Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:53:00 07/10/2009
BAMBANG, NUEVA VIZCAYA -- She collected scraps from garbage bins to survive in Hong Kong, but she came home in Barangay (village) Aliaga here on Wednesday with gifts for her neighbors and a movie contract about her honesty.
Mildred Perez Bonde, 38, a Filipino domestic helper in Hong Kong who won praises for returning P2.1 million in cash and checks which she found in a garbage heap, came home to a hero’s welcome from her family members, relatives and village mates.
She said a company was interested to produce a movie about her life story and has offered her a P5-million contract.
If the movie becomes successful, she said she would donate P1 million to this farming village, 7 kilometers from the town proper.
Bonde, who was accompanied by officials of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration from Manila, was awarded a certificate by village officials for her honesty.
United Methodist Church ministers also celebrated a thanksgiving Mass for her.
Residents and officials, led by Bambang Mayor Benjamin Cuaresma and Nueva Vizcaya Governor Luisa Cuaresma, joined Bonde and her family in a get-together lunch.
Cuaresma said Bonde uplifted the image of Filipinos in Hong Kong “who are often verbally maltreated by wealthy Chinese businessmen.”
“I noticed this when I was in Hong Kong. Because of Mildred’s good deed, we can overcome this discrimination. It really pays to be good,” Cuaresma said.
Danilo Barroga, village chief of Aliaga, said they were proud of Bonde’s honesty.
Bonde recalled that when she was a child, she was scolded by her father for taking labong (bamboo shoots) without permission from their neighbor. Ben Moses Ebreo, Inquirer Northern Luzon
This is very inspiring news, not just for OFWs but for the whole Philippines as well. We need more people like Mildred Bonde. She uplifts the image of Filipinos all over the world with just one kind gesture. Honesty, still is, the best policy.
For more news, click here.
Showing posts with label Balita. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Balita. Show all posts
Friday, 10 July 2009
Monday, 6 July 2009
OFW inflows from US down 10% in January-April
Philstar.com - Tuesday, June 23
Got this from Yahoo News. This might interest our OFW friends out there. Read on....
MANILA, Philippines – Remittances from the US declined by 10 percent in the first four months of this year and if this continues for the rest of the year, total remittances could post the first decline since the country started sending workers abroad.
Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that from January to April, remittances from the US reached only $2.286 billion, accounting for nearly half of the $5.498-billion total remittances for the period this year.
BSP data indicated that the four-month level was 10.43 percent lower than the $2.552-billion level posted over the same period in 2008, with the largest decline recorded in sea-based remittances which dropped by 16.15 percent.
Out of the total remittances coming from the US, inflows from sea-based workers accounted for $635.83 million while land-based workers accounted for $1.917 billion.
The BSP has been careful about breaking down remittances that come from the US since these also include inflows that only pass through the US financial system but do not actually originate from US-located Filipinos.
A clearer indicator, according to the BSP data, were remittances that came from land-based workers which presumably represented workers located in the US as well as immigrants.
Nevertheless, inflows from both sources showed a decline in the first four months, indicating that if the trend continued for the remainder of the year, total remittances could decline as expected by analysts and private think tanks except the BSP.
Remittances from Filipinos in Canada, on the other hand, surged by 64.69 percent to $567.243 million during the first four months of this year from $344.434 million a year ago.
On the other hand, remittances from workers located elsewhere in Asia showed significant resilience except for Hong Kong and Taiwan where remittances shrank during the period.
Total remittances from overseas Filipinos in Asia went up 14.31 percent from $604.1 million last year to $690.57 million despite the 22.45 percent decline in remittances from Hong Kong-based workers.
BSP data showed that workers in Hong Kong sent home $114.479 million this year compared with $147.6 million sent last year because the 25.52-percent decline in inflows from land-based workers wiped out the 18 percent increase in inflows from sea-based workers.
However, BSP data showed that remittances from Japan-based workers increased by 53.37 percent from $164.155 million last year to $251.761 million this year mostly because of the significant expansion in remittances from land-based workers.
Workers from Singapore, whose remittances also represented a significant portion of total remittances, sent home 30.56 percent more during the four months period to $217.226 million from $166.383 million.
Although the slowdown was significant, data also showed that remittances from other areas like Europe and the Middle East still increased but inflows from the US offset these increases.
Remittances from Europe increased by 4.21 percent, mostly from sea-based workers whose remittances increased by 30.5 percent, off-setting the 6.43 percent decline in remittances from land-based workers. - By Des Ferriols (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)
Got this from Yahoo News. This might interest our OFW friends out there. Read on....
