09.MayThe Filipino diaspora: Will they stop for good?
This seems to be true for our Pinoy nurses no matter where they are. Much more apt to those I have met here in the UK. They left Pinas because their salaries cannot support them and their families. Staying in Pinas meant their dreams will remain just that. Our nurses in the Middle East moved here, too.
When the UK opened its doors, those “lucky” Pinoys did all they could to come over. Some are still trying to get in eventhough NHS has stopped hiring. Those who have been here for 4-5 years are now either permanent residents or are British citizens. I’m sure at least 80-90% of them have debt in the form of loans (for that mansion in Pinas) and multiple credit/store cards, or even a mortgage and/or a new car.
However, they also realise that the health service in the United Kingdom is akin to that of Pinas – it’s very low-paid. Unlike the fire service, they cannot go on strike to demand more money. So they are stuck. Then it hit most of them that the cost of living is “too high”, especially since everyone insists on living in & around London. Add to the fact that the culture is quite different from that of their real American dream.
So we have a list of enumerable complaints. The houses are too small. The facilities are antiquated. The weather sucks (compared to California). The cars are too expensive. Applying for a decent mortgage is near impossible. All these are heard everywhere from every Filipinos’ mouth, of course those are in comparison to the lives of their bros/sis/cousins in America, in Canada, or in Australia.
I have a number of friends who flew to America and Oz and many are to follow this year, their kids in tow. There goes the no
c Filipino again searching for a better life. But is it really that bad? Here we get free medical and dental (to an extent for adults, free for kids til 18 y/o). We now have 1 year maternity leave with pay, paternity leave has been extended to 3 months. We have parental leaves. Most companies do not impose a set number of allowable sick leave. We have proper bank holidays and nurses are allowed 1 month vacations where they have a total of more than 35 days off in a year! Yes sometimes education sucks, but it’s the same anywhere. You have to find your child a decent school (free or semi-private or private). Eventhough it’s a common notion that Europe has far to go in terms of racial equality, there is racial integration in London and Human Rights count for something not just lip service.
It boils down to contentment. It is difficult to please everyone & of course if you don’t feel comfortable where you are, you move. I’m just thinking that some Pinoys seem very difficult to please. Or perhaps some of them didn’t know what they were getting themselves into when they jumped on their first plane to UK. Let’s hope they know now.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 9th, 2007 at 10:12 am and is filed under buhay OFW, napansin, pinas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Auee, most Filipino nurses in my local hospital would complain about the workload, not so much for the low pay(or maybe they just don’t want to admit it). And they would also say that Britain is just a “stepping stone”, and that they prefer as you say to go to America or down under.I can’t really blame them, if they could why not. To be honest I get fed up with the high cost of living here too; we even thought of going to the Phil. but we’re concerned about the kids (we got good schools here in Wycombe fortunately). Anyway, I’m comfortable living here now and adjusted to the way of life, like home away from home (but not quite…
hi Auee. i’ve heard a similar story from a relative who works as a social worker in UK. my Mom was telling her nga na move somewhere else e.g. USA if she is not contented with her present salary there, masyado daw kasing low-paying. but i guess, ganyan talaga ano, may it be Filipino or other race, it seems naturally we’re never contented for what we have, lalo na if we compare our situation vs. others, which is somewhat unfair naman talaga.
my husband has this philosophy of “living and dying in this country–meaning in Pinas”. for him kasi, the usual reasons for the plight of Pinoys like the overall economic state of the country, the poor education and health system here, the political bickerings etc etc, are but generic in countries around the world. but well, yun nga , it’s highly debatable pa rin diba. it’s more of a perception issue din perhaps.
hi pining, you’re right. People are free to do what they want. It’s just that in some cases, I have Filipinos going for a break somewhere & in coming back it’s like “I want, I want” attitude. Like you, we’re comfortable where we are & I have a stable job. If ever we decide to move though, I’d choose Australia
:-)
Pinas is not an option to us, hubby’s salary there will not help us at all.
hi feng, it’s good that you guys managed to stay in Pinas. If I had my way, I wanted to stay there too. But my reality now is we see Pinas as our retirement destination, ang lungkot ‘no?
