Filipino-in-Afghanistan: Our Rights To Have Much Better and More Decent Kind of Life

Some FIA members participating in the Absentee Voting in 2010 National Elections

Recently, as per advice by our Kababayan in Filipino-in-Afghanistan (FIA), that we should write and let the website of the president be flooded by letters coming from Overseas Filipino Workers here until such time the Office of the President (OP) will give us the much needed attentions we have been longing for.

So I wrote letter to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III with similar tone and content last December 26, 2010 hoping to catch PNoy’s attention.

The FIA had already sent previously numerous letters and messages to OP since the time of Gloria Arroyo, and so far nothing has come up closed to reality, not even a vague positive response. The sad part in present time, when Vice President Jejomar Binay assumed responsibilities over the OFWs as Presidential Adviser on OFWs concerns, he proposed the imposition of sanctions and possible cancellation of passports for those who will violate the travel.

"Buhay nila ang nakataya. We are concerned with that, kung hindi nabibigyan ng sufficient na penalty di napipigilan gawa ng gawa ng hindi tama," he said. (excerpt from ABS-CBN News)

The thing is who do you think is the one who is not doing the right thing? Is it us here or VP Binay being a lawyer who is expected to be well-versed in laws, that he should know that cancellation of passports is a clear violation of the constitutional guarantee of right to travel.

There are certain acts and conditions wherein cancellation of passport could be possible under Foreign Service Act of 1991 and Philippine Passport Law (RA 8239). Definitely the act of violating a travel ban to war zone is not one of them.

Under Section 8, (c) of RA 8239, passport may bear some government restrictions and that is why we have the travel ban stamp on the “Limitation” page of our passports. But as you can see in section (b), violation of such limitations does not constitute cancellation or otherwise confiscations or technical detention of our passport

Just like what happened to those five OFWs returning to their jobs last December 14, 2010 at Terminal 1 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, allow me not to mention their names since I do not have their permission to do so, but FIA has full knowledge about what happened to them. Their passports were confiscated and the time of this writing, their passports are still being withheld by those officers who confiscated their passports. The immigration officers who confiscated their passport reiterated their acts is based on the alleged guidance from the VP. Probably to teach these OFWs how to do the right thing, for "paulit-ulit na di paggawa ng tama"

The following is an excerpt from RA 8239:

Sec. 8. Grounds for Denial, Cancellation or Restrictions. — The application for passport may be denied, cancelled or restricted only on the following grounds:

(a) Denial of Passport

1. On orders of the court, after due notice and hearing, to hold the departure of an applicant because of a pending criminal case:

2. When so requested by the natural or legal guardian, if the applicant is a minor;

3. When the applicant has been found to have violated any of the provisions of this Act;

4. Such other disqualification under existing laws.

(b)Cancellation

1. When the holder is a fugitive from justice;

2. When the holder has been convicted of a criminal offense: Provided, That the passport may be restored after service of sentence; or

3. When a passport was acquired fraudulently or tampered with.

(c) Restricted

1. When the country of destination is in a state of political instability which could pose a danger to the Filipino traveler.

2. When diplomatic ties have been fractured or severed with the Philippines;

3. When the country of destination is subject to travel restriction by government policy, enforcement of action by the United Nations or in a state of war.

Here’s my argument in addition to most FIA contentions why there is a need to lift the aging travel ban to Afghanistan, this also part of my letter to PNoy:

The United States Government, as we all know, issued memorandum to send OFWs in Afghanistan home. So we are no longer allowed to work in US Bases and to all companies with US Government contracts. This is precisely because of the existing travel ban that we have and tolerating our presence will constitute violation of Anti-Human Smuggling Laws according to USG.

Without this ban the USG will let the OFWs to stay and keep their job. Interestingly, Filipinos are the most preferred third country nationals in war zone because of our excellent and professional work performances, but of course US cannot do anything about this sovereign declaration of travel ban by the Philippine government.

So our fate lies solely with our own government. The idea of transferring the OFWs here to other countries is indeed a good idea, but definitely not the best one for our welfare. And that is the reason why we keep on knocking to the Palace’s doors to check on the loop of circling problems of OFWs in Afghanistan. The government cannot point to anybody or to anywhere to look for someone or something to blame with in order to justify the travel ban, because there is none aside from the government itself who issued it.