MANILA, Philippines – Remittances from the US declined by 10 percent in the first four months of this year and if this continues for the rest of the year, total remittances could post the first decline since the country started sending workers abroad.
Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that from January to April, remittances from the US reached only $2.286 billion, accounting for nearly half of the $5.498-billion total remittances for the period this year.
BSP data indicated that the four-month level was 10.43 percent lower than the $2.552-billion level posted over the same period in 2008, with the largest decline recorded in sea-based remittances which dropped by 16.15 percent.
Out of the total remittances coming from the US, inflows from sea-based workers accounted for $635.83 million while land-based workers accounted for $1.917 billion.
The BSP has been careful about breaking down remittances that come from the US since these also include inflows that only pass through the US financial system but do not actually originate from US-located Filipinos.
A clearer indicator, according to the BSP data, were remittances that came from land-based workers which presumably represented workers located in the US as well as immigrants.
Nevertheless, inflows from both sources showed a decline in the first four months, indicating that if the trend continued for the remainder of the year, total remittances could decline as expected by analysts and private think tanks except the BSP.
Remittances from Filipinos in Canada, on the other hand, surged by 64.69 percent to $567.243 million during the first four months of this year from $344.434 million a year ago.
On the other hand, remittances from workers located elsewhere in Asia showed significant resilience except for Hong Kong and Taiwan where remittances shrank during the period.
Total remittances from overseas Filipinos in Asia went up 14.31 percent from $604.1 million last year to $690.57 million despite the 22.45 percent decline in remittances from Hong Kong-based workers.
BSP data showed that workers in Hong Kong sent home $114.479 million this year compared with $147.6 million sent last year because the 25.52-percent decline in inflows from land-based workers wiped out the 18 percent increase in inflows from sea-based workers.
However, BSP data showed that remittances from Japan-based workers increased by 53.37 percent from $164.155 million last year to $251.761 million this year mostly because of the significant expansion in remittances from land-based workers.
Workers from Singapore, whose remittances also represented a significant portion of total remittances, sent home 30.56 percent more during the four months period to $217.226 million from $166.383 million.
Although the slowdown was significant, data also showed that remittances from other areas like Europe and the Middle East still increased but inflows from the US offset these increases.
Remittances from Europe increased by 4.21 percent, mostly from sea-based workers whose remittances increased by 30.5 percent, off-setting the 6.43 percent decline in remittances from land-based workers. - By Des Ferriols (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)
Sunday, 5 July 2009
The Paradox of an OFW
It's so hard to be an OFW. You sacrifice everything, specially your time with your family, just to be able to earn money for, guess what, YOUR FAMILY. Ang hirap, di ba? Specially if you're a first timer, sobrang nakakabaliw!
Imagine, tuwang tuwa ka na natanggap ka sa trabaho pero andami mong kelangang i-prepare na documents, na syempre, kelangan ng pera para maayos ang mga ito. Ang pera mo naman ay sapat lang para sa pang araw araw na gastusin kaya't anong iyong gagawin, manghihiram ng pera expecting that you will earn enough to pay for it once you're in the country you're going to work in. Ilang taon ang contract? One year? Two years? Sabi mo sa sarili mo, ok lang. Kakayanin mo ang lahat para sa pamilya mo. Ginagawa mo ang lahat nang ito para sa pamilya mo.
Pagdating ng araw ng pag alis mo, magkahalong tuwa at saya ang 'yong nararamdaman, tuwa dahil sa wakas, mabibigyan mo na ng magandang bukas ang pamilya mo, hoping that this will be the start of a new life for you and your family. Umaasa na ito na ang simula ng pag angat mo sa buhay. Lungkot dahil iiwanan mo ang pamilya mo, lalong lalo na ang mga anak mo. Pero iniisip mo na lang, para sa kanila naman ito eh.
Pagdating sa destination mo, kayod kabayo ka, para lang makaipon para sa pamilyang naiwan sa pinas pero sa unang 3 buwan mo, para kang mababaliw sa lungkot! Homesick na homesick ka at iniisip mo na gusto mo nang umuwi, na di mo na kaya, na miss na miss mo na ang asawa mo at mga anak mo. Pero pag naiisip mo naman ang kalagayan ng Pilipinas, pakiramdam mo, walang pag asa doon. Mahirap kumita ng pera. Kayod ka nga nang kayod, kulang pa rin ang sinusweldo mo. Buti pa dyan at kahit papano, kumikita ka ng di hamak na mas malaki kesa naman magtityaga ka sa Pilipinas. Kaya kahit anong lungkot mo, kahit anong hirap ng trabaho, tinitiis mo para lang makapagpadala sa pamilya sa Pilipinas. Iniisip mo, ilang taon ka lang dito, mag iipon ka para pag uwi mo, magtatayo ka ng maliit na business para di ka na kelangan pang mawalay sa pamilya mo.
