migranteng pinoy

i received this forwarded email from an ofw based in jeddah. ewan ko bakit nya pinadala sa akin pero dahil wala akong magandang nasulat, i post ko na lang to. medyo may relevance naman kasi. at para may visual effect, naghukay ako ng photo ng mga pinoy na naghihintay ng kanilang passport sa dfa davao.



Hindi mayaman ang OFW - We have this notion na ‘pag OFW o nasa abroad ay mayaman na. Hindi totoo yun. A regular OFW might earn from P50K-P300K per month depende sa lokasyon. Yung mga taga-Saudi or US siguro ay mas malaki ang sweldo, but to say that they're rich is a fallacy (amen!).

Malaki ang pangangailangan kaya karamihan ay nag-a-abroad. Maraming bunganga ang kailangang pakainin kaya umaalis ang mga pipol sa Philippines . Madalas, 3/4 o kalahati ng sweldo ay napupunta sa tuition ng anak at gastusin ng pamilya.

Mahirap maging OFW – Kailangan magtipid hangga't kaya. Oo, masarap ang pagkain sa abroad pero madalas na paksiw o adobo at itlog lang tinitira para makaipon. Pagdating ng kinsenas o katapusan, ang unang tinitingnan eh ang conversion ng peso sa dollar o rial o euro. Mas okay na magtiis sa konti kaysa gutumin ang pamilya. Kapag umuuwi, kailangan may baon kahit konti kasi maraming kamag-anak ang sumusundo sa airport o naghihintay sa probinsya. Alam mo naman ‘pag Pinoy, yung tsismis na OFW ka eh surely attracts a lot of kin.

Kapag hindi mo nabigyan ng pasalubong eh magtatampo na yun at sisiraan ka na. Well, hindi naman lahat pero I'm sure sa mga OFW dito eh may mga pangyayaring ganun. Magtatrabaho ka sa bansang iba ang tingin sa mga Pinoy. Malamang marami ang naka-experience ng gulang o discrimination to their various workplaces. Sige lang, tiis lang, iniiyak na lang kasi kawawa naman pamilya 'pag umuwi.

Besides, wala ka naman talagang maasahang trabaho sa Philippines ngayon. Mahal ang bigas, ang gatas, ang sardinas, ang upa sa apartment. Tiis lang kahit maraming kupal sa trabaho, kahit may sakit at walang nag-aalaga, kahit hindi masarap ang tsibog, kahit pangit ang working conditions, kahit delikado, kahit mahirap. Kapag nakapadala ka na, okay na, tawag lang, "hello! kumusta na kayo?".

Hindi bato ang OFW - Tao rin ang OFW, hindi money o cash machine. Napapagod rin, nalulungkot (madalas), nagkakasakit, nag-iisip at nagugutom. Kailangan din ang suporta, kundi man physically, emotionally o spiritually man lang.

Tumatanda rin ang OFW - Sa mga nakausap at nakita ko, marami ang panot at kalbo na. Most of them have signs and symptoms of hypertension, coronary artery disease and arthritis. Yet, they continue to work thinking about the family they left behind. Marami ang nasa abroad, 20-30 years na, pero wala pa ring ipon. Kahit anong pakahirap, sablay pa rin. Masakit pa kung olats rin ang sinusuportahang pamilya – ang anak adik o nabuntis; ang asawa may kabit. Naalala ko tuloy ang sikat na kanta dati, “NAPAKASAKIT KUYA EDDIE!"

Bayani ang OFW – Totoo yun! Ngayon ko lang na na-realize na bayani ang OFW sa maraming bagay. Hindi bayani na tulad ni Nora Aunor o Flor Contemplacion. Bayani in the truest sense of the word. Hindi katulad ni Rizal o Bonifacio. Mas higit pa dun, mas maraming giyera at gulo ang pinapasok ng OFW para lang mabuhay. Mas maraming pulitika ang kailangang suungin para lang tumagal sa trabaho lalo na't kupal ang mga kasama sa trabaho. Mas mahaba ang pasensya kaysa sa mga ordinaryong kongresista o senador sa Philippines dahil sa takot na mawalan ng sweldo.

Matindi ang OFW – Matindi ang pinoy. Matindi pa sa daga, o cockroaches which survived the cataclysmic evolution. Maraming sakripisyo pero walang makitang tangible solutions or consequences.

Malas ng OFW, swerte ng pulitiko – Hindi umuupo ang OFW para magbigay ng autograph o interbyuhin ng media (unless nakidnap!). Madalas nasa sidelines lang ang OFW. Kapag umaalis, malungkot and on the verge of tears. Kapag dumadating, swerte ‘pag may sundo( madalas meron). Kapag naubos na ang ipon, wala ng kamag-anak.

Sana sikat ang OFW para may boses sa Kamara. Ang swerte ng mga politiko nakaupo sila at ginagastusan ng pera ng Filipino. Hindi nga sila naiinitan o napapaso ng langis, o napagagalitan ng amo, o kumakain ng paksiw para makatipid, o nakatira sa compound with conditions less than favorable, o nakikisama sa ibang lahi para mabuhay. Ang swerte, sobrang swerte nila.