Take into consideration the reality of life and expenses of going and working abroad, on how life of an OFW changes. Say for instance the issue of having better salary. Since we have undeniably high salary in Afghanistan, our projects for the family, like buying a house, is also equal to the mode of acquiring it. It is not practical to get a 20-year installment term in buying a house when you can get it in shorter period.

Of course, we want it to get paid as soon as possible so we can go home and retire. Besides, who knows when the war and the opportunities in the war zone will end, so we need to hurry up!

This is also true to some other installment basis family projects that we have right now like installment cars, installment business investments, educational and life plan insurances, and many others of the same category, not to mention the idea of sending our children to better school so they will not form part of the massive unemployed graduates from not so popular schools.

With this current job that we have, we have already increased our monthly expenditures, like electric bill, this is understandably due to having more appliances, bigger food budget, education allotment, again installment properties, other commercial services like cable TV, internet, landline telephone, cost of maintenance, and of course allotment of some dear relatives.

Others may call it extravagant, but we have the right to becoming “maging maluho” if that would be the proper term on how we cared for and pamper our family. That is just a compliment for taking the risks.

This is how we dream our lives to be, so that we can afford paying decent and better hospital, and live in decent and safe neighborhood.

Now, if we will be stopped at airport, have our passport confiscated and eventually we are going to lost our jobs here, how can we be able to pay our existing loans? Are we going to let our children to stop their education or transfer them to some inferior schools and be unemployed afterwards?

We have the right to dream for a better life too. It is maybe true that it will be easy for us to find a job somewhere else. Working with US and NATO is a good training ground as they really strictly follow international standard to the letter.

But then again getting a salary closed to what we are getting is almost next to impossibility, not to mention the stiff competition in the wild, wild world. If we will get a smaller salary which is not sufficient with our current family budget, how can we be able to continue paying our current bills and loans that we already have?

Instead of trying to let us understand their hard-to-understand justifications for the continuous imposition of the travel ban, why they might not as well take a pause and hear us out. It is much easier to understand our reasons.

One of our requests is to let a team of Department of Foreign Affairs representatives visit us here and make an assessment if the travel ban is still necessary. We believe that the ban is long overdue and what we need is a strict regulation to counter those Filipinos who will come here to try their luck in getting a job, not knowing that the travel ban affects the hiring of Filipinos.

If the ban will be lifted, more opportunities will come in but as I said a strict policy on hiring and deployment should be implemented so that no OFW will be deployed in remote places where security is not that tight. This is because there are also places here, especially those bordering Pakistan, that are still having some security issues. We are not lying about that. It is like working in Makati and working in Basilan. Not because there is a security issue in Basilan, it is already proper to say that Philippines is a dangerous place of work. Of course not!

At the moment, majority of vacationing OFWs here opted to spend their vacation in some Southeast Asian countries, in Dubai, and in nearby countries fearing that once they entered the Philippines they cannot go back to their respective jobs. They will let their families travel outside the country to spend quality times with them somewhere else. Most of us here, numbering in thousands OFWs, are spending vacation every after 3 months of work for minimum two weeks.

Has anyone imagine the hundreds of thousands of dollars we are spending in other countries, instead of spending them in the Philippines? It could already help boost our local market and local tourism.

In my point of view, the only thing illegal is our itinerary or the idea that we going to Afghanistan whatever door we may exit from the Philippines, back or front door it doesn’t matter. This is because our final destination is Afghanistan where there is an existing travel ban. This is so true based on our government,s point of view.

Ironically, just like the one-way celebration of Filipino-American Friendship day where we are the only ones claiming and celebrating the supposedly mutual relation, in the view of Afghanistan republic OFWs are perfectly legal in the country having legal visa, legal work permit, and legal contract.

And here is the thing, never that OFWs in Afghanistan put the image of the Filipinos in jeopardy compared to those OFWs who have committed crimes against their host nations and eventually adds to the burden of our government in saving them from their death sentences. Nobody from here has been charged for murder or being drug mules. The fact the most of OFWs here are holding key positions, they have gained the trust and confidence of their employers and have already built good relations with them.

Finally, bear in mind that there is nothing more dangerous than losing our jobs.

Overseas Absentee Voting in Afghanistan, the FIA and the Existing Travel Ban

Now it is clear Commission on Election ballots know no boundary.

