By Willie Jose
Wherever we are in the world—in the US, Canada, Australia, or Middle East countries—far from our families back home, they are always in our thoughts. We remain deeply rooted in their lives, and whatever comfort or success we experience abroad, we naturally want to share those blessings with the loved ones we left behind.
It is an integral part of our culture—a family-centred way of life. Through high or low tides, our family comes first. Family is everything.
Although we are separated from the Philippines and scattered across the globe, we are constantly mindful of our families’ needs and challenges. We send money to help cover daily household expenses and tuition fees for our children and siblings. In times of crisis and natural disasters, even friends and extended relatives reach out for assistance.
They need our support even more during emergencies, such as sudden hospitalizations, accidents, or the loss of a loved one. Many relatives also use these transfers to buy homes or finance small businesses.
Consequently, we work doubly hard. We cannot afford to relax, knowing that we serve as a vital lifeline when unfortunate circumstances strike. There is no doubt that surviving and meeting basic daily needs is a real struggle for our families, and they rely on a helping hand from those of us living abroad.
Years back, when I had the chance to travel to Switzerland and Paris for my job as a journalist, I met and spoke with some OFWs stationed there, who told me that they regularly send money back home to help their needy families.
One time, while having lunch at the Kapitbahay restaurant, I noticed a long line of our kababayans sending money through the eatery’s Western Union remittance center. Whether they queued up before or after their meals, one thing was clear: their primary focus was sending financial support to their families in the Philippines.
Most Filipinos sending money back home are not just Canadian citizens or permanent residents; many are former students and visitors currently holding temporary work permits.
While at the restaurant, I spoke with Harold Ian Nang. He arrived in Toronto in 2019 and has three children—aged 24, 22, and 4—who are still in the Philippines. Harold previously worked as a family driver in Saudi Arabia before coming to Canada through his brother’s sponsorship. Today, he works in insulation. “Every two weeks, I send $900 to my children,” Harold shared.
Another diner, Annabelle Tapel, told me that when she was approved to move to Canada, she could bring two of her younger children. However, her other three children had to stay behind because they were overage. “I send them ₱20,000 monthly for their tuition and other basic needs,” Annabelle said.
While our relatives are grateful for this help, and receiving the funds is as simple as presenting a tracking number, this financial flow does have a minor drawback. It can inadvertently create a culture of dependency, where some individuals rely entirely on remittances instead of seeking employment to earn their own keep.
Furthermore, some recipients have developed a sense of entitlement about the support, which occasionally causes envy among those who do not receive any.
Ultimately, we must always remember that money remittances are built on sacrifice and gruelling hard work. Often, we must deny ourselves life’s simple conveniences just to save a little.
To our loved ones receiving these funds: please, spend the money we send you wisely.
Please remember too: “ Hindi naming pinupulot ang pera sa abroad; pinaghihirapan naming ito sa buong araw na pagtatrabaho.” ###
Willie Jose is a freelance journalist, and his past experience includes serving as a reporter for the Bluffs Monitor, a copy editor for the Times Journal, and, now, a columnist for Balita, a community newspaper in Toronto. He’s an alumnus of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. He has recently written a book—Iskolar ng Bayan—published by Amazon.
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