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

Alisin ang Travel Ban -NOW na!

I don't know if most of you will agree with the idea of lifting the ban in war-torn countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. Well of course iyong nakaisip ng travel ban will strongly oppose on this with a hard slam on her table. Immigration also will jump in to support her in her idea of continous imposition of travel ban, including hundreds of illegal recuiter based in Dubai and in Central Luzon (lalo na!)

Napapanahon na bang alisin ang ban na ito?

Ano ang mga parametro para malamin nating dapat na ngang alisin ang travel ban sa Iraq at Afghanistan?

Para sa akin ito ang mga parametro na dapat isaalang-alang, kundi man kalahatan, ito marahil ay iilan at dapat kunin nating ang pag bentahe at pag dehado sa bawat parametro:

Security Situation

Job Oppurtunities

Victims of Situation

Heavy Expenses

Welfare of Workers

Market Value

Direct Violence Against OFWs

Direct Violence Against Non-combatant Non-OFW

Ang nangyayari kasi dahil alam na ng marami na tahimik at condusive na to be a working environment ang dalawang bansang ito, alam na nilang bearable ang security situation sa halos lahat na lugar dito, hindi pa rin nirereview ang imposition ng ban. Although may kakaunting lugar na talagang maituturing na uncontrolled pa, ito ay nasa malalayong lugar. Parang kasing layo or mas malayo pa sa distansya ng Manila at Jolo, nakita ba nating nabahala tayo sa ganyang distansya? At naitakda na ang limit nito para mapangalagaan ang "sanitized areas" sa pagpapalaganap ng peace and order dito.

(iba na nagpinagkakaabalahan ng mga may baril dito e)

At dahil nga naituturing nang magtahimik ang karamihan sa lugar dito, ang job oppurtunity ay nasa labas na ng base militar, outside the wire ika nga. Ang mga opisina ng malalaking US-based companies ay nasa Kabul City na, nagkalat ang mga iba't-ibang lahi na patunay lamang na controlled na ang sitwasyon dito sa Afghanistan. Ang Iraq sa kabilang banda ay hindi na dapat ipaliwanag kung matahimik na at ligtas. Matatandaang ibinabalik na ng gubyerno ang embahada natin dito e..so sila na mismo ang nag-assessed nyan.

Ganito kasi yun, kung aalisin ang deployment ban, makikinabang ang maraming OFW sa mga bansang ito, maibababa ang unemployment rate sa Pilipinas sa gitna ng global crisis. Ayun sa prediction ng mga financial analysts, aabutin ng ilang taon ang global depression. Kung ganun bakit, di natin tingnan ulit ang puntong pag bibigay ng trabaho sa maraming nakatungangang Pinoy sa Pilipinas na nais mag trabaho pero walang mapasukan. Haayaan natin ang daan-daang Pinoy visit visa holders sa UAE na makarating sa mga lugar na ito.

Nandito ang pera ng UN, ng US at ng NATO at bilyun-bilong dolyares ang inilalaan sa re-construction ng Iraq at Afghanistan.

Habang may global crisis, patuloy ang paglustay ng tatlong ito para dito sa pagsasaayus ng sinira nila h'wag lang silang mapulaang nagkamali sila sa pag-sakop sa mga bansang ito. Nakaraan naglaan na naman ng mahigit na $17Billion ang US government kung saan nakuha ng Fluor at Dyncorp ang mga kontrata sa LOGCAP 4 or Logististics and Civil Augmentation Program -4 para suportahan ang mga GIs dito.

Kung napapansin nyo, mababa na ang market value ng OFW sa Saudi at UAE dahil sa mga pagdagsa ng Bangladeshis, Indians, Sri Lankans at Nepalis na pawang mga cheap labors. Dahil sa murang labor costs nila, naapektuhan ang Pinoy sa presyuhan at napipilitan tayong sumabay sa mababang pa-sweldo kundi mawawalan tayo ng pagkain sa mesa.

Iba dito sa Afghanistan at Iraq, nanatiling mataas ang market value natin. Pero dahil nagdagsaan ang Pinoy na dumarating at dito na naghahanap ng trabaho, ang iba ay napipilitang tumanggap ng sweldong mas mababa sa US$1500 para sa ordinaryong skilled worker. Pagnatili ito, baba na rin ang market value natin sa katagalan. Ito ay dahil sa nauubusan na ng budget ang mga naka-stand by dito at kailangan na nilang magpadala ng pera sa kanilang pamilya. Naka-standby po sila dahil namimili sila ng mas mataas na offer which is normal lang.

Sa pag alis ng travel ban, ang teribleng gastos ng OFW ay maiiwasan dahil di na nila need mag visit visa, mabibigyan sila ng terms sa pagbabayad ng placement fees ng mga placement agencies (well mas ok pa rin ang direct hire, ungas kasing maningil ang mga agencies e-ganid!). Sino pa ang mabibiktima ng illegal recuriters na mangangako ng trabaho tapos sila mismo mga wala ngang trabaho? Nagiging mabango ang mga OFW sa illegal recruiter dahil sa extreme na pangangailangan ng Pinoy, lalo na ang mga nagmamadaling makapagtrabaho. Alam nyo naman ang mga illegal recruiter, dati nasa Pinas lang ang mga yan..ngayun sa UAE na rin sila dahil nandun ang mga nagmamadaling magkatrabaho. And guess what? Ang mga lintek na illegal recuiters may mga doctorate degree na sa panggagancho...wtf! improving din..!

