The Pinoy Advantage

Today is the 119th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine independence from decades of Spanish colonization. So, how far have we gone after gaining this independence? Did we wisely use the opportunities accorded to us by this freedom?

“We’re a nation, once so forward-looking that has stagnated, with the rest of our neighbors passing us by. Despite everything including corruption, violence and mayhem, we’re still a nation capable of regenerating ourselves and, if we try hard enough, we can get ourselves back on the slippery road to progress. What we’re suffering most from, aside from a breakdown in morality and a dismaying spread of pessimism is a brain drain.” There words my late father Maximo V. Soliven would often say when asked to comment on the Philippine saga.

Brain drain. This is the fate of our country. It is sad but a bleak reality. If we do not save our talented and highly skilled people we will go further down in history. What we are doing is allowing the country to sink because we do not give importance to the Filipinos who have the ability to make our country great again. Our old traditional politicians and the new ones are continuously acting like colonizers sucking our richness without protecting and preserving it for the future.

The migration of our skilled human resources is making our foundations weak. The lure of better standards of living and quality of life, higher salaries, access to advanced technology and more stable political conditions in the developed countries attract talents from less developed areas. We are forced to work with mediocre ones. Our educational system and programs are not helping the country progress. DepEd and CHED officials inspecting schools and imposing their requirements need to be on top and learned. Their inefficiency is adding to the weakening of the institutions. Only a few of our countrymen get access to quality education; we need to give the majority a better opportunity to fight ignorance thereby alleviating poverty and stopping the descent of the Filipinos.

Our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are all over the world. We call them our modern day heroes and heroines. Data shows that in 2015, there were 2,343,692 OFW contracts processed by POEA. Household service workers took the top spot with 194,835 workers deployed. This was followed by manufacturing laborers with 41,038; 22,175 nursing professionals; 18,352 waiters; and 14,116 cleaners and helpers in offices and hotels. There were 10,181 deployed home-based personal care workers, 8,156 welders and flame cutters, 7,286 civil engineer laborers, 6,629 plumbers and pipe fitters, and 5,870 working in building constructions. This is not to mention the significant number of entertainers and teachers also working overseas.

These Filipino workers are deployed in various countries around the world. Saudi Arabia is still the top choice of many migrant workers, followed by United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, Qatar, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, Oman, Bahrain, US, Spain and Italy.

We also deploy Filipino seafarers that include able seaman, ordinary seaman, oiler, chief cook, bosun, second mate, engineering officers, messman, waiter/waitress. These seafarers are deployed in Panama, Bahamas, Liberia, Republic of Marshall Islands, Malta, Singapore, Bermuda, Italy, Norway and the Netherlands. They work in vessels such as passenger ships, container ships, oil/product tanker, tanker, chemical tanker, general cargo, supply vessel, pure car carrier and tugboat.

As you travel the world you see Filipinos everywhere ready to assist you with a smile. And I think this is also an advantage because we see familiar faces who can assist us when we are lost in transit, sick, in need of help, etc.

Aside from the skilled workers we have professionals with high-paying jobs contracted by multi-national companies or local companies in different countries, not to mention even government (federal/ state) offices. They deliver quality work. As a matter of fact, they are also all over international non-government organizations, civil society organizations, grassroots organizations, and social movement organizations.

Why do foreign employers like to hire the services of Filipinos? Aside from being skilled and with good work ethics, there are certain traits that these employers find appealing in Filipinos. In an article written by Mark Joseph Ubalde entitled: Good traits make Pinoys preferred abroad, he quoted former Labor Secretary Marianito Roque saying, “Foreign employers hire Filipino workers not because they would take on any job for a cheap pay, but because of their unrivaled skills and good characteristics that give them the edge over other nationalities in labor-sending countries. Positive attributes such as their facility with the English language, their industry, flexibility, ability to learn easily, and their happy disposition gives our OFWs a competitive edge abroad.” We are hard-working, resilient, compassionate, caring, intelligent, friendly, obedient, determined, God-fearing, sympathetic, patient, and persevering. These are the inherent traits of the OFW, which are distinctly and uniquely Pinoy. This to me is the Pinoy Advantage.

More than being hailed as an important pillar of the Philippine economy, former Vice President and DFA Secretary Teofisto Guingona said that the OFW population is a tremendous source of power; consumer power that can be harnessed into economical, financial and political will if utilized wisely and strategically towards nation building.

Has the government made use of the experience and wisdom of our returning OFWs or balikbayans? Actually the present laws make it difficult for our very own heroes including balikbayans to work in the country. If they are not Philippine passport holders, they cannot work. And to apply for a work permit is ridiculously expensive and frustrating. Don’t forget most of them may be retired but are willing to share what they have learned and contribute to the development of our country.

We have the manpower and the expertise, yet, we take them for granted. As we celebrate Independence Day, let us take heed of what my late father would often say: “We were meant for higher things in life. We can do it, if we only relearn to dream, to hope – to dare and to aspire.”