PRINCESS

I live like a princess...

AKO AY OFW... because I want to make a difference in this world.

ANONG BUHAY MERON KA SA PILIPINAS NOON?
LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINES. My life was fairly easy. I had everything I needed. My parents never required me to contribute with the family's expenses. If I have extra, I would give. Work was tiring as always but all was worth it because I loved what I was doing.

ANO ANG NAGTULAK SA’YO NA MANGIBANG BANSA?
REASON FOR LEAVING. Work became a routine. Reaching my goals was in slow motion so I had to change things.

PAANO KA NAPUNTA SA BANSANG PINAGTA-TRABAHUHAN MO NGAYON?
MOVING TO MYANMAR. I emailed my best friend, who is working in a local advertising agency, that I am growing tired of everything and I needed some change. He spoke to his boss and they hired me.

February: Online interview. March: Resignation. April: Working.

ANO ANG BUHAY MO SA KASALUKUYAN?
MYANMAR LIFE. At the moment, I'm a certified squatter with permit. lol I am staying with my best friend's (unbelievably kind-hearted) parents' hotel room and I must say I live like a princess here. 24/7 air-conditioning, room service, new bed sheets and towels everyday, free entrance in a walking distance club, home cooked meals, newly pressed clothes, hot water, gym, quiet lake, people opening doors for you and a driver. I have gained weight as a result. But next year I will be transferring to my own apartment and learn to be responsible for myself.

My life got simplified here. Due to the dial-up-like internet connection, I am unable to download my TV series. That's at least 10 episodes (2.5GB) per week. So all my time allotted for the internet became more sensible. I read books. Talk to people. Write. Play the guitar. Walk. Jog. Eat. Drink wine. Join a contest. Stare at the sky. Win a contest. Breathe. You know, normal stuff that we used to do pre-internet age.

I don't spend a lot here because there aren't any good malls or restaurants. If there were any, it's ridiculously far from the hotel and they close very early. So I usually just cook spam or hotdog when my tummy complains at midnight. But I do spend a disgustingly huge amount of money in Bangkok whenever I have my VISA renewal. Which is every 10 weeks. So, yeah I do spend but for clothes, magazines, books and gadgets that I need for my work.

And most especially, I get the fulfillment of helping my family back in the Philippines. (As long as I know that they are working as hard as I am, I'm cool with helping)


MAY PAGSISISI KA BA SA PAGIGING OFW?
REGRETS. There are days that I wanted to just go home because of work stress and frustrations but I always push myself to look at the big picture. When you want to change something, you have to be truly patient.

PAANO KA NAKAKA COPE-UP SA KALUNGKUTAN?
COPING WITH SADNESS. I admit that I get depressed but I just think of something else and use my energy for work and sideline projects. And of course, there's always a good DVD movie downstairs to get your mind off of things and a quiet lake to stare at while contemplating.


HANGGANG KELAN KA MAGIGING OFW?
OFW DEADLINE. I haven't decided yet. I still want to work in other countries like Bangkok, Egypt and Canada.

ANO ANG PLANO MO PAGNAG FOR GOOD KA NA SA PILIPINAS?
2011 HOMECOMING PLANS. I have scheduled my homecoming for each of my closest friends in high school, college and my former advertising agency. I would also like to visit Bantay Pawikan, a non-profit organization in Bataan that I have been helping since January of this year. And of course, eat a lot of food in newly opened restaurants because we don't have a lot to choose from here. We don't have fast food chains. Not even Starbucks.

ANO ANG PINAKA DI MALILIMUTANG KARANASAN MO NG PAGIGING OFW?

UNFORGETTABLE OFW MOMENT. Every encounter with a different race. It's exciting, challenging and heart-wrenching all at the same time. It makes me feel alive.

My list: Sri Lankan, Burmese, Thai, Singaporean, Uzbek, Australian, French, Pakistani, Indian, Ukrainian, American, Korean, Chinese and Dutch.

ANO ANG MAIPAPAYO MO SA KAPWA MO OFW?
A PIECE OF ADVICE. Maybe I am just young, oblivious and truly lucky that my parents raised me well but what I have learned from the day I finished college is that if you truly want to live life happily, don't ever make money as your goal. I believe that if you truly love what you are doing, money would come easy. Yes, you will get tired but fulfilled. Yes, you will encounter ridiculous trials that may seem unsolvable and unexplainable but at least you know what you are doing is something dear to your heart and whatever happens you will still have that stored energy from your passion to continue. Yes, you will miss home but keep in mind that you have that very rare opportunity to create another home, learn a whole new culture and contribute to the world. Yes, you will have to leave your family and friends behind but that's why there's Facebook, right? You know that you talk more on each other's wall than inside the house. Yes, you will sometimes lay on your bed staring at the ceiling wishing someone would knock on your door and surprise you with pizza and chips but... Okay I don't have a "but" for this so I'll just end it with...