Matatag ang OFW – Matatag ang OFW, mas matatag pa sa sundalo o kung ano pang grupo na alam nyo. Magaling sa reverse psychology, negotiations at counter-attacks. Tatagal ba ang OFW? Tatagal pa kasi hindi pa natin alam kailan magbabago ang Philippines , kailan nga kaya? o may tsansa pa ba?

Masarap isipin na kasama mo ang pamilya mo araw-araw. Nakikita mo mga anak mong lumalaki at naaalagaan ng maayos. Masarap kumain ng sitaw, ng bagoong, lechon, inihaw na isda, taba ng talangka. Masarap manood ng pelikulang Pinoy, luma man o bago. Iba pa rin ang pakiramdam kung kilala mo ang kapitbahay mo. Iba pa rin sa Philippines, iba pa rin kapag Pinoy ang kasama mo (except ‘pag kupal at utak-talangka), iba pa rin ‘pag nagkukwento ka at naiintindihan ng iba ang sinasabi mo. Iba pa rin ang tunog ng "mahal kita!", "day, ginahigugma tika." “Mingaw na ko nimo ba, kalagot!", " Inday, diin ka na subong haw? ganahan guid ko simo ba". Iba pa rin talaga.

Sige lang, tiis lang, saan ba’t darating din ang pag-asa.

daddy

Zambo is the best buddy I ever have. He is always reliable. very few times he told me he is busy and could not extend a helping hand but he always make it sure that I feel his presence when I need him.

Zambo is happily married to Marissa and they have an eight year old girl in Zamboanga.

Zambo wants to bring his family here in the Saudi capital to live with him. I could imagine, Zambo would no longer have a time for me.

But seeing Zambo happy would also makes me happy, I guess.

Zambo used to work in a computer store. I saw him at work. He is salesman and sometimes cashier. He was poorly paid then. His store is just across my flat. When one room that was being rented was vacated in my flat, Zambo decided to take the room but in order to afford it, he tagged along with him his two friends that sometimes become six.

When his contract expired, Zambo got another offer as business development manager of an Internet Café. He made four branches during his stint before I recruited him to join our company as System Operator in the IT Department.

There are so many things I would like to write about Zambo but I always get messed up.

I am even confused of writing my feelings towards him.

Yesterday, I told him my true feelings.

“Alam ko na yun,” he quipped as he smiled like a child.

lalaki sa banyo

While looking for my house plan, I instead found photographs of boys who had taken a bath in my bathroom inside my bedroom. Palagay ko marami pa pero di ko nakunan ng pictures ng mga time na yon.



He was the guy whom I thought would be the one. He is into technology. He even mounted solar panels in my backyard and made it operational. I sent him to continue his college days only to be frustrated. He was playing flames in my back. He had an affair with his aunt and impregnated her aunt’s friend. Very sad.











Here is J. He is very funny. He lost his front teeth but has a very lovable abs. He has not finished high school but is now struggling to finish it through a Sunday school. He is a very good textmate but very wily when in person. He keeps on promising but always run away when he thinks he could not bear to unbear in front of me.





his first bath in my room was so hilarious. J took a bath with me with his cousin who was totally nude. That was very rare.












J took another bath with his friend M. Hmmm, where was that picture...






This is J. Though he is very malambing. He is also very demanding and seloso.



J has another friend.


















Jong.





Jong is great though he has so many textmates. Jong is also on Sunday school wanting to finish his high school.























This is Papa R.




I met him in Riyadh and was surprised to know that he is my neighbour in Davao. We had a night stand that was later followed by another. It ran through the years until in more than a year when I called it done.









Then, here comes my bebeh.




He prefers to be on my bed though but always go to the bathroom before going to bed. He is sooooo sweet and hot.

hearthache

After Christmas, I went to my doctor. Dr Jalal said kailangan pa gamutin puso ko kasi ang kalahati nito palyado rin kaya apektado dugo ko. The upper chamber is not pumping your blood. Instead it flickers that makes the blod bubbles as it flow. This flickering is the cause of your irregular heartbet, he said.

Sabi niya dapat panipisin ng gamot ang malapot kong dugo para di magbara sa ugat. may gamot pero di ko mainom pag di pa ok ang high blood pressure ko ko. gamutin muna ang high blood saka na yung dugo para ma ok ang puso ko uli. hearthache ang bading

Duing my last bp check it is now 130 over 90. Pwede ko na gamutin ang aking atrial fibrillation.

But where is the drug. I was prescribed with a drug that I could not find in Riyadh. All drugstores that I have been to said it is out of stock. Tumaas uli ang presyon ko.

munting kubo

It’s been five years since I stopped my house construction. I got fed up of the skyrocketing price rise of building materials that I slowed down. The construction went to a dead stop when I was unceremoniously laid off by my newspaper after working there for 15 years.

I got unemployed for 18 months and went on hibernation. Before I lost my mind, I was able to find solace in an old fling. A man whom I know is a womanizer. Our old friendship rekindled the flame we once, twice, nth played with much outrage and gusto.

Four months later, I decided to call it quits. I left my fling after I discovered that he fathered another baby with a fourth woman. I flew back to the Saudi capital and scouted for a job.

I got one. And nearly two years after landing a not so glorious work, I found myself wanting to slowly restart my house construction.

I frantically looked for some pictures of my house. A weekend past including a new year’s day and I could not find my house plan.

Then suddenly I remembered, I had a kept an ageing 10GB hard disk drive.

The perspective. This is 60 percent done.