa sila Pinas. Pinapa-proxy-han mo pa (tapos ang lakas mong manlait).

OFWs are not just caregivers and nurses, there are scientists, researchers, eningeers, educators, ambassadors, company owners, actors and many more. As I understand, not all OFWs are OWWA members and the term is not limited to those members alone as there are those who entered the foreign countries as tourists before getting their overseas works, without getting through the POEA. So I believe OFW is generalized term of Filipino working abroad. Nonetheless, no one, absolutely NO ONE should judge an OFW on his or her reason of living the country nor about his or her long stay abroad, whether one is categorized as low-salary on not.
(see the photo sila ba yung tinutukoy mong OFWs?)

(or sila?)

Also I am so confused about this, is there any glorifying thing about OFWs' scandals, failures and other "Kapit sa Patalim" decisions made by them? Sino ba ang hindi kumapit sa patalim? Kaya nga ang iba pinupulutan ang OFW sa kwento nila kasi kapit sa patalim na sila para sumikat, I don't really appreciate this style. Although some of these really happened and I am witness to that, if I have my way I would tap and talk with them rather that writing and posting or publishing their stories flowered by vulgar words and made-up lies just to look better as presented. Where is the Protein in your brain? As blogger, we should be aware that all our entries, just like commercial ad posters, should be rated as For General Patronage. Just like sexy billboard, it leaves to your imagination the rest about it.. no need to show its total nudity. And for additional information, what happening abroad is also happening in the Philippines as far as illicit affair is concerned. Self-explanatory yan. Really, whatever you write reflects your personality which also reflects what morality you have in your family.

While it is true, that the good story about OFWs is an exhausting-type of reading material, well my opinion to this is that, we have to accept this a matter of fact and that is the way it is being an OFW.....we cannot go against it, it is cultural, it is in the blood and by that we cannot stop good stuff about OFWs. OFWs are basically best source of overflowing triumphant stories. So more and more write-ups will be written and published, can you stop it?

Why?

We are driven by dreams and of love for our family that lead to love of work and extreme display of skills, talents and sacrifices...up to the fact the we are being exploited by our neighbors across our office table..kasi nga masipag tayo kahit trabaho na nya ipapagawa sa 'yo. And this NOT only for OUR DREAMS and of BEING RESPONSIBLE to our families, para kay nanay, kay tatay, kay ate, kay kuya at mga anak... this is ALSO for their dreams that we want them to reach. Paano magiging engineer si Kuya, paano ang bubong ng bahay, paano ang baha sa kalsada na pumapasok hanggang kusina? Pinanganak ka ba para umasa gubyerno, nakanganga at hindi ka kikilos at gagawa ng paraan? Kaya ka nga nag aral so you will have a broader horizon. That is why we are here abroad. Not purely because of money but because other's dream and our immeasurable love we have for them. Kasi kami ang lupon ng hindi madadamot sa katuparan ng pangarap ng mahal namin sa buhay.

But other blogger-vultures see this as an oppurtiny and an enteresting piece of flesh and worth giving a reaction if made a blog entry, so they made stories without personal account.Their chosen way to popularity is a bad taste of pill without curing effect at the end. It's like marrying someone you don't really love by heart but by personal interest. Happiness is ungodly and you are somebody who cries all the time in your solitude... gusto mo ba yun? And easy for you to say sorry...whether you wrote it as only pahaging to OFWs.. masakit pa rin ang tumamang hangin sa amin.

And I tell you this... as we are entitled to our opinion in our blogspace...I am not as forgiving as the others as I live by principle that, "anuman ang sinabi mo sa hangin, di mo na kayang habulin at bawiin" by Nicanor Formilleza, my grandfather, teaching on being responsible to our words we are going to say to others.

(note all pictures are taken from internet)

15 comments:

2ngaw said...

Hehehe :D Nosebleed pre, pero tama ka jan pre...

