I wish it's always these happy for each and every OFW

It was back in October 2009 when I finally went home as an OFW after two years of staying in Dubai.  Two years ago.  I can identify with the guy with the father going blind.  I wanted to be home while my father could still see me.  
But... 
When I went home, it wasn't the usual homecoming.  Not a vacation or a back-for-good kind of a decision. I was diagnosed with a medical condition that made me HAD to come home.  
Instead of making arrangements for beach resorts and parties, I had an appointment with the hospital for clearances and other medical procedures.  
And a lot of things have already happened ever since.
My father's cataract was extracted so he's got better vision these days.
But if there's one great thing that happened is that I am still here!  

An empty victory is still a victory after all

Housemaid heads home with fraction of her claimed owings

I have been blogging about this since I can remember.  And this time, at least she goes home with something.  Although it's still hard to accept that she didn't get everything, it is something to be thankful for that she got out of this issue with something to take home for her family.  And I hope she'd be left with at least something more for her to start with again.

This brings me back to...

During one of my grocery times in Dubai, I met a Filipina who worked as a house maid for someone.  Short of time for a conversation, she was very frank to ask me right away for a favor.  Knowing that I worked somewhere in Bank Street, she directly asked me for a favor.  She's going home soon and asked me if I can buy a Sto. Niño image for her somewhere in Bank Street.  We exchanged numbers.  She said she didn't have enough time because she just couldn't get out of the house where she's working.  She was in a hurry.  So, I was left with no time to ask questions.  All I have are her name (which I've forgotten long ago) and her number.  She said she can't stay long because her madame will be looking for her in no time at all.

After a few days, she called me.  Sort of in a whisper, she asked me if I got what she asked.  I told her no because I didn't have time to look for the place that she told me about.  In fact, it was really sketchy, as I recalled.  I told her I am really sorry I couldn't do what she asked for.

It was actually half a lie.  I really didn't look for the place because I was skeptical about it.  If I got what she asked for, how could I find her?  I doubt it if I can call her mobile phone anytime to talk to her about it.  She's going home and what if she doesn't get in touch with me before she leaves?  How do I get paid for that?  It would have been okay if it's something that I, too, wanted and it's something that I could keep.  But I have my own and I didn't need it at that time.

Our kababayans do really sacrifice when they leave for some other countries.  Nagtitiis sila just so that they can make their family's life back home a little better.  But sometimes, it isn't fair that they will have to withstand a lot of things that they shouldn't be in in the first place.

Now I ask this question.  Is it really worth all the trouble of leaving if this is what you're going to get?

'via Blog this'

An officer and a warning

I can still vividly remember that day that I was out for an errand.  It was after nine in the morning and the streets were quite busy.  It was at the intersection of Salahudin and Hamarain.  I crossed the lights ever so carefully as I always do when I am on the streets.  I am not concerned of police fines; I am actually afraid about my life.

I came from across Al Warqa Mall at Salahudin  going towards it while another Pinay was coming from Hamarain street going towards Al Warqa Mall.  I reached the stop light in front of Al Warqa barely a few seconds ahead of this other Pinay when I saw the police man called her.  I turned my head and kind of glanced to at least have an idea what was that all about  But I was inconveniently at a distance where I couldn't hear what was it all about.  I sort of waited for a while to see what will happen.  I was afraid for the other Pinay, because I didn't think she made any violations when she crossed the street.  I could say that I was a little nervous, because she's a kabayan and anything could develop out of that situation.

After a few minutes, the Pinay was told to go.  When she was in front of me, I started to walk with her and asked what that was all about.  Still a bit nervous, she said that the policeman told her that she crossed with the red lights still on.  And she said she did not.  I don't know who to believe and who was actually telling the truth though.  After that, we parted ways and I was also still a little nervous about the whole thing.

