Thank You PEBA!

“The real winners in life are the people who look at every situation with an expectation that they can make it work or make it better" - Barbara Pletcher

My 77-year old mother riddled me with incessant queries over the phone; forget that my yelling reached  a cracking decibels yet unaudible to her as much. My younger brother had bombarded me with questions too. Why am I sending my two sisters to Manila for what? Turns out a rather difficult task to explain to them what I am up to apart from being the most responsible breadwinner on the planet. My woes just started. I vowed not to make promises again - even for a birthday's worth. Earlier, I was not too ecstatic about PEBA night knowing my odds of winning tipped the other side. I knew I had a strong entry, written from the heart and experience. But there were other criteria that my blog fell off from. Silently though I had promised a birthday present for myself if things get my way.

Two weeks preceding PEBA night, I had somewhat a realization that I'm not gonna make it as one of the awardees. Looking at the trend: Alexa ranking - I'm almost dead last - on online voting a perennial bottom dweller - oh yes I have one of the most boring blogs too. Even myself hated my own style of writing - impulsive, preachy, daring - Nebz would call it vitriolic sometimes. To unwittingly lunge it into a lighter sphere suits not my persona, observes a fellow blogger. And so I stopped begging for votes. I'd been mum on Facebook about this obnoxious vote-for-me boo-boos. "I had other things to get obsessed about", my mind consoles my psyche. But my mind has it. If I ever get to the top ten, I will send one of my siblings from Negros to represent me to the awards night.

Exactly a week before PEBA night, I received an email from Yanah Bautista informing me that I have been chosen to receive an award. I had hoped I was in the top ten. As to the kind of award, you certainly won't know until the awards night itself. Hmmm...I remember PEBA site announces 40 plus trophies are to be given out. So I was not sure whether my blog landed on the top ten, or perhaps a special citation for the most melodramatic entry. As I recall, other entries were more of a tearjerkers too so I am not alone contending for that plum. Plus the fact that I was told to make a video of myself or acceptance speech for the awards night. "Oh this is cruel", I resented. I will not in a million years do that - humiliating myself in front of hundreds of people? No way! The message certainly won't get through but my thick Ilonggo accent. Let me just make an essay about world peace or Gloria's mole in fifteen minutes but not this thing called public speaking, albeit a recorded one.

Whether I was in the top ten or not reigns incredulously in my mind. Shall I send my sister to Manila or not, plays tug-of-war in my mind. Over lunch that day, my mind vacillates between the pros and cons of my decision. If I throw a fortune for a two-way ticket plus accommodation, I will have nothing left to help my family tide over this Christmas. Okay, comes the impulse. I had to summon my strongest will. I texted my sister in a spur-of-the-moment. She replied like "are you serious?" kind of thing. Honestly, they have no idea what is this thing called blog. They have the slightest idea what I am up to apart from religiously sending my monthly remittances to them. After much deliberation, one will not go unaccompanied so I had two of them baptized in their first ever taste of air travel. And so, the bleeding of my pocket gushed like no other. What else?

Accommodation though was not sort of a problem because we have  friends in Bicutan who are more than wiling to offer them  a couple of night's sleepover. But as so often happens to those innocent enough to venture  the concrete jungle webbed with superhighways and skyways, heading to the event venue certainly guarantees another headache. And so I had to beg the organizers a couple of seats more to accommodate certified city slickers to chaperone them. Grateful to have found willing volunteers, I instructed them not to come late so as not to avail of SRO. True enough, they arrived at the venue an hour earlier and were duly ushered to the front row. An hour and half past six, the program has not commenced yet as the venue is slowly filled with guests who either got stuck in hellish traffic or got dazed with a finding nemo predicament.

Before the live streaming got to air, my cellular phone was already mired in traffic - this time complaints that the program will not start  a little too soon and some midsection already started to grumble as well. I thought I missed out on the awarding of photo entries as should have preceded the blog entries. Due to time constraint or some  lapses perhaps, the photo awards were not given out that instantly became an issue of seismic proportions. Special blog awards were given out first for different categories. Some blogs even scooped up multiple awards like Friendster, Facebook and Nokia awards. This is what you call misery loves company. "If I ended up zero that night, I think there will still be more losers than winners", I conceded. "So I am in the majority's side", me consoling myself. :-) But wait, I was told I'd be getting one. Until the best blog award for Mideast and Africa was announced. So the rest will have to contend for 2nd to 10th place knowing fully well that most of the strongest entries come from this region.

When my blog was announced, my sister glided the stage elegantly and held up my trophy as though she too won an Oscar. And yes, she was very proud of his small brother - a college dropout who has become his family's breadwinner since eighteen. This blogger had been through so many tough times in life - of being a sidewalk vendor often harassed by police, of getting duped by employment agencies, of becoming homeless in Abu Dhabi, and jobless in Jeddah, what else he has not gone through? There were times I cried reading my own posts about me, my struggles and my regrets. Though my mother does not understand about this blogging award, I'm sure she is proud of me too, for what I have done for our family.

On arriving home in Silay City, my two sisters have not run out of stories to tell. Maybe not so much about the glitz and glamor at the venue or the freebies that they took home with them. Not even the dizzying skyways and colossal traffic that confronted them, but on feeling proud of the recognition that I got. One of them asked me why I had to choose my nickname to be written on the trophy instead of my real name. By the way, in Negros I am Isoy or Isiock to most of them. Rarely do they call me Nelson. Since the title of my blog is !Soy Negrense! they read it as Isoy. Believe me I could not stop laughing at the blooper. So I had to explain to them that it is Spanish which means I am a Negrense. And my mother had her moment too. She said is this all my 'pasalubong' for her? A Plate? She would further argue that we had a lot of plates already and that she doesn't prefer glass because it breaks easily. :-)

Whether my blog deserves to be in the top ten or not is for anyone's opinion. I too have my own set of favorites and seven of them got to the top ten. And I am very happy that my predictions held true. So more or less the judges got it right. Winning fifth place is not bad on a first try. To me, there are greater reasons why sometimes we are compelled to write our own stories and share our lives to others. With PEBA's advocacy on strengthening OFW families in light of rising incidence of failed marriages and broken families, I could not find a bettter and more visible platform than this to be able to tell the world of what is actually happening behind the sacrifices of an OFW family brought about by diasporic migration in pursuit of a better life. There are still countless other stories that waited to be heard - of love, sacrifices, dreams and sometimes failures that become fixtures in a life of an OFW.

