"Life's Curveballs"

[greatbarrier]

I just find this article pretty relevant, for us who leave the philippines to work abroad. We have different reasons why we do that. And I think I'm in the same boat as the author... What about you guys there?

Read on by clicking this link (http://archive.inquirer.net/view.php?db=1&story_id=67623).

[McBONG]

Teka reserved ko muna ang comment ko at mag-tanong din ako sa mga Chinese,Indian at iba pa ring nasyonalidad na nagkakalat sa boung mundo.

[dcat]

Sadly not many people go out of the Philippines to search for personal growth. Hers is a luxurious ideal objective compared to those who go abroad in search of financial resources to support his or her family. Not that there is something wrong with it, but this is seldom the reason for most Filipinos leaving the Philippines. Filipinos leave home for different reasons, but Galang belongs to the minority among those categories. As a CPA graduate who lived her life in Makati quite plentifully, she could afford to dwell on her personal development, but her article hides a much more important problem in the Philippines - the problem which not many overseas Filipino workers would want to admit or even mention.

So let's go back to her original question:

Why do Filipino professionals leave their country to work for another?

a. personal growth (personal reasons such as just for the glamour of it - like Galang)
b. better income (just the lure of better wages)
c. economic difficulty (to support ones family)
d. hopelessness of the Philippine economy (total escape in search for a new and better life)

My guess is that the answer lies more on b, c, and d's side - that's just my impression.
You could answer whatever, either way it's your life, there's no point fooling yourselves.

------------------------------
p.s. the choices are arranged in an ascending order - from the most trivial to the gravest of economic perspective in the Philippines.

[max]

Japanese workmate: Why you guys are here?

Max: Because my country is a 3rd world country and cant give us Filipinos a decent monthly wages. When i work in manila, my monthly salary was 14,000 pesos since i came here im receiving 350,000 yen (P133,000+-) a month as my monthly salary, so that's the difference.

Japanese workmate: oh i see. now I know why you guys are here because you seek for a Greener Pasture.

Max: Exactly!
:)

[greatbarrier]

Thank you guys for all your comments. :)

I created this thread just to get ideas of why Filipinos leave...if everyone’s reason are purely financial like most of what I hear. Because at first, I was also convincing myself that it was my reason, that I’m doing this to give my family a more decent living, that I’m doing this to earn big bucks. But after giving it a lot of thought, I came to realize that, no, I’m leaving because I wanna do this, because I want to explore international opportunities not just for me but for my siblings. Working offshore may pay us hefty bucks. But come to think of it, the cost of living there is way, way higher than in the Philippines. So at the end of the day, the big bucks we thought may not really be big at all!

So then, I asked myself, why are you leaving? The image on the mirror made me realize that the opportunity was opened for me and it’s gonna be my vehicle to reach my full potentials....that if I was a able to do it in my country, I could also do it in a foreign land. The image was telling me, possibilities are infinite... opportunities are there for you to grab... and if you don’t take it, others will do.

So there, I left because I believe I wanna give myself the chance to grow more, personally and professionally. And who knows, it might be the vehicle as well for new opportunities for my relatives and friends.

Like the author of the article, I hate what some people think that we are unpatriotic. But don’t they realize that what we are doing may also create opportunities for our country. By giving our best abroad, we create good impression for the Philippines.... that we Filipinos are good, and we are not hopeless as what others think we are.

Another reason why I posted this is for people to think if monetary consideration is really their ultimate reason for working abroad. Because I think that it’s just not nice if we are driven purely by monetary reasons. Isn’t it nice a reason that we leave the Philippines because the workforce in our country are just too many, creating more supply than what demand requires, and therefore creating an unbalanced market, stated otherwise.... unemployment... So by leaving the country, we somehow balance the labor market and reduce unemployment...i’m not good at economics, but it’s just common sense i guess.

So guys, shot out your reasons... ;)

[greatbarrier]

Just wanna share this story of a friend who is also working abroad. We had a dissertation over this article and he was nice to share his story...

