OFW ako Magazine ONLINE Edition Issue 002 by OFW ako Magazine

MAGAZINE

INSIDE:

Man’s search for meaning ...................................... page 30-32 MHC debunks study [on] Philippine nurses ............ page 34-37 Buhay OFW sa Saudi: Is this what I want? ............ page 38-40 DIVORCE sa Pilipinas: AGREE or DISAGREE ...... page 42-43 Overseas Filipino Council International .................. page 46-47 Makata si Juan at si Maria ...................................... page 48-49

Vacation with my Family is more fun in the

PHILIPPINES

Its more fun in the Philippines: The fun of it ............... page 2-5 Saint Valentine’s Day / isang OFW sa Moscow ........ page 10-13 Katas ng Saudi ....................................................... page 16-19 Pinoys abroad rekindle Filipino traditional music ... page 20-21 Paano kaya kung OFW si Itay? .............................. page 24-26 Edukasyon: Matatag na Pundasyon ....................... page 28-29

February 2012

ONLINE Edition Volume 01 Issue 02

The fun of it

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by Robby Tantingco, SunStar Pampanga (Philippines)

What a difference one sentence can make! All it took Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr. was six words and one punctuation mark, and he changed the national conversation from why Corona should be impeached to why it’s more fun in the Philippines. And he also revolutionized the way we look at tourism in this country. He kept his promise to make tourism “the people’s business” by getting everyone, not just the Department of Tourism, involved in the campaign, and making their involvement a lot of fun. He did this by inviting them to fill in the blank before the slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines” with a word of their choice, superimpose it on their own or borrowed photograph, and then upload the finished product on the Internet for all the world to see. With millions of Netizens in the Philippines, and billions more in other

countries, you can imagine how many campaigners the DOT will have, how many hours they will work, how many campaign materials they will create, and how huge their audience will be. He said it would be “as easy as selling Chickenjoy,” and he’s right. He only needed to tickle the imagination of the millions who own a cell phone, a computer, a laptop, or an iPad, and tap on their usual motives for going on the Internet every single day (to show and talk, outshow and outtalk everyone else online). In no time at all, “It’s more fun in the Philippines” will be all over Facebook, YouTube, Google and Twitter. To think that Thailand has spent billions of dollars to buy ad space on TIME Magazine, and it has cost Malaysia a big chunk of its gross national product to buy airtime on CNN. With Sec. Jimenez’ huge army of volunteers who are talented and aggressive and eager to upload, the Philippines is not spending a single centavo!

Staff Box OFW ako Magazine ONLINE Edition is published by

OFW ako

61 Kamagong Road, Pilar Village, Las Pinas City, Philippines +63 949 776 9282 * ofwako.magazine@gmail.com Editor: Dennis de Guzman * Contributors: Kuwait Jenny Reyes, Leden Nedel Flores, Marjorie C. Palma, Melody Casem-Hermosura; Russia Eden R. Manabat; UAE Rein Eviota; KSA Thea Angelie Braga; USA Anita SeseSchon, Marivir Montebon, Philip S. Chua, Ernie Delfin; Philippines Emmanuel C. Roldan, Ian Albert Austria, Robby Tantingco, Thaddeus C. Hinunangan. * Layout & Design: Dennis de Guzman

Articles, opinions, letters to the editor should be sent to ofwako.magazine@gmail.com

Its more fun in the Philippines Robby Tantingco is a graduate of St. Louis University, Baguio City, currently AVP for Student Affairs and Services of Holy Angel University, Angeles City and Director of Center for Kapampangan Studies.

The technique is to pair a word and a photograph, but it’s not just any word and not just any photograph. The word should be commonplace and the picture exotic or intriguing. It’s the irony of the paired ordinary word and extraordinary photograph that will provoke the wit and humor of Filipinos. For example, “commuting” is the last thing that comes to mind when promoting the Philippines, but when you attach it to the slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines” and pair it with the photograph of a boat ride across Palawan’s pristine waters, the power of the slogan comes out. “Getting upstairs” is as commonplace as it gets, but paired with the photograph of two farmers climbing up the Banaue Rice Terraces, it becomes a perfect match.

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About The Author

With this kind of campaign, the focus of tourism in the Philippines has shifted from the scenic to the unique, from places to people, and with everyone participating in the campaign, tourism has really become “the people’s business.” Will it work?

Well, we don’t have a choice, do we? We don’t have jaw-dropping monuments like the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal of India, the Angkor Wat of Cambodia, the Borobudur of Indonesia, the Petronas Towers of Malaysia or the Grand Palace of Thailand, which rake in more tourists in a day than we do in a month.

continued to next page ...

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The fun of it ... continued from page 3

Sec. Jimenez is right: the people are our national treasure, and therefore should be promoted as the best argument for visiting the Philippines. They speak English (unlike most other Asians), they have sunshine smiles and loads of charm, and with 300 years spent in the convent and 50 more in Hollywood, Filipinos are unique among Asians and idiosyncratic enough to make them interesting to visitors. Tourism has evolved anyway. Tourists hop from one country to another no longer to merely ogle at chocolate hills and perfectly shaped volcanoes but to eat, pray love and have a total experience with people and their cultures. To sustain the campaign, the DOT should encourage the provinces to regionalize the slogan and maybe have a competition among them. Leo Calma, our layout artist at the Center for Kapampangan Studies, for example, has already uploaded

his own “Stargazing. It’s More Fun in the Philippines” with a photo of the Giant Lanterns of San Fernando. It harvested dozens of positive comments, including one from Abby Jimenez, the DOT Secretary’s wife. Kapampangans can also try “Battle of the Bands. More Fun in the Philippines” with a photo of serenata; “Dancing with the Stars. More Fun in the Philippines” with the swaying lubenas lanterns of Angeles; “Fashion Designing. More Fun in the Philippines” with processional santos being dressed up for Holy Week; “Gay Pride Parade. More Fun in the Philippines” with the Aguman Sanduk cross-dressers of Minalin; “Debates. More Fun in the Philippines” with two poets dueling in a crissotan; etc. Cebuanos, on the other hand, can try “Serving Time. More Fun in the Philippines” with the dancing prisoners; “Long-Distance Flights. More Fun in the Philippines” with the

It’s inevitable that the slogan will evolve and mutate, eventually producing risqué, dark and twisted versions, like the one that says “Watering the Plants: More Fun in the Philippines” showing a boy urinating in a garden, or the one that shows two drunken men in a karaoke showdown with the grim catchphrase “Death by ‘My Way.’ More Fun in the Philippines.” At least the world will get to know more about us, warts and all, and hopefully still like us, and like us enough to want to meet us in person. -end-

... With this kind of campaign, the focus of tourism in the Philippines has shifted from the scenic to the unique, from places to people, and with everyone participating in the campaign, tourism has really become “the people’s business.” ...

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dancing flight attendants of Cebu Pacific; “Barbecue. More Fun in the Philippines” with a row of lechons; etc.

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Better Posture for Optimum Health

If you are eating right and working out regularly, then chances are you are in good health. You think you are doing the best you can, but what you might be missing though, is one oftenoverlooked key to health: good posture. Good posture can improve your overall health, giving you extra energy, as well as making you look more confident and attractive to others. When most people focus on health, they eat better, drink more water and exercise. However posture is just as vital to anyone who wants to look and feel as healthy as they possibly can, and one of the best benefits of posture is that the effects are immediate. Unlike diet and exercise, which can take several weeks or even up to several months to show any real effect, good posture is noticeable and effects your body from the moment that you begin standing and sitting straight. If you follow grandmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old rules of sitting up straight and not slouching your posture will improve dramatically.

When you sit and stand straight your organs are designed to work within your body as it is meant to be aligned, that means that your organs can function more efficiently, and they can do their jobs better than ever. This also means more energy for you as less energy is wasted bypassing the kinks you were putting into your system by slouching. Muscles can also benefit from your new and improved posture, as their biomechanics are optimized by being in the correct positions. In fact, slouching can damage your muscles, straining and elongating your back muscles making your stomach muscles weak and ineffectual. All of the muscles in your body are forced to work harder than they should when you have bad posture, so when you straighten up, your muscles can work harder on what you want them to. Sick of back pain after a long drive, or a long day at the computer? Well, better

posture will eliminate that pain since your muscles will be working as they were meant to work and not dealing with extra strain. You can take that road trip across the country now, without the worry of back pain . You will also be able to drive longer since you will be experiencing less pain and less fatigue. In addition to driving, you concentrate on other things longer too, for the same reasons. Wouldn’t it be nice to sit in a chair and read for an hour without feeling like a wreck? Sit up straight and give it a shot! After practicing your perfect posture for a while you might even notice your waistline decreasing. That’s right, without proper posture you will never achieve that flat stomach you’ve been wanting since the stomach muscles do not get worked while you are still. If you can bear to sit and stand straight, you will look and feel younger as well as feeling more confident. You will have energy to spare, and will be achieving the best health effects for your body with results that start to materialize immediately. There is no reason to slouch, and every reason to kick the habit and get yourself a healthier, happier back today!