My deepest gratitude to the PEBA founder Mr. Jebee Kenji Solis and PEBA president Mr. Nereus Jethro Abad,  for their enormous efforts and sacrifices to make the PEBA event a resounding success - and of course to all the PEBA people around the world - and in the Philippines for their extraordinary passion and dedication to make PEBA a real platform for OFW excellence, whereby blogs are a powerful tool to get OFW sentiments heard across the world - sending out inspiration and strong statement that we are not just another group or sector but an organization, a genuine one, founded with a genuine vision and mission - to carry the torch of  OFW causes - and be a catalyst for change one way or another. I salute you guys! Thank you for making my birthday a truly memorable one! Merry Christmas to all!

And She Duly Lost Her Cause

"As long as there remain barbaric and sex maniac Arab employers, there will be no dearth of abused victims being raped and murdered."

Just like any domestic helper working  in the Middle East content with a dirt cheap salary, she did not wish to be rich, she just wanted to feed her loved ones, send her kids  to school and help her old parents.  Asria Samad Abdul  a typical housewife, frail and wrinkled by poverty, became a symbol of a failed struggle by hapless domestic helpers in their pursuit of a better life.. She hailed from Maguindanao, the third poorest province in the Philippines,  famous for its two group of people - the bestial and powerful billionaire Ampatuan clans and the poorest of the poor in the land.

In her struggle to escape untold of poverty, Asria Samad landed a job in Kuwait as a domestic helper. Not surprisingly, her employers maltreated her by starving and beating her - enough reason that she fled from them. The next phase of her precarious adventure would later prove to be her last gasp off the noose. The Kuwaiti couple who subsequently took her in had ferociously feasted on her on a daily basis by subjecting her to extreme physical abuse. The indescribable cruelties she suffered from their hands rendered her weaker each day that they decided to throw her in the desert. Asria was too weak but alive when the evil Kuwaiti couple run her over three times to make it appear that she was a victim of a hit and run. (So that proves that even the fiercest soul-less criminals can sometimes be the most stupid too.) Convinced that they got rid of her, they must be celebrating when police was able to track them down. Thursday, July 15 when the body of Asria was found near a horse stables in Kabad, a desert area. But the sleuths did not buy the idea that it was a case of hit and run when only her eyes were without  bruises.

In retrospect, a three-man team of solons led by Rep. Carlos Padilla went  to the Middle East in November last year on a fact-finding mission to see first hand the conditions of OFWs especially the domestic helpers. On their five-city tour that consisted of Riyadh, Jeddah, Amman, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, they got to interview some runaway domestic helpers housed in those shelters and every one of them had a unanimous recommendation to the government, to put a stop to the deployment of domestic helpers in the Middle East. Each distressed runaway had the saddest story to tell them, that they came up with a strong consensus that it was about time the Philippine government  act on it.

The recommendation from the three solons would have gained ground, because there was no bilateral agreements that existed between Middle East countries and the Philippines, insofar as protection of migrant Filipino workers is concerned. Section 4 of the Republic Act 8042 or the Migrant Workers Act of 1995 says, that there must have existing social and labor laws protecting the rights of migrant workers. Rep. Padilla would later hit the government on this, because it keeps on violating its own laws when it cannot ensure the protection of Filipino migrant workers yet aggressive in its  labor export policy.

Another compelling reason according to Padilla why the government has to put an end to the deployment of domestic helpers to the Middle East is, the cost of repatriation of distressed OFWs is too high that it could even cause bankruptcy to the OWWA. It is a fact then that the economy is not projected to suffer (or will not be affected at all) if the government pushes through with the complete ban.

So here we go. If the government is incapable of protecting its exported workers, why not stop exporting the most vulnerable? We know and the government knows that the DHs are the most susceptible to being trafficked, oppressed and abused by their employers. Not to mention those being raped and murdered by their sex maniac employers. I really wanted to hear success stories by our compatriots who worked as domestic helpers to give a bit of rationale (of continually exporting them),  but I could not find one. If there were few in the list, what was the ratio against those who were beaten, starved, raped and went home dead?

Media reports and Human Rights organizations certify that the Middle East is the most dangerous place for domestic helpers. Sans seers and oracles, countless cases of abuses and deaths don't see its end coming in the near future, because the trend is there to stay. So what else are we waiting for? It's a shame that the government has spent more time brainstorming ( as to the new title bestowed on our exported compatriots ) than deciding on their greater good. Hallelujah to them that sit on their thrones for protecting the dignity of our domestic helpers (by upgrading their title)!  Now we can legally and respectfully call them Household Service Workers or HSW and not DH anymore. But here in the Middle East? They will be eternally referred to as "Kadamat" or "Alila" or Servant.

It's still current in my memory how my older sister recounted to me the indignation she suffered at the hands of her recruiter from Bacolod City.  She was offered initially to work in the palace (kuno) for the Sheikhas of Qatar. She was very ecstatic then at the prospect of working in a palace. But when her documents were completed (minus the  ticket), she was told that her profile was liked by a very rich family in Lebanon and that they had no option but to send her to them. "In Lebanon you will be treated with the experience of a lifetime where you can literally walk on the snow, whereas in Qatar, you will  not be allowed to go to the mall nor remove your abayah, you will be a virtual prisoner inside the palace." (They now equated Qatar to hell.) All of us resisted the idea because of reports on some Filipino domestic helpers falling from buildings in Lebanon (like meteorites),  and widespread abuses of domestic helpers, (as evident in the embassy's crowded shelter housing hundreds of distressed runaway). When my sister decided to back out, she was made to pay for the ice cream and lunch the recruiter had earlier ordered in addition to  mouthfuls of profanities. Thank God she did not push through to Lebanon as the war broke out the next year that led to repatriation of thousands of domestic helpers from Lebanon.

Despite  Filipino communities and several Human Rights groups urging the government  to immediately ban the export of domestic helpers in Kuwait in the aftermath of the twin brutal murders of  our compatriots last month, the Philippine government stresses that it is not  placing a ban on deployment of domestic helpers in Kuwait just yet. The DFA was even straightforward in its assessment that placing a ban on domestic helpers in Kuwait is not the solution. So that tells of the wimps in the government how ineffectual and useless are they. All  facts and figures are readily laid out on the table yet they still refuse to act with urgency. Earlier recommendation in November 2009 by the three solons of complete banning did not even stand a chance of deliberation in Congress until it just died in limbo.

