Love has many forms, the same way that love may be expressed in various ways. The Valentine’s season is the perfect opportunity for us to express that love, whichever way we may choose. For the most part, everyone has already planned and sorted out their own ways in showing their love towards the people that matter to them. That certain thing is easy to do, especially if they happen to be in the same house as their loved ones. But how about the OFWs who live abroad? How would they be able to show that they care? How can they reciprocate the love that their family has been showing them throughout the routine overseas calls and Social Media chats? The answer is very simple, and has been a staple activity of OFWs for many decades. Simply put, through the noble act of sending money from abroad.
Money remittance has stood the test of time, ever since the very first influx of Filipino workers abroad. People tend to forget that OFWs have a definite reason as to why they would endure long periods of time being away from their families, and that isn’t even for their own personal gain. No, it is all because of their loved ones, the very family that they hold dear in their heart. They’re the reason, they’re the priority, and they’re the catalyst.
Why do OFWs prefer to work abroad?
Everyone has their own reason as to why they would prefer to work abroad. The thing is, it isn’t even a matter of having a deeply-rooted plan with regard to working in a faraway place.. If given the choice, our beloved OFWs would have chosen to work here in the Philippines, just so they may see their loved ones every day. However, major factors such as job shortages, the dwindling economy, the low pay, and even the hefty travel commute would usually get in the way of a good lifestyle and livelihood, hence, they would have to make one of the hardest decisions of all, in one way or the other, and that is to leave their family here in the country in order to provide for them sufficiently.
How many OFWs are there as of late?
Data gathered from the 2018 Survey on Overseas Filipino showed that there were at least 2.3 million Filipinos abroad. The Overseas Contract Workers, those of which who has an existing work contract comprised 96.2% of the total number of OFWs during the period of April 2018 to September 2018. To be more specific, Saudi Arabia was the leading country where our OFWs flock to, with 24.3%. Other popular destinations were United Arab Emirates (15.7 %), Hong Kong (6.3 %), Kuwait (5.7 %), Taiwan (5.5 %), and Qatar (5.2 %). Take note that these were data gathered from 2018. The numbers may have changed up until the time of writing of this article (year 2020), but the government is working non-stop, in order to gather and compute for that updated data. It’s either the numbers going up, or some of the percentages going down, only for other countries to come into equation as the new destination for modern OFWs. In such case, even small percentages in comparison are still worth thousands, if not, hundreds of Filipinos who are giving it their all in order to provide for their families.
With OFWs being far away from their families, how do they express their care even without their presence?
This is best done by the very purpose that motivated them to go abroad, and that is to provide for their loved ones back at home. We Filipinos regard our OFWs highly, and that is for a very good reason. The sacrifice that they do on a daily basis is an epitome of their unwavering motivation to give their families a good life. In the modern era, countless Filipinos are stationed abroad, giving it their all, with no regard for their own safety and well-being, most of the time. Even in countries which are on the verge of war, you may have seen news reports of Filipinos not wanting to come home, as it may lower their chances of ever going back once everything settles and reforms are made. They’d prefer to be in the heat of the action, going as far as sacrificing their own well-being, just to ensure that their kids would are provided for back at home to pursue their education.
It may seem impractical and senseless at first glance, but remember, these sacrifices are done for their loved ones to have a good life. No amount of money or sense of self-preservation may compare to the happiness that they’d incur once they see their families enjoying a full and bountiful future.
If being an OFW is the perfect job to convey that care, through the wonderful world of money remittance. What is it like being an OFW?
Unfortunately, being an OFW doesn’t protect you from the possibility of employment abuse. It was once said that employment conditions abroad are relevant to the individual worker and their families, as well as for the sending country and its economic growth and well-being. Poor working conditions for Filipinos hired abroad include long hours, low wages, and just a few chances to visit their family. With that being said, it’s not all fun and games for our beloved Overseas Filipino Workers. We’ve mentioned on multiple occasions how being an OFW has its risks as well, that they put their bodies on the line just for a fair wage. There may even be injustices to their regular pay grade, so even if they wanted to, their remittances are limited according to the pay that they’ve received. Of course, we’ve got lots and lots of regulations put in place in order to protect the OFWs from abuse, however, not all of them are being implemented, let alone being checked or updated to fit the context of the modern OFWs.
Giving credit where credit is due
We Filipinos always value our families. If that’s the case, then even the Overseas Filipino Workers themselves know that the surefire way of showing their appreciation would be sending back money to those who’ve shown unwavering support for them during their woes and triumphs. It just so happens that Valentine’s Day is a day that amplifies that deed, as everyone is more than aware of the kindness and concern they’ve received from others, and that they are more than willing to show them back. A round of applause and a standing ovation for the OFWs who are consistent in doing this, with no months skipped, thus, continuing to help their loved ones out with the expenses while also providing more cash within the economy’s circulation.
However, that is made possible only by a trustworthy remittance center that has stood by OFWs for more than 30 years, and nothing indicates a more trusted name than Cebuana Lhuiller. With Cebuana Lhuillier’s Pera Padala Service, you are ensured an easy, quick, and safe way to send and receive money. With 2,500 branches nationwide, 6,500 established domestic partners, and 1.5 million physical and virtual touchpoints their money transfer service is made available to clients within and outside the Philippines. All transactions are done in real time, which enables clients to claim the money as soon as the sender completes the sending process in the branch. So for our beloved OFW patrons, feel free to visit any of our international partners – we assure a fast, easy and secure transaction.
For a complete list of our international partners, you may visit our website at https://www.cebuanalhuillier.com/pera-padala/