by Chita Heap
Filipinos Abroad
Caption: pik1 Michael in the back, Roger center and Emil, right relaxing after a hard days work and after they have eaten the meal that Emil prepared for them Pik2: Emil, cooking for his friends
A few days before I left Kalibo, a number of media practitioners were discussing the situation of some Filipinos working in foreign countries as illegal recruits. These Filipinos played a game of Russian Roulette when they trusted some of our greedy country men with their lives by going abroad without any reassurance of their security. Some of them who escaped the claws of these greedy and inhuman Filipinos and foreign employers live to tell their tales. The gory details I heard about the way these people were treated preyed upon my mind. They were being treated like dogs; some had to use sea water to brush their teeth. Some were fed stale or left over food. Some were forced to work for 18 hours continuously. I asked myself how our country men, who are supposed to be intelligent human beings could expose their own country men to the abuse of unscrupulous foreigners. How could they recruit their own people illegally and expose them to danger? The main reason is greed.
Whilst I was travelling in United Kingdom, I met three young men who were happy and contented with their lives and lucky too. Why lucky? Because they secured their employment through legal agencies, and therefore their safety from their employers was not at risk.
Emiliano Rogel, ‘Emil’ to his friends is 49 years old and comes from Mulanay Quezon (Bicol region). Emil worked in Ireland from 2003 and moved to the United Kingdom in 2007. He told me that when he applied for a job abroad, there were 400 applicants and only 17 of them were lucky to be chosen.Emil is married with three children.
Ronnie de los Santos is 38 years old. He came from San Carlos, Pangasinan. Michael Haynes, 36 years old and comes from Tayabas, Quezon (Bicol region). He is also married with two children. These three young men are working as line men under the employment of a company called ‘Enterprise’.
They told me that the time they had spent away from their families is only a small sacrifice as they do not just help their own family but other people too. Aside from missing their families they also miss Filipino camaraderie, Filipino food and our Filipino tradition. Winter time is most difficult for these young men when they are missing their families so much. In summer it is different because they spend their working hours in the open air. But in winter when the day light hours are short, this is the most difficult time for them but they persevere with a feeling of gratitude in their hearts. They are luckier than most, and their families are well fed, and well educated but in the Philippines. So as they say, what is a little sacrifice for the sake of a deserving family?
Yes, these three men are lucky compared to the ones illegally recruited and who trusted those greedy individuals that lured them to take such a risk. But this is Filipino way, is it not? We love to gamble. But as the saying goes, ‘Regret does not come at the beginning’./TE
Filipinos Abroad
Caption: pik1 Michael in the back, Roger center and Emil, right relaxing after a hard days work and after they have eaten the meal that Emil prepared for them Pik2: Emil, cooking for his friends
A few days before I left Kalibo, a number of media practitioners were discussing the situation of some Filipinos working in foreign countries as illegal recruits. These Filipinos played a game of Russian Roulette when they trusted some of our greedy country men with their lives by going abroad without any reassurance of their security. Some of them who escaped the claws of these greedy and inhuman Filipinos and foreign employers live to tell their tales. The gory details I heard about the way these people were treated preyed upon my mind. They were being treated like dogs; some had to use sea water to brush their teeth. Some were fed stale or left over food. Some were forced to work for 18 hours continuously. I asked myself how our country men, who are supposed to be intelligent human beings could expose their own country men to the abuse of unscrupulous foreigners. How could they recruit their own people illegally and expose them to danger? The main reason is greed.
Whilst I was travelling in United Kingdom, I met three young men who were happy and contented with their lives and lucky too. Why lucky? Because they secured their employment through legal agencies, and therefore their safety from their employers was not at risk.
Emiliano Rogel, ‘Emil’ to his friends is 49 years old and comes from Mulanay Quezon (Bicol region). Emil worked in Ireland from 2003 and moved to the United Kingdom in 2007. He told me that when he applied for a job abroad, there were 400 applicants and only 17 of them were lucky to be chosen.Emil is married with three children.
Ronnie de los Santos is 38 years old. He came from San Carlos, Pangasinan. Michael Haynes, 36 years old and comes from Tayabas, Quezon (Bicol region). He is also married with two children. These three young men are working as line men under the employment of a company called ‘Enterprise’.
They told me that the time they had spent away from their families is only a small sacrifice as they do not just help their own family but other people too. Aside from missing their families they also miss Filipino camaraderie, Filipino food and our Filipino tradition. Winter time is most difficult for these young men when they are missing their families so much. In summer it is different because they spend their working hours in the open air. But in winter when the day light hours are short, this is the most difficult time for them but they persevere with a feeling of gratitude in their hearts. They are luckier than most, and their families are well fed, and well educated but in the Philippines. So as they say, what is a little sacrifice for the sake of a deserving family?
Yes, these three men are lucky compared to the ones illegally recruited and who trusted those greedy individuals that lured them to take such a risk. But this is Filipino way, is it not? We love to gamble. But as the saying goes, ‘Regret does not come at the beginning’./TE
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