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Saturday, April 29, 2006
Libre: The family and the overseas Filipinos
By Mel Libre
Seriously Now
The other day, I talked with a foreign business executive and asked him about his impression on Filipinos. He said that he had worked with Filipinos in his company and has high regard for them because of their industry, honesty and professionalism.
That merely reinforced stories I heard and read about the work ethics of Filipinos employed abroad. Whether the overseas Filipino is a domestic helper or works as a medical specialist in some topnotch hospital, he attends to his job with utmost diligence and is even willing to work overtime while others rush back to their homes.
I know of one who would work non-stop for 16 hours, not to impress his superiors, but to be able to enjoy the fruits of his hard labor. Who wouldn’t want to do double jobs when the pay can equal the salaries of some managers in the homeland?
If only Filipinos in the Philippines pursue their work and calling with the same industry, honesty and professionalism, there is no doubt we can be among the progressive countries in the world. But that seems difficult to attain.
Sloth, corruption and mediocrity thrive in government and private institutions. If there are individuals who rise above the vast uninspiring landscape, they are a rare few. Many idealists, once exposed to politics in government and to profit-oriented values of companies, ended up succumbing to the system.
While it seems good to know the positive views on overseas Filipino workers, there is a price to pay for their sacrifices. Studies reveal the negative effects of absentee overseas parents on the lives of children left behind.
In recent years, Filipinos, mostly professionals, opt to migrate bringing along the entire brood to foreign shores, if only to ensure that the family will remain intact. But that seems to be a fallacy because the open and liberal lifestyle of the West will eventually rub off on the psyche of Filipino youths.
As the parents toil in factories and offices, their children assimilate a foreign culture whose values mostly clash with Filipino customs and traditions. How many times have we seen our friends’ children that are raised abroad, talk, think and act more like foreigners than Filipinos?
Filipinos are generally family-oriented. Sadly, many have abused this, resulting in nepotism in work and dynasties in politics. Others work dishonestly to provide luxurious lives to their families, and do vices on the side. Still others go abroad leaving their comfort zone in pursuit of the dream of better lives.
The bottom line for every father and mother is for their children to have a bright future. The question is: “Have we prepared our children for the difficult task of getting our country out of the rut?” If the next generation of Filipinos will breathe life into such tenets as industry, honesty and professionalism, they may succeed where we failed.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 29, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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