This guy was what most people brand as “walang pag-asa sa buhay”. He was a bummer, a “tambay” for that matter. Oh well, he drove a tricycle for a living. Occassionally, he chanced on pushing drugs to earn more. And of course, not avoiding using it as well. He’s not uneducated at all! He finished high school. But life indeed throws curveballs on us. He wasn’t able to finish college due to financial difficulties. He tried finding jobs but was unlucky to even land as a bagger in a department store.

And because of that, he created a pretty bad impression in his neighbourhood, trouble-maker, untrustworthy...and perhaps all the nasty adjectives his neighbours could think of.

But he came to a point that he didn’t want to be like that for the rest of his life. He gave it another shot! He took all his guts with him and applied for a job in an American organization. Like the rest of the applicants, he went through those nitty-gritty exam and interview. But perhaps, life wasn’t at all as bad as he thought it was. He was lucky to be hired by that American organization...beat other applicants who were college graduates.

Apparently, the org wasn’t looking for someone who was really an expert or proficient in English, or a degree-holder. They were looking for someone who could hold a normal conversation anytime, anywhere, with people from all walks of life.

So now, there he is, working for that organization with global presence. A jetsetter as he is now, he flies from one time zone to another to attend either meetings or trainings required of his job. You can just think what perks go with that kind of job! Luxury car service, 5-star hotel accommodation, per diems, and all that stuff. And the people he robs elbows with... senators, mayors and other high ranking officials of several countries.

So what’s my point for sharing his story! He left the Philippines not purely driven by financial needs! But because he wanted it and there wasn’t an opportunity for him in the country and that American organization was the only one who gave him that. When he was interviewed, he didn’t care about what he would get! He only cared about that promising opportunity! Which, apparently, worked well for him!

As I’ve said the workforce in our country is just too huge to be accommodated by all the employers there. Yes, perhaps the more skilled professionals can land themselves in a job in the Philippines. But because there are just too many of them, the opportunity for professional growth isn’t as tremendous as in other countries, especially in the first-world.

So another point again is, we are in different circumstances that drove us to leave the country and toil in a foreign land. And whatever it is, that is a choice we made because we want it.

[la_tina512]

It was for monetary reason when I left our county in the late 80's. My first husband who has left for the States earlier as an immigrant had just sent me divorce papers and it meant his financial support will also be severed. I had a good job in an office but being a single parent got the wits out of me. Apartment rental, monthly tuition fee (my son was in a private school), monthly bills, househelp, etc... I have to do something. A friend who owns a recruitment agency encouraged and persuaded me to try it to Japan. He asked me to join one of his dance groups. Everyone not only in my family but also my friends opposed my plan. During that time going to Japan was frowned upon. It was very degrading on my part but who cares.

So I went. My son was able to go through college and took up Computer Science. He is now with his father in LA and would be applying for his American citizenship this year. I had moved on with my life and is now married to a Japanese national with four beautiful kids. If I got scared that time I won't be able to give the best to my son. I don't have any regrets for what I've done. I've learned a lot on that and having traveled and lived to a foreign country had made me a stronger and better person. The experience had also humbled me.

[eviLwizarD]

I left our country in my quest for career growth.

In the Philippines, when I was job hunting, I wanted to be an IT engineer. I was a DOST (Department of Science and Technology) scholar, performed well academically, and (as a government scholar) was given "assurance" of job upon graduation. But in spite of these things, I didn't have the luck landing a job as an IT professional.

I was very interested in software development but I as a recent graduate I didn't have the relevant experience to land a job at an IT company. And here comes an opportunity from outside the home country providing career programs appealed to me. I decided to participate because I could get the necessary training I need to become a true engineer.

[greatbarrier]

@la tina & evilwizard,

thanks for sharing. apparently, each of us has hir/her own reasons for leaving, depending on the circumstances and state while we were in our country.

@la tina, my hats off to you! you're such a great mom! :)

@evilwizard, then, you're one of those i mentioned in my post who weren't given the opportunity in our own country but japan. goodluck to you then! :)