The world is huge. We are all meant to explore it. We just need to put ourselves out there.

Karen, 22, Art Director, Myanmar

PACKAGE

magandang package...

AKO AY OFW sa China, bagamat panandalian lamang, isang Accountant sa Shekou napadala mula sa Pinas. Nagpapasalamat ako sa karanasang ito dahil ngayon ko naiintindihan ang kapwa OFW at kung ano ang kanilang pinagdadaanan.


ANONG BUHAY MERON KA SA PILIPINAS NOON?
Masaya dahil kasama ko ang pamilya ko kahit simple lang ang buhay, me community ako na kinabibilangan at kasama sa schedule ko sa buong linggo...kahit mejo hirap sa pera, kinakaya naman.

BAGGAGE

...lost baggage pa ko

 AY OFW, BUT there’s only one truth in my heart, ( and I  guess in every ofw ) that – “There’s no place like HOME” .... And We will always COME HOME....

ANONG BUHAY MERON KA SA PILIPINAS NOON?

Masasabi ko naman po na ang buhay ko noon sa Pilipinas ay masaya  kahit ito’y simple at payak lamang. Umiikot ang buhay ko sa trabaho, pamilya, kaibigan at mga pansarili at sosyal na aktibidades.                    

PUSO

...ang masaktan dahil sa pagmamahal

AKO AY OFW...dahil sa PAGMAMAHAL, PANGARAP at RESPONSIBILIDAD.



ANONG BUHAY MERON KA SA PILIPINAS NOON?
Isa akong drug pusher (medrep) OK na ang buhay duon may sasakyan na ako, manager na ako at masasabi kong GROWING ang career ko nuon.

BAHAY KUBO

...isang bahay kubo na kahit munti

I have done something wrong why I become an OFW…A Call for survival, An escape, A Challenge?

ANONG BUHAY MERON KA SA PILIPINAS NOON?
Just like an ordinary citizen of the Philippines, I came from a big struggling family of nine-rank 3. Life is always not easy in a country suffering from the verge of poverty where there is unemployment coupled with lesser opportunities, not to mention some other worst situation. To work abroad or migration maybe the dream of majority as a solution- seeking or looking for a greener pasture. But, in my case a different thing happened. Ito ang aking drama sa pagiging OFW.

SAYAW

...my passion is dancing

 AKO AY OFW... sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa! 


ANONG BUHAY MERON KA SA PILIPINAS NOON?
BAD. I had a year without a job, I was uninterested, I don't have focus, down, a little disappointed with life and struggling on how to make both ends met. My family were living in Cagayan de Oro while i run away in Bohol ashamed of the fact that I can't be able to help my family financially. My mother was a high school teacher while my father work for a local upholstery shop. My parents could not afford to send both my brother and my sister to college, so they had to stop. We don't have much in life and I was not born with a silver spoon on my mouth. I don't have the luxury of living a life of a king or owning something I want not until a friend of mine tag me along to visit Manila. I started working in a Call Center for almost 2 years, had some amount to send to my family back in Cagayan de Oro and send my sister back to college. I begin to take focus, had direction and opportunities begin to open before my very eyes.

PRAYER BOOK

...may prayer book ako sa wallet

AKO AY OFW...dahil sa aking pamilya,nagsimula ako sa Riyadh,Saudi Arabia hanggang dito sa Doha,Qatar.Nagsimula ako maging isang OFW way back 1992 to 1994 sa KSA. Sa isang hindi inaasahang pagkakataon "na ang isang kabarkada ay yayain akong mag-apply sa isang agency sa Makati..Walang iba kung hindi dahil sa aking "PAMILYA"...

ANONG BUHAY MERON KA SA PILIPINAS NOON?

Isang mahirap na pamilya ang nakagisnan ko sapul ng ako'y isilang. Masasabi kong kapos sa lahat! pero kumakain pa naman ng 3 beses mag-hapon.Plain housewife ang aking ina at magsasaka naman ang aking ama. Sumalangit nawa ang kanilang kaluluwa. Pinagsumikapan naman nila na maitaguyod ang aming pag-aaral at yung pang araw-araw na buhay. Pang anim ako sa 7 magkakapatid.Nang ako'y nasa second year college (BSC) ay namatay ang aking kuya na tumutulong sa aking mga magulang na maitaguyod ang akin pag-aaral.Nawalan na ako ng pag-asa na makatapos hanggang isang araw ay kinausap ako ng aking pinsan(ALBERTO CASTILLO) at aking mga magulang na tutulong siya hanggang ako'y makapagtapos.