Filipino Expats Qatar

In the interest of full disclosure, I need to mention that I’m neither a Filipino nor an expat in Qatar. I am an American Appalachian from Kentucky working in Saudi Arabia. At best, my humble comments on Malu Fernandez are easily ignored if they are misplaced or completely out of touch. Alas, I wish it was otherwise, but my feelings on Ms. Fernandez’s unjust condemnation of OFW’s cannot be so easily contained in my heart, because her words are just so wrong.

If only I could write to Ms. Fernandez! If only she would not dismiss my words as easily as she has casually dismissed the contributions of millions of hardworking OFW’s! There is not much chance of that. After all, I am an American. Surely I cannot relate to her people.

How can I, a foreigner, recognize that the same OFW’s that she despises so thoroughly have allowed the economy of the Philippines to ride through a number of disasters, both natural and manmade (such as the currency crisis)? How can I see the number of families that are provided for in the Philippines? How can I see the number of children that lead better lives, the number of elderly fathers and mothers that are helped? How can I even relate to working away from home for months at a time just to make the lives of others a little bit better? Aren’t the conditions that allow Ms. Fernandez to proclaim, “Pick a country!” and jump in an airplane on a trip to Europe created on the backs of the thousands of OFW’s that keep the economy from crashing in the steep cyclical downturns that plague to the rest of the countries in the region?

I must be missing something. After all, I’m a foreigner and she’s a Filipino. I cannot judge her.

But, oh, how I wish that I could.

I cannot judge her, but I can celebrate what I’ve seen with my own eyes. My deepest respects go out to the hardest working, least selfish, most noble people that I have ever known, the Overseas Filipino Community. Thank you for setting the world standards for nobility and for hard work. I am proud to know some of you and I aspire to be as universally kind, humble (in attitude, NOT in skills!!!!!), honest, forthright, righteous and giving as you are. As I read the comments of the Filipino community in relation to Ms. Fernandez’s opinion, I note that even though you have been slandered and your contribution maligned, you urge others not to judge and to turn the other cheek. God bless you. I respect this so much. Perhaps it is your duty not to defend yourself. Life is hard, indeed, and God does set hurdles in front of all of us. Perhaps it is not right for others to judge her as harshly as she has judged the OFW community. Perhaps there are class barriers that prevent her from understanding your contribution. Perhaps I am simply “lacking in common sense”.

Perhaps. Or perhaps those very class barriers are as wrong as her words. Perhaps the “subtle” difference between mockery and humor is too complex for my simple mind to grasp. Perhaps others outside of the OFW community should speak up and recognize your vast contributions. I do, and I want you to know it.

Thank you for making the world work. I do not know what this place would be like without you, but I know that it would much darker without the light that you shine on the world.

Thank you for just being you.

My most sincere apologies if I am speaking out of turn. My heart has been aching ever since I saw this article and I just had to say something somewhere. Thanks for bearing with me.

MALU FERNANDEZ: TALK OF THE YEAR (BIGLANG SIKAT)

I’m sure all docu-tv series (Correspondents, Probe, SOCO este…bantay bata) even ariel and maverick ay magkukumahog ma-interview sya or run a story on her, pam-pataas ng rating. but i doubt that these media outfits will be balanced enough para tirahin kapwa nila media person.

AS A CONSEQUENCE MALU WONT BE ABLE TO:

1. RIDE THE PLANE
kawawa naman sya, 10-years syang di makakasakay sa ano mang eroplano domestic or international man, baka magulpi sya kasi her pictures are all over the Internet at lahat ng ating OFWs ay sumasakay everyday to almost all of domestic and foreign flights…

2. GO TO THE MALLS
pano sya pupunta ng MALL? Shangrila Mall, Powerplant, The Block, Podium, Trinoma at iba pang sosyal na Malls? marami ring OFWs ang ipinapasayal mga families nila sa malls na to. mapapadeliver na lang sya ng perfume at LV bags? Or sa Tutuban sya at Divisoria mamimili with all the disguise…

3. GO TO THE SOSYAL NA RESTAURANTS, RESTOBAR, EASTWOOD, EMBASSY BAR, at lahat ng sosyal na bars
Madali syang makikila ng mga OFW, kamag-anak ng OFW, at mga totoong sosyal at mayayaman na tao na may hinanakit sa mga OFWs... im sure galit sa kanya totoong mga sosyal at fashionistang tao like Tim yap, Tessa Prieto, Baby Arenas, etc.

4. HOTELS, RESORTS, BAHAY BAKASYUNAN, ETC.
Cos her face is everywhere posted sa mga magazines, headline ng dyaryo, at mga OFW na naka check-in sa mga hotels, kawawa sya. baka ipa-eject sya. pano sya kakain sa buffet, padeliver na lang sya food sa room, or disguise na chambermaid kung lalabas na ng hotel.

5. DRIVE-THRU NG MCDO, JOLIBEE, ETC.
karamihan ng crew sa drive-thru ay former OFWs at may kamag-anak na OFW, madali rin syang makikilala, baka buhusan sya ng mainit na kape or lasunin sya...

6. BELO MEDICAL GROUP, CALAYANS, etc
magagalit sa kanya mga crew at staff ng mga magagaling na skilled worker na to, karamihan dito may mga kamag anak na OFW baka di nya alam. baka lalong mapasama ang body repairs nya...

7. SALON DE MANILA, BASEMENT, FRANK PROVST, BRUNO’S
most of the crew here may kamag-anak din na OFW, nakakatakot baka gawing mohawk ng mga hairstylist buhok nya sa inis sa kanya.

8. FITNESS FIRST, GOLD’S GYM, ETC
oh my… kakawawain sya dito ng mga pumupunta sa gym, nabasa na kasi nila lahat ng blogs…nasa iPod nga ng mga ito at bilis kumalat, pati mga podcast aggregators/RSS/Atom, naka link sa article nya. na multiply astronimcally damage na ginawa nya sa reputation ng ating beloved OFWs

San kaya sya pwede pumunta, eh halos lahat ng pinoy sa pinas ay may kamag-anak at kakilalang OFWs.

KAWAWA MALU FERNANDEZ lumiit mundo nya, para syang NABARTOLINA.

LETS JUST HOPE AYUSIN NYA NA BUHAY NYA!

what's the fuss with this "malu fernandez" article? well if anyone of us have not ridiculed, assaulted, or insulted anone else in their lifetime, then you have the right to speak up against malu fernandez. you see, all of us is entitled to their own opinion. it only changes when these opinions are rollercoastered across media circuits... from there, it gets dirty.

her biggest mistake is that she wrote about (or against perhaps) one of the most sensitive creatures in the world - FILIPINOS. but the irony here is the filipinos love what they hate most, destructive critisism. yep, that's right, Filipinos most favorite past time is "tsismis". it's obvious anyway since the masses patronize these stupid showbiz talkshows more than quality brainy tv shows. & what do these tv talk shows have, well, simply destroying other people's private lives.

how often we hear pinoys say "ang baho ng mga pakistanis, indians, etc etc". do they get punished for insulting them? so what's the difference if these economy plane-riding ofw's stink as well? ang hirap sa mga pinoy, pag sila ang nang-insulto, okay lang. pero pag sila ang naman ang na-insulto, wolrd war na agad.

pinoys need to a be a li'l tolerant with opinions however inustling they are. the only reason it is insulting is that they are true.

think of malu fernandez's article as just one of those talk shows.