OFW - POEA

Overseas filipino women are workers choose to go abroad to take advantage of opportunities.  Overseas Filipino workers are commonly called OFWs.  The government handles the process of assisting and protecting OFW with its agency the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)

In the Philippines, it is hard for a regular employee to support the family’s basic needs because the income is too little to keep up with the cost of living. They are forced to go abroad to provide their children with better lifestyle and education.  Overseas filipino workers has to leave their kids in order to give them a better future.

Overseas Filipino Workers sent back home from Egypt

Staying within the impoverished areas of the Philippines is a struggle that is hard to survive everyday.  It is very hard to survive especially if they haven’t finish their education.  Even with an a degree, filipino workers are competing to work in fast food restaurants and can be denied work on looks alone.  It is very competitive because overpopulation and not enough jobs that don’t pay enough to live comfortably.

Their whole family is expecting OFW to take care of finances so they have to work harder.  The OFW is often the sole income providing for two generations.  This are the reasons that make them decide to find jobs abroad as domestic helpers, or skilled jobs but low profile like receptionists, sales clerk, cashiers and waitresses.

OFWs who had completed their skills training courses last Nov 2013: Malaysia

Overseas filipino women are very tough and they always adapt to the lifestyle  and culture of other countries, but keep a strong link back to their homeland and remain very proud to be Pinay even when its not popular.  Lots of filipino women work abroad yearly. According to the census survey, there are estimated 2.2 million OFW during the period of april- september 2012 and 48.3 % of that are females. while male is 51.7 %.

What does this mean? This means almost half of OFWs are filipino women who have to earn an income not just for their family but their husband back home. They have to earn a living to feed the kids and their husband because of he will not make enough to provide for them.  In some cases its because the husband is just too lazy to get out and work. Link to the survey : http://www.census.gov.ph/content/2012-survey-overseas-filipinos

Overseas filipino women’s easiest countries to go to are middle east countries and neighboring countries in Asia like Hong kong, Japan and Singapore. They do not pay that much for a domestic helper job but it’s way higher compared to working as a maid within in the Philippines.  It is so lonely for them to be away from their family for a long time but atleast they won’t be hungry anymore.