We know for a fact that abuses and deaths of our compatriot domestic helpers will not stop unless there is a complete banning of their deployment in the Middle East. As long as there remain barbaric and sex maniac Arab employers, there will be no dearth of abused victims being raped and murdered. The bad news is -  abusive behaviors by these human species have been the way of life here in this part of the world and will never become outdated and it will thrive as long as they propagate. Another bad news is - their cravings for human preys will be satisfied by the enterprising DFA officials, in the form of a fragile poverty-stricken commodity called Filipina domestic helper. Since the government admits its inability to find resolution to the situation, expect that more cases of abuses and murders will fill our primetime appetite in the coming weeks or months, ominously signaling that Asria's cause will be nothing but a 'charge to experience - better luck next time' send - off advice by the Philippine government. Where is the dignity they are advocating when the recipient is already dead?

Of Profits And Perils

"Unless it is the Lord that builds the house, the laborers labor in vain (Psalms 127:1)."

Apparently, there can't just be all happiness and success in life, it must come at a cost somehow. When some earned it and worked for it, others chose to ruin it. Benjie (not his real name) is a former colleague in Jeddah. He  is a father of three and a husband to his attractive wife Jessa. He draws a hefty salary. He gets to travel in Spain to train for the company. She is a typical OFW wife. She's addicted to shopping and loves flaunting around a can-afford status. "Generosity to oneself is no privilege earned, it is a right", she rationalizes. And likewise he does. A nice job and an ability to provide for his family beyond their needs, are reasons strong enough to reward himself too,  of some slice of generosity - albeit in the form of another woman's bosom. Comes Mia in his life. She is a Muslim, a Maranao from Lanao del Sur. She's unmarried and a certified runaway. They fell in love. She got pregnant. When a Maranao association learned of her plight, they threatened to get him. His life and career then started to crumble. If caught, Mia could  be deported right away, for Benjie - lengthy jail time and lashes await him. It didn't take long before he found himself dragging his luggage from a conveyor belt at NAIA. Worse, he discovered his wife having an affair with a college student. The two eventually agreed to separate. But his misery just did not seem to stop when  his 16-year old daughter revealed she was pregnant.  As for his baby boy left in Jeddah, he is already one year old now, and very healthy under the care of a surrogate gay parent.

Two blocks from our company accommodation, Aling Editha keeps herself busy with her thriving homemade tocino and longaniza business. I am one of her 'suki'. She lives with Mang Eddie, her 'husband' here of twelve years. They have no children. Them are a normal couple living happily and 'legally'; thanks to a marriage certificate obtained from the Consulate. He works for a local media group as photojournalist, while she juggles between her full-time job as manicurist and her tocino business . They are a picture of a happy couple but both are not hesitant to admit they have their own respective families in the Philippines. He could automatically qualify to sponsor his wife but opts not to. Instead, he settles  for an annual vacation. Yes, it is extremely painful for their families back home had they known of  the situation.. Yet their cases are not isolated. They are all over the map.  Let's face it. These are real stories of real people.

Despite this alarming trend, there are also feel-good stories of a handful OFWs who keep the dignities of their families protected. Across the Gulf in Abu Dhabi, Elmer works as an aircon technician. (We both worked as warehouse helpers in a garment factory inside FTI Complex some years back, and just recently we found each other on Facebook.) Despite his rather low-paying job, he was able to build a modest home in Indang, Cavite with the help of his wife who started a small carinderia and sari-sari store. From their initial capital of 7,000 pesos, their business has grown dramatically in seven years. Elmer meanwhile waits for his completion of ten years in his company to be with his wife and two kids. I asked him how he is able to put together enough resilience and perseverance in his work. His reply was nothing of the extraordinary. " I draw my inspiration from my wife and kids who in turn draw inspiration from me. And my strength, I draw from God." Ah, I almost forgot he earlier told me he is an active member of the music ministry in a local Christian fellowship in Abu Dhabi.

Indeed a variety of stories each OFW can relate. Mostly inspiring yet some are frustrating. Each story reminds us,  that our love for our loved ones has brought us to wherever we are now and guided us to whatever we have become.  This year's theme advocated by PEBA does not only put the spotlight on the family as the most basic unit of society, therefore  the most important too. We all love our families and nobody would argue about that.  Each of us has our own purpose why we chose to be separated from them. To give our loved ones a better tomorrow easily tops our agenda. To most of us, it is purely economic reason and economic reason alone. To others maybe not, but for the majority including me it is.

For a kid born to a big family of twelve, in a place where barefoot seven-year olds ditch their being kids for a day sweating out under the sun while dodging the wrath of stinging sugarcane leaves, life indeed offered little compassion. Hardly able to get by, with my father alone in his responsibility to feed us all, my mother could only offer little resistance in between sobs, knowing that her children are leaving one after the other. My older brother for Surallah in South Cotabato to work in  a  ricefield, and my sister who next sailed to Iloilo to work as babysitter who eventually took my other sister with her later. And another sister who was barely fifteen, was hired by our neighbor to work as housemaid for a Chinese family in Mandaue.

Other than the scourge of scarcity, ours was a picture of a contented family. Our parents who themselves did not complete primary school, recognized the value of  education - or at least higher than what they had reached. Unable to realize that dream for their children, when we basically struggled to keep our heads above water, we had to be sent out  somewhere, either to work so as to get to school, or to work just to be able to survive. Time and destiny would later conspire that I faced my own. Armed with a few units in college (and some fierce determination), I decided it was my time to slowly weave my own destiny, oblivious of the difficulties that lie ahead, yet mindful of the same that inspired me to press on. My inspiration? - my father who worked tirelessly and saw to it that there was food on the table, and my mother who had to routinely get up before dawn  (albeit stealthily so as not to wake us),  to prepare the village folks' favorite 'bibingka' so that we have notebooks and pencils in school.

No matter what the circumstances in life, it is our love for them that keeps us going. They are our strength and inspiration. They are the reason why we persist to exist even at times when we almost refused to. We put their interest before our own. To the point that we are reluctant to tell our sad tales  in a foreign land because we don't want them to worry about us.  Of being routinely tossed aside from the till point where I was serving, to clean the bathroom because our Arabian colleagues are deemed unworthy touching the dreadful. Of believing that being the breadwinner, it is a natural thing to subsist on a diet of eggs and noodles to make do of a salary too scanty for the whole family . However, all the feelings of cynicism and self pity of having to forget yourself, and anger for being discriminated against, just go away with the thoughts of them.  But nothing beats the pain of losing a father without having tasted the fruits of my sacrifices and not seeing him lowered to his final abode.

