There is always a long line of Filipinos standing outside of terminal 1 of the international departure building. The OFWs are very easy to spot at the airport. They always hand-carry some sort of an envelope with their travel and work documents secured in it and a lot of times they travel in groups with the same type and color envelopes. In the airport, the OFW signs are everywhere to guide these workers through the right lines, the right gates, and the correct immigration check points. I have always wondered if the OFWs view themselves as expats abroad of if they perceive themselves as cheap labor working overseas… For the Filipinos that go through these designated lines and check points, are they happy to be reporting to their jobs overseas or are they uncomfortable being viewed as a cheap labor source in neighboring countries?
Her name escapes my memory but I remember our conversation as we waited for the flight to Taiwan that early Saturday morning. She is an OFW who has worked in Taiwan for two years and she returned to the Philippines to see family and was on her way back to Taipei to work. She shared with me that her job is to take care of a 80 plus year old lady. She calls the lady ah-ma (grandma) in Taiwanese. “I have only been back for three weeks to see my family but I miss my ah-ma so much. My ah-ma texted me and told me that she misses me a lot and wanted me to return as soon as I can. I am so lucky to have a good ah-ma, she’s so nice to me and I really love her.” She really loves her job, I thought to myself. She is probably one of the most enthusiastic employees that I know! “Do ah-ma’s grandchildren love their grandma as much as this overseas Filipino worker?” “Will the grandchildren take care or pay for their ah-ma to have a helper in this day and age?” I can’t help but wonder… We chatted and I helped her set up her mileage program assuming that she will be traveling from and to Taiwan every so often.
The OFWs are scattered around Asia and they fill such an important role for so many people in this very modern society. The young woman that I met was a caretaker and a grandchild for the 80 plus year old Taiwan lady. Meiling is my mom’s helper and the 3rd daughter that my mom occasionally exercises her nagging rights. Ahyuan is grandma’s companion and cook during grandma’s very sick days. There are also so many OFWs who are building the roads and raising the children of Asia. I am still not sure how the OFWs view themselves, but I hope they know that they have very important roles in this very busy, industrialized, and fast-growing part of the world.
