After Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appealed to Filipino overseas workers to return home and leave their jobs in Kuwait, many of them expressed their dismay and great disappointment towards Duterte’s request.
In a news via ABS-CBN, president of the Philippine Affiliation of Skilled Manpower Agencies in Kuwait, Marissa Fernandez, claimed the OFWs cannot just simply leave their jobs in Kuwait as an answer to Duterte’s call for “raise of patriotism”.
“Sa ngayon po, ang nakikita at nakakausap ko pong mga kababayan dito na OFWs, marami po ang against po sa sinabi ng ating Pangulo na umuwi na po ng Pilipinas. Dahil karamihan po sa amin, kagaya ko po, 23 years na ako dito sa Kuwait, mabuti po ang mga employer at maaayos naman po ang trabaho.”
She added that the income they earn in the country is much sufficient to sustain the needs of their families than to work in the Philippines.
Fernandez attested that not all of them experiences abuse and maltreatment, sharing her personal story of being fortunate in working for a good employer for 23 years.
“Wala po kaming naririnig na kahit anong masama sa mga employer dito. Lahat po kami ay disagree na makabalik ng Pilipinas dahil sa dami po ng kumbaga sinusustentuhan namin sa aming pamilya at mga obligasyon, hindi po namin basta pwedeng hayaan o umuwi po ng Pilipinas.”
Meanwhile, many OFWs are feeling doubtful about Duterte’s claim that there are sufficient jobs waiting for each OFW upon their return to the Philippines. This includes the fact whether they will be receiving the same or much higher salaries than they are earning in Kuwait. That indeed remains a big question.
