When you are living and working abroad, for most Filipinos, you are affluent. A common mindset which do not consider the underlying factors to validate such assertion. In spite of countless documentaries regarding migrants’ plight and glory, news, social media posts and the likes, it is an unalterable viewpoint of our compatriots that overseas migrants are financially wealthy.
“To live and work abroad”, in itself, is merely an opportunity. A journey of every single migrant that entails diverse stories of sacrifices and successes, failures and learning, joys and pains, struggles and triumphs among other things. Generally, it is the same old story of skirmishes and hard works alike in the battlefield of the so called “life”. Nevertheless, only few understand this plight of overseas migrants.
With high hopes of having a better life, compared to what they had in the Philippines, they are now in a journey to stand on and to be spiritually strong to face challenges, to live out of comfort zone and to work painstakingly every day to ensure both ends meet.
Leaving one’s comfort zone and living out from it is a great challenge to accept. The comforts of having a house helper to do household chores and having ample time for the family and friends after work and so forth, need abrupt adjustments. Living out from comfort zone embraces doing home errands and duties independently, and having two or more jobs in different time shifts sacrificing family time are ordinary daily routine. Engagement to multi jobs keeps them busy to escape from and overcome homesickness. Work here and there, to earn for the family’s daily provisions, to pay taxes, mortgages, utility bills, insurances, credit cards and other financial liabilities. At this juncture, significant amount of cash is allotted for remittance homeward to their families and relatives.
On the other hand, countless opportunities await for those who dare, for those who are adeptly equipped, for those who knew how to leverage themselves, for those who are aware and responsive to the realities, and for those who have willingness to learn new things. Migrants must accept and skillfully adapt to the challenges of their new social and physical environment. One’s character, optimistic attitude, hard work, and their practice of humility to name a few are catalysts for this life-changing move towards successful international migration.
Control of the situations and factual decisions are in the migrants’ hands. Too much expectations, by their love ones left behind, would lead to letdowns and opposing circumstances. To be straightforward to them is essential. Keeping track of one’s goal needs awareness of one’s capability and a vivid grounding of personal limitations and boundaries. Even though, they would not believe instantaneously, at least you have been honest to yourself. Disregard their retorts and keep your self-esteem intact. In doing so, emotional pressure and psychological stress will be lessened and at the same time elating your spirit.
One of the spoken expectations from the family is to help them alleviate from paucity. Such basic expectation is obligatory in nature, seems like to be the migrant’s sole responsibility. The epitome of success like huge house, a new car, modern appliances and newest gadgets, serve as status symbols in the community. In this scenario, packages of imported goods, allowances, festive gatherings, donations among other things define your strong relationship, telling that you have not changed to them.
Sending siblings or relatives to college, profligate family fetes, traditional celebrations like Christmas, fiesta, wedding, and the like, financial support is highly anticipated. Those expectations pressure migrants to maintain their good image and connections to them, at the expense of putting the burdens upon their shoulders.
The flow of assistance, big or small, from relatives abroad must be valued. This support must augment basic necessities, not to satisfy wants. Too, financial help must be spent prudently and efficiently to serve its purpose which is to live a decent life. In the contrary, dependency becomes the outcome of incoming support from abroad. Reliance of family members and close relatives instigate nonproductive and lavish lifestyle.
Overwhelmingly, family expectations turn out to be demands not just hope. Their family members, siblings, relatives, friends and former workmates have different expectations, too. Yet, to them, the phrase: “living or working abroad” implies material abundance. No account could make them believe that life abroad is not easy, that everything is earned through hardship and lots of patience and sacrifices. Neither objection nor rationality would position them to become judgmental. You had changed a lot and you become selfish and arrogant because of your reformed perspectives and outlook in life.
In this life course, never be dragged in the race towards climbing the social ladder nor follow what social trends dictate and what people expect, you will never win. Establish a standard of your own to follow because you alone would be standing in the battleground. No one else would be on your side during that quest, they would just willingly join to rejoice your victory.
Profound understanding of this social phenomenon would basically base on lived-experiences, an unfolding process, giving way to its lucidity. Given the chance to live overseas, I withstand and am witnessing on my very own eyes, the realities of living away from one’s homeland and becoming a stranger.