Articles in this column are not a substitute for professional advice. For specific information of any illness and treatment you must consult a qualified medical professional in your area.

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HEALTH Corner

Source: http://www.fordfitness.co.uk/pdfs/Better_ Posture_For_Optimum_Health.pdf

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T-shirts

ang damit ng mga Bagong Bayani.

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Saint Valentine’s Day

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by Eden R. Manabat (Moscow, Russia)

Nowadays, February 14 has become characteristic of the Valentine’s Day which is closely associated with mutual exchange of love notes in the form of greeting cards. It is a magical day and has come to be celebrated in all corners of the world. Different roots are attributed to the beginning of the year’s most romantic day. It is safe to say, that the evolution of the modern day Valentine’s Day can be traced to Saint Valentine who was jailed by the Roman Emperor Claudius in the 3rd century A.D. the day’s patron saint. Apparently Saint Valentine became enamored

with his jailor’s daughter. He began to send her cards of affection. On February 14th, he sent a card and signed it “Your Valentine.” Many people believe that the note sparked the momentum for the modern day Valentine. Another theory is that children passed notes to Saint Valentine while he was imprisoned. The idea of passing notes of admiration grew and was later associated with Valentine’s Day. In either case, the day remained a Christian day of feast until the 14th century when Geoffrey Chaucer incorporated Valentine’s Day with a romantic theme. The previously somber day took on a new meaning and now is the second biggest day behind Christmas for greeting cards. Chaucer’s innovations had enlivened the day. By the 18th century, the concept of exchanging gifts and romantic cards had become popular

throughout England. Soon, traditional symbols of love and affection like lace, hearts, doves, red roses and Cupids began to be used as gifts and included on cards. Young and mature lovers took to the Valentine’s celebration on February 14th. In 1791, a British publisher printed the first Valentine’s journal, entitled The Young Man’s Valentine Writer. The book was a compilation of hundreds of ready-made romantic and sentimental verses. The book was a big seller as readers sought new and creative expressions of love. The Valentine card business flourished in England through the 19th century. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Esther Howard from Worcester, Massachusetts, developed the idea of mass production of Valentine’s cards. Howland, her brother and three friends began a business shipping beautiful hand-made Valentine’s cards across the country. The first mass-produced cards featured satin or lace-embroidered finish with a romantic message inscribed. Howland’s cards were a huge success. Even through the Great Depression, the Valentine’s

OFW ako. Miss ko na Pamilya ko! T-shirts

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Love is in the air on this month of Love. Falling hearts, striking cupids and sweet romances.

Card remained a staple of the holiday. Over time people have become creative with Valentine’s celebrations but the Valentines Card is a true testimony to affection and love.

Valentine’s Day is one of the most romantic days in a year. So it is natural that each one of us wish to celebrate this day uniquely. But the question arises as to how to celebrate this wonderful day in a special way. Your Valentine’s Day must be remarkable and should leave an unforgettable impression in the mind of your beloved. Use your own romantic and thoughtful ideas for creating a unique Valentine’s day celebration. Let us celebrate love together this Valentine’s Day. Whether you are married or dating someone, this is one such day of the year when you want spend time together.Feelings can be best expressed through gifts. Just let your imaginations flow and make it memorable for the both of you.

“Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten. Treasured it forever, never let it disappear.” I am Eden, a Certified Valentina born on the 14th of February - Valentines Day. -end-

Isang umaga ng isang OFW sa Moscow

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ni Eden R. Manabat (Moscow, Russia)

Ala sais ng umaga. Bagong taon ko sa Russia na malayo ulit sa aking pamilya. Oras ng aking panalanging pang umaga sa ating Poong Maykapal. Masakit ang aking ulo,masama ang pakiramdam ko at grabe ang ubo at sipon ko. Malamig ang paligid. Napakalamig. Walang humpay ang pagbagsak ng snow. Puti na ang kapaligirang animo’y paraisong puti na nababalutan ng luntiang bulak ng dahil sa yelo. Ito ang Winter Season sa Moscow. Sa aking limang taong pakikibaka dito, normal sa akin ang magising kang sinisipon at dumudugo sa sobrang lamig ang ilong ko. Sa aking unang salta ng pagdating dito, hindi ko sukat akalain na aabutin ko rin ang limang taon ng paninilbihan sa bansang banyagang ito. Mahirap intindihin ang kanilang wika sa simula, ugali nila’y kakaiba rin talaga. Para sa akin, karaniwan sa kanila’y

pawang masusungit at tila mahirap pakisamahan o maging makasalamuhaan. Mapasa daanan, kalsada o ulitsa na tinatawag nila, mga malls o magazin at kung saan saan pa. Hindi sila katulad nating mga Pilipinong napaka “ approachable” na tao. Isa pa, hindi rin uso sa kanila ang mga katagang “Customer is always right” Kung nasa mga pamilihan ka at counter o kasa ng bayaran ng mga produkti ( produkto ), nandyan yung bubulyawan ka nila o pagmamasungitan ng sobra. Para sa kanila, “Customer is always wrong” yata. Kabaligtaran sa magandang pananaw nating mga Pilipino sa ating mga kliyente at kustomer kung tutuusin talaga.

OFW ako. Tao lang hindi banko! T-shirts

Buhay OFW sa RUSSIA Pero bakit tila padami pa rin ng padami ang mga Pilipinong nagpupuntahan dito? Sa aking pananaw, ito ay marahil sa kadahilanang kumpara sa ibang bansa sa palagay ko ay mas mabilis makahanap ng trabaho at medyo may kalakihan na rin kumpara sa iba ang kitaan dito. Through word of mouth wika nga mula sa isang kaibigan, kakilala o kamag anak mo na naririto at ipapakilala ka sa mga expatriates o russian family na nangangailangan ng serbisyo at paglilingkod ng isang Filipina dito, malaki ang pagkakataong pasok ka agad sa isang trabaho. Dito sa Russia, ang isang Filipina na tulad ko ay daig pa ang isang mamahaling gadget na tulad ng iphone, ipad, blackberry at kung anu pa mang sa ngayon ay nauuso.

Eden R. Manabat is a student of Professional Fashion Styling and Image Consultant Course. She is currently attending at Elite Pro Make Up Fashion School in Madrid & Barcelona. She loves sharing her experience by writing a topic on an article, a member of OFW AKO Community of Distributors in Russia and an experienced OFW working in Moscow.

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About The Author

Kapag isa kang Filipina, “Must Have” ka ng isang pamilya. Mapa Russian Family man o ng mga expatriates family na nandito at namumuhay din ng pansamantala. Uso at uso sa kanila ang magkaroon ng isang tauhang Filipina sa bawat pamilya. Ito rin ay marahil sa exemplary performance o hindi matatawarang galing ng mga Filipina dito pagdating sa paggawa o pagta trabaho. Tunay ngang hindi mapapantayan ang serbisyo at dedikasyon ng isang Filipinang katulad ko pagdating sa nakaatas na trabaho. Sa aking interpretasyon ng pagiging isang OFW, hindi lamang Overseas Filipino Worker ang nararapat itawag sa mga Bagong Bayani na ito na tulad ko, kundi isang Outstanding Filipinos Worldwide sa palagay ko. -end-

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Usapang NEGOSYO The Entrepreneurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Credo from the Library of Ernie Delfin, (USA)

Like an EAGLE I choose to soar to the highest heights for a view unknown by the vast majority of others. I do not choose to be a common person. It is my right to be uncommon. I seek opportunity, not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the government look after me. I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed. I refuse to barter incentive for a dole. I prefer the challanges of life to the guaranteed existence the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia. I will not trade my freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat. It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say: This, with Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s help, I have done!

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from OFW to OFI. Kaya natin, ating gawin.

Katas ng Saudi

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by Thaddeus C. Hinunangan (Philippines)

One of my earliest memories of childhood was snuggling close to my mother in a narrow, windowless corridor. The massive engine of the ship taking us to Manila hummed incessantly. The steel walls and the small improvised cot made from a thick sheet of plastic mounted on a wooden frame seemed to vibrate. My father was sitting nearby, trying to sleep amidst the noise. Both my father and mother had resigned from their jobs at the Abuyog General Hospital after finding job opportunities in Saudi. I was 6 years old then, and my brother Tyrone was 2. Nanay, our grandmother, was to follow us to Manila since we were being left in her care while our parents worked abroad. It was a year after the People Power Revolution, and the country was still in turmoil. Coup attempts were being staged left and right, and helicopters were often heard whizzing past our two-room house in crowded Culiat, Quezon City.

When the school year opened, I was enrolled in a public school near our home. While most children were fetched by their parents after school, I walked home by myself.

I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand then why my parents were always away. They would just show up one day like an apparition, and shortly thereafter they would be gone again. I never dared to ask why they had to leave. I was afraid that I would not understand the answer. Throughout our elementary years, only my mother, who stopped working in Saudi Arabia when she bore my youngest brother, took time to attend to our needs.