What if the ballots need to go through Department of Foreign Affairs, would it also have the stinking travel ban stamp in going into war-torn countries like Iraq and Afghanistan so that Filipinos working there could also vote?

Usually, negative opinions and impressions of most politicians back home about the presence of Overseas Filipinos Workers in Iraq and Afghanistan, during this election period, are being set aside for the sake of winning more votes. Why? Because as they said every vote counts and they need numbers from all over the world. Sometimes they get it even from the underworld where dead people can still manage to vote.

If we could still remember last year when a chopper crashed in Kandahar Air Field killing 10 Pinoy workers, everyone was at the opinion that OWFs in Afghanistan should go home. It was Abe Mulong Caracas of Naks Naman and of GMA7 who called me and had an interview about the OFWs’ plight here in Afghanistan.

The government even intensified the enforcement of travel ban going to Afghanistan after that, while other potential presidentiables that time expressed their opinion that we, Filipinos here, should be given alternative jobs after forcing us to go home. Sounds so concerned right?

It was a tooth and nail conflict of opinions whether it is right to force us home or lift the travel ban instead and regulate the flow of OFWs into the war zone. The choice between substantially high-paying job and the safety issue is running around the heads of everyone, whether one should go home or should stay. Among many issues, choices and alternatives, the decision to stay for work always wins, and as always the convincing idea goes back to square one - we can achieve better future for our family in this area.

By the way, I would like to thank Mulong for airing the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) of Filipinos here in Afghanistan, last April 17,2010. When I sent the details, photos and video to GMA7, again it was Mulong who made an overseas call to me and we talked about the recent OAV. Thanks also to GMA Network for the flash report.

Now, they must know that we are also voting despite pressures here in Afghanistan!

And speaking of OAV, I would like to commend Ms. Catherine Sobrevega and the rest of the members of Filipino-in-Afghanistan (FIA) for exerting efforts in order for the OFWs in Afghanistan could exercise their right to vote. Catherine personally got in touch with officials of the Philippine Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan to work on the absentee voting here. She actually even made the process really formal and really fun. It was held inside the compound of Red Sea Engineering in Kabul last April 16, 2010. The national anthem was sang, made few speeches, started the process and ended it smoothly.

Filipinos-in-Afghanistan group posed after the OAV

I wonder what the Philippine Ambassador to Pakistan had told Ms. Sobrevega, who is the chairman of the FIA. Did the ambassador say “Don’t go to Afghanistan it's too dangerous and we have existing travel ban over there?” as a gesture of concern? Or "Don't forget to vote for my candidate huh?"

Singing of Lupang Hinirang

When I told the Astig Pinoy group in Iraq about the OAV in Afghanistan, everyone was wishing that hopefully next time there will be the same activity too in Iraq, where they can be involved in political processes back home while being abroad. I agree with them, every Filipino abroad should be given the chance to participate in election, wherever they are, well of course, unless otherwise they are in prison.

Ms Catherine Sobrevega, head of FIA, explaining the voting process.

Thanks to Red Sea Engineering-Kabul for accommodating the conduct of AOV inside their compound

It is undeniably true that aside from being the biggest dollars earners and the biggest support to Philippine economy, the strength of OFWs can even make a king if only they wish. And it is also undeniably true that for a very long time, after Ka Blas Ople passed away, what the OFWs is getting from the government are all broken promises, as whole.

But as we can see, the OFWs of today are far different in the old days as we have been empowered by our voice through internet and other media, much more we are organized and united. Each presidential candidate is having real hard to find the right magic words in order to convince the OFWs to get solid votes. Simply because OFWs of today have grown and has become more mature in facing issues. Organized in the sense that we can gather around and have a single stand on every issue, whether through internet or in the middle of war. We can even campaign and participate discussions online.

Filipino communities abroad now gather not only for bar-b-Q, beer, gossips, and photo sharing. We gather around for political issues and act upon it. We write blogs, we post shout outs, we write comments, we post photos, we write to the government, we reach for media, and many other pro-active works. In short, we revolutionized activism from street to broadcast media, to internet and to every corner of the world. (We can even commit coup de' etat in the Facebook..lol!)