"She knew the uncertainties that await her in Kuwait. She gambled but kept the faith. To feed her son and send him to school topped her list. And there is her mother who is sick. But in an instant all her dreams perished, now her family mourns of her death. As the collective OFW diaspora swiftly reacted in rage, the pain inflicted on the family of Asria Samad can never be healed. What she only knew then - she loved her family, and the pains of not being able to feed them superseded that of the perils that she will have faced. Indeed she did pay with her life - dearly - and lost it." 

Invincible fortitude, unassailable spirit and fierce determination, serve as our arsenal that equips us in our battle with uncertainties in a foreign land. Them that keeps us staying afloat through stormy seas. Them that enabled our immune system to strengthen us when we needed comfort and care.  Yes, they are our loved ones.  It is the thoughts of them that cool us down under the oppressive desert sun by the Gulf. And the thoughts of them blubbering  neath our epidermis that keep us warm in a freezing Alaskan shore. And the thoughts of them that keep us sane  in a chaotic Tel Aviv nursing home. How I wish we had the fortitude and resilience of Elmer and the spirit and determination of Asria. Regrettably, others like Benjie and Jessa who did not stand by their vows to each other, chose to crush the dignity of their family. As for Mang Eddie and Aling Editha, their love affair shows no sign of waning, albeit flourishing in this part of the world yet uncertain in another.

Strangely enough, some of us articulated our mission time and time again, that no matter what the circumstances in life, we are willing to make sacrifices for our loved ones, and yet we make it on our own terms. The mission of realizing those dreams that keeps our reluctant feet going is no longer paramount, but has suddenly been blurred by the slightest tickle of temptation that beckons us. Who are we fooling? Can we count those precious innocent lives who have been at the receiving end of broken families? How many OFW's daughters got pregnant at 16? And misguided young sons into drug addiction and criminality? Are they not daily fixtures in our primetime appetite? We certainly hate them to happen to us. And so why subscribe to the eternal mantra of the deceitful that "I am only human", therefore I am into this habit? We all know that there is no magic formula as to how one remains faithful to his or her spouse. It is a daily battle that could be won in one's own term, no secret formula, it is a given one, stand our ground and keep the faith is all what we need.

Fellow OFWs, unmarried and not,  we all know of our purpose and mission in a foreign land. Some of us may have opted to permanently settle in a country that gave us the fulfillment of our dreams, yet most of us are homebound to our loved ones to share the fruits of our sacrifices. A modest house, a hefty bank account or the flashiest gadgets - all of these will go to naught  sans a family that firmly stands. For no amount of temporal things will ever surpass the joy of seeing your family  complete under one roof. As the PEBA president announces (in his message),  that failed marriages among OFWs are on the rise, it is high time that you stand resolutely to safeguard the dignity of your family. To those blessed with spouses, communication of all sorts are in abundance. Use them to your advantage. Encourage and comfort each other, for tendencies of infidelity abound wielding its  clout and power, its threat  knows no age,  dispensation it has none.  And let us remember, that the success of a person is not gauged by what he has achieved in life, but by the amount of respect he has earned.

Most importantly, let's not forget our Maker - our only source of life and strength. Seek  His guidance and protection -  He who made us and loved us. When we make Him  the central figure of our household, all our cares and worries get subdued.  For unless it is the Lord that builds the house, the laborers labor in vain (Psalms 127:1). Because we only exist by His grace for  apart from Him we can do nothing.  Isn't our God bigger than any of our problems?

Lastly, I would like to applaud the PEBA people for their advocacies on  strengthening OFW families, in light of the rising incidences of failed marriages and misguided children caused by separation from loved ones. I would also like to thank them for encouraging new bloggers like me to share our thoughts and stories, or perhaps lessons worth sharing that will serve as inspiration to others. This year's theme they put  forth is timely and carries a sense of urgency, that opens up the reality behind the sacrifices of an OFW family and the price they have to pay in their pursuit of a better life. As for those who have lost their lives like Asria and many others who have suffered a similar fate, the lives of their loved ones left behind will never be the same again.  Aren't we blessed that we stay whole?  To God be the glory!

If this article inspired you, please leave your comment and VOTE ! I'm nominee # 11 ¡SOY NEGRENSE! Thank you very much.

PEBA 2010: Focus On Strengthening OFW Families

"Earthquakes can't shake us, hurricanes can't break us, cyclones can't take away our love."

Strengthening OFW families as this year's PEBA theme is timely, and an emphatic admission that failed marriages has gotten to the forefront of social cancer maligning an OFW family. The call to strengthen the very basic unit of society is a necessity to underscore the importance of a strong family ties that defines a prosperous nation.

Working abroad to fulfill your dreams for your loved ones is paramount among all OFWs. No man in his right senses would ever leave his family for a job in another country. That used to be the norm but not anymore. As an OFW myself, I would rather be away from my loved ones than we stay together, and die together. Anyway, economic  reason tops our agenda why we leave our family back home. The benefits are just tremendous.  All these benefits however come at a price. And sometimes the price proves too costly. In the end, an OFW may have achieved his dreams economically, but if unfortunate, his family could also fall apart.

The call to strengthen an OFW family may be a noble one. But this effort may sound boring and futile to some who have been in real situations  for a variety of reasons. One may protest, "it is not as easy as  preaching to the transgressors without getting to the bottom of the transgression". Another would say, "before you throw judgment,  fill my shoes, then and only then you could understand why we are in this situation".

Philandering, as the PEBA president announces, is the main culprit why an OFW family crumbles to pieces. Infidelity among married couples knows no dispensation, and is expected to outlive even the strongest brands such as Coke and Microsoft. But does it say of our compatriots' propensities to illicit affairs when away from their spouses? My good judgment is yes. I've seen and known them. Plenty of them. And some readily smarting out their rationale, "life is a gift meant to be enjoyed and shared with" - even if it is the wrong partner. Having said that, I am in no way vilifying the "lonely hearts" brigade, neither I am validating this kind of behavior.