The Hinunangan Family- Danny, Jenny, and kids. The author is the child wearing the blue shirt.

proud ako kay Mama at Papa

I had stacks of papers requesting the presence of my parents in school that went unanswered. My father was always away, and my mother was usually too busy attending to my baby brother. Once, I had to forge their signature just so I could attend an event to be held outside school. It was not until some years later that I finally mustered the courage to ask my father why ours was so unlike regular families. My father’s answer was: “I am working abroad so that you and your brothers can study in a good school.” “Why can’t you work in hospitals in Tacloban?” I asked. “The pay here is too small,” he said. And the discussion was over. My two brothers and I grew up while my father worked in Saudi Arabia for 15 years. In time I completely understood the sacrifice he was making, but the separation still left me with the feeling that somehow the solidarity of our family was being compromised. Large suitcases and melancholy faces saying goodbyes became a familiar sight for me. But several years later it was my mother who was

AKALA nila pag nasa ABROAD ka ay MAYAMAN ka na ... T-shirts

Thaddeus C. Hinunangan, 29, is a nurse and a medical student at the Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Memorial Foundation in Tacloban City.

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About The Author

leaving again. She had completed all international exams while working at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center, and Global Nurses had found a job for her in Monroe, Louisiana.

A few days prior to her departure, I had to ask again: “Ma, how come you want to live in America? We are doing fine here. I am already working, and Tyrone is already in college.” “There are better opportunities for us in the States,” she replied.

What could I do? Plans had already been set. My father and brothers would follow her in a few months’ time. So I watched my mother walk through the glass door to the checkin area. I waited outside, and watched quietly as planes flew into the horizon until they became mere dots in the sky. To a casual observer, we seemed to have it all. We had two cars and we were living in a beautiful house. One picture showed my brothers grinning from ear to ear in front of a theme park sign, and another had my mother and father smiling broadly at Ted’s graduation from Neville High School.

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“The truth is, life is difficult here,” my mother confided during one of our long-distance conversations. “People need cars because in small US cities, there is no public transportation. You need a credit history to get approval for a home loan, a loan which you will be slaving for years on end to pay.” When my mother lost her job at St. Francis Medical Center, my father had to work as a dishwasher. US law requires a license to practice any profession related to medicine, and my father had only a license to work as a medical technologist in the Philippines. My brother worked as a janitor to help make ends meet. Unlike here in the Philippines, where you can run to your nearest relative in times of dire need, they had to face their problems alone. Throughout our elementary years, only my mother, who stopped working in Saudi Arabia when she bore my youngest brother, took time to attend to our needs.

The late Jenny Hinunangan in San Francisco

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Katas ng Saudi ... continued from page 17

Because college education was expensive, my youngest brother Ted opted to join the US Navy, hoping to get a tertiary education at government expense after putting several years of military service. When my mother told me that becoming a nurse would secure my future, I resigned from my job in Makati, where I had worked for four years, to study nursing. I went back to Tacloban, and my parents supported my education. Then financial matters created a rift between my mother and my father. And one wintry day, Papa moved to another apartment. But the biggest tragedy had yet to come. One day I received a call saying that my mother had been rushed to a hospital after complaining of chest pains. Because she had no medical insurance, we didn’t know how we were going to pay for the tests to be done, medications and doctor’s professional fees. She was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism, and had to be confined at the ICU. I could do nothing but pray. My mother was our breadwinner, and the money she was sending paid

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My mother later found a job in a small hospital in Columbia, which also had a hospice for the elderly. They packed their bags once again, and moved from their apartment in Monroe.

Thaddeus C. Hinunangan

... my mother told me that becoming a nurse would secure my future [so] I resigned from my job in Makati, where I had worked for four years, to study nursing. I went back to Tacloban, and my parents supported my education.

our bills here in the Philippines, along with our food and other needs and my 82-year-old grandmother’s medications. I felt so frustrated that I could not be at her bedside to care for her and at the same time afraid of what would become of us without her support. On a Tuesday morning before dawn, my brother called to give me the sad news: My mother had passed away. I wish I could say that our parents’ struggle to give us a better life by working for many years abroad was worth it. But I think we paid a heavy price for whatever little we got. We had been robbed of our time together as a family. I suppose it is an experience common to families whose members have been driven by joblessness, low wages and the increasing cost of living to seek opportunities abroad, despite the loneliness and the dangers.

The remains of my mother arrived a few weeks after her death. My father, my brothers and I were together again after several years of separation. We stood before her grave, with flowers in our hands. Our relatives wept. As I touched the urn holding her ashes, I suddenly remembered the day she held me in her arms while we were on a boat bound for Manila. -end-

Pinoys abroad rekindle Filipino traditional music in homeland

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by Emmanuel C. Roldan (Philippines)

MUSIC is a universal language that traverses national boundaries and cultural eccentricities. It is often associated with arts, beauty, friendship and harmony of peoples of all ages and backgrounds. For generations music is known for its properties to alleviate stress, to enliven weary spirits and to forge peace and unity amongst warring groups. The Bible also echoes the songs of joy, hope, lamentation and suffering of the chosen people of God before and during their long journey to the land of promise.

PHOTO credit: EC Roldan

Filipinos are inherently music lovers. A house without radio or karaoke blaring old, modern, hip-hop, folk and pop songs is not a Filipino home. In 2011, the City Government of Tagum under Mayor Rey T. Uy successfully launched the Third International Rondalla Festival dubbed as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cuerdas ng Pagkakaysaâ&#x20AC;? (String of Unity).

About 26 rondalla and musical groups from the Philippines and different countries all over the world came to show their talent in this friendship competition and to share the global message of peace and friendship. In the list of countries are China, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Mexico, India, Indonesia, Iran and Russia. Many groups and individuals in Mindanao and other parts of the country are inspired by the result of this musical event. They have also expressed their intention to revive rondalla as authentic Filipino musical heritage and to develop new talents especially among children and young people. Among them is Mayor Edgardo Timbol of the Municipality of Kapalong, Davao del Norte which has formed a rondalla troupe among outof-school and street children.

Street children in Kapalong, Davao del Norte playing traditional music.

PHOTO credit: EC Roldan

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PHOTO credit: WFA-Australia

ABOVE: George W. Gange during the Filipino fiesta at Blacktown, NSW Australia in 2011

On February 11, 2012, WFA-PAPI will co-sponsor the First Davao del Norte Invitational Junior Rondalla and Cultural Exhibition which will be held in the newly-built Kapalong Town Center. This friendly performance will feature the groups being supported by George Gange, Municipal government of Kapalong and other PinoysAb, as well as the existing rondalla and cultural groups of public and elementary schools in Davao Region. Aside from reviving rondalla, the event will be a venue to enhance the appreciation of children and young people in Filipino music, culture and tradition.

George W. Gange, a US-based Filipino, retired US Navy, former OFW and philanthropist donated sets of rondalla instruments for children in Kapalong and five other rondalla troupes in Mindanao through the Worldwide Filipino Alliance-Pangdaigdigang Alyansa ng Pilipino, Inc., (WFA-PAPI), a local non-government organization with international network of Pinoys abroad (PinoysAb). He founded the FilAm Veterans Rondalla of San Francisco Bay Area in 1998. He was here last year to participate in the “Cuerdas ng Pagkakaysa” in Tagum City. To acknowledge his many achievements, The Filipino Channel (TFC) and Balitang America of ABS-CBN North America honored George Gange as one of “The Filipino Champions: Mga Pinoy na Maipagmamalaki” in 2011 for using music to bring joy to the world and to bring much-needed help to noble causes.

-endAbout The Author

The GLOBAL Filipino. T-shirts

Emmanuel Roldan is a Filipino, development worker, human rights defender, researcher and journalist. He worked with various non-government organizations helping the poor, deprived and oppressed Filipinos in the homeland in the field of organizational development, projects management, advocacy and communications. He is a columnist of two daily newspapers in Mindanao and vice president of Pangdaigdigang Alyansa ng Pilipino, Inc. (PAPI)-an affiliate of the Worldwide Filipino Alliance (WFA).

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Surgeon gives tips on cancer prevention

A new health “book of wisdom,” which was recently released by Xlibris publishing company in the United States, points out that “most of the cancers known to man today are selfinduced through abuse of our body, and are, therefore, preventable to a great extent.” Authored by Filipino-American heart surgeon Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, the 800-page coffee-table book, entitled Let’s Stop “Killing” Our Children, is written “in plain English,” in easy to understand layman’s term, with dozens of practical health tips and pointers on how to delay aging and maximize longevity, how to prevent cancer, heart attack, diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer’s. Dr. Chua, who was a Fellow in cardiac surgery at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston and based in Las Vegas, cited medical data showing autopsies on children as young as 5 and 6, who were victims of accident, “already have arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), a condition expected only among persons in their middle ages or older.”

