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Alienation For OFW Coming Home

from here

Study: OFWs feel alienated, dissatisfied when they return to RP

08/04/2008 | 08:21 PM
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MANILA, Philippines – Overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who had been exposed to societies that adequately provide for the needs of their people return home feeling alienated and dissatisfied with the Philippines.
This was the result of a two-year research project titled “Democratization through Migration” by the Arnold Bergstraesser-Institute (ABI) based in Freiburg, Germany.
A copy of the recent study was furnished to GMANews.TV on Monday by OFW group Kapisanan ng mga Kamag-anak ng Migranteng Manggagawang Pilipino.
According to the study, many returning OFWs who had experienced better living conditions abroad expect more from the Philippines.
ABI researchers Christl Kessler and Stefan Rother said the study revealed OFWs’ “strong discontent with the democratic processes in the Philippines, despite a general defense of democratic rights and freedom.”
The two said that “a feeling of neglect and discrimination for poor and uneducated citizens was felt by the respondents, having the mindset that the Philippine political system was exclusively serving the interests of the elite.”
The study also showed that “an active OFW civil society independent of the political system of the destination” can have a positive effect on the migrants’ sense of action and usefulness.
Questionnaires were used in ABI’s interviews with 1,000 migrants who were just about to leave the Philippines and 1,000 OFWs returning from Japan, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Hong Kong.
ABI presented the study last week at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City in cooperation with the Social Weather Stations, and the Political Science Department of UP-Diliman.
The study was financed by the Foundation for Population, Migration and Environment. – KIMBERLY JANE T. TAN, GMANews.TV
Can’t seem to find an online copy of the study.  Based on my own experiences these feels right but I’d really like to see the data they gathered.
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640000 Filipinos Left The Country The First Half of 2008

DOLE: Jobs available in RP but more Pinoys leaving

BY FIDEL JIMENEZ, GMANews.TV

08/01/2008 | 11:59 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque on Friday maintained that jobs are available in the Philippine despite the increase in the number of Filipinos who were deployed outside the country in the first six months of 2008.
His remarks came the same day that it was learned that 640,000 Filipinos left the country from January to June this year.

The data came from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) which said that the said figure was 33 percent higher compared to 479,725 Pinoys deployed abroad during the same period in 2007.
The said increase is much higher compared to the normal three percent deployment growth every year, according to Roque.
But the increase on the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) doesn’t mean that jobs opportunity lack here in the Philippines.
“Overseas employment is only an option…well higher pay and better employment terms and conditions,” explained by Roque.
Roque made the remarks when interviewed by GMA news. The report was aired over 24 Oras.
The possibility of more Filipinos to leave the Philippines in the coming days will surely happen after the labor department announced that are more job opportunity available for professional and skilled workers in European countries like France, Finland, Australia and Canada.
Roque said the Phillippines is about to seal a memorandum of understanding with France to allow the entry of Filipino nurses, IT professionals and engineers.
Finland, meanwhile, is in need of nurses, Roque added.
In Southern Australia, there are 30,000 job vacancies for professional and skilled workers.
Three provinces in Canada are looking for engineers, nurses, welders, trailer drivers and bartenders.
But Roque said one of the requirements in the European countries is for foreign workers is to learn their language.
“Requirements nila yun otherwise hindi kayo magkakaintindihan… Sa Finland willing sila na magpadala ng teachers dito (to teach Pinoy of their language),” Roque said. – Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV

My only quirk with this piece is where in Europe is Australia and Canada???  Borrowing Brad Delong’s words.
Why Oh Why Can’t We Have A Better Press Corps.
PS: I think that I would have enjoyed if more If I knew , How many return each year?? or at least between the stated period.

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Unskilled OFW Remittance

from GMA news:

if the video doesn’t work try this link:
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For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

according to the NSO although the remittance from unskilled workers are only a third of skilled workers the sheer number of unskilled Filipino OFW’s make up for this and makes them the larger group in terms of total remittance amounting to around 17.6 billion peros (roughly 400 million dollars or 259 million euros thanks google).
The sad thing is anecdotally people are not really changing their lives long term. This is probably because the families here or back home rarely have enough schooling or are financially astute enough to handle the remittances that they get.
Add this to the fact that people from my country somewhat believe that work abroad is easier than back home. I remember my friends telling me how people coming back home have neighbors who wait in line to get gifts.
I think some things can be done to improve this, hope I can get something started.

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MOA

I think I need to follow local news more closely.
here is a nice intro to the MOA between the MILF Rebels and The Government Representatives.
I think the MOA is unconstitutional and may be there for two reasons.
The current government is trying to railroad a Charter Change, I pray they don’t succeed.
Why Can’t We Have A Better Class Of Politicians?

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Riz Khan Interview About Liberian Women Combatants

I especially like the question on what one of the women whose family was killed and was raped by a soldier would do if she faced that very same man. She said that life must go on and that doing anything would not bring her family back. The kicker is that she said she sees the man day and night because that man is involved with an NGO. Wow!

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Grit And Vision

Nice advice from AT&T CEO.
from this interview.

Stephenson says his former boss taught him a lot about the importance of standing firm on a vision and taking the long-term view. It’s a mindset and a business approach that continues, he says.

Sounding a lot like his former boss, Stephenson says it takes grit, a steady vision and, at times, a strong stomach to grab opportunity by the throat. That’s true, he says, whether the goal is a new partnership or a big global acquisition.

“If you’re not pushing forward hard, nothing happens,” Stephenson says. “You don’t do that by making little incremental moves. You’ve got to make big moves.” Considering his words, he quickly adds, “You’ve just got to be right more than you’re wrong.”

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Fighting Poverty

from here:
Hope is oxygen to someone who is suffocating on despair.

I think that most people in developing nations such as my country this applies. I talk to a lot of people and what hits me is that extreme or even mild but prolonged poverty causes a great change in all but the best people.  Before we can even try to help someone we must first try to convince that person that he can be helped, that he can be “saved”.
There are a lot of foundations who like to help in our country but a key ingredient a lot of these foundations seem to be missing is that people who suffer from poverty are broken in a way. They are not normal or ordinary and a more mindful and involved program is needed. I’ve seen a few organizations that seem to know this. Hope they all do.

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rePost: Addiction and Living

I don’t know, he was saying this about how he survived a drug addiction, but I think that this is great advice for life in general.
The article was a great read, please read it if you haven’t yet. Its about a drug addict who was able to overcome his addiction.
read the article here:

I lustily chanted some of those slogans and lived by others. There is nothing romantic about being a crackhead and a drunk — low-bottom addiction is its own burlesque that needs no snarky annotation. Unless a person is willing to be terminally, frantically earnest, all hope is lost.

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rePost: Practice And Genius

TakeAways:
We are given brains and the larger the brain or the better formed the brain was the less energy it consumed in solving a problem and the better it was in processing information.
from here a scientific american article on intelligence and the brain:

Perfection from Practice
Whatever the neurological roots of genius, being brilliant only increases the probability of success; it does not ensure accomplishment in any endeavor. Even for academic achievement, IQ is not as important as self-discipline and a willingness to work hard.