Our family always tops our priority. We persist to exist even at times when we almost refused to - and the reason is them. We at times choose not to narrate our sad stories to keep them from worrying about us. That we subsist on Indomie, and scour for a five-riyal shirt at a flea market in downtown Khobar, or fighting with a Panda Hypermarket cashier who slaps you with a Batook chewing gum, when you actually prefer your fifty-halala change - is beyond them. That says of our sacrifices for them. But sacrifice is only acceptable and valid when made out of good intentions. And we don't think twice to make them repeatedly for their sake. This intention with all its nobility can however go down the cliff when the rope that binds them together snaps.

Every OFW family deserves the sweetest reward of reaping the fruits of their sacrifices. For no amount of material and temporal things will ever equate with the beauty of an intact family. A hefty bank account, a modest house, or the most flashy gadgets play only second fiddle to the glory of having a complete family. Just like our own Charice preaching  in her pyramid analogy, so is the importance of the relationship in the family. "Earthquakes can't shake us, hurricanes can't break us, cyclones can't take away our love", says the song. Comes a mini-Ondoy and everybody drowns, because they forget to take the fridge off their back.

As the OFW family gets the monopoly of the spotlight this year, the well-being of every OFW and his family back home tops the agenda of PEBA. Kudos to the PEBA people  for putting together an endeavor of great substance, especially the PEBA president (Desert Aquaforce), who did a great job in sending his message across that serves as eye-opener. The reality he put forth is too powerful to ignore. Credit also goes to the witty post by Mr. Thoughtskoto  for gently prodding bloggers, to show some support by blogging about the theme, that had me rushing and tapping at my laptop in no time to create a few paragraphs for PEBA theme. Way to go guys! We support and salute you all!

Website: Pinoy Expat/OFW Bloggers' Award 2010 (PEBA)

Jeddah Bloggers' EB In Balad!

"If I am in this circle of intellectual minds gathered today, then I can stake my claim to a little slice of prestige among Jeddah bloggers? Wow!! I don't think I deserve to be counted in this 'community'! Ok, I'm about to coil now. But I already did haha!"

It started  months ago, long before the great Mr. Jebee Kenji Solis of Thoughtskoto shuttled from coast to coast - to yet another not-so-unfamiliar territory of Jeddah, when the EB of bloggers was conceived by the El Presidente of PEBA - the quintessential 'kuya' of Jeddah bloggers - the ever generous and gentle yet intellectual powerhouse  Mr. Nereus Jethro Abad of the famed Desert Aquaforce blog. Eighth of July when Jeddah bloggers gathered and exchanged pleasantries for the first time.  Five of us showed up brushing aside - say a drop in man-hours wasted (squeezed in from tight schedule) in tit-for-tat with fellow bloggers.

The mind behind Baul ni Noel, the at-first-glance shy type Noel Ablon - the runaway winner for punctuality nod was the first on the rendezvous. [The guy just walks down the elevator from his nearby office (I'm not sure of that Noel) haha!] If anything, I and Pepe Cabrera of (Camera Ni Cabrera and X-Spot) didn't screw up with time as we've thought earlier as we sped off from work headed straight to the 'event' :-) We could see a guy (in an office attire) standing in an uncomfy spot busy containing the grainy drops off his face in a serious demeanor. I really thought that's not Noel - could be someone else. After a brief stint of cooling down inside Corniche mall, we spotted the boss Mr. NJ already chatting with the guy - yes the guy was Mr. Noel Ablon!

The ever affable and a seemingly surprised Mr. NJ welcomed us as we joined the table ( understandably, we did not confirm our attendance earlier due to work constraint). Credit to Mr. NJ's Malaysian colleague Sani and another staff Zakir for giving him company from a distant and lonely journey from Al Laith to Jeddah.

In the meanwhile, came the great man - the brain behind OFW Kablogs and PEBA - Mr. thoughskoto himself Mr. Jebee Kenji Solis. [Pretend that I am acknowledging the entrance of the man respected in the blogosphere whose persona is larger than life- (forget that he is petite - yet an intellectual behemoth in his own right) bannering a smile and an inquisitive eye speaking in a subdued  tone]. If I am in this circle of intellectual minds (as The Pope chose to allude to in his FB comment) gathered today, then I can stake my claim to a little slice of  prestige among Jeddah bloggers? Wow!! I don't think I deserve to be counted in this 'community'! Ok, I'm about to coil now. But I already did haha!

Being an enterprising mind that he is (with no dull moments filled with exchanges of thoughts and ideas), Mr. Thoughtskoto grabbed the lull amid the de-clogged traffic of minds to present his agenda and his proposal for a better PEBA and its beneficiality. Everyone could only agree with what has been  proposed - and also thrilled, (not for the shared vision of PEBA)  but mind you - with the next EB, probably in a colder setting. (Mr. NJ what do you have to say? Hmmm.) Hey, not everything discussed in a meeting is for public consumption! So Jeddah bloggers you better be there next EB. (Hey Ron Dacz! Still busy exploring the Red Sea?  Share with us your snorkeling experience when you get down to the city!)

[I could only hope Isla De Nebz will be available but sadly he settles now in Kuwait - he is the man responsible for most of the journals at OFW Kablogs, and religiously lending  his genius into it. I became his ultimate fan on my first visit to his blog. Kudos to you Nebz!]  Don't take it against me please (haha!) A deserved praise is a great incentive! This is my site and I have control over anything I have to say :-) :-)

Well, you may never hear me bossing around as to which is the best restaurant in  town to cool down and relax - ever - but I will be there in tow - as always (kapal!) This is the last thing in my bucket list - not my forte, sort of. But wait, I can do the dishes and run errands too! ( In the restaurant? Chill!) So the group decided to settle for the nearest and most spacious restaurant - the famous and conspicuous Shawly restaurant. Everyone seemed to have pretended to have affinity with healthy living and so all settled for the appropriate - drop the carb-laden and high cholesterol menu - in this case halo-halo did the trick and for Mr. NJ who loathes sugary stuff - a vanilla ice cream did appease the carb-fueled temblors within. (sugar pa din :-))

Photos! Photos! And photos!  Nobody did imagine someone nearby is fighting for his life. Zakir, Mr. NJ's assistant rushed from outside and broke the news - a taxi driver in his parked car just died in his seat, obviously of cardiac arrest. As we rushed towards the view from on top, droves of people congregated around the car and we could see a slumping body wrapped in a foil or plastic sheet or something. The paramedics clearly did what was necessary. As everyone looked mystified by the turn of events, the enterprising Camera Ni Cabrera wasted no time capturing the moment with his lens. Yet the sad reality of life remains. One moment you're here, the next you're gone.

