How To Be A Successful Overseas Filipino Worker Essay

How does an 18 year old International Relations student define success? I would probably define success as the attainment of happiness, but I turn to my great friends Merriam and Webster for a more credible meaning. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, success is a state where in a person attain a favorable or desired outcome; it may also equate to the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence. In this assignment, we were tasked to write and research on â€Å"How To Be A Successful OFW†. We have heard different stories about our Overseas Filipino Workers, some of them are inspiring, but unfortunately some of them are tragic. In this paper, I would discuss ways on how an aspiring OFW be as successful and happy as the other Overseas Filipinos are, and how can their stories be as inspiring as the few we always hear in our neighborhood, family gatherings, sometimes even the local news! First, is to be a legal and registered OFW. Being an Overseas Filipino Worker is never an easy job, they work far from their families, a lot of them encounter ‘culture shock’, most of them feel isolated, and a handful gets into sticky situations. To be a successful OFW does not require them to do everything alone. The Philippine government will be having their backs, all throughout the duration of their stay abroad. As the whole world knows, there are tons of foreign employers who hire Filipinos for their dedicated work ethics and good english skills. This resulted to a diaspora of our OFWs in the world; and because of this, the government is doing their job to ensure that the safety, rights and welfare of these Filipinos abroad are protected. In order for them to do this more effectively and smoothly, all OFWs must undergo processes before leaving the country. Foreign companies are usually affiliated with private agencies. These agencies should be licensed and accredited by POEA or the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration; this accreditation would allow POEA to monitor and to ensure the safety of our OFWs. In cases of name hiring, where in a foreign company hires an OFW directly, a final step after getting their visa and working permit, is necessary for them to be called â€Å"modern heroes†. While processing their papers, aspiring OFWs would undergo a verification and evaluation process, and they are required to attend a Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar. A PDOS is a seminar that allows aspiring OFWs to deepen their knowledge about their host country, it’s culture, language and the life they are about to encounter. Another government agency that would surely help an OFW is the OWWA or the Overseas Worker’s Welfare Administration. Being an OWWA member has its perks, and the $25 membership fee is worth it; because all registered members can avail the many OWWA services that range from health care, disability and death benefits, scholarships and financial assistance for education and training, workers assistance and on-site services, social services and family welfare assistance. Also, PhilHealth – a government owned health insurance – is another government agency that our OFWs would want to be a member of; it provides an OFW and his dependent health benefits in case of illness or injury that requires hospitalization. Meanwhile, OWWA contributions differs from PhilHealth membership because it is the life insurance of an OFW while working overseas. OWWA, is also an agency that is tasked to protect the welfare of our overseas Filipinos, and in line with this they give constant reminders to our OFWs for them to avoid trouble abroad. The second way to be a successful OFW, is to follow government regulations and reminders to ensure your own safety. Nothing beats a safe and happy person to start the path of success. The Overseas Worker’s Welfare Administration constantly reminds our OFW to do the following things when they are abroad: OWWA advices our OFWs to learn and understand the host country’s language; for them to respect the culture, traditions, and practices of the host country. To follow their work contract; abide by laws, rules, and regulations of their host country. They also advice our ‘modern heroes’ to not carry, use, or sell drugs, substances, compounds and chemicals classified as illegal in the host country; they should not accept any hand-carried package from anyone unless they are sure that what is inside the package is considered safe. Many people have been arrested and jailed for carrying firearms and drugs without their knowledge. OWWA also recognize that OFWs must not engage in activities which are considered illegal in their host country (gambling/lotto, liquor/alcohol use, cybersex, possession, and/or sale of pirated video materials and/or obscene materials/articles); OFWs must not lend their laptops to friends and acquaintances who may use them for illegal purposes. The agency also advices OFWs to not live beyond their means and to avoid falling into a debt trap. They must resist to believe in get-rich-quick scams. Examples of these are text messages that you have won in an electronic lottery, e-mails offering to transfer huge amount of money to your bank account. Third, is for them to find a proper support group. With their family and friends thousands of miles away, loneliness will definitely creep in. They might also get a nagging feeling that’ll tell them to pack their bags and head back home. Fortunately, this is the age of the Global Filipino. OFWs may run a search on Filipino organizations that are present in their new city. The best way to build relationships is to go out and make friends with the people in your community. They can ease the I-want-to-go-home pangs by keeping their family updated. It is crucial to be open to your family by telling them what is happening to you, this might give them an idea on how they can support and inspire you in their own little ways. The internet can provide our OFWs with free tools to communicate with their love ones for free. The fourth way to be a successful OFW is to know where to put your profit. Figuring out a savings plan is already quite a challenge for the overseas Filipino worker who prioritizes sending money for household needs, children’s education expenses and debt payments. Although there is no â€Å"one size fits all† investment option that is applicable to everyone, every Filipino working abroad should save and invest their hard earn money. Unfortunately, according to the 2012 Q1 Consumer Expectations Survey (CES) conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), investing earnings may not be a priority for OFWs for now, as it reflects that only 8.5% of OFW households allocate money for investment. For our OFWs to maintain their hard earned wealth, they should always assess their income. OFWs should only invest in something if they have carefully planned and checked if they can afford it. Owning a property has so many advantages that many websites advices our OFWs to invest in properties. Its advantages includes the following; you can call it as your own, it has sentimental value especially it’s the first property the OFW bought. Also its value appreciates over time. They should also avoid spending on expensive items and luxuries. Buying material things such as expensive a watches or a brand new car, things you couldn’t afford before, is not advisable. There are stories that some Overseas Filipino Workers tend to be impulsive buyers due to the increase in income. OFWs sometimes ignore important things such as investing on income generating assets like bonds and government securities, which are absolutely important things to acquire for investment purposes. They must learn how to spend wisely. It is unavoidable to spend on unnecessary things but OFWs must try to control themselves when faced with that situation. They should always think of the main goal of why they need to work abroad in the first place and live miles away from your loved ones. They should also send an appropriate amount allowance to their family. Try not to give extra money to them. This way, they are forced to organize their expenses and make them prioritize, more importantly teach them how to fish and not just keep on giving them the fish so to speak. To sum it all up, this paper presents four ways on how to be a successful OFW. This includes that you go through the legal processes in which OFWs are required to undergo before leaving the country, this is very important for the government because it means that they can do their job of monitoring and protecting the welfare and rights of our OFWs smoothly. The second way is to follow simple rules or reminders given by the government. This is to ensure the safety of our OFWs in their host country, because there are a handful of OFWs getting in trouble abroad because they did illegal things like drug smuggling. Not only will it cause big trouble for yourself if you happen to be caught doing illegal things, but our OFWs must always remember that the whole country’s name is with them. The third point is to find a support group, being away from everyone you know might cause sadness, and oftentimes, depression; the diaspora of Filipinos all over the world may help solve this problem . Our OFWs abroad may run a search on the internet of the Filipino communities or organizations near his/her city, they may also utilize the internet to contact their families at home. The fourth point is to learn how to save money. There are a lot of OFWs who can’t make money last in their hands. Our OFWs should always keep in mind and in their hearts why they need to go abroad, and that is to raise themselves out of poverty, or in some cases make life comfortable for their families at home. In this paper, I classified success as the attainment of happiness, and I believe that these ways might help them with their pursuit of happiness. Indeed, being an OFW itself is a tough job, and being a successful one is a tougher task; but nothing is impossible if you set your heart and mind on it.