“Obviously, we, parents, and society as a whole, must be doing something

wrong in the way we rear our children,” states the heart surgeon in his book, which is registered in the Librar y of Congress and in national circulation in the United States. Part of the proceeds is donated to charity. Dr. Denton A. Cooley, world-famous heart transplant surgeon and surgeon-in-chief of the Texas Heart Institute, who was Chua’s former mentor in Houston, wrote the Foreword for this health manual. This book also contains critical challenges about what the author calls “our society’s failed disease-prevention strategy of the past six decades, as evidenced by the rampant escalating epidemics of obesity among children and adults, hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, and, especially, cancer.” This health advisor, which could change people’s lives around the world, is a priceless gift for any occasion and is available online at philipSchua.com, xlibrispublisher@gmail.com, amazon. com, and barnesandnoble.com as a “gift of health and longevity”. Email scalpelpen@gmail.com for discounted rate. -end-

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Paano kaya kung OFW si Itay?

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ni Ian Albert Austria (Philippines)

“Ano, tara na ba?” tanong ko kay tita, habang nagduduyan sya hawak ang maganda nitong cellphone, tila nag iintay ng tawag. “Wala pa e, di pa tumatawag, maya maya pa siguro.” sagot naman nya. Bihis na ako nun. Tapos sila, pati yung mga pinsan ko na iba, hindi pa naligo. Nauna pa ako, nagmukha tuloy na mas eksayted pa ako kesa sa kanila. Hindi naman talaga, ayaw ko lang maiwanan. Di ko naman akalain na madedelay ang pag alis namin. Ano na naman kaya ang bagong laruan ng mga pinsan ko? Yung last time e, PS2, inanod lang ni Ondoy. Sana binigay na lang sakin, gustung gusto ko magkaron nun e, tiyak ko na aalagaan ko pa yun. Ngayon yata, PSP naman, pano ko hindi malalaman, e bukambibig na ng mga batang pinsan ko yun. Yun daw PSP ng kaklase nya e may GTA at Dragon Ball,

pwede daw magconnect kaya silang dalawa din daw e magko-connect gamit ang tig-isang PSP nila. Umalis na kami. Sakay ng inarkilang van ata yun o fx, ay fortuner ata. Di ko sigurado, basta yun na yun. Madami kami, madami ding pagkain na dala. Mukha ngang wala na atang mauupuan yung susunduin e, pati yung mga bagahe at pasalubong, parang wala ng paglalagyan. Sabit na lang daw kame pag uwe, biro nila. Iba ngayon, papagabi na kase kami umalis. Hindi mausok at mainit, presko kaya parang wala lang. Tila hindi napatid ang ingay sa loob ng sasakyan, ganun pala talaga pag nakakaramdam ng pananabik. ************************************** Yung isa ko pang Tito na umuwi nung patapos ng Pebrero lang galing Libya, e wala namang pasalubong. Expected na yun, mas mahalaga daw e ligtas naman. Pero may pera naman din kahit papaano yata, nakabili ng bagong Laptop e. Nagpaturo sa amin kung paano ba mag-facebook, mag-email at makipag-chat. Karpintero kasi si Tito at hayskul lang ang natapos, pero nakapag abroad sya, kaya wala sya masyadong alam sa computer.

mga kwento ng buhay sa Pilipinas â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ian Albert Austria is the lazy blogger behind http://ako.iantamad.com (previously www.emotero.com), his personal blog. He was too lazy to detail out this author box.â&#x20AC;? - Ian A.

Sabi nila, para daw may napagkakalibangan si Tito dito, habang nag iintay ng kasunod na trabaho, kaya bumili ng laptop. Turuan daw sya. Ako pa nga yung pinapaghanap nya ng mga trabaho e, submit na lang kami ng submit ng resume online para sa nasaktuhan at natipuhang job offer buti na lang magaling ang internet, at syempre magaling ako. Kung si Itay siguro, OFW, matagal na siguro akong may sariling laptop, maganda pa. ************************************* Nakadating na din kami sa airport. Maghahating-gabi na yun. May pagkakapare-pareho ng iginuguhit na mukha ang mga kumpulan ng pamilya sa may Arrival Area. Pananabik. Basta ang alam nila, uuwi na si tatay nila, si ate, si kuya, si nanay, o kahit na sino sa kamag-anakan nila, galing abroad. Wala ng pakialam kahit mapuyat. Maski mga bata e tila hindi na alam kung ano ba ang gabi. Walang paggalaw yung mga tao. Pero sa tuwing dadating yung oras na naka-paskil dun sa electronic board, dun na nagsisimulang magsitayuan yung mga nakaupo at nakahiga sa mga bench. Nandyan na, dumating na.

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About The Author

Kung si Itay siguro, OFW, ganun din kami. Si inay ang pinakasabik, lalo na sa mga yakap at halik ni itay. Pati ang mga kapatid ko na matagal naghintay para sa mga pasalubong. May PS2 at PSP na din siguro kami. Nakapag-aral sana ako sa magandang eskwelahan sa Maynila. Magsasawa sa tsokolate. Maganda ang bahay. Laging puno ang ref. Masaya. Nakakainggit.

Pero tama ba talagang mainggit ako? Dati ko pa tong naiisip eh. Inggit na inggit ako sa iba na may mga nanay, tatay o kapatid sa ibang bansa. Kasi sila, meron sila nung mga bagay na gusto ko. Hindi sila kapos, sa mga materyal na pangagailangan. Yan yung nasa isip ko nung bata pa ako. Bata pa nga talaga ako noon.

Yung mga pamilya na laging may natatanggap na mga padala, may mga pasalubong, akala ko sila na yung dapat kainggitan. Mali pala. Mali palang mainggit sa mga pamilyang naiwanan ng kamag-anak para lang sumugal sa paghahanap ng ikakatiwasay ng buhay. Dun nga sila napadpad, sa malayong ibayo; sa ibang bansa.

continued to next page ...

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Paano kaya kung OFW si Itay? ... continued from page 25

Kung tutuusin, maswerte pa din pala talaga ako kasi nandito lang sina itay at inay. Nandito lang lahat kami, magkakasama. Kahit na minsan walang maiulam, nagkakasama-sama naman sa hapag. Bawas din ang pag aalala, dahil alam mong nandyan din lang yung isa’t isa. Dito ko simulang narealize kung gaano ba talaga yung hirap din ng sitwasyon ng ating mga kababayang OFW, pati na din ang pamilya nila. Nabubulagan tayo sa kung anung meron sila, hindi natin agad nakikita yung mga nawala sa kanila simula nung tinahak nila ang landas ng pagiging isang expat at pamilyang may ofw. Pera. Pera lang naman yata talaga ang dahilan kung bakit kinakailangan nila maging OFW. Kasi nandun yung pera, nandun yung mas madaling ginhawa para sa kanila at sa pamilya na din nila. Pero kung sisiyasatin nating maigi, at bubuksan ang ating pangunawa sa lahat ng anggulo, hindi naman basta sa pera lang nag-ugat ang kagustuhan nila maging manggagawang Pilipino abroad. Alam mo kung ano? Pagmamahal. Pagmamahal nila sa pamilya nila. E mahal kasi nila, mahirap man, kailangan lang talaga. Iniisip lang

yung magiging kalagayan ng pamilya nila. Magsasakripisyo, magtitiis at susugal. Lahat yan, ng dahil sa pagmamahal. Sa simula pa lang, mula sa departure area nagsisimula ang naka-maletang pagbabago. Hanggang sa ikahon na ito sa isang balikbayan box at dumaan ng muli ng arrival area. Saan man makarating, ano man ang narating, basta Pinoy Expat, isa lang naman ang hindi nagbabago. Yung “close family ties”, hinding-hindi ko ikakahiya na Pinoy ako. Kung OFW si itay, malamang lagi syang tatanungin ng bunso namin ng “‘tay, kelan ka uuwi?”, ganun na din malamang kami. Kung OFW si itay, hindi ako magsasawang iparating ang pagmamahal ko sa kanya. Kahit sa skype, malamang ay laging may pahabol na “‘tay, ingat din po kayo jan. I love you po” sa hulihan ng aming mga minsanang pag-uusap. Kung OFW si itay, lalo akong magiging isang proud na anak. Ipagmamalaki ko si itay, kasi alam kong mahal na mahal nya kami at isa syang bayani ng aking itatangi sa habang-panahon. Kaso, hindi e. Kaya kayo nalang ang mga gumawa nyan. Uuwi din naman siya eh. :) -end-

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Edukasyon: Matatag na Pundasyon para sa Maunlad na Henerasyon!