Recently they made into law that the OFWs be exempted from paying documentary stamp, travel tax, remittance tax, and airport fee, under Section 22 of the Republic Act 10022, and again Filipinos here in Afghanistan will never be benefited out from this new law since we are not considered the regular OFWs under the definition of POEA and OWWA (correct me if I am wrong, but I am confident I am correct), because of the existing travel ban. Instead of us enjoying such benefits, government people are enjoying benefits they are getting from us working in war zone, just to let us through. It is really heartbreaking, because we are here for decent works, helping the Afghans and the Iraqi people build their lives and as we build theirs, our government exploits ours.

Ms Zarenna Vasquez of FIA organizing the ballots

Nevertheless, thanks to God, by allowing the Filipinos here to exercise the right of suffrage. By this, the government, through DFA and COMELEC, is somehow impliedly recognizing the Filipinos here as OFWs. OAV is only given to those Filipinos working abroad and for those who have never lost their Filipino citizenship as long as they are registered voters. So since we have OAV here, I believe they will hear our voice once again OFWs in banned country, as they have our votes.

Let us hope that this scenario should not only be limited during the time when there is a national election but rather should go forward. Otherwise it will be a clear spit on our faces that we are just being at their pleasures. Filipinos in Afghanistan should enjoy what other OFWs in other parts of the world are enjoying since we are sharing to the government the same piece of bread, where most of the time, we give them the biggest.

We are hoping that the next administration will reconsider the lifting of the travel ban. That is the only thing we have right now is to keep hoping and hold on to it patiently until the better one with a heart for OFWs sits in Malacañang.

So in short, despite the fact that the almost 7,000 Filipinos in Afghanistan are considered one of the biggest dollar-senders to the Philippines and actively participating in the political processes in the country, we are not getting what we have been appealing for to the government. We are not being heard.

For the Nth time, since I was in Iraq, we are discussing the big advantage we could possibly get when this over-imposed travel ban is finally lifted, it will be a happy day for all of us. We all know that the success of OFWs abroad is also a success in dollar-earning ability of the government, and we will champion the Philippine economy eventually-that we can guarantee to them.

Some FIA members, with the author

Worthy of mentioning.. a friend and a drinking buddy, Flo Del Rosario,

Finance Manager of RANAH Technologies, Afghanistan's leading ISP

Thanks to Catherine for allowing me to use her two photos. I would to ask apology for not naming the other prominent members of FIA, I forgot their names.

Here's how we spend day off to keep us bonded, I can say it is very Filipino in every way:

Original Thursday Group (L-R) Afghan close friend Molodin,

Engr. Mar Boniel, the author (not promotor ha!), and Flo Del Rosario

Filipino food will never be absent in any Pinoy gathering

Filipinos are used to carry the plates and eat using one hand, lol!

Videoke is part of modern Filipino culture..we love to sing..a lot!

(L-R) Dante, Elia, Teth, Joanne, Au and Joel

..the best part..we always have something to drink

full of life..fun..and at the end of the day...

the sad truth is we still have travel ban

ANO BA GINAGAWA NG OFW SA AFGHANISTAN?

Una sa lahat, nirerespeto ko at nakakiramay ako sa mga pamilya ng mga nasawi sa Kandahar Helicopter Crush, sila'y kadugo naming mga beterano sa warzone, 'wag na natin sila tawaging bayani baka may mang-asar na naman sa ating mga OFW pag tinatawag tayong bagong bayani. Bagong Bayani lang tayo sa revenue pero di naman talaga ganyan ang turing sa atin... tayo ang mga makakatas na inahing baka.

Nainterview ako last night ng taga-GMA 7. Nagpakilala siyang Rolly, kaibagan ni Blogistang Mulong (Naks Naman), o baka sya na mismo yun. Itinago ako sa tunay kung palayaw, hehehe! Tikas!

Five questions yata ang pinaka-main na tanong nya, at yun ay recorded. I trusted GMA 7 dahil may mga kumpare ako dyan at mga naka-dikit na rin na mga reporters. Pero ang GMA na walang 7 ay hindi dapat at kahit kailan man dapat paniwalaan . Sana kung ii-ere ni Rolly ang phone interview, buo at wag putol-putulin para lang maiba ang meaning.

Ito ang mga tanong.

Kamusta na ang buhay ng Filipino sa Afghanistan, ano ba ang buhay ng OFW sa Afghanistan?

Hindi ba nababahala ang OFW dito sa Afghanistan sa pinaigting na travel Ban?

Hindi ba kami natatakot dito sa Afghanistan dahil sa pagkakamatay nung 10 Pinoy sa pagbagsak ng Mi-8 Helicopter sa Kandahar Airfield?

