A short tale of three migrants
To celebrate December 18, PMRW (Phil. Migrants' Rights Watch) organized a forum entitled migrants voices which featured three OFW returnees sharing their personal lives as migrants.
Mike Bolos, CMA (Center for Migrant Advocacy) member of the board, shared his quarter-of-a-century journey through the desserts of Saudi Arabia. a migrant "by accident", he left for Saudi in the 1980s with very little preparation for himself besides what he knew of the people around him in Pampanga who left for abroad for greener pastures. He experienced the typical ups-and-downs of a typical OFW, in Saudi at that, such as discrimination, non-recognition of his skills, prolonged separation from his family. His two children were 4 and 5 years old when he left them the first time. He missed their growing up years definitely.
Now back in the Philippines, Mike reflects on his 25 year-journey abroad- "Based on my experience, I would enjoin the OFWs now to exert everything possible to preserve their families at all costs. Knowing then what I know now, I would have done things differently to preserve my own. Despite the distance, the OFWs should try to be as close to their children as possible so that they will not be “mapariwara”.
It appears to me that the risk is high and the probability is great that the children may not grow up like those with both parents around them most of the time. In which case, is the social cost worth it? But other OFWs would say they had no choice."
Mike continues his involvement in the migrant advocacy as a member of the board of CMA. He is CMA's resource person on OFWs and Saudi Arabia/ Middle East. He is also active in the overseas absentee voting campaign.
The other OFWs who willingly shared their tears and triumphs abroad were Mary Joy Barcelona, who went to Japan to make her dream of becoming a teacher come true. But it brought her only miseries and more tears. She came home battered but not beaten. She pursued her studies despite the odds. Perhaps, she was not meant to be a teacher so she shifted to another course. This month, she graduated from PUP with a degree on BS entrepreneurial management!
May Joy says:
"God is really good. At the proper time, He will put everything in its proper place. I may have had lots of difficulties in achieving my dreams but all those difficult experiences have helped me become a stronger person. Through these experiences, I learned to value myself and the people around me. I saw the beauty of life. I owe all of these to the people, who allowed themselves to be God’s instruments to help me become the person that I am today.
“I may not become the teacher that I dreamed of, but I know that I will continue teaching, helping, and inspiring others to make the most of what they have and can do."
Mary Joy is the coordinator of Sikhay, an organization of returned migrants from Japan. Sikhay does advocacy and livelihood projects.
Mr. Nelson Pastor Ajos is currently lay coordinator of the archidiocesian migration desk of San Fernando, Pampanga. He thought of going abroad after he retired from coca cola bottlers. He landed a job at Bechtel company in Papua new guinea where he stayed for 11 years. When he came home, he brought home millions of dollars from his earnings. It was at this time, he said, that he became a most arrogant person. With his millions, he thought he had everything already and did not need anybody else until everything started to disappear, one by one, until he had almost nothing. It was a humbling experience for him. He picked up the pieces of his shuttered life and started again with his family. He and his wife are now active in developing the migration desk of the archdiocesan of San Fernando Pampanga.
PMRW will come up with its publication of the various experiences of OFWs in its book entitled migrants voices. the stories of Mike, Joy and Nelson are included in this collection. It will be launched early next year, 2007.
Happy Migrants Day!
From: Philippine Migrant Rights Watch
To celebrate December 18, PMRW (Phil. Migrants' Rights Watch) organized a forum entitled migrants voices which featured three OFW returnees sharing their personal lives as migrants.
Mike Bolos, CMA (Center for Migrant Advocacy) member of the board, shared his quarter-of-a-century journey through the desserts of Saudi Arabia. a migrant "by accident", he left for Saudi in the 1980s with very little preparation for himself besides what he knew of the people around him in Pampanga who left for abroad for greener pastures. He experienced the typical ups-and-downs of a typical OFW, in Saudi at that, such as discrimination, non-recognition of his skills, prolonged separation from his family. His two children were 4 and 5 years old when he left them the first time. He missed their growing up years definitely.
Now back in the Philippines, Mike reflects on his 25 year-journey abroad- "Based on my experience, I would enjoin the OFWs now to exert everything possible to preserve their families at all costs. Knowing then what I know now, I would have done things differently to preserve my own. Despite the distance, the OFWs should try to be as close to their children as possible so that they will not be “mapariwara”.
It appears to me that the risk is high and the probability is great that the children may not grow up like those with both parents around them most of the time. In which case, is the social cost worth it? But other OFWs would say they had no choice."
Mike continues his involvement in the migrant advocacy as a member of the board of CMA. He is CMA's resource person on OFWs and Saudi Arabia/ Middle East. He is also active in the overseas absentee voting campaign.
The other OFWs who willingly shared their tears and triumphs abroad were Mary Joy Barcelona, who went to Japan to make her dream of becoming a teacher come true. But it brought her only miseries and more tears. She came home battered but not beaten. She pursued her studies despite the odds. Perhaps, she was not meant to be a teacher so she shifted to another course. This month, she graduated from PUP with a degree on BS entrepreneurial management!
May Joy says:
"God is really good. At the proper time, He will put everything in its proper place. I may have had lots of difficulties in achieving my dreams but all those difficult experiences have helped me become a stronger person. Through these experiences, I learned to value myself and the people around me. I saw the beauty of life. I owe all of these to the people, who allowed themselves to be God’s instruments to help me become the person that I am today.
“I may not become the teacher that I dreamed of, but I know that I will continue teaching, helping, and inspiring others to make the most of what they have and can do."
Mary Joy is the coordinator of Sikhay, an organization of returned migrants from Japan. Sikhay does advocacy and livelihood projects.
Mr. Nelson Pastor Ajos is currently lay coordinator of the archidiocesian migration desk of San Fernando, Pampanga. He thought of going abroad after he retired from coca cola bottlers. He landed a job at Bechtel company in Papua new guinea where he stayed for 11 years. When he came home, he brought home millions of dollars from his earnings. It was at this time, he said, that he became a most arrogant person. With his millions, he thought he had everything already and did not need anybody else until everything started to disappear, one by one, until he had almost nothing. It was a humbling experience for him. He picked up the pieces of his shuttered life and started again with his family. He and his wife are now active in developing the migration desk of the archdiocesan of San Fernando Pampanga.
PMRW will come up with its publication of the various experiences of OFWs in its book entitled migrants voices. the stories of Mike, Joy and Nelson are included in this collection. It will be launched early next year, 2007.
Happy Migrants Day!
From: Philippine Migrant Rights Watch
posted by Manuel Amora | 4:21 AM
1 Comments:
Can you provide me with the contact information of Mike Bolos? He might be helpful in providing some info and insights for my thesis. Thanks! - CJ
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