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by Jenny Reyes (Kuwait)

Ang Kaalaman ay isang kayamanan na taglay ng tao na hindi mananakaw ninuman, bagay na madadala saan man magtungo at magagamit anumang oras na naisin. Ang kaalaman ay itinuturing din na daan sa tagumpay at susi sa mas magandang kinabukasan. Sa kabilang banda, may isang malaking katanungan… saan ba nagmumula ang taglay na kaalaman ng mga matatagumpay na tao? Obserbasyon, Ekspiryensya, o Edukasyon? Lahat ng ito ay pinagmumulan ng KAALAMAN. At ayon sa pananaliksik at masusing pag-aaral, may pinakamalaking porsyento ang Edukasyon sa bumubuo ng taglay na kaalaman ng mga mamamayan. Nakakalungkot isipin na hindi lahat ng tao ay nabibigyan ng pagkakataon na makapag aral. Karaniwan na ang ganitong pangyayari sa ibat ibang panig ng mundo. Madami ang hindi nakakatuntong sa kolehiyo at minsan pa, hanggang elementarya lamang ang nakakayanang yugto ng kanilang

pag aaral. Ibat-ibang kwento, ibat ibang karanasan, ibat ibang estado ng buhay na kadalasan ay nagiging sanhi ng paghinto sa pag aaral na na sya namang nagiging balakid sa pagsulong ng kaalaman bunsod na din ng kakulangan sa edukasyon. Kung iisipin, hindi pa naman huli ang lahat. Sa panahon ngayon, sadyang kailangan ng bawat isa ang sapat na kaalaman upang lalo pa nating mapag ibayo ang estado ng ating buhay. Bawat isa, may natapos na kurso o wala, ay nangangailangan ng PATULOY na edukasyon upang kaalaman ay lalo pang mapaigting. Ayon sa isang panayam kamakailan lamang, ibinahagi ng isang American Professor ang kanyang payak na salaysay na…”Those persons who stop learning new things are those who stop on succeeding” nangangahulugan lamang na kapag sinarhan ng isang tao ang pinto sa bagong kaalaman, para na din nitong sinarhan ang pinto tungo sa mas maunlad na kinabukasan. Dito sa Kuwait, kapansin pansin ang patuloy na pag usbong ng bilang mga mga Institusyon at organisasyong tumutulong upang mapaunlad o mas malinang pa ang kaalaman at kakayahan ng mga mamamayang Pilipino. Isa na dito ang ICSA na syang kauna-

unahang Computer Institute sa Kuwait na pinamamahalaan at pinamumunuan ng mga Pilipino. Ang mga guro dito ay pawang mga Pilipino din. Ito ay itinatag sa layuning matulungan ang mga mamamayang Pilipino na nakipagsapalaran sa ibang bansa at nagpa alipin sa mga dayuhan, mabigyan lamang ng mas magandang kinabukasan ang mga mahal sa buhay sa iniwang bansa. Handog ng ICSA ang mga shortterm courses tulad ng Computer Secretarial, Office Management, Graphic Designing, Auto CAD, Web Designing, PC Maintenance, Networking, 3D Max at nito lamang nakaraang taong 2011 ay nagsimula na din ang Degree Course na Bachelor of Science in Business Administration o BSBA Online Studies na naglalayon na ma-abot ang mga Pilipino sa ibatibang panig ng mundo. Mula nang itatag at magsimula ng operasyon ang Institute, hindi na mabilang ang mga magagandang kwento ng mga mag-aaral na

nakatagpo ng mas magandang trabaho matapos mag-aral. Ang iba naman ay naging matagumpay sa kani-kanilang negosyo. Lubos na kaligayahan ang dulot ng mga kwentong ito sa lahat ng mga bumubuo ng ICSA.

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â&#x20AC;?Those persons who stop learning new things are those who stop on succeedingâ&#x20AC;?

Ang galing ng Pinoy ay walang kahambing! At ang sapat na determinasyon upang mapa-unlad ang kaalaman ang syang lalong aalalay sa pagtahak ng daan patungo sa mas maganda at mas maunlad na kinabukasan ng bawat mamayang Pilipino. -endAbout The Author Jenny Reyes, MBA and a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Management major in Marketing. She hailed from the province of Cavite where she worked as College Instructor until she left for Kuwait in 2006. Currently, she is working as Management and Marketing Instructor at one Filipino Institute in Kuwait. She also belongs to the OFW AKO Community of Distributors in Kuwait.

Man’s search for meaning: His Heroic Journey

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by Ernie Delfin (USA)

Every person who has some knowledge of the Bible would know the bitter-sweet story of the prodigal son (Luke l5:11-32) Each human being, including this columnist, most likely will have his own “heroic journey” , like the prodigal son, who “left home” for whatever personal reasons that compelled him to do so, then lived in another place where he experienced many things, both good and bad, that eventually “changed” him as a person. Then for another set of reasons, he decided to “return home” and coming home a completely a “changed man!” In some journalistic parlance, each one of us, human beings, may also have experienced or undergone such a “heroic journey.” I think I have also undergone such “mid-life crises” (for a lack of a better word) phenomenon that I still do not fully understand but has accepted it as a part and parcel of life on earth.

despite all the obstacles and thorns that may come his way, as long as he discovers his own “treasure” and finds the meaning of his life along the way to his final destination. In his classic book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Dr. Victor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor wrote: “ The WILL TO MEANING is the basic striving of man to find and fulfill meaning and purpose in life. Man is reaching out for the world - a world, which is replete with other beings to encounter and meanings to fulfill…. The purpose is to give meaning to life...the individual...wants to create values...the human being has a primary or native orientation in the directions of creating and of values.”

A man therefore must take minute vacations to ponder and evaluate his own life, to always re-define what a “good life” means to him. Socrates once wrote: “An unexamined life is not worth living for.” When I was one This cycle of human life from infancy and twenty, I never understood that to adulthood (biblically, from short admonition from this great conception to resurrection or from philosopher. Four dust to dust) is as Advertisement decades later, now certain as the sunrise that I am a grandpa, in the east and sunset I have a clearer in the west. Man’s understanding of journey is his alone Socrates’ advice, to traverse, to enjoy that has helped or to suffer. His life’s me chart what my journey can be bad “good life” should or good, depending be. on how he does with it. It can be beautiful

The Metamorphosis Ernie Delfin, a CPA-entrepreneur in Southern California, is the founder & Charter President of the Global Kalinga e-Rotary Club, under Districtr 3780,Quezon City, Philippines, an Assistant District Governor of District 5320, California. He has served also as President of the PICPA-Southern

California Chapter and the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County. He is also active in his Church as a member of the Pastoral Council, Peace andl Justice Ministry and a Volunteer in the Restorative Justice and Catholic Prison Ministry in the Diocese of Orange. His hobbies

Such evaluation or definition of a good life is quite personal and unique. Society’s definition is quite different from philosophers’ definition simply because society often measures a good life or success with a different yard stick that is normally associated with the pursuit of happiness by the acquisition of earthly power and fame. Many people of my generation have now passed the high noon mark in the clock of their earthly life. Some are now gazing at the sunset of their lives in the horizon. An honest reflection of one’s life evokes an inexplicable emotion that creates a mixed feeling of morbid thoughts and a feeling of an orgasmic release that could also bring some degree of tranquility and peace deep within. I have read and now believe that there is a real “heaven on earth” when a person is at peace within himself and is aligned to that Almighty Power who created all things, Who found all of His Creations, including you and me, very good. There seems to be an invisible magnet available for all of us to follow that path towards Heaven or “Enlightenment” as some philosophers call it. Whatever and wherever that path to our (heroic) journey lies, you have to find it, and

include writing, reading, playing chess and poker, biking, travelling and speaking before groups, especially youth groups. He has been writing his “The Metamorphosis” column in the San Diego based Asian Journal for almost 20 years.

then own it. Each man must seek answers to his own questions as no one else can answer that for him.

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About The Author

My life’s values and priorities will not be identical to any one, like my finger prints are quite different even to my own brothers’ and sisters’ although we came from the same parents. So, are my spouse and my two adult children. Surrendering that I will never fully understand all these human drama unfolding before me, from the time of my birth to the last day of my life is empowering as it blows away the toxins of anxiety . It also serves as the oxygen tank that allows me to breathe fully and freely. It’s a life mystery that I’ve learned to accept. This act of humility of accepting my own limitations, vulnerability and mortality has helped me redefine what is the true meaning and purpose of my own life. What is a “good life” (or heaven) for me?

What the heart yearns, what the soul aspires and what the mind’s predominant thoughts are, will serve as the true north compass that guides man’s direction. The Good Book says: “for where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” . The focus of the

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Man’s search for meaning: His Heroic Journey ... continued from page 31

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mind, heart and spirit then becomes the shuttle of one’s desires and ultimately defines what his “good life” is. As it is inherently personalized, no one can fathom its own meaning but the man himself. The common thread, however, is that very decade or so, the answer changes with age and maturity. When we were young, to finish college was the most important goal. After college, to have a good job and excellent salary or have a good business to provide our material needs was paramount. Then, to start a family and live happily ever after. What a myth! Once you have a family, another set of challenges arrives: the young kids’ health and welfare, then schooling, then coping up with the concomitant problems or challenges of teenage children. Then, their own expensive college years that parents normally support. And the cycle of life continues and is repeated in every generation. When you are lucky to pass the midcentury mark or reach a fully ripe age of 80’s or longer, like many healthy seniors now, life can be good if you have gradually fine-tuned your life’s priorities and values in alignment to a higher calling beyond just existing, eating and watching TV, like sharing your life with the least of your brethren and rendering true service above self without counting the costs.