Ano ang work ko dito at ano ang work ko sa Iraq?

Ilan ang Pinoy sa Afghanistan?

Ang ultimate na tanong ito na maaaring yun ang trick dun, paano nakakarating ang OFW sa Afghansitan?

Ito ang mga sagot ko, sa maraming sagot ko at dahil may birthday nang gabing yun (July 23, 2009) medyo iniwan ko ang mic at ang kantang "Lady" para pagbigyan si Rolly. At para sa entry kong ito hahabaan ko na.

Usual ang buhay ng Pinoy sa Afghanistan, trabaho sa umaga, bonding after work, shopping pag day off, inuman pag may okasyon at videoke ang hindi mawawala. Tulad rin kami ng ordinaryong manggagawa, napunta dito para mag trabaho, kumita, mag-ipon, maglibang. Makikipagsaya sa mga kaibigang patuloy na nagbibigay ng tiwala, tulad ng mga Kano. Nalulungkot rin kami pag tinatamaan ng homesick. Masaya kami pag pay day at pag may extrang income. May naiinlove at may napo-fall out of love. Kasi tao pa rin ang OFW sa gitna ng Iraq at Afghanistan. Ang term na pakikipagsalaparan ay generalized... kahit saan ka nakikipagsapalaran ka. Kahit nasa Pinas ka, kahit wala ka sa warzone, kahit nandoon ka sa Vatican kung ang pakay mo ay upang itaguyod ang kinabukasan mo at ng iyong pamilya ikaw ay nakikipagsalaparan.

Mali kasi ang imagination ng ibang tao sa sa salitang pakikipagsapalaran dito sa Afghanistan at doon sa Iraq. Akala nila pakikipag-pantentero sa lumilipad na bala para makatawid papasok sa upisina..Ala ey... mali po kayo. The phrase "search for greener pasture" knows no boundary. And the term itself is packed with struggles and sacrifices and great deal of INTELLIGENCE. The cow in the field sees no fence and respect no boundary if there is abundant food across, di ba? Gigibain nya ang bakod mo pag alam nyang mas matataba ang damo sa kabila, at yan ay kasalanan ng may-ari ng baka dahil hindi nya ginawan ng paraan ang kanyang tumana na magkaroon ng masaganang damo. Hindi nga kami mga baka pero pareho ang pangangailangan namin sa greener pasture.

Dito sa Afghanistan, mas malaki ang chance na magkaroon kami ng maayos na buhay at pamumuhay at napakaliit ng tendency na madisgrasya kami or umuwi kami ng luhaan, pero sa Pinas wala ka na ngang chansa, malaki pa ang chansa mong mamatay sa gutom, ma-abuso, masaktan ng ibang tao, at may tendency kang gumawa ng bagay na labag sa kalooban mo para lang magkaroon ng magandang buhay....AND FOR GOD SAKE, hwag na sana makipagtalo sa amin ang mga taong wala naman dito at nakakakita ng paligid ng Iraq at Afghaninstan. Hwag nyong imaginin ang mga war movies or mga video sa YouTube dahil noong unang panahon pa yan. Nangyari yan sa kasagsagan ng shooting war. May shooting war dito pero naka schedule at dun yun sa walang maraming Kanong sibilyan. Natural dun nila dadalhin ang barilan malayo sa tendency na magkaroon ng civilian casualties..common sense po iyan. At papayag ba naman sila, ang NATO at UN na makalapit ang kalaban..halleeeer!

Walang mas magaling kesa sa amin pag dating sa sitwasyon dito at wag nyo paniwalaan ang ibang mga duwag na media natin... nakiki-interview lang yan at walang first hand view yan dito. Exempted ang Kapuso Network syempre hehehe! bias ako e... (what's up Ederick Villegas...inum tayo pag uwi ko!)

Wala dito ang Philippine Embassy!

Wala dito ang DOLE!

Wala dito ang DFA!

Wala dito ang Malacañang!

Walang Filipino Media dito!

Wala silang lahat dito na nagsasabing NAKAKATAKOT sa Iraq at Afghanistan... nandun sila sa laban ni Pacquiao, nandun sila sa political meeting nila, nandun sila sa EDSA at nagpapapogi...

