When OFWs Return

20/03/2025

LET'S GO! AMC Art Studio

15/03/2025

LET'S DO THIS😍 AMC Art Studio

15/03/2025

It's summer, let's do this!
AMC ART STUDIO
https://www.facebook.com/share/1CFTDx9S76/

14/02/2025

Enjoy your stay near Tagaytay, worry-free.

Cabin 2 in Amadeo

30/06/2021

EPISODE 4: The forest trees

So in your storyline you now have an ending and this will be your guide to start the chapters, stages or levels of your story. In my line of work, I usually come across with studies and reports about the OFW lifecycle. One study I encountered was Dr. Nyameh Jerome's application and impact of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. In his paper, he explained that the theory's five hierarchical needs can also be applied to organizational culture and employee performance. According to Maslow’s theory, one does not move on to the second need until the demands of the first have been satisfied or the third until the second has been satisfied, and so on. To make the long story short, the information related to the theory of hierarchical needs could also be relevant and applicable to the design of your chapters. Think of your chapters as levels where you need to fulfill first the requirements of level 1 before moving up to level 2 and so on.

Your first chapter or level 1 is where you take care of your biological needs like food, water and housing. You need to secure your health and a place to sleep. Once you satisfied this stage or level, you are now ready to move to the next level, which is about your need to feel safe. Afterwards, you move up to Level 3 which talks about the need you must satisfy and this is your need to belong, to give and receive love and affection. Leveling up, you will need to secure self-respect and self-esteem in level 4. Once the previous levels are satisfied, it is only then that you level-up to Level 5, securing your need for self-actualization or in the words of Maslow, "a person's need to do what he was born to do." This level is about creating your legacy or what we can call the ending of your story.

This is the forest view of your chapters. Later on, I will share to you detailed information or those specific topics related to achieving the ending of your story. For now, bear in mind the structure or framework of your story from chapter to chapter. Slowly but surely, pieces of information from each chapter of your story will reveal itself becoming a complete book filled with your own experiences and stories.

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📸 ctto

28/06/2021

Episode 3: What is your timeline?

A few years ago, prior to the pandemic, we had an assignment where we researched on the "right" FINLIT (financial literacy) for OFWs. We found out that most OFWs always knew their deployment date but not their return date. At the initial stage, they knew they are going abroad, will earn dollars and voila - their dreams will come true. But this is not the case when going abroad, in real terms. They have not thought about their timeline. But you have to think about what your timeline is, now that you are home.

What does it mean? In their case, this means that they should know how long they will be abroad. For example, if you are a domestic worker, your timeline would be about two or three (2 or 3) years. Or 24/36 months. Once you know this, you will also know that after 24 months for instance, you will not be able to make your dreams come true. Your dream house will not be ready after two (2) years. And your brand-new car. And your lifestyle too. Why? because if you will compute your timeline, you will realize the limits of your timeline. How much will you be earning after 24 months is the limit in your timeline. You will realize the money for your dreams is not yet yours. You still have to work for the money for your house, car and new lifestyle. In other words, there is no money yet! The has to be earned first. You have to work first before you call it your money.

Fast forward today. Let me share what we learned about a new timeline for those already here after working abroad. This is just simple arithmetic. Between today and age 65 years old, how many years is that? That is your new timeline. If you are 45 years old today, your new timeline would be twenty years. If you are 30 years old, between 30 and 65, you have 35 years as your new timeline. Once you know your new timeline, bear in mind that this will be your STORYLINE. A storyline is a compilation of activities you will pursue to have the outcome you want. It has a beginning and it has an ending; and in between are your chapters, stages or levels. Your storyline, as I mentioned in my previous post, should start at the ending. Now, what will be your ending, after 20 years? After 35 years? Do you see where you are after those years?

At this point, I shared to you two pieces of information, which will help you to NOT experience the likely trend for most OFWs when they return home: (1) Start with the ending of your story and (2) Your new timeline after you return from working abroad. In the next episode, I want to share what are the possible chapters, stages or levels your new timeline will consist of.

If you are interested in what you are reading here, please like, follow and share.

Some notes:
(1) In your new timeline, the number 65 refers to the possible age you will likely retire when you have an 8 to 5 job.
(2) The number 65 is also based on the information that the life expectancy of a Filipino individual was 61 years of age in 1960 and 71 years of age in 2019. In this post, I chose 65 years old for easy computation (the average 66 years old).

📸 ctto

19/06/2021

Episode 02: Start with the ending of your story (part 2)

If we analyze every story, we ever read or heard, we will find out there is this convention: (1) the beginning hook, (2) the inciting incident, (3) the promise of a big event, and the (4) ending payoff (The Story Grid, Shawn Coyne).