A retired friend of mine describes it beautifully: “When I was young, what I have accomplished and accumulated served as my trophy

which defined me. Now, that I can no longer drive any of my cars, I have given them away which was a great relief by letting go. Sharing a part of what I have, my experience and time with others was quite liberating and makes my life worth living for. When I wake up in the morning and still can smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and still can read the morning paper, and walking in the garden and picking up some fruits and feeding the birds are simple joys that I used to take for granted. In my youth, working in he field was like working in prison, now working in my garden is like walking in paradise.” AMEN to that, my dear friend! Indeed, our life is a mystery to be lived, and not a problem to be solved. Life’s purpose is to live, to learn, to love and to leave a legacy! -end-

The Metamorphosis’ Food for Thought this month: “A man is born, goes to school, finishes college, has a good job, marries, buys a house, have children, then, retires with good retirement income and eventually dies! Is this all there is to our life?” - An entry in my diary “Your life is God’s gift to you, what you do with your life is your gift to God!” - Anonymous “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you!” - Steve Jobs in his commencement speech in 2005 at Stanford University Email columnist at: ernie.delfin@gmail.com or drbannatiran@yahoo.com

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MHC debunks study assailing competency and integrity of Philippine nurses

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By Marivir Montebon, MHC Managing Editor (USA)

New York -- On several occasions, strangers would ask me if I was a nurse when they realize that I am Filipino. Of course, I would say no, because I am not. And usually, the next question is, what do you do then. That is when I want to roll my eyes already. Nevertheless, I say, I am a writer. And interestingly, the answer would be a “wow!”. If I was perhaps a nurse, these strangers would likely say, you must be big time! Two things: Filipinas are stereotyped to be nurses and because they are, they earn very good money. The second assumption is definitely closest to the truth. Other common observations about the typical Filipino nurse would include that she is conscientious, caring to her patients, and hardworking. More importantly, the Filipino nurse is a great contributor to the survival of the Philippine economy. With her

dollar remittances to her family in the Philippines, such local and national economies have managed to stay afloat despite the country’s economic hardships. To her patients and to the Philippines, the Filipino nurse is a hero. A study made by Barbara Brush, a top ranking nurse and professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, explained in detail the historical roots of the nurses’ diaspora from the Philippines to developed countries in the world. Entitled “The Potent Lever of Toil: Nursing Development and Exportation in Post-colonial Philippines”, the study was published in September 2010 by the American Journal on Public Health. Brush presented a well-researched historical perspective of the economic backwardness of the Philippines and its labor export policy, specifically nursing, as a means to solve this economic problem.

The study explained that the continued exodus of nurses to advanced countries is mainly economically motivated. However, it painted a negative reputation to the Filipino nurses, on a rather personal note, defining nurses as lack of competence, communication skills, and passive. The Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC), a not-for profit organization providing services to immigrants in the US, reacted to the article saying it was flawed and unfair to Philippine nurses. In a press release, MHC said, “the Brush study fell into a pitfall and flawed logic when it said that Philippine nurses lack competence, communicative skills, and are passive. In her bibliography, she was merely

quoting a perception of a head nurse, and hence not representative of a sample population of nurses, patients, and administrative officials who can give a larger picture of how Philippine nurses are at work,” the MHC press release said.

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Brush noted that the nursing profession in the Philippines has become market-driven, with nursing education being reoriented to suit the needs of advanced countries, instead of responding to the Philippines’ own medical and health care issues.

Arnedo Valera, MHC co-executive director, said labeling nurses to be passive, hard to understand because of communication problems are sweeping generalizations and without any solid basis. The Brush study comes across as illogical and insensitive, although it tried to sound highly academic and intelligent, said Valera.

Hyping on this weak and highly subjective interpretation from one source is an affirmation that the author looks at individuals and peoples from poor countries as inferior human beings and that she is racially superior with the “colonization mentality” of colonial-master servant prototype relationship outlawed by all civilized nations including the United States.

continued to next page ...

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MHC debunks study assailing competency and integrity of Philippine nurses ... continued from page 35

According to Valera, Philippine nurses who go abroad and seek greener pastures, pass rigorous tests, trainings, and have hospital patient experience comparable or even greater to what nurses have in the United States. “Competence, integrity, hard work ethic, commitment, loyalty, total dedication are inherent traits of

most Philippine nurses joining the American Work force,” said Valera. In another article written by Momo Chang for the National Nurse Magazine in October 2011, Philippine nurses were featured as hardworking and always will to do an extra mile for their work. Titled “Substandard Care,” MHC emphasized that the article is wrongly and unfairly titled because it showed the dedication of many nurses to their profession. “This article by Chang is another write up showing unfairness and insensitivity,” said Valera. Like Brush’s study, Chang wrote about communication problems and the propensity for nurses to do overtime work. “Even if my country is poor and continue to engage in a disoriented export policy, Philippine nurses have filled the gap and help abate the health crisis and its deteriorating health services industry. This is why the US needs to import RNs from the Philippines. Our educational competence explains

why majority of nurses serving American patients are Filipinos. We all pass the rigorous tests in the US. More than 50% in the patient care here are Filipinos. We deserve thanks and credit for that,” says Elizabeth Babiera, a registered nurse in Virginia. She added that Philippine nurses usually don’t ask for overtime work. “We are mostly asked to do overtime work. An indication that we are competent and dedicated and thus trustworthy. The title of Chang’s article is a misfit and highly insensitive,” Babiera said. MHC believes that RNs from the Philippines strengthened the US healthcare industry and largely contributed to excellent patient care services across the nation. “We are proud of their achievements and their contributions to our health care system,” said Grace Valera Jaramillo, MHC co-executive director. MHC has had won several cases of anti-racial and anti-labor policies on behalf of Philippine nurses in California, New York, and Maryland. “Nurses know how to fight for their rights too. Who ever said they were passive? The study is clearly biased,” said MHC co executive director Jesse Gatchalian.

MHC, a non-profit, 501 (c) 3 service-oriented non-governmental organization, is managed by three executive directors: Arnedo Valera, Grace Valera-Jaramillo, and Jesse Gatchalian. For more information, please visit www.migrantheritage.org or email migrantheritage@gmail.com Washington D.C., U.S.A.

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The Migrant Heritage (MH) Chronicle News Flash is under the Research, Information, and Publication Program of the Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC) with Arnedo Valera, Esq. as Editor-in-Chief and New York-based Marivir Montebon, as Managing Editor.

-end-

Is this what I want?

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By Thea Angelie Braga (Saudi Arabia)

At 25, I am still young. And I am in the Middle East. Every morning when I wake up, I try to convince myself that this is what I want. By “this” I mean being an overseas Filipino worker. Before I left the country, which must have 100 nurses per square kilometer, I had a job that most of the jobless nurses I knew wanted. I was a staff nurse in one of the best—if not the best—hospitals and the newest of its kind in the Philippines. Talk about the highest standards of care, excellent customer service, high-end equipment, sophisticated

structure, excellent human resources support, and of course, prestige, they have it. To top that, I was assigned to one of its critical care units and surrounded with people who learned, made decisions, cared for patients, complained, worked and had fun with me. If I were in someone else’s place, I would have been envious of what I had, minus all the setbacks that we encountered in the process of revving up our unit operations. Because it was a newly opened health care provider, almost every single thing had to be thought out thoroughly and decided upon: from the policies and the

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Buhay OFW sa Saudi Arabia Thea Angelie Braga, 25, is an NICU nurse at Sharourah General Hospital, KSA.

protocols and down to free shuttle services. Hence, to say that we had pressure and stress levels reaching the red marks to cope up with everchanging practices would be an understatement. I was happy with my colleagues and the kind of work I had, but I lacked the strength to face the minor hitches that bugged us every now and then. I was able to keep my love for the job for quite a while and then came the “quarter-life crisis” that dissolved whatever was left of my motivation to stay. I read about it in a magazine neatly tucked in one of our desk drawers. I am not an avid magazine reader (except for those which feature Angel Locsin) but that one probably had some kind of magnet in it. After disappointingly answering more yeses than no’s, I felt that the columnist was probably thinking about me when he was writing his piece. The fact about me being in my mid-twenties, earning a so-so salary, unmarried and still at an entry-level job hit me squarely.

Right after reading the article, I decided that I had to leave my job. It didn’t matter whether I would go abroad or end up going home. All that mattered was that I leave.

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About The Author

Applications for new job opportunities were sent, homebound tickets (MNL-DVO) were bought, and a resignation letter was prepared. After a series of rejections and a few bouts of frustrations, a God-sent offer finally found its way to me. “This is it!” I thought. I resigned and accomplished requirements needed for the job in the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia, the only thing that was clear about the job opening. I had no idea where exactly in the kingdom I was going and to what nursing unit I would be assigned. So here I am, in one area of Saudi Arabia that is so far that if we were allowed to do so, we could reach Yemen by land in three hours. It is so far from the heart of the country that if Riyadh were Manila, I would be writing this in the middle of the Celebes Sea.