Our loved ones, relatives, friends and fellow countrymen see these things from afar, depicting life in a faraway land as a haven of free-flowing milk and honey. I do respect their views. As you do, I am seeing this prevalence in the similar angle before I migrate. However, I am now one of the actors of the Filipino diaspora who lives in such reality, not in the realm of thoughts.
The InsighTalk 
hi!,I really like your writing very so much!
proportion we keep in touch extra approximately your article on AOL?
I require an expert on this area to unravel my problem.
Maybe that’s you! Taking a look ahead to peer you.
LikeLike
Great weblog right here! Additionally your web site rather a lot up fast!
What host are you the use of? Can I get your associate link in your host?
I wish my website loaded up as fast as yours lol
LikeLike
My relatives all the time say that I am wasting
my time here at web, however I know I am getting
knowledge all the time by reading thes fastidious
content.
LikeLike
Good day I am so excited I found your blog page, I really found you
by error, while I was looking on Yahoo for something else, Regardless
I am here now and would just like to say thanks
for a marvelous post and a all round interesting blog (I also love
the theme/design), I don’t have time to read it all at the
minute but I have saved it and also added your RSS feeds,
so when I have time I will be back to read a great
deal more, Please do keep up the awesome job.
LikeLike
Now I am going to do my breakfast, afterward having my breakfast
coming again to read other news.
LikeLike
Howdy! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new apple iphone!
Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts!
Carry on the fantastic work!
LikeLike
Great beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your website,
how could i subscribe for a blog site? The account helped me a acceptable deal.
I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear idea
LikeLike
Thanks a lot for sharing this with all folks you
actually recognise what you’re speaking about! Bookmarked.
Kindly also seek advice from my website =). We could have a link
alternate agreement between us
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing your info. I really appreciate your efforts and I will be waiting for your next post thank you once again.
LikeLike
This post gives clear idea in support of the new viewers of
blogging, that genuinely how to do blogging.
LikeLike
Wonderful article! This is the type of info that should be shared
around the internet. Shame on Google for now not positioning this publish upper!
Come on over and discuss with my website .
Thanks =)
LikeLike
An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a coworker who had been conducting a little homework
on this. And he in fact bought me dinner because I found
it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this….
Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending
time to talk about this subject here on your web site.
LikeLike
Asking questions are genuinely pleasant thing if you are not
understanding something totally, except this article provides good understanding even.
LikeLike
Excellent site you have here but I was curious if you knew of any user discussion forums that cover
the same topics discussed in this article? I’d really like to be
a part of community where I can get feedback from other knowledgeable people that share the
same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let
me know. Appreciate it!
LikeLike
Howdy very cool site!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Wonderful ..
I’ll bookmark your site and take the feeds additionally?
I am happy to search out numerous useful info right here within the publish, we want develop extra strategies on this regard, thank you for sharing.
. . . . .
LikeLike
After looking over a few of the blog articles on your web page, I
truly like your way of blogging. I saved as a favorite it to my
bookmark webpage list and will be checking back soon. Take
a look at my web site as well and let me know how you feel.
LikeLike
Great post. I used to be checking constantly this blog and I am impressed!
Very useful information specifically the final section 🙂 I
take care of such information much. I was seeking this particular info for a
long time. Thank you and best of luck.
LikeLike
My developer is trying to convince me to move to .net
from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the costs.
But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on a variety of websites for about a
year and am concerned about switching to another platform.
I have heard fantastic things about blogengine.net.
Is there a way I can import all my wordpress content into it?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
LikeLike
Valuable information. Fortunate me I discovered your website by accident, and I’m surprised why this
twist of fate didn’t came about earlier! I bookmarked it.
LikeLike
I think this is one of the most vital information for me.
And i’m glad reading your article. But wanna remark
on some general things, The web site style is ideal, the articles is really nice :
D. Good job, cheers
LikeLike
Hey very cool website!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Amazing ..
I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds additionally?
I’m satisfied to search out a lot of useful information here within the submit, we’d like work out extra techniques in this regard, thank you
for sharing. . . . . .