Then the bloggers took one another's contact number before dusk as Mr. NJ and company decided to head home to Al Laith - a couple of hours drive from Jeddah? And of course, the moment we've been waiting for - the freebies- 2 big boxes of big big frozen prawns from the world-renowned National Prawn Company where Mr. NJ is one of the big bosses. Mr. Thoughskoto did not partake the loot (haha!) as his freezer is still filled with them (also courtesy of Mr. NJ from their previous meeting ), or maybe he pitied us because we did not confirm our attendance and practically unexpected? Well, anyway thank you Mr. Solis! And thank you Mr. NJ! So  one went to us and another to Noel. Yehey!

If anyone has said I have an anger management issue in my posts? Well, I'm trying to make light of the one I'm writing now. I did attempt. And so I write nonsense. That's the result!

Some Pay The Price To Be An OFW

"I am not the biggest pessimist around, but I only hope the fraction of reasons known to be oppressive to us migrant workers gets the most urgent of attention from the Aquino administration."

Today I stumbled on an article about twenty six OFWs in Jeddah, who resigned from their work due to their   company's alleged contract violations. These workers work as machine operators at Arabian Gulf Manufacturers Ltd. for Plastic. Their complaints stemmed from the company's failure to pay for their overtime work and illegal salary deductions. According to them, the contract they signed in the Philippines stipulated that they will be receiving monthly salaries of 1,200 Saudi riyals, but they were only getting 900 riyals. On May 20, these workers had already filed their resignation effective a month later which is required by the Saudi Labor Law.

It has been reported that as early as September  2009, these workers had already written a letter to the POEA in the Philippines which it also forwarded to the Consulate in Jeddah for immediate action. However, the latter claimed they did not receive the letter. (palusot?) According to Consulate officials, negotiations are still ongoing with the company but if it does not prosper, the option is still open to file a case against the employer before the Primary Commission of Saudi's Ministry of Labor. 

With barely three days to the effectivity of their resignation which is on June 20, these workers fear that they might be kicked out from their accommodation. Originally, the resigning workers numbered 36 but ten of them decided to continue with their work despite contract violations. According to Consulate officials, they have spoken to the agency in the Philippines and got the word that they will shoulder the airfare tickets of the 26 workers but could not give the details. According to them, if after three days they could not present their tickets to their employer, their repatriation will not be processed and so they will be forced to finish their contracts.

This predicament of our compatriots is not new to most of us nor its gravity shocking. This modern day slavery and oppression against our fellow OFWs has been happening since time immemorial.  But unless there are people in the government who thoroughly understand the problem of migrant workers, there will always be similar cases like this  and its occurrence doesn't see its end in the foreseeable future. Countless of sad tales have been told about OFWs especially in the Gulf countries preyed upon by unscrupulous agencies and employers, but I am yet to see a law that guarantees the protection of a migrant worker from these profit-driven soulless predators, and so I just can't  let go of my disappointment of seeing some inutile, inept and slothful flubs in our government doing nothing to improve the conditions of the "modern day heroes" they so gloriously pontificate on.

I am in no way condemning those people in the government who spare no effort to alleviate the miseries of our compatriots, rather I am so critical of the systemic fraud and deception our clueless countrymen have been subjected to, who only aspire to earn decently only to be slapped with the gruesome reality when they get here. It is a universal knowledge that contract changing is the name of the game. What I do not understand is, why the government in its capacity, unable to ensure both agencies and employers to strictly comply to what has been stipulated in the contract agreed upon by all parties, so as not to lose their license for the agency and blacklisting for the employer? Or perhaps, I really do not understand what I am blabbering about? But either way, something should have been done to get these people out of the evil trap called "modern day heroism".

Year 1996, not quite resembling a modern-day hero shortlist, when I first ventured working abroad albeit my frail frame and youthful slackness. I couldn't be less familiar to this painful experience, for I too became an unsuspecting recipient of such a systemic fraud of contract-changing and being subjected to harsh working conditions,  fearful of what lies ahead in a strange and adverse environment. The only hope that drives you out of despair - when there are people around you showing a shred of humanity that keep your rage die down, when words of comfort are a luxuries hard to find.

Now, do we hear talk of solutions? At least to calm the troubled souls down? Or maybe it is too early? The nation may be prowling on over-excitement welcoming an incoming resident in Malacanang, and so our Consulate officials who may be pondering on their own survival after their big boss leaves? Perhaps, I see so early in this new beginning the complacence, power-tugging and collision of interests indicative of a weak leadership? I am not the biggest pessimist around, but I only hope the fraction of reasons known to be oppressive to us migrant workers gets the most urgent of attention from the Aquino administration.

My sympathies go to these fellow OFWs who may find themselves contending with uncertainties whether or not they will be repatriated soon lest they see themselves subsisting on alms from the generous. I could only wish them "better luck next time" or succinctly enough, "please don't ever try coming here again". Bottomline is: for as long as the system doesn't get fixed, there will always be people falling through the cracks. And the cycle continues - evil cycle that is.

A Matter Of Life And Debt -- For The Less Prudent

"For when you have already enjoyed the convenience of buying on credit, and is mired in debt -- there is no more turning around and blaming anyone for your bad judgment."

I used to be in awe of people who carry multiple credit cards. The first thing that runs in my intuition is that - they must be blessed with a nice-paying job. This may sound bizarre, but I did have that feeling of self-pity or envy of sort, because I really had that dream before of having one. For what and why? I did'nt know. I think I was just being innocent or ignorant. I supposed, just to have one in my wallet, period.

Here in the Middle East, this credit card phenomenon is not new to every Filipino expatriate. A lot of stories have been told about credit card related incidents involving compatriots. Mostly troublesome and worse than that, in some cases self-inflicted deaths. These incidents have so far alarmed Filipino communities here and our government officials in the country.

It has been reported that countless OFWs in Dubai are in big trouble because of credit card debts. Some unconfirmed reports speculate that an alarming number of suicides involving Filipinos in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are credit card related. Their desperation to get out of the debt trap had caused them to settle for their gruesome end. And yes, this is really happening.

Even on Oprah, world-renowned financial guru Suze Orman, advises Americans to promptly pay in full as soon as they get their statements, because if they're not able to pay the complete amount in their statement, the amount due becomes a loan. And since there is no moratorium on interest payment, it just goes on until you pay-off your loan completely. And so, this is where most of them fall into a debt trap. No matter how they struggle to get out, the misery just continues.