Don’t ask me about homesickness because I have been homesick for about three to four years already. Ask

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Is this what I want ... continued from page 39

me about culture shock, adaptation and the million surprises that faced me during my first few days here. It is a cliché, but working outside one’s homeland isn’t easy and is never a privilege. For others, leaving the country was a necessity because they have families to feed, offsprings to send to school and debts to pay. For me, it was nothing more than a very risky option. I am single. My mother, thankfully, still has the means to provide for our family. I don’t have a heavy debt burden. And I had a stable job in Manila. I could have stayed in if I wanted to, but I chose not to. The quarter-life crisis cast shadows on the path towards my dreams and I needed to get through those dark silhouettes in order to reach them. I thought (and I am still thinking) that this was the best way to do it. If I can resist the temptation to buy extra food and modern gadgets, money will never be an issue because my salary comes tax-free, food and water are free, I have no electricity bills to pay, and there are no malls to visit. Sounds fun, huh? Fun indeed, except for a few facts that most hopefuls back home underestimate. For one thing, there’s discrimination. Foreigners against Filipinos—that is to be expected. But there’s also that kind where Filipinos discriminate against fellow Juans and Juanas.

There is very limited freedom to speak, to write, to act, to work and to enjoy the way you want to. In adversities, you can only count on your own self because you never know who among those around you would care, listen and do something to keep your trust. Plus, you will miss all the weddings, fiestas, hangouts, birthday celebrations, Christmas parties, out-of-town trips and many other pleasures you can share with your friends and family back home. These and many other difficulties keep me wondering if leaving everything behind, including my previous job, was worth it. I realize that my job is a blessing. The good friends I met here are blessings, too. The salary I receive every month is a blessing. The learning and experience I get every working day are blessings. All the hard work has paid off and every day I thank God for all of these, and especially for answering my prayers. After all, at 25 and in the middle of a quarter-life crisis, this is what I want. But again, is this really what I want? -end-

The World Health Organization has cited the Philippines as the largest exporter of Registered Nurses to foreign countries. Filipino nurses can be found everywhere around the world --- in the big cities of United States and England, in urbanized centers of Europe and Asia, in the far corners of Africa and South America, in remote desert clinics in the Middle East, in offshore rigs on the China Sea. The latest statistics show that about 250,000 Filipino nurses are working all over the world. This phenomenon was noted in 1985, continues today, and will be for so many years. Philippine nursing schools, 175 of them in 1998, graduate more than 9,000 students per year, of whom 5,000 to 7,000 will eventually become licensed registered nurses. In 1997, there were 36,000 students enrolled in nursing schools. The training of nurses is based largely on the American system and features apprenticeship, laboratory

work, experiments, residency, and community-based projects. On a per capita basis, the Philippines has more nurses than any other country. In a country with a population of 70 million, the nursing sector has a surplus of expert manpower. The Filipino nurse speaks English, and is predisposed to working outside of her country. By the time a Filipino nurse finishes her nursing degree, she would have spent at least 10 years in school, being taught most of her subjects in the English language, instead of the local language. The fluency in English results in adaptability and shorter training period. Overseas employment for a Filipino Registered Nurse is not considered unusual and is regarded as enrichment of professional experience. -endSource: http://mepinoy.tripod.com/sino/nurses.htm

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Filipino Nurses: Export Quality

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DIVORCE sa

DISAGREE! ang sagot ni Marjorie C. Palma Ang DIVORCE ay pagsasawalang bisa sa KASAL. Ang KASAL ay ginaganap sa simbahan, ito ay hindi simpleng seremonyas lamang kundi habang buhay na pananagutan sa taong pakakasalan mo. Ang DIVORCE ay sa pamahalaan. Bakit ka nagpakasal sa simbahan at pupunta ka sa pamahalaan pagdating ng hiwalayan? Hindi ka nagpakasal para ipakita lamang sa taong bayan na ikaw ay kasal na. Hindi rin pamahalaan ang nagbuklod sayo sa taong Mahal mo. Ang pagpapakasal ay pakikipagbuklod sa taong

itinalaga at itinadhana para sayo. Maraming bagay ang isinaalangalang ng bawat isa bago pa man ito umabot sa altar. Naniniwala akong ang sariling damdamin, at matatag na desisyon ang pundasyon bago masabi sa sariling handa ka na magpakasal. At kapag handa ka na, ibig sabihin nito tinanggap mo na rin na ito ay pang habang buhay at hindi laro lamang na pwede mo nang ayawan kapag napagod ka na. Bilang isang OFW, may mga ilang bagay akong na-obserbahan na kaakibat ng pagkakaroon ng DIVORCE sa Pilipinas at maaring maging madali lamang pagbigyan ang diborsiyo kung ito ay gagawing

... continued to page 44

AGREE!

ang sagot ni Melody Casem-Hermosura

Iba na po ang panahon natin ngayon, maraming dahilan kung bakit naghihiwalay ang mga mag-asawa. Hindi rin mapigil ng simbahan at ng ating gobyerno ang mga hiwalayan ng mga magasawa. Ang iba ay nagpapamilya na ng iba kaya dumadami tuloy ang mga bata na ipinapnganak na walang basbas ng kasal. Kung ang mag-asawa ay talagang hindi na magkasundo bakit hindi sila payagang maghiwalay ng tuluyan o mag divorce nang sa ganun ay maging malaya sila pareho. Meron naman po tayong mga batas para naman sa proteksyon ng mga bata at ang kanilang mga karapatan di po ba? Hindi ko po alam ang totoong proseso ng paghihiwalay ng mag asawa sa Pilipinas sa ngayon, pero sa mga napagtanungan ko ang mag asawa ay dumadaan sa mga test kung talagang silaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;y incompatible at sa marami pang ibang grounds.

Kung talagang mapapatunayan na silaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;y hindi na magkasundo at ang huling bagay na magagawa nila ay maghiwalay. Bakit hindi sila payagan na mag-file ng divorce para sa katahimikan ng bawat isa at para makapag-umpisa sila ng bagong buhay. Pabor po ako sa divorce, sana nga po ay maipasa ito ng ating gobyerno at sana eto ay para sa lahat hindi lamang po sa mga taong may kakayanang magbayad. At sana naman po ay huwag napakatagal ng proseso na umaabot ng ilang taon. Napakarami na po ang hiwalay sa asawa, bigyan po natin sila ng bagong pag asa sa buhay at ang kanilang mga naging anak. Palawakin po natin ang ating mga pananaw sa buhay dahil ibang henerasyon na po tayo, hindi dahil kelangan gumaya sa ibang bansa kundi para protektahan ang pamilyang Pilipino. -end-

About The Author(s) Marjorie C. Palma is an OFW based in Kuwait. She hailed from the province of Bohol and was born on February 5, 1976. She studied Bachelor in Political Science International Relations Major. She is now currently working as a Receptionist at the DAR AL SHIFA HOSPITAL. She is also a member of the OFW ako Community of Distributors (COD) in Kuwait.

Melody Casem-Hermosura, 30, first became an OFW when she worked in Kuwait in 2007. After working for two years there, she went to Taiwan, then to Hong Kong and now she is working in Kuwait once again. She knows how to speak Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Cantonese, English & Filipino.

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Pilipinas: AGREE or DISAGREE / Why?

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... continued from page 42

DISAGREE! legal. Maraming lumalabas ng bansa na nasisira ang pamilya. Pagbalik sa Pilipinas ng OFW, bagama’t hindi natin nilalahat, ay may naghihiwalay na magasawa. Dalawa sa pangunahing dahilan, una, nagkaroon ng iba ang OFW, pangalawa, nagkaroon ng iba ang asawang naiwan sa Pilipinas. Kung susuriin nating mabuti, ito ay dahil lamang sa pagkakalayo ng mag-asawa. Normal na sa tao ang naghahanap ng karamay kapag nag-iisa, ito ay mali at ipinagbabawal sa banal na kasulatan kung ikaw ay kasal na pero hindi na natin yan maitatanggi. Subalit ang damdamin ng pagpapahalaga at pagmamahal sa pamilya o sa ASAWA ay hindi kailan man nawawala. Sa maraming pagsubok, ang natatanging pagmamahal ay nananatili sa puso ng bawat isa, aminin man natin ito o hindi. Abroad man o hindi. Marami lang sa atin ay inuuna ang walang kamatayang “pride” at sahugan pa ng konting sulsol ng mga taong nakapaligid kaya tuluyang nasisira ang samahan ng mag-asawa. Maraming bagay pa rin ang nadadaan sa maayos at mahinahon na usapan lalo na pag PAMILYA na ang apektado. Ano pa

ba ang halaga ng pagpapatawad kung sarili mong ASAWA ay hindi mo mapatawad? Hindi ba’t ang iyong asawa at ikaw ay iisa? Ang kakulangan ng bawat isa ay pwedeng punuan kung ito ay pagsusumikapan. Ito ay inyong sinumpaan na pagsasaluhan sa hirap man o ginhawa. Kung magiging legal ang DIVORCE sa Pilipinas, malamang na magmumukhang laro na lang ang KASAL. Ang kahalagahan at pagiging sagrado nito ay mawawalan na rin ng saysay lalo na sa isang bansang kilala sa pagiging Kristiyano. -end-

