DUBAI: From a road trip to Ilocandia to a holiday in the Visayas or down south in Davao’s Mt. Apo, it’s sky’s the limit – if you will – for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) going on their annual leave in the coming weeks.
In fact, it’s that clichéd bucket list trip to the moon and back for other OFWs who instead would be travelling to Armenia, a favorite weekend getaway among Pinoys; India or elsewhere for their yearly pilgrimage to la-la land.
Why? They have more money to burn, owing to a peso-dollar rate that has been hovering at Php 53.50; and they are in a hurry before prices of basic commodities back home start to catch up with the windfall (read: inflation), ergo dumping water on their momentary, outlandish display of indulgence.
Others too, have wisened up, bought dollars before going home to have it converted to peso on arrival and spent the money in ongoing investments like real property or small businesses before spending what’s left for their holiday.
Dream home
“Nagpapatayo kami ng bahay ng asawa ko,” said Russel Lomerio of Legaspi City in Albay, Bicol who has been in Dubai for the past eight years working in the food and beverage sector. “Nagpapalit kami ng dolyar. Yung savings duon naming ginastos.” (We are building a house back home. We bought dollars for our spend, the savings we added to the expenses for the construction.)
Lomerio, whose wife is also working in the Gulf, said the extra money they got with the high exchange rate was worth the trip home. But there’s a catch, he said: “Mas ok. Para sa ating OFWs, mas mataas mas pabor. Nakakalungkot lang ay tataas ang mga gastusin, sobrang gastos, sobrang mahal ng mga bilihin.” (It’s much better. For us OFWs, the higher the exchange rate the better. What’s sad though is that prices of commodities are going up too high.)
Lomerio who went to Tabeer Tourism for his travel papers, left on June 10 this year and returned on July 7 with his siblings.
Family bonding time
Francis Medina, who lives in Makati and is into marketing at a construction company in the UAE, is scheduled to leave by the end of this month with his family as school is likewise on break.
“May mga plans kami na pumunta sa hindi masyadong malayo sa Manila – Batangas or Tagaytay – to enjoy bonding time,” Medina, who has been in Dubai for the past 10 years, said. (We have plans to go places not too far from Manila, perhaps Batangas or Tagaytay, to enjoy bonding time.)
Medina, who also runs businesses back home, said the high peso-dollar rate gives them the opportunity to not only enjoy more but as well help more people. “Mas maraming kang natutulungan,” he said without elaborating. (You are able to help more people.)
Medina, who had his travel papers arranged by MPQ Tourism, frequently travels home.
Real estate
Fifty-eight-year-old Febe Lunasco, who has been in Dubai since 1987, meantime said she will use extra money from the exchange rate windfall to put their real properties in order.
“Aayusin namin yung mga name transfer ng mga lupa lupa,” she said. (We will finalize ownership transfer of the properties.)
Lunasco, who had her travel papers arranged by Tabeer Tourism and is scheduled to fly on Aug. 20, said she has been sending money home while at the same time saving for her vacation – the last time she was home was two years ago, she said.
“Mag-stay ako ng mga tatlong buwan. Kung maganda na sa Pilipinas, eh di duon na ako. Mahirap naman na i-cancel totally ang work visa; maganda yung may option,” Lunasco, who has taken up photography as a hobby, said. (I’ll stay home for three months. If the situation is good, then I’ll stay there. It’s not wise to just cancel work visa; it’s good to have an option.)
Put the money in the bank
Jacqueline Lambo, who is also from Bicol and has also just gone back from vacation by way of Tabeer Tourism, said they put their money in the bank and have her mother handle the budgeting while they are back in Dubai.
“Siya na bahala mag-budget. Sinabi ko lang kung ano or magkano yung para saan; tapos yung matitira eh sa savings,” she said. (My mother is in charge of the budgeting. I just told her how much goes to what expenses; whatever is left goes to savings.)
Lambo and husband, Lord Warren, sent their money to the Philippines through a transfer company in Dubai ahead of their recent trip.
“May bahay na kaming sarili. Nag-iipon na kami ng pang business,” she said. (We already have a house of our own. We have now started saving for business.)
Lambo said that while it’s great to have extra money resulting from the high exchange rate, it should also be noted that prices of commodities are going up.
“Of course, we enjoyed it pero yung gastusin sa Pilipinas halos parehas lang,” she said. (Of course, we enjoyed it, but the expenses made no difference.)
Armenia!
While others are going home, some OFWs prefer going elsewhere, among them Richelle Wingco Fosberry, media relations manager at a reputable public relations company.
“I am quite excited about this trip as I haven’t had a summer break for a long time and it is good to take advantage of the exchange rates,” she said. One dollar is equal to AMD483; one dirham is AMD131.
This, plus the relatively low cost of living in Armenia, where one can have a decent meal for about AMD50 and stay in hostels, have made it a favorite holiday place for Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
