Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash
"Do working abroad can be the only answer to poverty?"
I thought to myself as soon as I have heard the news of my cousin planning to go abroad as a Domestic Helper.
Just a brief background about our hometown, if you have read my previous blogs, it is a rural area and the progress is much slower than here in the city. The opportunities are limited and the salary rates are much lower. My cousin used to be a saleslady in a Department Store there but they don't retain employees for a regular position, the maximum contract is only lasts about 6 months with a below minimum salary and benefits deducted from it monthly.
Other jobs there would be farming and working on small time grocery stores in the market. It is surely hard to thrive in such a small town; that's why many people there migrates to the city, work in Manila or overseas.
We meet prior when she was working on her documents here in Bacolod. And by requesting for your personal documents at the registry can be quite expensive if you're not financially prepared for it. Honestly, that day, she got short on a budget. Gladly, she has friends who helped and lend her money before I came to her waiting in the plaza.
Fast forward.
We meet again when she was about to leave for Manila since her Visa and passport is ready; she just need to train there for months and get ready for the awaiting work overseas.
I treated her a dinner before she bids goodbye. We ate at Chowking since the office of the agency where she has applied lies in the same building as the fast food chain. I told her that she should eat before her flight took off because the waiting and travelling time from the airport to her destination would take hours and she'll starve while on it. But I know she's on a budget when she told me that she's not used to eating when travelling because she might feel nauseous.
After our dinner, she and the other applicants left with their recruiters. It's just sad to see another family member leaving for abroad and hearing their reasons that it is for the sake of their family. She's not the only one in my family that left for abroad, but they're many. Actually, I'm considering it too when I graduate in college.
If the welfare of your family weighs more than pursuing your dreams at your own pace, then it's your calling to sacrifice your years of happiness for their sake.
Back to my question, "Do working abroad can be the only answer to poverty?"
Actually, not really.
However, it is the fastest way to end our suffering in poverty and provide well for the family. There are lots of opportunities here in the city, but we are cramped up here already and the competition is high. Moreover, employers prefer higher qualifications in every jobs making it more and more out of reach for people who doesn't have a college degree. And even if you have a degree, you'll still be job-mismatched due to the high competitions.
Thus, going abroad is more appealing and easier answer for most people here. If only there are other ways, but for now, there isn't. I can only wish her all the good lucks and pray for her safety while she is far away from us.
