On this day, the 8th of March, when we celebrate the International - TopicsExpress

On this day, the 8th of March, when we celebrate the International WOMENS DAY, we include in our prayers and in our solidarity the countless OFW that are mostly women who toil day and night to sustain their families here in the country. During my 4 years sojourn in Rome, I was a chaplain to a group of OFW on weekend... I was free on weekend and most of them were also free on weekend (day off nila). I said Mass for them on Sundays and then listened teo their stories... It was stories of hard work - minsan double and triple pa if you count the work during their days off.... para lang maipadala sa kanilang mga pamilya. But the real tragedies I had encounter listening to their stories are the following: 1. Alienation from their children.. Usually they leave their children to their sisters or mothers... After a while, their children want only their monthly padala... They even abhor the usual paalala of their mothers who toil abroad... They wanted only the money and the real talk that these mothers, in foreign land, desire and long for; 2. The people left behind... yes bereft of the presence of their mothers... thought that in foreign lands, money are overflowing like milk and honey. The money sent is spent on the latest gadgets... and spending spree that left them with nothing until the next padala; 3. The tragic thing is the experience of betrayals from their wayward husbands... though NOT all of them.. but there are husbands that even use the padala from the sweet and blood of their spouses to support their queridas... SUS! 4. Another tragic thing is when they are NOT lucky to land in a hospitable home and mabait na amo... In Italy, generally their conditions are GOOD... but in the Middle East - most of the Arabs treat them as slaves... they are treated as the people they own in their left and right hands... They are slaves and maltreated and USED! (I was also well traveled in the Middle East) and had heard of this travail... and listened to the stories of women slaves. I never counsel any woman, including professionals and especially single women to go to the Middle East). Of course there are exceptions, particularly those who work in Government Hospitals and Institutions... But avoid those royals... SUS! 5. The worst for our OFWs is the inhospitable; bureaucratic responses of our CONSULS and other functionaries in the our foreign embassies. My experiences both in Europe and the Middle East point against CAREER so called diplomats! They are bureaucrats - no mercy and compassion for working OFWs who traveled miles during their days off... and be rebuff by schedules, endless forms, and stone-cold bureaucrats... careerer daw! BEWARE of CAREER DIPLOMATS - they do not KNOW how to deal with people. On the other hand, the politicos that were appointed KNOW (by practice and life) how to deal with the masa... as if getting their votes. I had accompanied many dialogues in Embassies between OFW (domestics) and Embassies. My presence would enough to terrify them... since they know that I was well connected then and ready to report them NOT only to Secretaries but to the President herself. I did NOT speak for their sufferings... our women are articulate... I simply sat beside them in these dialogues... to declare my solidarity and support. But I would prefer the politicos much much more than the so-called bureaucrats.. aka career people in our embassies. 6. I also went backdoor (to Sandakan and visited North Borneo including Lahad Datu - Center of women trafficking)... heard the stories of women traffiked... prostitution that is untold! Women sold upon arrival... they go to different places depending on their condition, Some are sold in Brunei, others are sold in Singapore, others are sold for Latin America and the best are sold to Europe... ang latak ay maiwan sa Kota. Yet our government and the host governments DO NOT act on this women and children trafficking! They know and they know where the trade is done! SUS! So on this day... I remember these women... sabi ng gobierno... our modern heroes... but this slogan is NEVER translated in actual services to them in the foreign lands, especially in the inhospitable countries like Saudi Arabia. I suggest for the DFA to visit the OFWs stranded OUTSIDE the Embassy of the Philippines in Riyadh. They have NO legal papers now... they used to have until they abandoned their work and looked for better treatments and jobs... These are legitimate... especially to escape from their abusive employers...aka slave drivers! SUS! They are the heroes... their padala has 100 times more impact in our poverty rate and unemployment rate... than the proclaimed 7% economic growth of the country that does NOT impact the poor and the unemployed... yet the slogan is INCLUSIVE GROWTH. Hindi na sila KINILABUTAN sa kanilang claim! PURE HOGWASH! It is actually translated to GROWTH para sa IILAN! EXCLUSIVE GROWTH! They all belong to the same class - the ruling class aka the rich and the mighty! SUS! Fr. Jun Mercado, OMI