The stereotype of a Filipino Overseas Worker (OFW) is someone who showers his/her family with chocolates or someone who posts photos with skyscrapers other people can only dream of travelling to.
But behind these photos and assumptions is a compelling narrative, and every OFW experience this first-hand.
There is a child growing up without a father or a mother. An online video is getting attention on Facebook. In it is a timelapse of a Filipina doing house chores—wiping the carpet, lining rugs under the furniture, and dusting them clean.
But the video begins with one question: “Do you remember what your dream for yourself was?”
The simple question goes on to a heartfelt open-letter addressed to OFWs.
The open-letter reads:
“Do you remember, before you went overseas, what your dream for yourself was? Because I had a dream that if ever I will go to another country, I will save money to buy things I have wanted for so long. It is as if everything was planned but little did I know that when you set foot in another country, destiny will change your plans. I feel as if I have forgotten my dreams for myself because I had to fulfill my duties as a mother, a sibling, a spouse, and a child. You will keep thinking that they matter more because they are our strength and inspiration.
Even though we may feel neglected at times, just a single request from them and you will forget to keep some money for yourself again. A little turnover here, a little handover there until you no longer notice that all that is left for you are the receipts. All you can say to yourself is ‘okay lang, marami pa naman next time’ (It is okay, there will be another time.) There will be another time for me to save money, but it is the same picture in the coming months. You are repeatedly ignored and pay days exist to remind them of you. And yet sometimes, you will hear them say ‘Why is this so little? This is not enough for your sister’s allowance, for your child’s lunch money and the like.’ They seem so many but did any one of them remember you on days you cannot provide? It seems lonely, right? Just a simple ‘How are you?’ would be enough.
But even so, we keep trying to understand them. Although it hurts because even though they are our strength, they are also our weakness. That is why we somehow learn to numb ourselves.
There were times when you will post #KFC and they will tell you ‘Good for you, you get to eat and we never cross your mind.’ If they only knew that we scrape off the leftovers of our employers, of our amo. At times, we can liken ourselves to soldiers when we have to hasten eating. We eat fast because it will only be a few minutes before we are called on to run errands.
How do they really judge us? Forgetful? Self-centered? Selfish? Just because we cannot send huge amounts of money, does that automatically makes us selfish? Don’t they realize that most salaries went by and we did not even get to touch our hard-earned money? What hurts more is when our contracts are about to end and the sharp pang of reality bites that we have not saved anything at all.”
The video was posted by Roinel Jay Sarraga Tumabiene and has sparked the interest of netizens.
Most of the commenters sympathize with her and say they can relate to the experience as well.
The open-letter is a window for most of us who do not know much of what our compatriots do abroad. The few-minute video is only a glimpse to their 24-hour job.
Tumabiene did not shoot the video but posted it because he feels deeply for his kababayans.
“I feel pity towards the OFWs,” he said.
There are many things that go unnoticed by the outside observers of their lives. Their job titles: domestic helper; caregiver; waiter; driver, cannot begin to encompass the sacrifice they do for their loved-ones.
It is easy to assume with what the eyes see but like the tip of the iceberg, what the eyes see is too little that we seem forgetful that OFWs are not mere providers but pieces of our families torn away by need.
