Good OFWs Are Getting Punished, Bad OFWs Are Getting Rewarded!

When I think of the statement that calls OFWs the "bagong bayani" or the "new heroes", I really raise the question on how really?  Some OFWs are worth calling heroes because they are OFWs with a plan and not the Okay Fine Whatever.   They are heroes in the sense that they want to get their families out of difficulty and they don't intend to be Okay Fine Whatever, but rather they want to make it a temporary truce - either bring the family abroad or establish a business when they have enough capital.

What I am afraid of is that a lot of people in the Philippine government are actually punishing honest to goodness OFWs and backing up bad OFWs.  How is that happening?  It's time to show some events that show how this is gone on with a culture that rewards the lazy and punishes the diligent.

Having a balikbayan box is not always bad.  I mean, nothing is wrong with buying souvenirs right?  However the Bureau of Customs can be so corrupt in demanding higher payments than usual as they extort people who are waiting for something or two, the OFW may just want to give something that's not in the Philippines.  Many times, you get delays no thanks to the Bureau of Customs.  It's a shame that many Filipinos claim that they are pro-life but they hypocritically wished ill over innocent Chinese civilians, they have corrupt customs and they just don't care.  By demanding unjust fees for deliveries at customs, it's already the start of punishing the diligent (the OFW) and rewarding the lazy (people at customs who do NOTHING but goof off).

The same can go for the taxes and OFW remittances.  When I think of how the Bureau of Internal Robbery keeps raising tax rates up, it discourages businesses from earning more because they will have to declare more income for taxation.  While it's true that those who have more should give more, one must still question the ridiculous tax rates or just taxing everything even from the earning class.  What is worse is that they are taxing the OFWs.  Let's think any income you earn abroad should only be declared abroad.  Do not tax the OFWs for their earnings abroad.  Whether or not they remain poor is their problem, just don't tax them because their salaries were already taxed abroad!

I guess I might as well bring up Flor Contemplacion and Delia Maga again.  Although both OFWs were dead for twenty years, there has been no justice for Delia Maga.  What the activists did was to simply say Delia Maga was slain by her employer which was so not true but apparently, not so much sympathy was given to her.  Instead, sympathy was given to Flor Contemplacion when they all decided not only to defend her even when she's guilty but also to make her a saint of sorts.  They even gave her a state burial while Delia Maga who was murdered by Flor Contemplacion gets no real justice for her family whatsoever.  Financial aid was foolishly given to the Contemplacions and what about the Magas who were a victim of a real murder?  I can't say but I assume they never had any.

Come to think about it, I guess this is why a lot of OFW-related casualties keep happening because of our promotion of a culture of impunity because of such a scenario.  Many Filipinos tend to have the mentality of "kawawa ang pinagalitan" (pity the person who is scolded) which may soon become "kawawa ang sini-sentensyahan" (pity the person who is sentenced) because of the frequent display of the victim card mentality.  Like I mentioned earlier between Flor and Delia, I just wonder how many people considered Delia was really a victim and Flor was really a murderess?  It doesn't take a degree in political science, law or criminology to understand the reality.  Sad to say but the Philippines is a land with a warped sense of justice, it's only normal bad OFWs are getting sympathy instead of the good OFWs.