That told, it didn't matter to me who was telling the truth or not.  It was a lesson learned for me.  I began to get conscious of cops when I cross the streets of Dubai.  Because instead of feeling safer when they were around, I felt otherwise.  And as I approaced a pedestrian crossing after that incident, I trained myself to look with my peripheral vision to check if a cop is around the area.  If there was one, I would avoid him by walking down a little bit more towards another pedestrian crossing, where a there was no cop.

Had I been in Dubai these days and after reading this news yesterday, I would have been even more cautious.  Because this time, this is one sick guy posing as a cop just to lure someone in his car and rape her and rob her afterwards.  And he's not finished at that.  He even got the lady's mobile number and told her that he will call her when he needs her again.  To make things worse, when she reports to the police, he twisted the story saying that she is his girlfriend and that she was asking a huge amount of money from him.

The case is now being heard at the court.  But then again, whether the Pinay wins or looses, she has already been violated and nothing could change that.  Again, this could be another empty victory for an OFW who was just trying to make a living in another country.

Some postcards from all over the world

These are just some of the thousands of secrets posted to postsecret.com

0:33 - This is for my BFF.
0:43 - "Being able to survive it doesn't mean it was ever ok."
0:52 - So, that's what they call 'coin slots.'  hahaha
2:33 - May this serve as a warning.
2:50 - I wonder if this is true.... And it might really be true.
3:17 - There is something deep inside me that understands him/her.
4:27 - For my mom!
4:50 - *
5:12 - This is for many of our Kabayans  out there.  I know how hard it is for you.

*I intentionally left it blank for you to fill in.  

She goes home with nothing. Not even an empty victory.

Beaten maid gives up fight.

This isn't Nuan.  But I'm not sure if she is or isn't the one in the story.  She might not be Nuan because Nuan gave her name.  This news didn't name the victim.

Nuan is the fighter that I wrote about last September 2010 and you can find that post here.

Yes, I wasn't too positive about her decision to fight, because I have an idea of how it was to file cases and fight for your right there.  The ever-changing laws of Dubai are like the ever-changing dunes of its dessert.  What you know about the law today might not be the same tonight, or even this afternoon.  That was one of the many reasons why I wanted Nuan to come home instead.

If this is Nuan, then, I won't say that I am happy that she took back what she said.  But neither am I sad because she didn't get what she wanted to fight for.

But Nuan or not, it's still good that she will come home.

Had she decided to come home earlier, she would have already spent quality time with her kids.  And who knows, she might be already getting ready to leave for Taiwan for another promise of a better job and a brighter future.

This is the reason why I so wanted Nuan to come home instead of fighting.

If this isn't Nuan, then good for her to have decided to come home.

As for Nuan, I still await.  Her story is one of the very few reasons why I still read UAE's Seven Days newspaper.

This is Nuan's story.

What's Your Number?

I got a phone call on our landline. The person on the other line recited our number and when I said, "Yes, that's right," he immediately asked if we have a relative working overseas. I did not confirm nor deny. First, I used to work overseas so this might have to do something with me. Second, I have relatives working abroad - quite a few - and it might have something to do with them.

He, again, confirmed if he got the right number and then said he was from the Immigrations and that there has been an accident involving a Filipino and wanted to notify the relatives here.

I initially got nervous but told myself to calm down.

I asked, "Who is this, please?"

"I am from the Immigrations office," he said again.

At this point, I was nervous but my mind started questioning.

It was a Saturday. Are they for real? I mean, yeah, are they working on Saturdays? And besides, no one from my relatives abroad know our land line number since they all call us through our mobile numbers.

But I considered.

"There has been an accident," he said again, "and we need to talk to his relatives. This was his listed contact number and we need to confirm." The man having said this again at this point made me become more of angry and than nervous. I was gonna say, "I know a**ho*e, you already said it three times. Just tell me what is going on!" But I just thought getting angry will not do anything. I was already having doubts about the call but I still fear, "what if this is true?" I tried to think of a way to have or know something else about him if it's not going to be his name.