Lumipas ang isang taon, dalawang taon....heto at pauwi ka na. Ang saya saya! Sobrang excited ka na makita ang asawa at mga anak. Pagdating sa pinas, parang pyesta! Pati kapitbahay mo tuwang tuwa sa iyong pag uwi. Syempre may konting handaan, may inuman, lahat masaya. Lalo ka na kasi bidang bida ka sa pag uwi mo.
Matapos ang kasiyahan, reality sets in. Wala pa rin kayong ipon. Ilang taon ka na rin nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa pero wala pa ring ipon, wala pa ring sariling bahay, regular naman ang padala mo pero bakit ganun? Walang nangyayari....wala pa rin kayong ipon? Bakit? Hirap na hirap ka na sa pagtatrabaho pero wala pa rin natitira sa kita mo. Sabi mo na lang, pagbalik mo, hinding hinding hindi talaga pwedeng ganito uli. Sa pagbalik mo, kelangan makaipon ka na.
Sana nga....di naman mahirap eh. Kelangan lang ng disiplina para makaipon at alam mo dapat kung paano ka makakaipon.
Dito matutulungan ko kayo......
Sa mga susunod ko pang blogs....
Imagine, tuwang tuwa ka na natanggap ka sa trabaho pero andami mong kelangang i-prepare na documents, na syempre, kelangan ng pera para maayos ang mga ito. Ang pera mo naman ay sapat lang para sa pang araw araw na gastusin kaya't anong iyong gagawin, manghihiram ng pera expecting that you will earn enough to pay for it once you're in the country you're going to work in. Ilang taon ang contract? One year? Two years? Sabi mo sa sarili mo, ok lang. Kakayanin mo ang lahat para sa pamilya mo. Ginagawa mo ang lahat nang ito para sa pamilya mo.
Pagdating ng araw ng pag alis mo, magkahalong tuwa at saya ang 'yong nararamdaman, tuwa dahil sa wakas, mabibigyan mo na ng magandang bukas ang pamilya mo, hoping that this will be the start of a new life for you and your family. Umaasa na ito na ang simula ng pag angat mo sa buhay. Lungkot dahil iiwanan mo ang pamilya mo, lalong lalo na ang mga anak mo. Pero iniisip mo na lang, para sa kanila naman ito eh.
Pagdating sa destination mo, kayod kabayo ka, para lang makaipon para sa pamilyang naiwan sa pinas pero sa unang 3 buwan mo, para kang mababaliw sa lungkot! Homesick na homesick ka at iniisip mo na gusto mo nang umuwi, na di mo na kaya, na miss na miss mo na ang asawa mo at mga anak mo. Pero pag naiisip mo naman ang kalagayan ng Pilipinas, pakiramdam mo, walang pag asa doon. Mahirap kumita ng pera. Kayod ka nga nang kayod, kulang pa rin ang sinusweldo mo. Buti pa dyan at kahit papano, kumikita ka ng di hamak na mas malaki kesa naman magtityaga ka sa Pilipinas. Kaya kahit anong lungkot mo, kahit anong hirap ng trabaho, tinitiis mo para lang makapagpadala sa pamilya sa Pilipinas. Iniisip mo, ilang taon ka lang dito, mag iipon ka para pag uwi mo, magtatayo ka ng maliit na business para di ka na kelangan pang mawalay sa pamilya mo.
Lumipas ang isang taon, dalawang taon....heto at pauwi ka na. Ang saya saya! Sobrang excited ka na makita ang asawa at mga anak. Pagdating sa pinas, parang pyesta! Pati kapitbahay mo tuwang tuwa sa iyong pag uwi. Syempre may konting handaan, may inuman, lahat masaya. Lalo ka na kasi bidang bida ka sa pag uwi mo.
Matapos ang kasiyahan, reality sets in. Wala pa rin kayong ipon. Ilang taon ka na rin nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa pero wala pa ring ipon, wala pa ring sariling bahay, regular naman ang padala mo pero bakit ganun? Walang nangyayari....wala pa rin kayong ipon? Bakit? Hirap na hirap ka na sa pagtatrabaho pero wala pa rin natitira sa kita mo. Sabi mo na lang, pagbalik mo, hinding hinding hindi talaga pwedeng ganito uli. Sa pagbalik mo, kelangan makaipon ka na.
Sana nga....di naman mahirap eh. Kelangan lang ng disiplina para makaipon at alam mo dapat kung paano ka makakaipon.
Dito matutulungan ko kayo......
Sa mga susunod ko pang blogs....
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