For every beginning, we find out the lead character/s are in a bind, seems like giving up, at a loss, or in a state of mess (this sounds familiar, is it not?). Then there is an inciting incident that will happen - a big loss or a huge win - and allows the lead character/s to gain composure or pick-up the pieces or perhaps change his outlook and direction in life. Then he or she readies himself/herself to a big event, like a performance of a lifetime or a race or a competition where the lead either wins or loses as the ending payoff.

In reality, those successful stories have something in common: that to go from here (the situation they are in) depends greatly on where they want to get to (the ending of their story). So, ask yourself again: "What is the ending of your story?" What is your long-term goal NOW?

No matter what bad situation you are in, how sorry you are for not doing this or that, or how heavy is your burden now because of a failed mission, remember this piece of information: all this is part of your story. All that are happening right now are just inciting incidents to YOUR story. Those are not the ending payoff. In due time, and when YOU are deserving, the ending of YOUR story will be revealed. This ending will become YOUR legacy. This is the only reason you should ever believe in. Forget the many excuses and reasons why this will not work.

If you ask me, I want to get to a life of old age where I have a budget of at least PHP 1,000 a day. It's that simple. No worries, no headaches. Because I see myself living comfortably with a 1,000 peso budget every day. Think about this. The minimum wage per day in Metro Manila is about PHP 500 a day. The government's budget for meals per person is about PHP 150 per meal per person.

But in my case, I sometimes do brunch (breakfast and lunch combined) twice or thrice a week. I spend PHP 130 for to***co for 2 days. I load my phone PHP 300 for a month's call and text. A PHP 1,000 a day kind of life at the minimum is my long-term goal, the outcome I want to get to. At this point in time, this is the ending of my story. But certainly, this is not the whole story for me. How about you? What is the ending of your story?

To get from here (the situation you are in) to there (the ending of your story), I will share information how long or how soon, in Episode 03 "Your Timeline."

If you are interested to what you are reading here, please like, follow and share.

📸 ctto

18/06/2021

Episode 01: Start with the ending of your story (part 1)

Everybody loves a story. The story of creation, for example. Or the story of how you were born. Or the story how you went abroad. Or what happened to you after your employment abroad. Just like what I posted previously, to many if not most returning OFWs, they go home with no work, income and savings; and this has always been the experience. These experiences either become stories of success or failure. In turn and in time, the stories become a narrative which are "stories that do not end" (John Hagel). I like this definition. Because according to Hagel, narratives are about people and potential. So, when OFWs return, what do you think will be their story? Will their story add to the current narrative? What about your story? Will your story be different from them?

Find your place somewhere you are alone and ask yourself this: How do I write my story? What is the ending of this story of mine? In most of my interviews with OFWs, when asked about their goals in life after overseas employment, they answer either, "I don't know," or, "I'm not sure." This is VERY important because "to go from here (the situation you are in) depends greatly on where you want to get to (the ending of your story)."

If you don't want the same experience or fall into the same narrative as most OFWs end up with, you have to know exactly where you want to get to. You have to be clear about what will be the ending of your story. How? Start with the ending of your story. It does not matter if you are in a state of decline right now, or in a situation of self-pity. It does not even matter if you are feeling lost now, after returning from abroad. What matters, what is important, is you know you have a different ending in mind. Because, after all, this is your story and you are in control of the way it will end.

Part 2 will be posted tomorrow.

If you are interested to what you are reading here, please like, follow and share.

📸 ctto

12/06/2021

Return home with no work, income and savings, and how you can change that

In previous posts, I shared to you key findings of a survey we did some years ago. These are: 1) returning labor migrants like OFWs are more likely to have no clear plan of future economic activity upon returning home; 2) They are likely to pay for debts, build a house, and education expenses of children while abroad; 3) They are likely to face economic difficulties upon return because they either have insufficient income or savings; and 4) labor migrants need medical support, livelihood and job placement assistance upon return.

Now if you read the latest report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), "COVID-19 Impact Assessment on Returned Overseas Filipino Workers," the story remains the same: majority (more than 80 percent) were unemployed and have lesser (around 60 percent drop) income upon return.

In other words, when migrants return, many go back to a streamflow that has remained the same most of the time, just like rainfall coming down on land, and eventually running downhill to water bodies like creeks and rivers.

This has been a common occurrence for the longest time among labor migrants: work abroad -> pay debts, housing and education of children -> return home with no work, income and savings.

And it's likely that you will ALSO experience that. How YOU can change that is what this page is all about. Let's get started.

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📸 ctto

11/06/2021

Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs need medical assistance, livelihood and job placement assistance, in that order, upon return.

I wonder if it's still the same today .

09/06/2021

When migrants go home, they are likely to face economic difficulties upon return, mainly because of insufficiency in income and /or savings. This is not surprising because many of the OFWs (labor migrants from the Philippines) may have remitted their incomes to pay for debts, housing construction and education expenses of their children.

With lesser (or no) income and savings upon completion of overseas employment, they are more likely to go along a path of no economic activity.

08/06/2021

Is this still true today?