Unpacking the OFW'S Children's Heavy Baggage

They say that not all heroes wear capes, and Overseas Filipino workers (OFW) were recognized in the Philippines as one and as modern heroes for their sacrifices, but unfortunately, those sacrifices require to be reciprocated.

Working abroad is seen by Filipinos as a key to unraveling poverty. Thus, to afford the comfort of life, to serve food on every OFW’s household’s tables, and to sustain the needs of their beloved families, they have to accept the bitterness of being distant from their loved ones for undistinguished years as an exchange.

Despite this, it has become part of the Filipinos' tradition to give souvenirs to their beloved whenever they travel out of town or abroad. If you are an OFW, the repatriate box equates to that, and to a notion of having a comfortable living for the OFW’s family and to the OFW itself.

But little did they know that it’s beyond that, as most of the Overseas Filipino Workers are suffering from the abuses of their employees while struggling with homesickness, and their left families in the Philippines as well.

FROM HER CHILDHOOD TO NOW, BELA IS LONGING

A 21 years of age lady who has four OFW family members, hiding in her alias name 'Bela' was still in grade school when her Mother left her to travel and worked in Japan, and later on in Hong Kong as a domestic helper.

Bela's Mama opted to work abroad due to their financial problems and her Mother’s stress as her parents were taking illegal drugs at that time. Hence, finding a job in another country was the solution that her mom saw for their family issues.

"My mom first went to Japan with her sibling. Then, she went to Hong Kong, and she would only come home here once or twice a year to go on vacation. Then, around 2016 to 2017, we pushed our Father to work in Saudi, however, he only went home afterward," Bela narrated.

Bela's Father worked as a farrier in Saudi, while her older sister worked in Maldives in 2017 and flew back to the Philippines due to the restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. But unfortunately, her sister died in 2023.

Meanwhile, in 2019, her oldest sister flew to Hong Kong to work the same as her mom.

For Bela, being an OFW and having OFW loved ones is uneasy because whenever she communicates with them through video calls, she cannot fully converse with them as their job already sapped their energy to communicate.

Moreover, for her, being an OFW's sister and a daughter entails grief as she is also still longing for her parent’s providence.

“It's hard to be an OFW's child because that's where the longing comes out, and of course, we also need to be taken care of by them, like they're physically present beside us. It's still different when we hug and kiss because time passes by and since when I was in elementary and now that I get older, my mother is still in another country. But because of unending bills, they can't stop" Bela added.

However, Bela still could not deny her bereavement to her parents and sisters, and the fact that she felt envious and sulked as her parents missed the important highlights of her life where she would be recognized for her hard work.

"Since I was in elementary school, my parents only attended my elementary graduation. And every time I have to get my card (grade record), I’ll ask my acquaintance’s parents to receive my card. Then, if there is a recognition ceremony, I would also ask them to accompany me, and it makes me feel sullen and envious because I don't have a parent beside me to receive my recognition, but I understand, " she shared.

THE FRUIT OF HARD WORK

For years of hard work abroad, Bela was grateful for what her parents had earned and provided for them.

However, Bela shared, that it has become easier for her family to support their needs compared to their life before due to their parents and sister's hard work. Nonetheless, it still couldn't fade her bereavement for her OFW family members.

"Of course it's like, that's just their way to show their love and sacrifice why they're abroad. So for us, we'll treasure all of that because it's from what they've worked hard for. But it will be happier if we're together because my mom was in Hong Kong for a few years and she was just only with my sister who died for once but sadly, it happened" Bela stated.

IF OFFERED TO DECIDE

If given a chance to decide for her family, she would want to have a better life with her family without having to leave them for years, but since their luck was elusive in the Philippines she would instead choose the other way.

"I'd rather live in another country, it seems like there's a better chance to save money because the wage is higher. It's also a benefit for my mom who didn't finish her education," Bela admitted.

OFWs are recognized nowadays as modern heroes. Undeniably, working abroad is a huge sacrifice even if it means leaving their loved ones for years, even if the chance of coming home is unknown.

However, the tagged 'heroes' for being OFW overshadow their struggles and their family members' baggage.

The story of Bela is no different from other OFW family members' tales — they have been longing for years but they must accept it because the opportunity and wages in the Philippines weren't enough to provide comfort, which pushes most Filipinos to leave the country for a better opportunity and a higher income despite the compensation of leaving their family.