"Sir, can you please give me your number so I can call you back? I will call you back right away, or as soon as we..."

The line went dead. I was sure that we didn't get disconnected. The person on the other line deliberately ended the call.

This was our conversation. This same call happened about three times - first it was me, then my dad, then my sister who answered - and whenever we asked for the identity of the person, he purposely ignored it and just says he was from the Immigrations. But for three times, when we asked for a call-back number, the line goes dead.

I guess asking for the call-back number was the wisest thing to do.

Ok. So this is another rip-off… Don't you think so?

This happened two or maybe three months back. But I never got to write about it and I just hope that this isn't happening anymore.

May this serve as a warning.

Next: I'm Not Even A Mall Rat

More Money?

Now, it's the OFW's turn.

The OFWs' fund will be cut down to almost half of what they used to get and according to many of our lawmakers, this is against the law that states that the fund should not be less that Php 100 million. But, the fund was slashed down to Php 27 million from the already low Php 50 million from last year's.

And I say, "WOW!" to that Php 100 million.

Right now, this is my take. I don't know.

Think about it... what's the point of getting what is due to them according to the law when they can't even see the benefits?

The thing is, for me, it doesn't matter how much these people will get, just as long as they 'see work and action.' What's the point of the big fund when what would happen is just like what happened in MWSS other GOCCs?

My point is, we just have to see MORE ACTION with what little we have, than more money and NO ACTIONS at all.

The Irony of Nuan's Fight

Nuan is an OFW in Ajman, an emirate not far from Dubai.

She worked as a domestic helper for over a year. But sadly like any other OFWs, her story is not far from different.

She fled her employer months ago because she was abused and hasn't been given her salary. She had burns on parts of her body due to 'horrific injuries' inflicted on her that left permanent scars and bruised memories. I am lost in translation as to how to call the source of the injuries. The scars on her skin were from a hot flat iron. Probably for something she didn't do right?

She is now at the Philippine Consulate in Dubai waiting for justice to be served upon her. The Sharjah (another emirate of the UAE) immigrations filed the case. It wasn't clear what cases were filed but so far, she only got AED 11,800.00 for her 19 months of service. That's around AED 621.05 per month. It's just enough to pay for my month's rent when I was there.

How did she survive all these?

This reminded me of a post I made over a year ago. You can find it here.

Both Filipinas worked as domestic helpers. Nuan worked in Ajman and Girlie (the Pinay from the bus stop) worked in Sharjah. Girlie was luckier because she was able to escape. But honestly, I still think about her every so often. Her tourist visa was supposed to expire in a few days after that bus stop meeting. After the expiry date, she either had to go home or exit in neighboring countries like Omman or Kish Island, Iran to change her visa status. This is = money, which she didn't have. At that time, all she had was her bag of clothes, a dead watch, a pair of wounded hands and a piece of paper with her name on it; at least that's what I saw. When my memory serves me, I remember her with a question: What happened to her already? Because when I got home that day and shared the story with my room mates, we feared for the worse. That after her tourist visa expires, she might become like one of those many.... a prostitute. I know you would say that we are pranings (paranoids. But THAT is reality. I sometimes wonder if Girlie ended up like one.

From what I heard, she will stay at the Consulate and help around in return for her shelter. Nuan's fight would be be long. But I wonder what would be at the end of this tunnel.

The irony of it all is that she can stay but she won't be able to work. Chances are no one will hire her while her case is ongoing. How will she survive? It's good to know that there are some Filipinos who share their blessings to Filipinos like her. But how can her family survive?

Nuan's decision to stay there and fight is a very tough decision. Frankly, I do not know what she's fighting for and if indeed it's worth it. The irony is that if she's fighting for an injured soul, I wonder if the trials will even make her wounds worse. Or if she's fighting to get back her damaged dignity, isn't it that home is where we get our wounds healed?