Had it not been of a former colleague, I would have not thought of delving into this edgy issue. He just lost his job in Dubai. He is very talented and highly qualified for his job. He is well-travelled, courtesy of his topnotch position in the company. His demise from the company was due to his own credit card episode, that the company deemed him to be redundant. He was not alone though, more Filipinos from his company had suffered a similar fate.

Here in Jeddah, I know of many compatriots who own multiple credit cards, but their own ATM cards are pawned to loansharks and private lending establishments. They get their salaries from these loansharks after hefty deductions, and then scramble to pay off their credit card debts from what is left of them. Some of them could barely send money to their families in the Philippines.

Sometimes it is very embarrassing to think, that some of our compatriots could have been factors to the credit crunch that has resulted to the global economic downturn -- albeit to a lesser degree. Why I suspect so? I've known some former colleagues in Dubai and here in Saudi Arabia who just simply disappeared after securing substantial loans from the bank. Some had even used their credit cards to withdraw cash before fading away . As this scheme became endemic to our compatriots, banks have soon alerted airport authorities to apprehend would be fugitives -- and one of my former colleagues had been a recipient of an embarrassing spectacle at the airport, and could face prison terms.

At first, the prospect of getting a credit card is very tempting. Applying for one, has now been made easy and effortless. Amid all known unfavorable effects it may render -- without proper discipline and self-control --the person concerned still has to take responsibility of his deeds and decision-making. For when you have already enjoyed the convenience of buying on credit, and is mired in debt -- there is no more turning around and blaming anyone for your bad judgment.

It is noteworthy though, that this scenario has shed light on my ignorance. That a credit card is not meant to adorn a wallet. That it is not a requisite to a fine status symbol. That it does not solicit envy, instead it necessitates a great deal of responsibility. Because at the end of the day, without excercising self-restraint and discipline, one could find himself at the mercies of the authorities.

When a struggling OFW finds himself in a predicament like this -- losing his job, gets incarcerated and after serving time gets blacklisted -- or worse resorting to taking own's life -- what is left in store for him? What about his dreams? I do not imply that credit card is a menace, in fact to many, it is convenient. It only becomes menacing when one lacks judgment and loses his sense of self-control. And truth be told that remorse always comes at the end -- that is without a doubt.

Another Lonely Christmas

"He has provided for us a mighty Saviour, a descendant of his servant David". -Luke 1:69.

For most of us OFWs in the Middle East, Christmas season comes and goes with less significance--although it is always a much anticipated time of the year.

In a country like Saudi Arabia, where Christmas celebration is strongly discouraged, you don't always get to see Christians especially Filipinos, gather in a festive mode. Christmas parties are normally held behind closed doors. But the good thing is, we Filipinos always find ways to gather to experience its spirit -- albeit in a quieter mode.

This time though, no invitations yet. Probably the problem is the venue. And some old friends have also moved to other parts of the kingdom. Some were on vacation, while others just disappeared.

Strange as it seemed, I received a call yesterday from one of our store managers a Yemeni, greeting me Merry Christmas (in English)! I replied to him jokingly, "I think you only wanted to be invited for a party and get drunk!" And true enough, he also wanted to experience the famous Filipino-style alcoholic indulgence, which I don't really approve of.

What I'm gonna do this Christmas by the way? The 24th and 25th fall on Thursday and Friday. And we naturally take offdays on weekends. Maybe will be shopping for some ingredients for spaghetti or pancit, just for the feel of Nochebuena. I am not really a big fan of carbs, so I guess I may not devour much of them.

But even while I write this post, I already lost my usual zest to write. I feel bored, my eyes fixated on ASAP 09. My mind doesn't cooperate. I just miss Christmas in my hometown. All my siblings will be holding a reunion. Not impossible though, they all live in one island.

The picture above was taken last year, when we were still excited to decorate our living room for Christmas. Those were recycled decors courtesy of our Ramadan window displays. Ironic, right?

And to all my friends and critics, (I'm getting more each day), I wish you all a blessed Christmas! Although we people, tend to forget who is the central figure of Christmas, He who authored the real essence of Christmas never forgets us.

We may find John 3:16 boring and old, but this beautiful verse is timeless, and the very same message that reminds us of God's great gift of salvation, through His son Jesus. We don't have to labor for it nor pay for it, we just accept it because it's a gift, and a gift is free. Ephesians 2:8-9 says," For it is by Grace that you have been saved, not from your own works, so that no man should boast."

Housemaids in the Middle East - Their Grim Plight

"Some are fortunate and have become successful. Some are not that fortunate. And some have also met their ends here."

One blazing afternoon, as we arrived from work, a dabab (small pick-up truck) was parked in front of our apartment building. A black African man could be seen struggling to offload a decrepit airconditioner. There was no way he could do it by himself. He had three or four women in abayahs surrounding him, looking anxiously but obviously shy. I can guess what they were up to. "We have brand new neighbours again. This is not a beautiful sight to behold". I said to myself, and a little annoyed. This will certainly exacerbate our compounding problem of daily water shortages. "Our landlord is really one hell of greedy flesh and fats!"

As we got down, the African guy asked for help for which I willingly obliged. "Don't you have any men with you to help?" I asked the guy. One of the women did interject. "We are all women, six of us." She said in Filipino. "I am the only Filipina and the rest are Indonesians", she narrated. All of them work as housemaids for different employers, and that they're not allowed to stay in. So they had to rent an apartment.

For them to afford the rent of an apartment, these housemaids pool themselves so as to make it more economical. Usually, their number exceeds the capacity of an average 2-bedroom apartments. However, the downside with this kind of tenants is that, their status draws suspicion of them engaging in illegal activities.

Days and months have passed, our new neighbours next door virtually become non-existent. Very rarely I could chance upon any one of them- except when it's night time, their supposed duty hours. However it didn't take long, when on a number of occasions, I've noticed some suspicious- looking Arab guys outside of the lobby's main door waiting anxiously. As I opened the door, he seemed to look uneasy and agitated, but coyly headed straight to a familiar door. He must have waited for someone else to open the door for him.

Housemaids are conspicuous features in every Saudi household. They are considerably larger in number compared to workers you essentially see outside. Their profession falls under the unskilled category, hence lowly paid. Despite their low wages, their job basically entails round-the-clock errands for their masters. Not to mention, the harshest of conditions most of them are being subjected to.