“that mansion in Pinas”
Hay, naku, that’s really the problem why many OFWs can’t save enough to enjoy life in their old age. Daming excess baggage in the form of relatives left behind in the Philippines who all expect to live it off the OFW’s earnings. Many times, hindi lang live it off but live it up extravagantly pa. They don’t realize the sacrifices made by OFWs — the loneliness, the homesickness… kaya yung mga intention to be an OFW for a few years (para makaipon lang) nagiging lifetime na dahil nauubos lang ang padala sa capricho ng mga naiwan sa Pinas.
hi connie, thanks for dropping-by again
:-)
So true. Like an auntie who is “TNT” here, her kids are living hedonistic lives in Pinas. Sobrang luho. Meanwhile their mom hasn’t seen them in 12 years & accepts she can never go “home”, she has nothing over here, either.
Then there are OFWs here who never seem to have enough. Tipong paligsahan at uso ang inggitan, nakakainis.
medical and dental and 1 yr maternity? geez, you can’t get any better that that. people just need to make up their mind, set a plan and go forth with it. some are just too antsy to do so many different things they don’t see the bigger picture anymore. hayyy
well, having Pinas as your retirement haven isn’t bad at all. at least it’s your desire to settle here till your old and gray
by the way, i’m dropping by here to greet you a very Happy Mothers Day in advance. Sunday will be quite hectic, pampering day for us so I thought it’s best to advance my greeting. let’s all be proud to be Moms, right?
hi dexie, thanks for dropping-by. Alam mo naman ang Pinoy, mahilig magharimunan.
hi feng, happy mother’s day to you, too!
Hi Auee! It’s true what you said, that people will never be content. What they don’t realize is that no place or country is perfect. Meron pros and cons always.
and the problem is that once you’ve had a job that gives good money, or been working abroad, you will never be satisfied with the salary they pay in the philippines.
advance Happy Mother’s day!
hi sheilamarie… very true yan. I will post about this going back to Pinas dream that most OFW have, only to come away with again regret.
Happy mother’s day to you, too!
Hi Auee. If it wasn’t so hard to make a living here, I think many Filipinos will think twice about leaving. After all, nothing beats being home close to your loved ones but I understand how hard life can be at times and if there’s a chance to go abroad to earn better, I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same.
Advance Happy Mother’s Day!
Advance Happy Mother’s Day, Auee.
The mansion. Not really mansions but big houses, new, and look good to the eyes. I have seen a lot of those. I have also seen a lot that are unfinished: doors and windows that were never put, fences and gates that were never installed, colorful paints that were never painted on. No offense meant, because our home in the province definitely need a lot of repairs done. But we were never too ambitious to build what we can not afford.
Hubby and I discuss about this a lot of times. Just make do with what you can afford, not with what you are foreseeing to get your hands on because these money might be beyond your reach, if fate and circumstances permit.
hi julie… belated happy mother’s day.
We have the same rule, live within our means. Ang mahirap kasi it’s tempting to apply for loans. Madaling umutang mahirap bayaran.
i just read connie’s comment. hay that’s so true. ang dami ko nang istoryang nakikitang ganyan, nakakapanghilakbot, kasi gaya nga nyan, ang hirap din ng buhay ng ofw abroad pero kung mamuha sila dito, kala moyung ofw namumulot ng pera don.
hi rachel! I missed your comment d’oh! You’re 100% right. I didn’t contemplate leaving our country until my hubby went away.
hi ladycess, thanks for dropping-by. So sad & true. Doble hirap talaga for most of our kababayan kapag mga walang backbone ang pamilya.
Auee, its the same with maids here in SIngapore. They want white(puti) na employers and after that they want to go to Europe or to Canada to work as caregivers.
The nurses here in Singapore also go to UK and US. Talagang walang contentment ang mga Pinoy.(parang kami,he he)
hi febeth… Ganun siguro talaga until we find what we’re looking for we won’t stop. My gripe really is for some people they don’t seem to know what they really want when they commit to something like this, kaya ayan disappointments. As they say “naghanap ng kagitna, isang salop ang nawala” & it is so true to some people I know.