OFWs saved us again

The proposal of the US government to bail out beleaguered financial institutions just goes to show that the US financial crisis is far from over. So much so that even presidential candidates prefer to keep mum about the issue, fearing that it could cost them their candidacy. Even as the global financial world watches the continuing Wall Street crisis with shock and disbelief, the impact on our local economy has not been that damaging. Seven Philippine banks have admitted making investments to Lehman Brothers totaling $386 million, but this represents just about one percent of all their total assets.

It’s obvious things could have been worse but the fact that these banks’ exposure have been rather limited has certainly helped in isolating the Philippines from the effect of the US dilemma. But more than anything, what has continually kept the economy relatively resilient are our hardworking overseas Filipino workers – whose remittances have saved this country once again. There are about 12 million OFWs worldwide, which comprise about 11 percent of our total population, with an average deployment of one million every year. The biggest concentration of OFWs are in the US with about four million, followed by Saudi Arabia with a total OFW population of two million. The rest are scattered all over Europe, the Middle East and even in Nigeria where some 2,000 Filipinos are mostly employed in the oil industry.

Over the years, OFW remittances amounting to billions have buttressed the local economy. Remittances totaled $10 billion in 2005, increasing to $13 billion in 2006 and a record high of $14.4 billion in 2007. And that does not even include money sent through so-called informal channels. Reports say that OFW remittance volumes constitute about 10 percent of the country’s GNP, five times the level of all foreign direct investments. This year, OFW remittances are projected to reach $17-$18 billion.

Perhaps one reason why dollar remittances continue to increase despite the global economic crunch, and just when things are looking particularly bad for this country, is due to that natural tendency of Filipinos to help out relatives who are in trouble – even if it means a lot of hardship and sacrifice on their part. More often than not, the billions of dollars they send home come at a great cost – the separation from their families, the loneliness and the physical and verbal abuses heaped on them by employers. For some, these dollars can cost them their lives, like what happened to a Filipino caregiver in Washington who was shot by his mentally unstable 91-year-old ward.

In May this year, some 195 OFWs were sent home from the Middle East due to abuses by their employers, and just last month, there has been an alarming number of Filipino workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who have reportedly committed suicide. Some hanged themselves, while a number jumped to their deaths, but authorities have not also ruled out foul play. The fact is, there have been a lot of reports about OFWs, mainly employed as domestic helpers, who suffer abuses – even rape – at the hands of their employers coming home already suffering from some form of mental instability. There have also been instances where the OFW’s sanity snaps and kills his/her employer. This has given rise to a proposal for domestic helpers to undergo mandatory psychiatric testing before they are finally deployed abroad. This was met with a lot of resistance from workers’ unions who fear this could be used as another racket to victimize these OFWs. Even “Kabayan” Noli de Castro, who is also the presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers, has cautioned against the proposed mandatory testing unless the costs and the effectiveness of such tests can be determined.

Nowadays in areas where the concentration of OFWs is high, government should have career diplomats who are familiar with the plight of OFWs and give special attention to the needs of these people. Or in exceptional cases, we should have appointees like Ambassador Philippe Lhuillier who has been in Rome, Italy for a long time. People don’t want to let go of him because he has done so much, even spending his own personal resources to take care of OFWs and putting up a Philippine Center. A couple of months ago, Ambassador Lhuillier successfully facilitated the release and repatriation of five OFWs in Albania who were being abused by employers.

No doubt the plight of OFWs can be very heartbreaking, and it’s sad that oftentimes, they are looked down on by fellow Filipinos who don’t realize the enormous contribution of these OFWs to our economy. That’s why I always make it a point to say hello and engage in casual conversation whenever I bump into OFWs when I’m abroad.  Everyone knows the worst is not yet over regarding the global financial crisis, but things could have been worse if not for the sacrifices of our Filipino workers abroad.

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Self-made man

Despite hard times, Filipinos always manage to rise above challenges because of their determination and willingness to work hard to achieve their dreams. One example of a self-made man is current Laguna (4th District) Congressman Edgar “Egay” San Luis who put himself through college by working as a taxi driver. Egay and I used to work together in RPN Channel 9. He has a genuine desire to help others – and he has this opportunity now that he is congressman. His constituents certainly appreciate the fact that many of his legislative programs are designed to help the poorest among the poor, from medical services to cooperatives and livelihood programs. He also set up an open university learning center in cooperation with the University of the Philippines so students need not travel all the way to UP for their education. This is certainly one instance when doing good for others will reap good karma. 

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