Most overseas Filipino workers (OFW) know this too well: buckling down to slash their expenses is a constant battle, especially when the third week of the month comes.

Known to many as petsa de peligro, OFWs opt to save a few bucks on stocking or preparing food in their flats instead of going out for lunch or dinner. However, others live and get by stealing chow from the communal fridge/freezer.

Recently, a photo of a written exchange between two people regarding an alleged food theft went viral on social media.

The owner’s note posted on the fridge is spilling with a lot of frustrations about the chocolate plunderer who stole it. The written exchange went as follows:

Person 1: Kung sino man ang kumain ng chocolate ko ang kapal naman ng mukha mo. Pare-parehas tayong sumasahod dito. Malaman ko lang sa CCTV kung sino ka, watch ka!

Person 2: Wag ka mangbintang. Mas makapal ka. Bilhan pa kita ng sampu ngayon naka-sweldo na ako! Hindi naman masarap Flattops mo!

Person 1: Wow ha! Ikaw na nga ang nabusog, ikaw pa ang galit!

A former OFW in Dubai Mark Ronald Melecio shared the viral photo and recalled how many OFWs occupying in flats experience the same thing.

Melecio shared with The Filipino Times that even simple food items or ingredients like onions grow legs in shared kitchen.

“Kasi dati bumili ako ng karne na lulutuin ko for our dinner tapos nung matatapos na luto ko mag hihiwa nako ng sibuyas para garnish ko, tapos pag bukas ko sa ref eh wala na sibuyas ko, eh tandang tanda ko pa na meron pa ako kaya hindi ko sinama sa pag bili ko ng karne sa grocery,” Melecio said.

Melecio left a note on the refrigerator saying his flatmates should be responsible as they are all just workers budgeting their money in a foreign land.

A similar story happened to Melecio’s cousin who also stayed in the same villa. Melecio recalled the time when his cousin had cooked rice for dinner. When they came back, they discovered that half of the rice they cooked was already consumed by someone else. To his dismay, Melecio’s cousin left a note on the rice cooker saying, “Nahiya naman ako sa kuha mo.”

Dubai-based OFW Oliver Dolosa said that food theft comes in various forms. Commonly, as huge as frozen chicken are being stolen. He said that food theft is just one of the many constraints of flat sharing. It’s nothing new, he said, but it’s always revolting.

Have you had the same encounter? Share your story the comments section.