While many of us think that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are enjoying luxurious lives as they work abroad, this is not true for most of them. Of course, there are those who are lucky enough to have uber-rich employers who treat them kindly and would generously lavish them with a lot of gifts, yet most are actually having difficult lives abroad.
Here are 10 secrets that OFWs won’t their families, because they don’t want them to worry about what’s actually happening abroad.
1. They make sacrifices to keep those balikbayan boxes full and to buy everyone’s favorite pasalubong.
2. Many OFWs don’t get to eat good meals abroad. A lot just eat bread or even just porridge; others eat once a day.
Photo credit: BuzzFeed / Twitter – @aldub_uae
3. They can’t afford to be sick because there’s no one to take care of them abroad.
4. Some are assigned in jobs they didn’t even sign up for!
5. A lot of them jump at the opportunity of working overtime, just to earn more money to send to their family.
6. After a busy day at work, they have to deal with lots of chores at home because there’s no one else to do those things for them.
7. They cry when there are special occasions and reunions in the Philippines because they wish they can be there, especially for their kids’ birthdays, graduations, and other special events.
Photo credit: Pixabay
8. Holidays may be more lavish abroad, but they aren’t more fun when they are away. In fact, many OFWs can’t even join parties while they are working abroad.
9. Self-pity is their number one enemy, yet they often suffer than alone because they want their families to be happy.
10. No amount of video calls and chats could ease their feeling of homesickness. And there’s nothing sweeter for an OFW than to see their families after long months (or years!) of being abroad. Home sweet home, indeed!
Photo credit: BuzzFeed / Twitter – @Komiks13
What secrets do you wish you could tell your families back home?
