A Filipino family's dream

On one of my recent trips to the Middle East, as I was sitting in the pre-departure area, I noticed a good number of Filipinos also waiting for their flights. They were mostly men in their early 30s to middle 40s with some women slightly in a younger age bracket.

Soon I found myself engaged in a conversation with one of them.

Roger (not his real name), 39, was headed for Qatar. Married and a father of four children, he took the opportunity to work in a foreign land as a welder. He finished high school only but was able to secure a certification as a welder from a government skills training agency. He is a Catholic but, as he sheepishly confessed, not really a very active one because he is too busy meeting the needs of his family. It was his family’s growing needs that caused him to take the drastic step of going abroad. As he related it, his expertise as a welder does not pay much in the Philippines. His last job, at a company in Bulacan, also did not pay much, as he barely made P15,000 a month, despite being in the company for more than 12 years. He mused that he found it unacceptable that the company grew and the owners became affluent and upgraded their lifestyle through the workers’ labor and sweat but their pay remained almost at a standstill. He tried to augment his pay by taking on extra jobs at the end of every work week. His wife, who did not finish high school, just accepts laundry work from families in a nearby subdivision also as a means to help him raise their family.

Despite their meager resources, Roger and his wife dream to be able to send all their children to school, for them to finish college and find good jobs. They also dream of having a small decent house of their own (they live in a rented apartment) and perhaps a small family business that his wife can work on that will help get them through to their senior years.

His becoming an OFW is a step towards that dream. Because his expected salary in Qatar is more than double what he is currently making, Roger and his wife now look forward to achieving their dream of a simple, happy and comfortable life.

But he admitted to having grave concerns about leaving his family. His children are growing and soon they would be growing up without a father beside them as protector and guide. He fears being in a strange land and being lonely. He fears for his own wife’s state of mind and her ability to cope with her own feelings of loneliness. He confessed to having sleepless nights and wild imaginations that cause him even more worry.

Roger’s story echoes the stories of other families I have met who are in the same situation. But it is their dream of a better life for their family that gives them courage.

Hearing my boarding call, I hastened to say goodbye to Roger. I told him that I come from a community that has programs for OFWs and encouraged him to find a similar support environment in Qatar. I told him to look for Catholic Christian communities in Qatar like Couples for Christ, who can surely help him cope with the challenges and struggles he will soon be facing.

I told him that in trying times like these, we need guidance and strength that we can only find from God and from a loving community all sharing that belief in God. Roger thanked me, saying, “Oo nga, baka yun talaga ang kailangan ko. Nakalimot talaga ako sa Diyos. Salamat!” (“Yes, perhaps that’s what I really need. I completely forgot about God. Thanks!)

Sitting inside the plane, I said a prayer for Roger. I pondered on entrepreneurs and businessmen and wished that they would grow to understand that their businesses or companies are not just for profit, but should also serve humanity, especially the very people who work for them, and their families. This, I believe, is a great ingredient towards real economic development. Business is not just about the capitalists and the investors wanting a hefty return on their investments. Business should be about man, his development, his values and life. It should contribute not only to narrowing the gap between the rich and poor but also to every person’s growth in holiness. By providing a stable and rewarding employment, they can contribute to building and renewing society.

If these things will happen, then we hopefully will not have the likes of Roger and his loved ones forced to live apart and endure emotional hardships just in order to provide a good life for their family.