Comments on: OFW, Good or Bad for the Philippines

By: Bruce

Bruce — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:19:44 +0000

Tropicalpenpals,

I see we agree on the affects of OFW and remittance sent home.

By: Tropicalpenpals

Tropicalpenpals — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:03:56 +0000

In defence of the OFW Remittances is that if you give money you will always end up with parasites.. In the UK we call it the Benefit class. There are those who are struggling to get a job but there are literally millions who have no intention of even sniffing at a days work. Truth of the matter is if someone is getting P10,000 a month remittance why would they want a P6,000 job? rather than thinking ahead that they would have P16,000 which puts them in a positive to do even more. A lot of the problem is education and not understanding how much that money costs in hours to the person(s) who are earning it. A recent chat with someone who moved into another country in the last few months has realised the extra money from being an OFW isnt great as the bills are all in line. So now she is working 3 jobs as she wants to move forward and is firmly in a sink or swim situation.

How would I resolve the situation? Personally I do what I do which is filter out the good from the bad. If there are members not keen to work that is fine but they wont be seeing any money from me. Everyone else can/does take a business option and I invest in a small scale business they manage on a 50/50 profit share. People need to look at changing the nature of the remittances and putting a value on them.

Is it bad for the Philippines? They have lost more than a decade of experience. They have lost the best medical and teaching staff. What is left is a skeleton that has its bones picked on a regular basis so is unlikely to recover.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:49:34 +0000

Jat,
I thank you for commenting, I enjoy getting comments and thoughts of all peoples with connections to the Philippines. Filipinos here, abroad, foreigners here or planing to move here. We all learn from each other.
I understand you seeing the differences and your thoughts are interesting, but I think too late. The Philippines has self governed for too long to be willing to give control to another country. You actually mentioned all the reasons.
This is a country of many ruled by a few. The many do not know how to change and the few will not let them.
I also think there is no solution to the NPA, MILF or the Abu Sayaf. The poor find a feeling of belonging and easily swayed for the dreams of a better life.

By: jat

jat — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:22:27 +0000

Bruce Im a filipino but now a naturalized american. I’ve been following your website esp the comment sections.
Few years backed I visited my beloved hometown of Gensan and I met some of my relatives, and one of them was my uncle who said that the only way the philippines can improve is to be occupied by USA and be the 51st state- Bingo ‘coz that’s what Ive been thingking since I felt in love to USA. My uncle said that the Philippines is like a patient who has a cancer on a late stage or stage 4 that there’s no cure at all unless there’s a miracle and that miracle is to be governed by USA. For me I dont mind Philippines will be gone and become a state of the union. The only question now is “Is it still beneficial to Uncle Sam at this stage where it has a lot of problems-NPA, Abu Sayaf, MILF, MNLF and etc.. Sometimes when I think of our heroes like manuel L quezon, I think of BS. What is it there of being patriot when your stomach is starving? Sometimes Im thinking that philippine leaders(who are also filthy rich) are hesitant that the Philippines will become a first world country like USA, Japan, germany or maybe korea and singapore is that:1)labor will be expensive thus maids, butlers, bodyguards/private armies, kabits(harem)will be hard to find or will not exist at all. 2)Politicians/governmetn leaders will be seen as mere public servants and not as like a demi-God that people should lick and kiss their ass. 3)and lastly it will like an equal society like america where what politicians eat, drive, go to, and play can also be done or be afforded by most of the citizens they govern—truly EQUALITY
Bruce, the last trait I mentioned, EQUALITY, I think there is no country on earth that exhibits that than the United States of America esp in regards to oppurtunity,service, education jobs and etc. I was born in the philippines and a Filipino but I never
experienced equality and respect there specifically from the government. It takes a foreign land to give me that wonderful treatment.
But Bruce what is so mysterious about all these? despite being basterdized by my former country is that there is still a longing for me go back there someday and contribute in my own little way to improve the Filipinos standard of living esp those who dont even have a small window of any oppurtunities. If it will take my life, probably I’ll still do it. God bless you Bruce

By: Bruce

Bruce — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:56:31 +0000

Cerena,
Your insight and knowledge is very observant. Until the laws and those enforcing them change their way of life, nothing will change.

By: cerana

cerana — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:09:49 +0000

The culture of dependency has ruined this country. My analogy here is… The Philippines is like a dysfunctional family. A father and a mother who can’t or don’t want to support their children. The children are forced to leave the family and find a job to support the parents and the other siblings. The parents should raise the children and not the other way around. The government is not serving the people, they are taking the people’s money ( tax, remittances, etc ) to support their lifestyle. They are getting paid for doing nothing but add misery to the situation. People want to go to politics to make a lot of money ( by corruption ) than serving its constituents. It’s wrong mindset. In the US, there are hardly politicians who are millionaires unless they were businessmen/women first before they enter politics. And usually these businessmen/women millionaires enter politics so they can contribute to the betterment of the country. Not so in the Philippines. Heck, a lot policemen in the Phils. are millionaires. I have problems with (non bussinessmen) millionaire politicians while their constituents are very, very, very poor.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:33:50 +0000

Rick,
As I answered to Carol on the “ok mentality” post, the people and the country have to want to change things before it can happen. But with the current system and mentality, I do not see it happening.

By: Rick Levy

Rick Levy — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:13:19 +0000

Bruce, I’m neither of the above professionals either, and I’m not out to judge this country by American standards. I’m trying to judging it by what works. Obviously, the present socio-economic here system doesn’t. There are certainly other models in the region that the Philippines could try to emulate other than American (which because of colonial mentality only complicates the situation), such as Singapore and China, especially, as you mentioned in a previous post, the latter’s “one child” policy. here.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:30:09 +0000

Rick,
I am not an academic, or an economist, but we make the mistake of judging or analyzing this country on American standards. Sure there are general beliefs how countries are run.
Unfortunately we have no way of changing this country. Sure there are many problems here, but only the Philippines can change it. The more we complain, the more fustrated we become. We have a choice to be here or not. I am here, and as I say often “there are many things I do not like here, can I change them, no, so just learn to accept them.”

By: Rick Levy

Rick Levy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:51:13 +0000

Bruce, the fact that Filipinos do manage to find work offshore is is what prevents the country from facing up to its responsibilities to build a self-reliant economy. If overseas employment opportunities were cut off, that might turn out to be a blessing in disguise and force the government to deal with reality.

As you say, one (the main cause) of overpopulation here is the Church decree against contraceptives. Isn’t it time that the “faithful” grow up and turn their backs on this destructive policy as Catholics in other countries have done?

And don’t you see that large families don’t help the situation? I hear that crap all the time that “If I don’t have children, who will care for me in my old age?” That is so narcissistic! Having and raising children costs a lot of money. Instead of creating kids just to satisfy an ego trip or one’s vanity, why not instead just save that money or buy an annuity to for self-support in one’s senior years? The country is already bursting at the seams with overpopulation. Carrying on these thoughtless practices generation after generation has got to stop.