While all overseas Filipino workers look forward to going back home to the Philippines, they secretly have that dreaded thought at the back of their heads about their relatives and neighbors asking for money and “pasalubongs” from abroad.
That is what a frustrated Reddit user, who goes by the name crazy4dcoffee, opened up on his online account. Through a Reddit post titled “Entitled Filipino Relatives”, the OFW narrated his experience on how he lost all of his money to his relatives when he visited the Philippines.
The Reddit user, who lives in the USA, said that he recently paid a 3-week visit to the Philippines with his grandmother and was given a $1,000 allowance (around P50,000) by his parents for him to spend during his time in the country.
At first, he thought that the pocket money given to him was a bit too much. But when he met his relatives, he found out that he was wrong.
“[For two weeks], I stayed with my mom’s sister and her family. Now let me tell you this – the block that my aunt lives on – their cousins, and other second and third cousins live there. Some of them I have no idea who they are but my luggage was packed with gifts for these people and also cash,” crazy4dcoffee said.
He said that he immediately lost P11,000 from his pocket money because of the cash he gave his Filipino relatives.
“Now I had P39,000 left. I still had 17 days left. I thought it would last me but no it did not,” he said.
He even got mad when some of his relatives asked him to pay for their electricity bills and tuition fees. The Reddit user also said that his relatives would put him in a difficult situation by asking money from him in front of everyone else so that he won’t be able to refuse.
Crazy4dcoffee even called out some of his relatives who would steal his hard-earned money and other items when they could just ask for it.
“I’m not trying to make it look like all Filipino relatives are like this, but why do you think just because I’m from abroad, I am mayaman or rich like why can’t I just be me? Of course, I have money. I’m on a foreign land on vacation. But it does not make me a walking bank account,” he said.
“Also hate when they guilt trip you for not giving money and tell sob stories so you feel bad and give in,” he added.
He also recalled several instances when his relatives would insist for them to eat outside, but he will be the one who will pay for the meal.
“I also have to pay when we eat out and mind you most of the time, I’m not the one who insisted we go. They did. What the actual… I lost my [explicit] when I had to pay for 12 people,” he said.
The OFW also talked about his ingrate relatives who can’t be happy with what has been given to them.
“Also, my mom’s sister got a lot of clothes. She got two shorts, t-shirts, and even some chocolates, but got mad at me because the shoes she requested wasn’t there. I had to explain to her that I had no more space in my luggage and that she got a lot already, it won’t be fair. She said next time we go home she expects the shoes. My blood was boiling to the max,” he said
He also said that these behaviors should neither be encouraged nor tolerated.
“I hate that I feel this way but why are some relatives such parasites,” he said at the end of his post.
Read the full post by clicking here.
