It’s a familiar scenario: a Filipino father, mother, or sibling located in the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, or in any city in the Middle East, engaged in a voice/video over internet provider call. They tell the family whom they left behind how much they miss them, how Christmas isn’t the same without them, and how they are sorry they cannot be there for milestone occasions: graduation, a wedding, or even the birth of their own child. The life of an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is not only wrought with mental and physical struggles but one that weighs heavily on emotions and relationships.
The OFW dream, much like the American dream, is commonly seen as: work hard, earn from a preferred currency, send over money and gifts, and give a better life to your family in the Philippines. However, the dream can easily be stymied if the OFW is not wise in managing their time and resources. Success stories are what aspiring OFWs look to: the renovated house or condominium purchase, a flourishing business, children sent to prestigious schools, and parents generously provided for in their retirement years.
It is no mystery either that not all get to claim the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. While there are factors out of one’s control, today we look at three areas in which we can have a more active hand: relationships, well-being, and finances.
Be Intentional
The sayings, “love is a feeling,” or “love happens” really should remain in the realm of fiction. Successful relationships, from family to friendship, from parenthood to marriage, are formed and maintained when you think of love as a choice. Love is not something that is “just there,” and you wake up one morning and it’s gone. It’s a commitment which involves a daily decision that says: “Yes, I love my spouse, my kids, and my family.”
Absentee parents risk their children developing feelings of abandonment, while the loneliness and singular physical burden of being the parent left behind can be crippling and place damaging stress on a marriage. This is where intentionality comes in – to make a choice to do what is, and to follow through by acting on it.
Humans are creatures of habit, and habits can only be formed with actions that follow through an intention. For instance, it is essential for the heads of the family to agree on when to set up regular VOIP calls to maintain contact and a sense of intimacy. If you decide to have a call every Saturday at 5:00 p.m. GMT+8, stick to the schedule as much as you can. Be deliberate in your effort to have a “special call” during milestones such as birthdays and anniversaries. Should there be any hitch to the rhythm, or if a special call cannot be done on a specific date, communicate as soon as possible to negotiate an alternative schedule. This is now made easy with affordable post-paid or prepaid internet plans (or even free Wi-Fi access in select areas), and apps and programs (such as Skype, Facebook Messenger, Viber) that give us a reprieve from expensive international calls; and of course, there is a good old email.
We do not find the time. We all have 24 hours in a day, and it is up to us on what we choose to make out of it.
Be Mindful
Given that the primary support system of an OFW is thousands of miles away, it often happens that they might find themselves lonely. Contact through touch is an essential part of human relationships, and for those who are not too keen on physical contact, the mere presence of another person can spell the difference between a good and a bad day for someone who is away from their family and friends.
The OFW should be mindful of their physical and mental health, to be mindful of how their employers are treating them. It cannot be helped if we are unable to reach our loved ones who might be in the opposite time zone, so having a network of friends who can help in a pinch is vital. While we might poke humor at the fact that “Filipinos are everywhere”, Filipino support communities in foreign countries can help fight off homesickness, or can even save a life.
It is important to have the Philippine Embassy’s number on speed dial in case of pressing emergencies. Also take note of the OFW Family Club which “…provides assistance and counseling to OFWs and their family members,” and OFW Watch that uses Facebook’s platform to help connect OFWs with each other according to their location so as they can help each other out should the need arise.
The first person to realize and admit they need help is themselves. Do not hesitate to seek help and to get in touch with fellow kababayan (fellow Filipino), or the authorities.
Be (Money-)Wise
A staple of the OFW’s home is the Balikbayan Box. These are mostly sent around the Christmas season (which, in Filipino terms, starts in September and ends in February), if not sent several times during the year, filled with clothes, chocolates, gadgets, and other things that the OFW’s family in the Philippines would have requested. In addition to the Balikbayan Box are remittances: money sent over to the Philippines for the OFW’s family to spend however they wish.
As mentioned above, housing, education, and provision are what OFW dreams are made. But these dreams are moot if your resources are not wisely spent. Keep the following points in mind so as not to run your finances ragged and find yourself empty-handed once your OFW contract is over.
