Why Many Leave for Employment Overseas

Let me tell you what I've learned during my 3-day Pre-Departure Orientation Trainer's Training conducted by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

This is my group, WINNER. That's me on the left. 

The number one reason why Filipinos leave for employment overseas: 
They have no work, they have no money.

Walang Pera (No Money), Walang Trabaho (No Work)

The number two reason why Filipinos leave for employment overseas:

For the welfare of the family which includes the education of their children.

It is a sad story. If only they can land a good job here, they will not leave anymore. Did you know that if you are earning about P15,000 a month, it is not enough to sustain the expenses of a family of five? Did you know that the National Statistics considers you "poor" if you fall into this category? In most cases, they end up wallowing in debt to make both ends meet. 


No wonder it is the number one reason that they do all they can to leave the country and work overseas.

Chance for migration. They want to go to the land of milk and honey.

That's also the reason why we need to teach them how to save money when they work overseas. 


I hope we can do more to help them get out of debt and live comfortably.


Jimmy


P.S. Many have suggested that we teach them how to start a small business. But based on my experience, to many of these overseas workers, that is the last thing on their minds. If you have any suggestion(s), I would love to hear it so we can impart it to them. They need all the help we can give.

#1 Reason Why I blog

I am a Pastor and a businessman. After working for Fujitsu Philippines for 17 years, I retired in 2000 and went into the ministry.  In 2008, I went back to the marketplace to manage a recruitment agency, UNO Overseas Placement, Inc. We send Filipino skilled workers to Japan under the Technical Intern Training System of the Japan International Training Cooperation Organization (JITCO). Part of the training we give to our Interns is the “Work Ethics and Values Seminar”.

The Work Ethics and Values Seminar was designed to help our Filipino Interns cope with life in Japan and equip them to face their future with both emotional and spiritual substance. The most important aspect of this 3-day seminar is changing the way these interns think. Most of them come from the province and urban areas. As such, ingrained in them is the poverty-mentality.

Seeing them wallow in poverty and in debt even before they leave for Japan, I made it my goal to help them be set free from this evil bondage. To break a bad habit of living in debt is not easy. The initial step towards freedom is to teach them to change the way they think and then increase their literacy about finances. So far, we have made progress. We believe money is not the answer to living a debt-free life. When they learn to manage their finances properly as good stewards of what God has given them and then take on an “investor mentality” as opposed to a “consumer mentality”, the interns begins to see that they can prosper!

I love helping our interns or OFWs change the way they think!

Last week, one of our interns came home after a 3-year contract in Japan. He is now a millionaire! What is his secret? He followed our advise by diligently saving 30,000 Yen a month! Now, his plan is to invest part of it in a food franchise.  Indeed, there is hope for our OFWs.

Last year, I became a member of Truly Rich Club. I am now incorporating the principles that I’ve learned and tested from Truly Rich Club to our interns. It is easy for them to understand financial literacy when they see how it works!

To your debt-free life,

Jimmy

P.S. I became more passionate to see our OFWs set free from poverty-mentality. Late last year, I decided to do online marketing and took Bo’s recommendation to enroll in Jomar Hilario’s Online Mentoring Club. I am now in my 4^th month as a student of Jomar Hilario. I am making progress and one day, I will be sharing with them what I’ve learned.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38307206@N02/3634843977

This blog is part of our lesson. Honestly, it was the monetary returns that motivated me to do blogging. Today, I found the real reason for my blogging: to help my “Kababayans” specially our interns and OFWs, be set free from wallowing in debt.  If I can show them how to be free through my blogs, I would have done a good job. That’s why, now I love blogging!