Nandun sila sa lugar malayo dito habang ginagastos ang contribution ng OFW sa Iraq at dito sa Afghanistan na 13 Billion Pesos annual revenue... Nandun sila sa greener pasture nila....tapos kami na nasa lugar na ito..idadamay nila sa pagpapagwapo nila sa 2010 election, pero kahit wala naman kami...gagamitin nila ang names namin upang bumoto sa kanila as absentee voters..di ba sobrang abuso na yan?

Ngayun paano nila nalamang ganun pa rin ang sitwasyon dito? E nung first term pa nila yun? Naalala ko nang pumunta si Roy C. sa Baghdad... pag uwi nakasabay ang mga magbabakasyon, finish contract at mga terminated na OFW at ito ang sinabi....hahahaha! Nag-media exposure e nakumbinsi nya raw ang mga kakabayan nating umuwi at sumunod sa travel ban hahahaha! chance passengers nga lang sila e. Na-timing pang may incoming nun sa Baghdad...parang daga sa bilis mag-bunker...WTF! Eto namang mga sawing kababayan natin matapos magpasaway dito, gagawa ng istorya na nakakalungkot para makahingi ng tulong sa gubyerno... tapos mandadamay... whooow! (ayan natatawa tuloy sa kaniya yung sadikk kong Afghan.. Roy are you f_kin' kidding me)

Bakit kami mababahala sa pinaigting na ban... e kada may bad news...laging ginagamit yang PINAIGTING.... isa lang ibig sabihin nyan..mas malaki na lagayan. Yun pong mga OFW na namatay sa pagbagsak ng helicopter ay aksidente...at yan ay very elementary...nangyayari yan sa lahat ng sulok.. aksidente nga e..halleeer! Ipagpalagay pang hostile fire yun lagi namang may ganynang opinyon e..laging may hostility kahit saan. Hindi solusyon ang travel ban..yan ay solusyon ng mga taong tamad mag isip. Nakidnap si Dela Cruz sa Iraq, alam nyo ba bakit na-kidnap yun? ilan ba silang nakidnap na OFW....hindi lang kasi mga blogista yung mga nakasama nyang nakidnap e.. kundi lahat kayo magigising sa katotohanan...pataka lang bitaw'g istorya kining mga dili bisaya.

Pinauuwi kaming may magandang buhay dito, para ano? Willing naman kaming umuwi kung meron silang alternatibo na pwedeng ipalit sa offer na oppurtunity dito...e kaso nga wala!..puro pauwi na lang pauwi. Ano gagawin namn sa Pinas, a-attend ng TESDA para mag-titinda ng kakanin? Global Crisis na nga dadagdag pa kami sa unemployed. NI walang siguradong lilipatang kumpanya sa ibang bansa para sa amin e. Hindi madali ang lahat gaya ng naiisip nila. Saka paano kami bubunutin dito? E kami ay under ng isang legal na kontrata ng aming mga kumpanya...maaring labag sa mata ng gubyerno ng Pilipinas ang pagpasok namin dito, pero legal ang contract namin, sige nga kung matalino kayo.. i-void nyo nga ang kontrata nang mabibin ang mga istraktura dito at iba pang proyektong funded ng UN, US at NATO. Hindi tayo naghahamon, pero hindi kami mga botanteng nag-aabang ng bibili ng boto at madadaan sa bolahan, maging makatotohanan tayo sa mga pinapahayag natin. Kasi kami ay di nakakaharap sa media, kaya sila lang ang nagsasalita at sa mga pahayag na binibitawan nila ay nababahala ang aming mga pamilya at kaibigan.

Kung matataandaan nyo sumulat tayo kay VP de Castro noong 2007 dahil sa maling akala nila sa sitwasyon dun sa Iraq at dito http://www.gmanews.tv/story/68519/OFWs-appeal-Lift-the-ban-to-Iraq-Afghanistan. Wala kasing eleksyon noon kaya dedma tayo, hehehehe! E ngayun may magandang istorya bagay sa election season..ayun habulang daga na naman sila. Kung ilang beses na sinasabing hindi sulusyon ang BAN sa issue... pero ginigiit pa rin nila...ilang taon na ba ang travel ban? pero mas marami yata ang nandito ngayun kesa nung unang lumabas ang ban. So ano ibig sabihin nyan?

