OFW's response to calamity

In times of national calamity, we Filipinos, including OFWs stand together, united and determined to help each other. We stop our political bickerings, postpone our petty conflicts and set aside the notoriously undesirable crab mentality, our regional religious and class differences. We hold hands, face the onslaught of the typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng just as we stood together facing the tanks of the Martial Law dictator, as we stood united in the past. Saving lives and properties in the height of too many earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, typhoons, epidemic and plain crashes and shipwrecks in the past. We, Filipinos, have an excellent record of unity during the darkest hours of our history. But when everything is fine and dandy, we bicker, quarrel and hate each other again.

The Filipino communities in the Arab countries cannot be outdone in their civic mindedness and spirit of compassion and charity. In Kuwait, in Saudi, in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, OFW's organizations, without any prodding from the government, have initiated their own fund-raising and solicitations in all forms of donations, blankets, clothing, shoes, utensils, toys, canned goods and toiletries. Airline companies with Filipino crew and support staff have come forward to volunteer to bring donations for free. Even domestic helpers and drivers offer their few dinars and dollars to help our countrymen in distress. We, Labor Attachés, have been instructed to donate our allowances. Everyone is either prodded, told or is himself inspired to contribute. A feeling of compassion pervades in all our hearts.

Arab employers are helping too. They come forward and offer any form of assistance. The Arab Times, the Kuwait Times, the Alwatan News and the various daily broadsheets here in the Middle East have daily front page of photos of Filipinos pleading for relief goods. Somehow these banners in daily headlines do embarrass us, diplomats. But when our people are in dire need, we have mixed feelings of embarrassments and mercy. In malls, shops, restaurants, in parties, in religious function and other social gathering, the topics nowadays is no longer politics or economy. It is disaster, calamity, typhoon, flood and the pitiful conditions of our people.

 ABS-CBN'S TFC and GMA'S Pinoy TV as well as the internet, the cellphones and all sorts of modern technology make us aware of the day today events in our country. In this calamity hitting our country, the Middle East OFWs are much aware of the devastation, the sufferings of the victims, especially the poor. The OFW's own families in Cainta, Marikina, Quezon City, in the CAMANAVA Area, even in the lower peripheries of Muntinlupa are directly affected. Money were sent and goods were shipped, granting that the recipient are not isolated by flood and that money remittance centers are still accessible in those areas.

 One positive thing in the midst of all this is the thought that in times of calamity like this, we, Filipinos feel that we are all united. Politics may be driving a wedge among us. Religion may put a gap among sects.

There may be class warfare between landlord and tenants, between capitalists and the working class. But in times like this, we are the same, we are all victims. Typhoons and floods are great equalizers. The bad news however is that after all these bad times, we shall be enemies again. Pastilan gyod oy!

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