Excuse me for being a pessimist, but I see an empty victory, if a victory would even be possible.


Nuan's story is here.

The Dust Has Not Settled Yet For The OFWs

They fear.

They always have.

Leaving the country takes a lot of courage. Leaving alone in another country takes an even more courage. So, it's a double courage to do both.

We lay our lives on the line because of the risks of working in another country. With no intended pun or whatsoever, the stakes are more for domestic helpers. They are the ones who live in the four corners of their employers' home, not having too much people around. They are the most prone to abuse, and as the news have shown, a lot of them have been abused already. In Hong Kong, most of our OFWs are domestic helpers.

Right now, I feel for them. I fear for them.

This anger of Cpt. Mendoza resonates at the land of the Chinese. It travelled not only within the walls of the Ombudsman's office. It made its way to the hands of those people who couldn't care less for his demands. If before he doesn't exist, now he does. But not as a policeman who thinks he was mistreated by our government, but a murderer of their own kind. Now, we all know that we cannot blame them for what they feel. Because, in the end, you will ask yourself, 'Wouldn't you feel the same?'

Our OFWs left the country because this country could offer them no more. They left because they feel that our country do not care for them anymore. But in spite of this, they feel our country's love for them once they start to miss home. Home becomes something more than those cardboard walls and earthen floors. Home becomes our country they long to go back to.

But after the dust has finally settled at the grandstand, their vision even became clouded when they thought it would be clear. They fear of being tormented for a sin they did not commit. They live each day trying to do everything right because one simple mistake will mean another stupidity tainted with the captain's blood. Another wrong move could mean that his blood is of the same hue as the captain. They live in shame of being branded with the same mind as the captain's.

Now, can you blame them if at least once in a day, they think of turning their backs to this country?

OFWs and Repatriation

This news here is sad.

I remember when I left for Dubai more than two years ago. Even before that, I told myself, I am not going to leave my country under a false name. I reasoned that it's the only thing that belongs to me and only ME and I don't want to leave it here.

But anyway, when I got there and got a job, and I have been counting a few months already, there is only one thing I worry about. When I finally got my working permit and residence visa, I was glad to be working legally. But I still worry about one thing. And I have seen this happen to a lot of OFWs. They die somewhere and their bodies could not be brought back here because of financial issues.

I guess I am a little lucky that I worked for an insurance company and my boss decided to get us Workmen's Compensation.

My room mates from Dubai knows that this was a big deal for me. I used to tell them to get it out of their pockets if their employer could not give. I constantly remind them to try to squeeze it in on their budget. But all I get from them is their thought; they think I am weird to be thinking about that at all. They say that it's a morbid thing to discuss in the first place.

But weird things happen wherever you are. And I didn't want to end up trapped not only in that box, but in a country that couldn't bring me home because I did not pre-book my airfare.

NOTE:

Repatriaton does not only cover your ticket when you accidentally landed in that box. It also shoulders your air ticket when you lost your job and couldn't go home. Try to check it with your insurance consultants though.

I Miss The Rant

And it has been a week...

• I've not been busy, I must admit. I just got engrossed with the newest websites, social networking sites and all that has been fed to me ever since I can remember. I only had the time [and interest] to check it recently. Funny but one friend commented about me having several social networking sites. The truth is, I do not automatically go to these sites to create an account. It all starts with invites. I kind of ignore the first, second, third and fourth. But the fifth would finally get my attention. The thing is some friends are in this site and others are not; some are there but not on this so-and-so site. So, to have my updates of these friends, I join their sites. But true to what has been said about friendster before, those people who have like threeorfourorfive hundred friends are not even "friends personally" with those hundreds. And I really believe that. With friendster, I used have like just about 20, and it only increased up to a hundred after four years. So, right now, I tweet, I plurk, I am at FaceBook. With only about 20 people at the most per site, I am happy with what I have.

