First of all I want to make a comment on one of the journalist on inquirer.net about filipinos going abroad. To start with this is a fair review and he has respect for many Filipinos who wants to work abroad its our choice anyway, He just hoped that we Filipinos share our skills and talents in our own Country, I qouted his paragraph on one of his article– “The irony is that in the Philippines, it’s almost taken for granted that you have to work abroad. Isn’t it strange that we have to convince ourselves to stay? And while I’m sure my friends who have chosen to work abroad mean well, sometimes I get sick of some of them asking when I’m going abroad dahil sayang lang ang talino mo diyan sa Pinas — many of you have probably heard variations on that theme.”
Frankly Speaking my friend if we have any other choice we would be glad and happy to stay here in the philippines for work. I mean who would like to leave his country and family to work for other people? to other nation?. We Filipinos have distinct Intellect, wisdom, skills, unequalled pride and yet we tend to nurture them elsewhere. To the extent that we excel in other countries than on our own. Some of Us even made names abroad and I’m not speaking those popular stars who went there or gained stradom in other countries but ordinary filipinos, names not known but for some and yet they made a leverage on where they are and some have gained stardom. Just for example the leading lady of popular disney made for TV movie High School Musical is half filipina?. Some even made it to executive level of foreign companies, Some become big businesspeople, investor, entrepreneur, A Colony Governor? Inventors…. etc…. well we really have promising countrymen don’t you think?
Well anyway let’s go forth to the employment culture now in the Philippines. I Hope you Notice this but if I where you try to observe or even research about employment oppurtunities in the Philippines. And I’m not talking about why many Filipinos don’t have jobs or the Philippines has a very high Unemployment rate and many college graduates don’t have jobs, It’s Just that they cannot be employed because of the Very high Standards the employers are implementing or should I say unlikely standards. Just like in some or most I think huge Store or a Mall Like Iloilo Supermart, Gaisano, SM, blah,blah they require a COLLEGE Graduate just to carry loads of boxes from warehouse to display areas … though this can be done by highschool grads or Level. If that was the Standard for such job and the likes then i cannot fathom the standard if you really want a most promising carreer.
I was lucky to end up in a job where I can use my skills and talents but the fact is it isn’t enough to make a living on my own, and i am not happy with it, eventhough what I earn is slightly higher than the local minimum wage. I heard once that the amount is slightly equal a manager (”that’s in our area here in Iloilo”) its pathetic, well unless you are employed to a multi-national company and earn a sufficient wage. But Then there’s the problem coz no matter how skilled, talented experienced, and knowledgeable you are in a certain field there is still no guarantee that you will be hired, We’ll unless you are a graduate of prominent universities graduate on top of the class even without experience would you believe becoming executive straight out of college? and working for the first time with no knowledge and experience at all compared to their subordinates of have years of expertise? well it really pays to have good grades, EXPENSIVE school, and in addition it’s only due to education, but there is a culture that executives of those company developed. A culture on how many of their brethren ( Graduate of the same school as they are) that would be hired. Oh I forgot, another one is if you have a prominent family at your back of course…. And you thought this only happens to government agencies…. What’s worst is that if you are applying in a government agency, All positions are filled-up up tough they are really vacant and there always has lack of personnel. I wonder why? Nepotism?……
Going Abroad is our only last hope. we have a family to feed and take care of. I mean look at it you can’t even provide yourself the life you want, worst of all what if you have a family? You have to take care of your old folks, your younger brother who is going to college, buy a comfortable house, send your children to school, feed them, buy medicines, bring them to a hospital when they are sick… what else? I know I missed more but the important thing is totally based on knowing you cannot do that. Please make an assessment, How much are the tuition fees today? even public schools has fees not to mention their daily allowances for transportation and food, the price of a medicine, Hospitalization even on a public hospital so expensive(public hospitals are supposed to be free), cost of commodities? then sum-up how much you can earn and given the disgusting employment culture in the philippines. How much can you spend on neccessities? How do you earn? are they even balanced?. That’s really the big problem in our country, not to mention that new entrepreneurs are losing business because of very high tax collections of the government that they’d rather put their money on the bank than build a business, also not to mention the IMBECILE government, the corrupt (Damned) officias confiscating or closing down rival businesses, another are the armed leftist group who extorts them of money, protecting their friends business eliminating their rivals literally(family experience), killing at will and be forgiven afterwards because of amnesty, And I say WOW they are really big bullshits and they say it’s for the sake of the nation. “FUNNY” and their allies always complains about HUMAN RIGHTS?
If going to abroad will be the answer then I rather Risk it, (you have to be wise of course especially in choosing the right employment or travel agency). It is useless to use your talents and skills in here in the philippines, and if I cannot use those skills abroad(working on a different field that what you are at) but as long as I can Provide a Life to my Family then Be it I’ll take the risk, if I can send my brothers and children to school, feed my Family, give them all medical attention if they are sick, Tell my Mother and Father to Take a rest co’z I’ll take care of everything, muster enough money for capital to start a business on my own then why not go to abroad. I mean many of our countrymen have done those things and look at their lives now are’nt you envios of them? of course I will be back here when I am old and because of the mustered financial capital, started my very own business, my children, and brothers become a professional and are living a stable life, A house that I built because of the money I earned abroad then I don’t have to worry anything. If all of that could be resolved elsewhere as I said I will risk the chance rather than risk everything here, where risk is so futile and utterly pathetic.
“as A Note this is my personal opinion and grievance and not intended to insult anyone or stoop down on my country only that there are things that are not meant to be”
Comments and Opinions are welcome