Mas marami ang naakit matapos may mga OFW na nakauwi at nagbigay ng mga patotoo na mas luntian ang damo rito at ang kinatatakutan ng pamahalaan ay malayo talaga sa katotohan. Mabibiktima ka rito kung puro pera iisipin mo, tulad rin kung nasa Pinas ka. Tama ba?

At dahil sa pinupulutan na naman ang travel ban sa lahat na tumpukang ang iinuman, wala munang magbabakasyon amin...haaaay! miss ko na ang San Mig Lights.. postponed! Mauudlot ang inaasam na relaxation dahil lang sa di pinag-iisipang travel ban.

May debate na ba sa travel ban? or trip-trip lang.

Ilan daw ba ang Pinoy sa Afghanistan? Well kahit scientific calculator gamit ko...di ko mabibilang sila at wala akong balak bilangin sila dahil di ako taga Census Office. Ang masasabi ko kada kumpanya dito palagay may Pinoy...e kami ang kanilang Dragon Balls dito e...kami ang bato ni Darna... at pag nalakad ka sa Kabul City, daming tatawag sa yo ng "pare", sa loob ng military base, tatawagin kang "kabayan" so marami kami. Sa sobrang dami at sa laki ng sweldo namin, sabi nga ni Engr. Ted Mirasol at Engr. Jorge Javelosa... ang laki ng revenue ng Afghanistan kesa sa OFW ng Taiwan, marami sila in terms of volume pero ang per capita dito...hey! ang laki talaga.

Isa rin ang tanong na kung di kami nababahala sa pagbagsak ng Mi-8 Helicopter sa Kandahar Airfield, ang sagot ko bakit ako mabahala. Nag eeroplano ako pag pumumunta sa Kandahar. Isa pa disgrasya yan, walang may gusto nyan at alisin natin ang espekulasyon, masyadong wild ang imagination natin. Wala ngang nabahala sa paglubog ng mga barko ng Sulpicio Lines na mas marami ang namatay, nang atakehin ng terorista ang LRT at ang Makati, wala ngang nabahala, tuloy ang buhay di ba? Nalungkot kami syempre dahil bukod sa pumanaw sila sa isang tradehya, nariyan pa ang mga pangarap na nabinbin para sa kanila. Ang kinabukasan ng mga anak at ng lahat na umaasa sa kanila ay nawala na parang bula. Pero under sa Defense Base Act or DBA, mandatory yan dito, sila ay tatanggap ng insurance. Kung sa Pinas kaya sila nadisgrasya, may insurance kaya? Hwag kang plastic, alam mong wala! Meron SSS or GSIS...pero dudugo ilong mo bago ka makuha..gigimikan ka pa..

Ano raw ba work ko sa Iraq at ano ang work ko dito..well pareho lang pero syempre tumaas lang ng konti ang posisyon. Iyan din ang advise ko sa mga kababayan nating pupunta dito, kung ordinaryong karpentero ka or mason, dapat pagdating dito, leadman ka na or foreman, kahit di mo pa naranasan kasi lamang ka na sa mga lokal dito e dahil articulate tayong pinoy. Ang sistema natin ay pasok sa panlasa ng mga expats dito. Saka kung kapareho mo lang ang lokal dito, mas pipiliin sila dahil mura ang labor pay nila. Bukod dun kakaunti ang leadmen or foremen dito, kakaunti ang supervisor na local dahil wala pa yatang trades school dito pero may mga universities sila. Kaso mas marami ang hindi kayang mag-aral dito, kaya kakaunti ang qualified mag lead. So maganda ang pagkakataon natin dito upang yumabong sa larangan natin.

Ito ang pinaka-cream of the crop na tanong, paano nga ba kami nakakarating dito? OK..ang hint ko yung luma nang style na alam ng marami..dumadaan daw yung iba sa Dubai. the rest...SECRET! ano kayo hilo? E di nahirapan naman kami...basta sa amin dito, ang pagpunta rito ay calculated risk!

Si Sgt. Calangian yan nakita ko sa Kandahar Airport, K9 Handler sya dun.

Yan si Ronaldo Dorado, ang matikas na Lead Scheduler..tanging TCN ng Taji na Certified ng KBR sa Scheduling..kasama ko yan dito. At si Mark Wilson ang brick mason. Ito si Danny, ang "hero" ng Camp Taji, Iraq at nagkita kami dito sa Kabul kagabi.. back in the old days...