• Anyway, I've been also busy since the week began because of some backlogs as I got sick. That's why I once tweeted here that I love-hate being sick. And also, my GoogleReader seems to attract new websites at the rate of two a day, average. There are a lot of interesting sites that most of them occupies my online time; that which I actually enjoy. The only part that I don't like the most is that it takes away a lot of time from my book-reading. But, no qualms, it's actually working perfectly fine with me.

• If you have read about the OFW encounter I had last week, I have an update... surprisingly. I didn't mention that I gave her my visiting card [business card] for future reference and just in case. Well, she called me late this afternoon to really thank me [as per what she said] and to ask for an advice. She'd been looking for work and a lot are interested in hiring her. But there is a problem. It turned out she discovered that she's holding an employment visa and she would need a cancellation from her previous sponsor/employer so she can get another work. I told her I would ask around what else could be done aside from going to the consulate. Actually, going to the consulate would have been the best advice I can tell her but then, I have heard some news that it only does a little help, if there is any at all. I half-believe that, too. I guess she heard about it as well. Again, my heart bleeds for this.

O Filipino W

Looking for a shade while waiting for the next bus, I ended up finding a woman who asked me, "What time is it?"

As if driven by instinct [or insinuated by her?], I looked at her wrists and found out she had a watch. Not only that, she has marks of wounds on her hands that I find hard to describe. I answered with a lump in my throat, trying to find more of what I could aside from what I already did. "It's 9.05... why? Are you running late?"

She said "No" and asked me another question right away. "Would it be okay to flash my name out?" Or at least, that was how I understood the question. I ruminated on it quickly, as she pulled out this cardboard from her bag showing her name. I said, "No," right away.

She said she's waiting for someone who is picking her up and they don't know each other. I told her not to flash her name because paranoia struck me that some bad guys might play a prank [at the least] on her and tell her they are the ones and might end up doing things. Yeah, I just find this act okay when you are at the airport, but not when you are in a bus station. There's also the chance that the police might spot-check her and all; I am not sure yet - and still had to ask - what kind of visa was she holding.

So, she told her story. She's been here for about three weeks now, working in Sharjah as a housemaid. No stories of maltreatment but the fact that she's working for a family of seven kids plus the husband and wife. The job is too much for her to handle. Washing all the clothes and dishes manually. Her visa expires in one week and doesn't want to continue. But her employers are trying to be nice to her the past few days when she announced that she's not interested. It turned out she's currently on visit/tourist visa and she escaped from her employer. When I asked for her passport, she said and motioned that it's under her bra. I said, "Ok, let it be."

It turned out her niece's friend is picking her up and they haven't met yet. I was supposed to be back to the office after this appointment but instinct told me to stay with her until she's with the person who's picking her up. It turned out she doesn't have a mobile so I said, give me the contact person and I'll call her to ask for their location. She ended up texting me for the number of the person. I waited and finally called the number. The lady said that she's still about 15-20 minutes away from us. She asked me if I can wait, adding please at the end of the sentence. I told her I'll wait. Until finally, 30 minutes after, she came and took her away.

My heart bleeds for this... even if it was already two days ago. It's hard to just make it go away. We've heard of these stories time and time again. But I never thought it would feel different when you've actually encountered one. Closed to tears, hands still bearing all the wounds, eyes expressing too much disappointment. Instead of assuring her that I'd stay until she meets with these people, I ended up convincing her that she can trust me. It wasn't hard though, because in her situation at that moment, that's the only thing she needed. I didn't leave her because of fear that she just might end up with some vultures of our own skin... which would have been the saddest part.

The photo above was taken while I was on my way to that appointment before this incident. Little did I know that I will have this encounter. The irony of it is, a lot of us feel proud to be OFWs. And the reason why I took this picture [while on a bus] is that I find a certain dignity seeing this on cars.

But how can one be dignified if she's being humiliated, deprived and overworked.

How can she be proud of what her life came about?