ISANG PAANYAYA. Ang isyu ng mapgkakaroon ng DIVORCE sa Pilipinas ay isang isyu na malapit sa puso ng mga OFW. Marami nang tao ang nakapag bigay na ng kanilang saloobin tungkol dito: mga politiko, taong simbahan, NGOs. Ngayon ay bibigyan natin ng pagkakataon na magsalita ang mga OFW kung AGREE sila o DISAGREE sa pagkakaroon ng DIVORCE sa Pilipinas buhat kanikanilang karanasan. Ang column na ito ay isang pagtatangka na alamin ang pulso ng mga Pilipino kung handa na tayo na magkaroon ng DIVORCE sa Pilipinas. Maaring ipasa ng inyong artikulo sa ofwako.magazine@gmail.com

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My Country… My Kitchen …

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by Anita Sese-Schon (USA)

Food is the heart of Filipino life and politics. Everything else is secondary…Creating a better country and people is like cooking up a good recipe. There are good cooks as well as there are bad cooks. One may have the most educated, most talented, most enthusiastic, most dedicated people to exploit to make a better country but if the system fails to bring out the right leaders to harness these human resource…we will still have the worst country in the universe. Likewise, no matter the best ingredients available to the Chef, he will never be able to cook up the best Adobo if he does not know what Adobo or how to use his ingredients properly. Cooking up the best Adobo is about knowing your ingredients well and knowing how best to create a good mix with proper timing, dedication and patience. Therefore, creating a better country and people is about knowing and understanding your people well… their culture, customs, mentality, desires, values and of course their politics, among others. Creating a better future for our country is about having a good system and good leaders who will know how to COOK UP a better Philippines. MY COUNTRY…MY KITCHEN! -end-

Improved Pre-School with Ceiling, Ceiling Fans, and additional Roofing

About The Author Anita Sese-Schon was born in Pangasinan and grew up in Manila. Graduate of School of Commerce, Far Eastern University. She is married to a retired Naval Officer and they have been residing in Bremerton, WA. Anita is retired from a Utility Company in Washington State, has 3 children and 12 grandchildren. Anita resides in the Philippines 6 months out of the year to supervise advocacy of the OFCI. Her passion is COOKING.

BELOW: Donation of Bags with School Supplies by Lorma NSTP students

Source: http://ofcintl.org/include/education.php Overseas Filipino Council International (OFCI), through its Education Committee and as approved by the BOG, entered into a partnership with Lorma Colleges National Service Training Program to help a poor barangay at Liquicia, Caba, La Union build and maintain a pre-school. OFCI provided financial support for the building materials of the preschool and for the monthly honorarium of the teacher. The barangay officials and parents built the school on a former stage of the barangay auditorium and basketball court. On August 1, 2011, there were 20 preschool children who were very happy to enter class for the first time in their lives.

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OFCI helped build a PRE-SCHOOL in Cava, La Union

The Liquicia pre-school is continuously being improved. Lorma Colleges NSTP gave additional donations like the materials for the ceiling and roof extension. OFCI has also donated a ceiling electric fan which was matched also by the Lorma NSTP students. The children were also provided bags and school supplies. The floor is now covered with rubber matting which was installed by the barangay officials and parents. NSTP students have also donated teaching aids, chalks, and medicine cabinet with first aid kit. -endBELOW: Donation of First Aid Kit, Medicine Cabinet and Teaching Aids by NSTP students

BELOW: Purchasing and Delivering of Ceiling Materials and additional Roofing by Lorma NSTP Students with their teachers.

ABOVE: Turning Over of Financial Support for the Honorarium of the Teacher.

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PUSO NI JUAN Makulay ang buhay kung ang pag-ibig mong taglay ay wagas at walang humpay pero kung ito’y laro lang baka ika’y mapaso at maging peklat na di matago Kay Juan di na bago ang pag-iisang ganito dahil pag-aalinlangan ang nangunguna sapagkat sya’y takot na muling masaktan at mabigo dahil bakas pa sa kanyang puso’t isipan ang sakit ng nakaraan na minsa’y kanya ng kinalimutan upang magkaroon ng katiwasayan ang damdaming pinagkaitan Pero siya parin ay umaasa na bukas ay darating ang nakatadhana para madama muli ang tamis ng pag-sinta at magkaroon ng buhay na masaya at puno ng pag-asa. - Rein Eviota United Arab Emirates

WRITER’S PLEA I want to write but i lack ink My heart is drained but my heart is over flowing; I am preoccupied but i cant think, Still my desire is to write anything. Maybe its just a writers block, A phenomenon that put writers in blank, or just an agony when my migrain srikes, that kills my conciousness down to my spine. I really love to write Even my grammar is poor, and my vocabulary is meager or am just a trying hard editor! All i know is that i want to write; To reveal what is inside my heart, My praises,disgust and plight To let other people know my rights. Writing is a valuable talent i have; To be the voice of persons with mute sob; But if they won’t listen to this voice i have; It is better to amputate my hand. -Leden Nedel Flores Kuwait

Makata si Juan at si Maria ANAK Simula ng ika’y dumating buhay ko’y nagising sapagkat pangamba’t ligaya ang nadarama at di alam kung pano ba gagampanan ang maging ama na minsa’y di ko inakala pero ako’y tuwang tuwa dahil ngayon lang nadarama ang kakaibang saya. Isa kang anghel na binigay at buhay ko’y nagkaroon na ng kulay pero ngayo’y lungkot ko’y dimapigilan araw at gabi luha ang naranasan paano kaya maibsan ang kalungkutang hatid mawalay sayo dusa’y natamo. Mahirap ang ganito pero batid ko ang unawa mo sapagkat lahat ng ito’y para lang sayo titiisin ko ang pangungulilang ganito dahil alam ko may patutunguhan ito at ito’y ikakatuwa mo. Sana lang ika’y lumaki na mabait at matalino para di ka matulad sa naranasan ko pangako andito lang ako kahit ako’y malayo sapagkat ika’y malapit dito sa aking puso. Tandaan mo lang na mahal kitang tunay at ika’y inspirasyon sa aking paglalakbay na nagbibigay sa akin ng tibay para sumulong sa inasam na tagumpay.

Rein Eviota is a graduate of Bachelor of Science & Industrial Technology major in mechanical technology at SSCT Surigao State College of Technology. He is currently an OFW working in UAE as a Procurement Officer. Leden Nedel Flores is 26 years of age & the youngest among 5 siblings. She studied Architecture at WVSU Iloilo. After finishing her degree, she decided to become an OFW in 2006 to work as a Domestic Worker in Kuwait. After completing her two contracts as a Domestic Worker, she decided to look for a job more suitable to her education. Leden is now working as a Landscape Planner for a Kuwaiti company.

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About the Poet[s]

-Rein Eviota United Arab Emirates

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We are OFWs and proud of it. We are based in different countries around the world and we are Proud Owners of OFW ako T-shirts.

Community Directory

in the PHILIPPINES Worldwide Filipino Alliance- Pangdaigdigang Alyansa ng Pilipino, Inc. (WFA-PAPI) Rm. 409, 4/F Central Plaza 1 Bldg., J. P. Laurel Avenue, 8000 Davao City, Philippines Tel/Fax: (6382) 305-9485 Website: www.worldwidefilipinoalliance.com

in KUWAIT Roselou Beauty Products Shop 29, Magatheer Mall Farwaniya, Kuwait Tel. Nos.: 24712988 (Kuwait)

in BRUNEI

Bay Spa Blue Wave Complex/Petron Mega Station Corner EDSA Extension & Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City Tel. Nos. +632-8328421 / +632-8329209 Website: www.bayspa.net Open: Monday to Sunday from 12:00 pm to 12:00 am

in SWITZERLAND

JoRoy Dakila Beach Guest House Hugom, San Juan, Batangas, Philippines Tel. Nos.: +673 8805041 (Brunei) / +639195829765; +639089447063 (Philippines) Email: citasulit2@gmail.com

in the UAE

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The Community Directory is a community service of OFW ako Magazine. If you wish to be listed, contact us via email ofwako.magazine@gmail.com

OFW Groups & Associations: Post your announcements here. Contact us: ofwako.magazine@gmail.com Geneva, Switzerland

Readers’ Reactions

Michael Bullock (Geneva, Switzerland) - Congrats for your first issue, keep up the good work, it has started interesting. Well Done Joyce Lucis (Amman, Jordan) - Kudos - ... i’ve read it, very informative , i didn’t know that fruits should be eaten on an empty stomach, and the story about the OFW in Dubai it applies to OFWs anywhere in the world. More power! Juvy Esmino Tabasa (Singapore) - Sad diko mabasa, cp user lng po ako.....:-( Rudy Tarrazona Guacena (Geneva, Switzerland) - Proud of this venture. Original na international pa. Keep it up. Dido Miranda (USA) - I was one of those who visited the site. And read the whole piece - twice. Am not sure if I registered but I was definitely impressed. Great job! Sarah Lahbati: The Sweet Homecoming When: 11 February 2012 at 8PM Where: UPTOWN Geneva, Rue du Cercle 6, 1201 Geneva For more info, contact: 0792789654; 0787207413

Cesar Torres (USA) - Ang laking karangalan going through the several articles, including two poems, of your writers whose names are new to me. Ang gandang basahin.

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