Their sad plight has become daily staples in any local newspaper. In most cases, the abuses they suffered at the hands of their employers are horrifying. Jealous Saudi wives would resort to locking the maids up when it's time for their husbands to come home. And countless have been reported being raped by their employers and sometimes offered to their friends. The most horrifying of all, some of them die from extreme physical abuses and just being dumped alongside garbages, still their identities unknown.

Until now I am still bothered by one incident that made me chill to the bone. On May 13, 2009, when I boarded a taxi on my way to Jama, this Pakistani taxi driver named Abdulatif confided to me, that he had witnessed a kidnapping of a Filipina woman a day before. The alleged kidnapper was a Saudi in his mid 30s, whose car was a GMC black Chevrolet with plate no. 3769 HKA. According to him, he saw this Saudi man dragging one of these two Filipina women into his car, as one of them was hysterically screaming for help. He could even hear the cries of the kidnapped woman as the car zoomed.

One of the women then hailed this taxi and asked for help. She narrated how her companion was kidnapped while they were waiting for taxi. He then volunteered to take her to the Philippine Consulate but she adamantly refused. She further stressed that they do not have proper documents [which means they are illegal workers] and that they would surely be apprehended and brought for deportation. This woman also refused to report this case to the police for fear of the same. She however prayed that her friend was unharmed. But she felt so distressed that she wanted this taxi driver to help them but not in a way he suggested to her. She nonetheless left her cellphone number to him.

Once I got to the shop, I immediately called our Consulate and reported to them all necessary details about the kidnapping of a compatriot. I also gave them the cell number of Shiela for information. But once they (Consulate people) introduced themselves to her, she replied it's a wrong number. So, what makes the situation all the more complicated is that, the refusal to cooperate by the victims made these cases difficult to resolve. This has become a Catch-22 situation with no resolution in sight. Because if ever they wanted to report the matter to the police, they will surely be apprehended and deported. While if they just keep silent, they can still keep their jobs without fear of being jailed and their loved ones going hungry. But the thought of a missing friend who could have been raped and murdered, remains a constant nightmare haunting them.

I already did what I was supposed to do, and I was ready to put this experience behind me. But after 9days to be exact, as I was watching Balitang Middle East on TFC, there was a report on a dead body of a woman found in Makkah in an advanced state of decomposition, allegedly that of a Filipina. Her identity was still unknown, for her remains carried no identification, except that she resembled that of a Filipina. God forbid! "Could she be the one?" Whoever did this to that unfortunate soul, may he rot in hell!

This is just one true story from a multitude of lives living as expatriates in Saudi Arabia. Some are fortunate and have become successful. Some are not that fortunate. And some have also met their ends here. Not everyone who has dreamed of a greener pasture has found it. Sometimes, we even prefer not to tell our stories to our loved ones back home. Some stories that would make them worry about us. However sad it would be, we always tend to keep it to ourselves, because we don't want to lose focus from our goals.

To our less fortunate compatriots who work as housemaids, I fully understand why they have become what they are. They just want to live simple lives. Not wanting to enrich themselves, but to feed and send their kids to school is just their modest dream. Those who have absconded from their employers have their own stories to tell. And they had no choice but to fend for themselves through illegal means, and help their families get by.

As for my new neighbours next door, I could say they remain shy and aloof, very seldom to be seen-except when ushering some male guests that coincided with my routine. Surprisingly, after quite a time, a newborn baby has been added to their family, as the shrieks and cries of the innocent can be audibly heard. Does the landlord knows about this? Yes of course! As long as they pay the rent on time, it would be a non-issue. God bless the baby!

When Photography Becomes A Form of Terrorism

"My friend smarting from his experience, reasserted that he is a photographer and not a terrorist!"

November 7, 2009 at around 7:30 pm, when we had a brush with Saudi authorities, albeit literally. The timing could be that so bad. We were on our way home from the office, when my friend chanced upon a prospective subject for his photoblog. We parked our car nearby, and started the shoot.

Little did we know, a police patrol passed by and tracked us down. We did not have any single inclination that the police would give us a chase, as we were pretty aware, we did not violate any Saudi law nor offended anyone. But the sight of the police car blocking our way gave me a hellish sensation, knowing how the Saudi police treat expatriates. I kept myself composed. I was not panicking. "If we were to be interrogated, there would be no reason for us to be arrested", I said to myself.

The police then wasted no time searching our car, took our iqamas ( Saudi labor card), and confiscated my friend's camera-a Canon EOS 450D. Sensing a big trouble at hand, I started to call our office. But unfortunately for me, before I could contact the office, one of the officers snatched my cellphone and playfully started to figure out how to operate it. My cellphone unit is SonyEricsson K850i.

One fat police officer began his interrogation. "What were you doing, why were you taking pictures?" I replied in my best Arabic," Sir, this is for my friend's photoblog supposedly for his black and white series." Who would care then, when he did not understand a thing or two from my explanation? What had transpired subsequently, was an endless jabberwocky.

It did not take long however, before we were dragged inside the police car, and to my horror we were handcuffed like criminals. It was very humiliating, as hordes of people started to swarm and witness a spectacle. On the way to the police station in Aziziyah, these two policemen did not waste time searching for any piece of evidence against us. To their frustration, all they could see from our cellphones were pictures of our families and our visual merchandising files.

At the police station, the gadgets they seized from us were turned over to the desk officer. After which, we were literally pushed inside the detention cell. Inside the stinky cell were different nationalities, notably Bangladeshis with petty cases. One Yemeni inmate was a driver and his case was overloading, as he narrated to us. But he couldn't be released because the police was asking for a bribe from his sponsor worth Sr. 1000.

Inside the cell, I offered to pay Sr.10 to a Bangladeshi guy for a call to our office. Our HR people were quick though to act. We were almost 4 hours inside, when we were eventually released. I really thanked God that our predicament was over. I inquired about our supposed crime and our liaison officer told us, it was an anti-terrorism measure for taking photographs. "Are you kidding me?" Yes, a violation of the Saudi government's anti-terrorism law! That's completely nonsense!But that's the truth. And why it took us so long to be released? Because the bribe was too much at Sr.1,500!

My friend smarting from his experience, reasserted that he is a photographer and not a terrorist! One thing I did realize was, when you get apprehended by the police in Saudi Arabia for a police's self-authored crime; one's detention time varies on how quick your sponsor is able to pay bribes at a bargained price. This is quite a story for me in Saudi Arabia, so that when I go back home I will be grateful enough to tell my tales of being an OFW.