You are an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) if you are a Filipino working outside The Philippines whether you are an engineer, a nurse, pharmacist, teacher, hotelier, service crew or any other professions anywhere worldwide. Many Filipinos are determined to work abroad and sacrifice their present lives in their home country in order to provide their family’s financial necessities.
Far from home, it’s quite difficult to enjoy a life away from family. It is significantly harder for those OFWs who do not have relatives abroad, that’s why “making friends” is a must. It is a temporary solution to relieve loneliness felt from being alone. It must be an easy task because, here abroad, we have the so-called Kabayan community where any Filipino can mingle and make some friends.
The Christmas spirit, for my opinion, especially in a Muslim country, is hardly felt. You even have to go to work since it is not considered a holiday. I’m not protesting regarding this, but I’m happy and very thankful to be working for my employer who honors this special season, thus, I and my colleagues have been granted the chance to take a leave. Therefore, I have at least some time to buy some groceries and cook our favorite Christmas food, “pansit” or fried vegetable noodles.
As an OFW, being employed abroad is already a wonderful Christmas gift from above. It is indeed very challenging to work with other nationalities with different personalities and cultures. Often times, misunderstanding is the most common cause of conflict in a company. However, these hindrances are sought to be opportunities to be able to learn more about this wide multi-cultural world.
I do feel sad during these special days as I couldn’t spend it with my family and I know that many other OFWs are feeling the same each year however I’m very much thankful for the cutting edge technology nowadays as we are able to communicate with our families instantly and for free. I am also glad that I got to spend the Christmas with my beloved husband and my sister, who just became an OFW four months ago.
Today is the Christmas Eve and we will be spending it together with some of our friends who are also OFWs. This is the season of giving, forgiving and thanksgiving. I love to see how our lives became so blessed for me, my family, relatives and friends. I am very much thankful for what I have now, though far away from home, I know God will always be there to take care of all of us.
We thank Lord God, Jesus Christ for guiding and helping us stand up after falling from our previous sufferings at work and in our lives as OFWs. May our fellow OFWs looking for job find the best suitable work for them so that all of us will be able to provide for our personal needs and the needs of our families. We hope that the next upcoming months will provide each country we’re working in to have a prosperous economy so that more Filipinos could dream, wok abroad and be financially stable.
Merry Christmas to my fellow Overseas Filipino Workers! ‘Tis the season to wish one another joy and love and peace.
(B.011)