Sa pagpapaigting ng ban, isaalang-alang dapat sa evaluation ang mga nabibiktima ng kinakatatakutang gera, kunin ang statistics ng mga direct victims ng hostile fire versus direct victims ng illegal recruitment. Kumuha sila ng ng kaukulang data ng mga Pinoy na na-biktima ng karahasan dito at sa Iraq at ng iba pang migrant workers anuman ang lahi, saka nila sabihing delikado pa ang sitwasyon dito. Natural hindi kasali ang naaaksidente kundi yung namatay or nasaktan dahil sa hostile activities. Kung maalis ang travel ban mas lalong mapapangalagaan ang welfare namin dito, kasi may sumbungan kami. Lahat ng karapatan at benepsiyo ay mababatantayan at maipapatupad although naibibigay naman ang karamihan sa welfare benefits. May magko-caution na sa mga employers tungkol sa karapatan ng OFWs, at mamomonitor ang galaw ng deployment ng Pinoy. Kaso nga nangunguna sa kaduwagan ang opisyales natin..TV pa lang pinanonood nanginginig na sa takot. Ang tanging nakikita kong pagtaas ng panganib dito ay ang pagdami ng nagiging biktima ng illegal recruiters, dahil sa patuloy na pag exploit sa travel ban.

Nagpahayag nung 24 July 09 ang POEA tungkol sa pagkakasabi kong walang oppurtunity sa Pinas (ininterview nga ako ng GMA7...tinago pa ako sa tunay kung palayaw, damn!). Sabi ng POEA marami raw ang oppurtunities sa Pinas at di na dapat mag-abroad. Kami lang ba ang kausap nya sa pahayag nyang iyon or lahat ng OFW sa buong mundo? Kasi kinukumbinsi nya raw na mag-entrepreneur ang mga Filipino para di na mangibang-bansa at may mga success stories na raw sila...hehehehehe!

Inday, bago kami maging enterpreneur need muna naming mag OFW kasi awan ti kwarta..djay ti banger.. (tama ba ilokano ko poging(ilo)cano?). Kung di na need mag-abroad ng OFWs dahil sa sinasabi nyang upurtunidad..ala eh..gibain na yang POEA at yan ay inimbento para sa amin.

Uwian na!

Uwian na!

Ganito po ang pangarap ko

Kung aalisin ang ban, dapat magkaroon ang gubyernong Noy-pi ng ganito sa Iraq at Afghanistan:

Identification sa Airport

Registration ng OFWs

Monitoring ng Job site

Benefits under contract

Location of Accommodation

Employment Pre-Requisit Document from Consulate

Dahil mahilig na rin tayo sa imbensyon ng polisiya, e di eto imbentuhin natin ito.

Kunya-kunyarian lang ha... e di kunyari may kunsulado na tayo sa Kabul so maglalagay sila ng representative na may personalidad at walang balbas sa Kabul International Airport para sapul lahat na darating na Pinoy. Lahat na Pinoy na kararating lang imbis na salubungin ng banda, dadaan sila kay Mr. Personality para i-verify kung ano ba lakad nila sa Afghanistan o sa Iraq, " 'Tol ano atin?"

Sa ganitong paraan maaabisuhan sila na, "Repapips de-hins ka pwede dun...baka matsugi ka."

Mahalaga ang registration para sa dumarating at umaalis na OFW, need explanation?

Mahalagang malaman ang jobsite, baka ang tubero sa iba mapunta at sila matubo sa "ano".

Mahalagang malaman ang laman ng kontrata at ang mga benepisyong napapaloob dito, baka pasko na wala ka pang bonus e. Sino babasa ng contract? Sige ako na lang babasa, ako nakaisip e.

Mahalagang malaman ang mga pansamtalang tirahan nila dito baka hindi na sila naliligo e. Lalo ang mga Pinoy na naghahanap pa lang ng work. (dapat malaman ang bahay nila nang madalhan sila ng adobo pag tanghalian)

Gawing requirement sa employment ang pakikipag uganayan muna ng Pinoy at ng kaniyang magiging employer sa consulate. Makiki-coordinate ang kunsulada sa lahat na employers na gawing isa sa requirement ng pagtanggap ng OFW ang pagdaan kay Mr. Personality (kaya dapat si mr.personality ay mag-inarte sa pag approve kung walang tocinong suhol).

Sa totoong buhay lang ha, dapat lang magkaroon ng consulate dito ang Pinas dahil may Pinoy dito e pero ang nangyari iniwan tayo sa ere at iniasa tyo sa embassy sa Islamabad.

Ayaw sigurong nilang umupa dito, di naman need na malaking office e, kahit sa tabo na lang sila mag office ang mahalaga may "personal touch".

So di na need maglagay sa recuiter, mag visit visa, magpa-escort, di na need magtanong-tanong kung sino nagpapaalis sa Dubai papuntang Afghanistan at Iraq. In short less expenses, less worry, less creation of Task Force, less victims at less ang kalabaw na maibebenta sa walang katuturan. Napapanahon nang pag-isipan ang mga bagay na ito. Naaangkop pa ba ang trip nilang "tamang-hinala"? Sayang ang bilyones na budget para sa mga bansang ito ng US, NATO at UN.

Eto ang the best...at pwede nyo ring gawin kung nasaan man kayong bansa naroroon... Halleeer MS. POEA listen up, yo! Yung sinasabing entrepeneurship ay dito natin gawin dahil mas maganda ang cash flow sa abroad. Kumuha ka ng sponsor mo na local bolahin mo para makapagtayo ka ng negosyo, dito sa Afghansitan napakaraming gumagawa nya...so bakit nila iiwan ang Afghanistan?