Ewan ko ba bakit ang OFW ang dapat gamitin para lang sumikat, ang dami namang pwedeng gawing topic jan, bakit ung tungkol pa sa atin at ang masama pa eh nakakasakit ng damdamin...

Tahimik na lang muna ako..

Niqabi said...

Tama ka sa lahat ng sinabi mo bizzy..

It is so sad to read/hear anything against us expecially coming from a filipino too..buti pa yung mga di natin kalahi naaappreciate tayo.. nice post..keep on inspiring.. :)

Niqabi said...

ehhehe especially yun..magkatabi kasi yung x and c e :P

Mike Avenue said...

Rio,

Alam kong masakit ang aking mga naisulat noon sa Tsokolate. Ngunit ngayon ay narealized ko na ang aking mga pagkakamali. Sana mailimos mo sa akin kahit kaunti lang ng iyong kapatawaran.

Umaasa,
Mike Avenue

bizjoker-of-the-philippines said...

Mike,

Ang Tsokolate mo ay kinain na ng panahon, may nasarapan at meron ding hindi. Hindi na mahahabol yun para bawiin.

Pero ikaw na nag-exert pa ng effort para dumalaw sa page ko, kaibigan ka ng marami bago pa ang Tsokolate.. wag nating sirain ang mahabang panahon pagkakaibigan sa 10 minutes na tampuhan.

Maging magkakaibigan na lang tayo sa mundo ng blogs, yung nagpapalitan ng magkasalungat na opinyon na hindi nagkakasakitan. Dyan tayo tumatalino ng husto, kesa nagkakasakitan ang bloggers nagiging warriors ang bawat isa tuloy.

Isa ka sa pinakamagagaling magsulat, gamitin natin yan sa pagbabago ng kalagyan nating lahat.

Di man tayo nagkakasama ng personal parang personal na rin ang attachment natin...

Minsan mag inuman tayong lahat.. bangka ako sa usapan.

Ipagpaumanhin mo rin ang sobrang bugso ng damdamin sa mga nagpahayag ng komento sa entry mo.

JΣšï said...

weeeeewww!! nosebleed ako dun ah!

pero ang galing! clap...clap...clap...

isa lang ang masasabi ko...hindi kasangkapan ang isang OFW o mga OFW para sa gustong sumikat!!! bow!

Ken said...

hahaha. this is very nice. hahaha, ang galing, pero pareho tayo, nagwild din ako sa page ko, pero hindi ko siya nilink or mention. Gusto niyang kantong style ng pagbloblog eh. hehe

Sali ako sa usapan niyo ni Mike, pero di ako sali sa inuman ha. hahaha

Ken said...

By the way, lilink kita ha sa post ko. Salamat for this.

lenz said...

ang ganda ng nilalaman,astig tlga ang dating.
ating ipaglaban ang mabuting adhikain ng pagigi nting OFW....

The Pope said...

I can't just let it go, people tried to make a mockery on the OFW for a 5 minute fame, likeswise I have posted my personal diapproval on the said issue.

Thank you for your post.

Mabuhay ang lahing Pilipino at ang mga OFW .

A-Z-3-L said...

naligaw ako kase sabi may inuman daw dito! lolz!

ganon ata siguro ang mga taong gusto ng FAME. babanat ng babanat kahit hindi nagiisip...

un nga lang.. ang matalino at maprinsipyong tao na kagaya mo, MAGIISIP muna bago BABANAT!

tama na yan, inuman na!

bizjoker-of-the-philippines said...

Tama! Inuman....
Ilabas na ang videoke at walang magtatago ng mic!

2ngaw said...

NASAN ANG MIC?!!!

bizjoker-of-the-philippines said...

teka nga... naghahanap ka ng mic..
duda ko pang RNB ka..CM

anong number ba yung kanta ko?

BlogusVox said...

Many words are said on this issue. Some in a somber way, others as explosive as their emotion. You, on the other hand, gave yours in a matter-of-fact, through-and-through kind of lecture. Well said.

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