Why are there Filipinos in the Middle East?Where are the Filipinos in the Middle East?Who are the Filipinos in the Middle East?How to reach a Filipino in the Middle East?What is new with Filipinos in the Middle East?

Isyung Samu't Sari

How many Filipinos have gone abroad to make a better living? And for how long has been this happening? No surprise therefore that there exist today a thousand or so stories about our migrant brothers in the Middle East.

The most persistent stories we hear are the sad experience of our fellow Filipinos in the Middle East. How on earth would these experiences happen repeatedly when we have been sending our people to the region is indeed distressing. This is tantamount to admitting that we have not learned our lessons or that we simply do not care.


Let us face it. Issues concerning the plight of our OFW's abound. What can we do about it?

As if suffering from their hosts is not enough, Filipinos in the Middle East also have to endure the abuse and greed of recruitment agencies back in the Philippines. Now, is there something we should be surprised about? No wonder some Filipinos are maltreated by their hosts, probably when these hosts were in the Philippines, they have seen how recruitment agenices have milked our kababayans dry.


Splice of Life: Boo! - Yey!

Public Service at Its Best

Yey!!! Hindi maaaring hindi natin ulit-ulitin ang pagpuri sa pamahalaan at sa mga kinauukulang tanggapan nito sa magandang ending sa kuwento ni John Aquino sa UAE. Ang karanasang ito ay nagpatunay na sa kabila ng mga pagbatikos ng marami sa kakulangan ng ating pamahalaan, may mga kawani nito na nagsisikap tumupad sa kanilang mga tungkulin. Ito ang tunay ng serbisyo publiko. At kung ang ganitong uri ng serbisyo ang mararanasan ng mga OFW, maniniwala tayong totoo ngang bagong bayani ng ating panahon ang mga OFW!

Talu-talo, Walang kai-kaibigan

Boo!!! May mga first timer na OFW ang nakapagkuwento na nagkaroon na sila ng mga kaibigan sa lupang ibayong kanilang pinagtrabahuan. Maganda ang kanilang samahan sapagkat pare-pareho ang kanilang mga pangangailangan, yung damdaming Pinoy ba? Yung pakiramdam mo ay nasa Pilipinas ka lang at kasama ang mga kaibigan. Pero, masama ang loob ng mga first timers na ito dahil mukha yatang hindi naman sila pala kaibigan ng mga nakilala nila kundi kinaibigan lang upang pagkakitaan. Wala namang ganyanan, walang talu-talo!

Mas Magandang Feedback sa mga Pinoy

Yey!!! Sa nakaraang computer exhibitions sa Riyadh, may isang Bahraini manager ng isang malaking ISP ang nagsabing mataas ang pagtingin nila sa mga Pilipino. Bukod sa may kakayahan itong makipag-usap sa Ingles at Arabic, may kakaibang sipag at aura ang mga Pilipino sa trabaho. Bukod pa rito ang loyalty ng mga Pilipino sa kanilang pinagtratrabahuan at sakanilang employer. Saludo sila sa manggagawang Pilipino! Sulong, Pilipino!

Pinoy Grandstanding

Boo!!! Hanggang dito ba naman sa Middle East, ipagkakalat ng iba nating kababayan ang baho ng ating lipunan? Kung magbabasa ka ng mga English dailies, halimabawa sa Saudi Arabia, mapapailing ka kung paano gamitin ng iba nating kababayan ang mga "letters to editors" section upang walang kapararakang ibagsak ang karangalan ng pamahalaan at nga mga Pilipino na rin. Ito kayang mga Pilipinong ito, ano naman kaya ang nagawa na nila upang makatulong sa ating kapwa? Kung matapang kayo, umuwi kayo ng Pilipinas at doon kayo ipagsigawan ang mga galit ninyo sa ating bayan.


What Went Wrong With PDOS?

Any Filipino who has worked abroad are familiar with the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS). This is perhaps one of the landmark development in the government's campaign to prepare Filipinos who have opted to work in a foreign land. However, PDOS seemed to fail in its purpose as incidence of Filipinos being apprehended by authorities in their host countries continue to alarm us.

As usual, put the blame on some Filipinos' enterprising spirits as the PDOS has degenerated into sales pitches for participating companies, usually banks, and individual resource speakers.



Spoken Arabic: actually, a good book

If you are one of those who have fortunately bought this book when you attended your PDOS, then good for you. This is actually a good book to help you survive the Middle East. But, do you know there is something wrong with the manner by which the book was sold to us?