LikeLike
Howdy, I believe your website may be having browser compatibility
issues. Whenever I take a look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening
in Internet Explorer, it’s got some overlapping issues.
I merely wanted to give you a quick heads up!
Aside from that, great blog!
LikeLike
These are truly impressive ideas in on the topic of blogging.
You have touched some fastidious points here.
Any way keep up wrinting.
LikeLike
Hi mates, how is the whole thing, and what you would like to say regarding this post,
in my view its actually awesome for me.
LikeLike
I am curious to find out what blog platform you’re utilizing?
I’m having some minor security problems with my latest blog and I would like to find something more safe.
Do you have any suggestions?
LikeLike
It’s an amazing post designed for all the online people;
they will obtain advantage from it I am sure.
LikeLike
Outstanding story there. What occurred after?
Take care!
LikeLike
Hi every one, here every person is sharing these know-how,
therefore it’s nice to read this website, and I used to
visit this blog all the time.
LikeLike
Thank you a bunch for sharing this with all of us you actually
understand what you’re talking approximately!
Bookmarked. Kindly additionally discuss with my site =). We can have a link alternate contract between us
LikeLike
These are truly impressive ideas in concerning blogging. You have
touched some pleasant factors here. Any way keep up wrinting.
LikeLike
Hi there! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with SEO?
I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m
not seeing very good results. If you know of any please share.
Cheers!
LikeLike
Thanks in support of sharing such a fastidious opinion, piece of writing is fastidious, thats why i have read it completely
LikeLike
Hi, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues.
When I look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.
I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that,
superb blog!
LikeLike
Heya great website! Does running a blog like
this require a great deal of work? I have very little expertise in programming but I had been hoping to start my own blog
in the near future. Anyhow, if you have any recommendations or techniques for
new blog owners please share. I understand this is
off topic nevertheless I simply needed to ask. Many thanks!
LikeLike
It’s enormous that you are getting thoughts from this piece of writing as well as from our dialogue made
at this time.
LikeLike
Every weekend i used to visit this website, because i want enjoyment, as this this website
conations truly nice funny stuff too.
LikeLike
Hello there! I just want to offer you a huge thumbs up for your
great information you have got right here on this post.
I will be coming back to your website for more soon.
LikeLike
Hey there! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could
locate a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform
as yours and I’m having trouble finding one? Thanks a lot!
LikeLike
Yes! Finally someone writes about cbd oil.
LikeLike
Hey there I am so glad I found your blog,
I really found you by accident, while I was searching on Askjeeve for something else, Nonetheless I
am here now and would just like to say thanks a lot for a remarkable post and a
all round thrilling blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to go through it all
at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also added in your RSS
feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the excellent job.
LikeLike
of course like your web-site however you need to take a look at the
spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife
with spelling issues and I to find it very troublesome to tell
the reality on the other hand I’ll certainly come back again.
LikeLike
Very nice write-up. I certainly appreciate this website.
Thanks!
LikeLike
I read this post fully about the difference of hottest and preceding technologies, it’s awesome article.
LikeLike
Hello there! This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog.
Is it very difficult to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but
I can figure things out pretty quick. I’m thinking about creating my own but
I’m not sure where to begin. Do you have
any tips or suggestions? Thanks
LikeLike
It’s going to be finish of mine day, however before finish I am reading this enormous paragraph to increase my experience.
LikeLike
Wow! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a entirely different topic but it
has pretty much the same page layout and design. Outstanding choice
of colors!
LikeLike
Hi there, I found your blog by way of Google at the same time
as searching for a related subject, your website got here up,
it seems good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hi there, simply become aware of your weblog through Google, and found that it is really informative.
I am going to watch out for brussels. I will be grateful should you proceed this in future.
Many other people will be benefited out of your writing.
Cheers!
LikeLike
I just like the valuable info you provide for your articles.
I’ll bookmark your weblog and test again here regularly.
I’m fairly sure I will be informed a lot of new stuff proper here!
Good luck for the following!
LikeLike
Awesome! Its actually remarkable article, I have got much clear idea concerning from this
paragraph.
LikeLike
Your way of telling everything in this piece of writing is genuinely fastidious, every one
be capable of easily be aware of it, Thanks a lot.
LikeLike