Taxes
Most foreign countries (such as the United States, Canada, and countries in Europe) have you file your taxes independently. The salary that you see in your contract is only the gross income on an annual basis, and not the take-home pay per month, as we are accustomed to here in the Philippines.
If your employer doesn’t deduct your taxes for you, then you would have to learn to file them yourself. There are other times for instance which it is relatively simple to file your taxes if you have one source of income. Should you come about having multiple sources of income, there are accounting firms ready to assist you. Again, it depends on which area you are in. There are books/booklets that should serve as a guide in filing taxes available in your favorite bookstore and through your government agencies both offline and online. The last thing you want to happen is to become blacklisted for tax evasion.
Earn in Dollars, spend in Dollars.
The conversion from whatever superior currency to Philippine Peso is easily blinding. Do not forget that wherever you are, you spend in the currency of the currency you earn.Your salary is relative to the living standard of the place you are in. For instance: € 800, as of writing, is around Php 44,000, which can comfortably feed a family of three renting a place in Quezon City. However, € 800 barely gets you a cold studio in Paris, and you will still have to account for utilities.
The example I provide may be extreme, but this is a learning curve that an OFW has to learn quickly. Do research beforehand on the location of your prospective workplace and whether or not your employer would be providing living allowances on top of the basic salary. Try to get in touch with the existing Filipino communities who might be able to point you to housing sources to help you save on rent, and know where to shop to get the most of your money.
Save, save, save.
I cannot stress this enough. Setting money aside is essential (and it is a skill that I wish I learned and applied earlier in my career). I can never tell you how to spend your money, or how you choose to express your love in gifts and how to provide for your family, but do not forget to set money aside for flexible spending. Having liquid assets may help fund that business you have been dreaming to set up, put a down payment on a dream house, get your kids the college education they want, or even help you out on rainy days.
It’s up to you how much you wish to allot your finances, but what I follow may help you get started: (1) 10% of gross for savings, (2) no more than 25% of net for rent and utilities, (3) a strict amount that I budget for groceries and transportation, and (4) the rest I set aside for flexible spending (eating out with friends, clothes, etc.) Your lifestyle is undoubtedly different from mine, and you may want to adjust the allotment as you see fit, but I strictly adhere to covering the first three items without compromising.
It may be that the choice to be financially wise can entail not being able to send that large of a Balikbayan Box or remittances. Communication is key, and never lose sight of the goals you have set for yourself. Material gifts are nice, but is wanting to show off to the neighbors really that important? There is no harm in waiting. Achieving a dream that would help you buy all of the gifts you could ever want to give pays off better in the long run. Your achievement will speak for itself.
We can agree that the choices we make – whether you choose the path of an OFW or however way you choose to spend your money – is to make ourselves happy and to help ourselves, and extend that to the ones we love. I hope that this helps cover the basics of what an OFW should look out for when going out on their venture. Feel free to explore the sources we have provided as links to help you make the best decision for you and for your future. I wish you great success.
D.J. Banzon
Sources:
Zipmatch: A former OFW shares her story on buying a home in the Philippines.
ABS-CBN: How Pinay went from being OFW to successful entrepreneur.
The Manila Times: Education and OFW families.
Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope: The Bible says Love is a choice.
ABS-CBN: Six million Filipino children left behind by OFW parents.
Smart Parenting: 5 Signs Your Relationship with Your OFW Spouse Is In Trouble.
Psych Central: Changing Our Routines and Habits.
Rappler: Be part of your family’s milestones: Tips for OFW parents.
WikiPilipinas: Organizations of Overseas Filipinos.
OFW Family Club: What we do.
Philam Life: Beyond the Balikbayan Box.
ABS-CBN: 2 Pinoys jailed in Mongolia for tax evasion.
Numbeo: Cost of Living in Quezon City.
Numbeo: Cost of Living in Paris.
PINOYHOOD: Two Ways OFWs Can Stop the Vicious Cycle of Earning (and Losing) Money.
Rappler: ‘Emotions preventing OFWs from financial success.
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