The OFW Phenomenon May Soon Spell The End Of The Philippines

It's getting stupid at how many Filipinos are still having their twisted notion of economics that foreign investment is foreign invasion and that OFW phenomenon means they are taking over the world.  Now it's time for me discuss one simple truth that may soon reveal why the OFW phenomenon may soon spell the end of the Philippines.  Like it or not, but OFW reliance is more shaky than not especially with a growing number of people who may become the next Flor Contemplacion.  Still a BRIGHT FUTURE?  That's all I can ask that Murican and his nonsense essay that only showed Gross Domestic Product but fails to address unemployment, spendings and Net Domestic Product. Every decent Pinoy who is an OFW with a plan must really share their experiences on what OFW life is really all about and not what stupid people think.

What started the OFW phenomon was because of the rise of unemployment since the Marcos era.  Again sorry Marcos loyalists, your idol the late Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. wasn't all so good either and for Aquino loyalists, I cant even think the late Cory was any better because she refused to repeal cronyism and President Nobita still continues that stupid 60/40 policy.  Oh boy, it's stupid, come on, want more jobs the OPEN UP THE ECONOMY TO A HEALTHY AMOUNT OF FREE TRADE!  It doesn't mean that allowing foreigners with higher degrees of ownership to do as they want, every economically open state in the world will still throw you out even if you own 100% of your company in their country, you still have to PAY TAXES AND COMPLY WITH LEGAL PAPERS!

So what's with the OFW phenomenon anyway?  The Marcos years and the post-Marcos years had the oligarchy system.  Instead of allowing flexible ownership for foreigners, maybe in fear of "invasion" but in reality they were protecting their cronies,  It limited the ownership of foreign firm to 40% only and Filipinos get 60% which is unfair to why Filipino investors get 50% and up abroad but no foreigner can get 50% and above in the Philippines.  The result of a lack of investment creates a lack of jobs which in turn, sooner or later a lot of people will be forced to abroad to find greener pasture.

Now really, what's that with somebody's twisted logic saying, "Oh but OFWs is the bright future of the Philippines?"  Oh really, has he considered how the OFW families are getting torn apart?  Just think... normal working families usually have the family together by dinnertime but the whole family here must wait for SOME TIME, maybe even years before papa or mama can come home.  Sometimes you have mama going abroad because papa is a bum, you have papa going abroad because there are no jobs and FYI, remittances are NOT an easy thing compared to if foreigners invested in Philippines, bowed down to the Philippine government and provided jobs for Filipinos as agreed.  That's the right kind of restriction for free trade, not stupid 60/40!

What happens next is the sad state, it's time to GO ABROAD.  Sad to say but there's the tendency of your average Filipino to think that the green pastures are abroad. However, I have thought of the recent reality that some Filipinos who have no idea of what's going on tend to brag, "We are taking over the world!"  However the workplace abroad is what is called as the "Hellish Paradise" in the movie "Anak" starring Vilma Santos-Recto.  I always felt that the whole film did address OFW woes but can be easily misused to represent the OFWs as the "new heroes" but the film still shows the sad reality of OFWs here and there.

Looking at the event above (English subs available for non-Tagalog speakers), you may consider the sad reality that OFW family life is not as glamorous as it seems.  The film has Vilma Santos having no choice but to go abroad no thanks to that lazy husband of hers.  Then she lands on an abusive employer ABROAD and her passport was hidden.  Like it or not, it's easier to escape from an abusive employer from the Philippines.  If that foreigner is the abusive employer, well the Philippine government has more intervention power because the foreigner is bound to Philippine by-laws even if he has 100% ownership.  Wow, I even feel Vilma's tears in this video as she's angry with her oldest daughter's lack of respect.  Again, the whole family is torn apart no thanks to her having to go abroad to find a job.  Did she look like she was helping PH rule the world?  No, she was a SLAVE to an abusive HK employer in that movie and the fact that her phone line was cut, she had NO WAY to report her plight!  

In real life, you might think of Filipino workers in hostile countries like the Middle East.  Some OFWs really deserve to be pleaded for like if they were beaten up by an abusive employer.  Sarah Balabagan herself was almost killed because she killed out of self-defense (well Etta Rosales may approve of her punishment)... because she had no choice but to work in a country that's run by male sexists.  You may think of how hostile areas of the world are treating OFWs as SLAVES instead of SERVANTS.  Still thinking that the OFW phenomenon means Philippines is invading the world?  Wake up!  Think also of OFWs who are doing their jobs properly and are getting mistreated left and right... some of them are even getting raped like every overseas worker, not just in the Philippines!

Again, do I need to mention how most OFW families are more free loaders than you think?  Simple, most people tend to think the OFW is a "bagong bayani" because he or she fights for what's supposedly a "brighter future".  Then it's time to come back from abroad, with all the spotlight (joke intended) then two months later, it's back to broke.  There are many reasons why it's back to broke... like you can think of a lot of reasons.  You might think of the fiends and relathieves, return home, it's time to party hard 'til you drop... then that person might have bought a Playstation 4 for junior, an XBox One for a lazy nephew or niece, a crate of liquor for a lazy drunkard brother, some fancy dresses for the lazy sister-in-law, etc. to which they have a lot of leeches attached.  No matter how high the salary if the money is not used wisely, the person will eventually run out of money right?

Not to mention, the OFW phenomenon has been linked to so many horrible incidents whether it was Flor Contemplacion way back in March 17, 1995 or to the three drug mules in China or the Edz Ello incident in Singapore... or we have Mary Jane Veloso's hanging fate because Indonesian President Joko Widodo might really gun her down eventually.  I don't even think Migraine International is really helping the plights of OFWs whenever they choose to condone rather than to condemn the very misdeeds of guilty Filipinos.

Sad to say but no sooner, a paranoia against OFW may be brewing like crazy in other countries.  You might think of how some OFWs may soon be easily and unfairly named as criminals not thanks to OFWs who break the law abroad and the activist groups backing them up, not to mention Philippine government asking for their pardon when they deserve to be in the chopping board.  No sooner, other countries may soon say, "We no longer receive Filipino workers!" which sadly is a result of too many OFW incidents.  Is the Philippines the only labor exporting country?  There's still Malaysia and Indonesia, seriously what makes Failipinos think Philippines is so special huh?