Why only now, why only the 182 trees, and why Dr. Mike?

If we have to go over the main points of all the questions and arguments of people who are against the environmentalists fighting for the lives of the 182 trees at Luneta Hill whom SM wants to sacrifice in the name of development, we will arrive to the above title. Why only now when Baguio is already almost shaven to its last tree? Why save only the 182 trees when most pine trees are down to give way to homes that are coming up like mushrooms on top and sides of the mountains, and how about the kaingineros who are burning the forests of pine trees to give way for their farms?

I heard these questions one time when I happened to meet friends in a popular place for darters along session roads, and again read it at yahoo news today.

And here is my reply to those questions which are being used as excuse by people who do not want to be bothered, and for those who do not want to be blame of not doing something to protect the environment, and for those who are guilty.

Why only now?

 I have one simple answer to that: Because no one was like Dr. Michael Bengwayan.

 Why only the 182 trees?

 I will say that Kabunyan has a hand on this. He used the 182 trees as the spark to move a leader like Mr. Bengwayan. 182 trees because that is the number needed to help Mike make a case to it.

Why Mr. Bengwayan when there are more distinguished person out there?

 Much to be said, but even Dr. Bengwayan did not ask for this. So, as I said, Kabunyan has something to do with it. He saw this simple man loves the trees more than anyone else does. He saw him ready to sacrifice to save them. Thus, Mike has no choice, but to say, “His will be done!”

For the benefit of us who cannot see through someone’s heart to know how much he loves trees, here is the proof. Dr. Mike went his way to learn about his beloved tree. He became an Expert about her. Every one of us can say we love trees, but no one of us did what he did. Uh, sorry, the environment secretary is an expert! Yah, but only an expert, and not love of the trees, that is why he readily gave up the trees’ rights to live.

Moreover, while every one of us can lead to fight SM, Kabunyan saw our love of the trees is not enough to do the job. We do not have the expertise as the doctor has.

Mr. Bengwayan has all the expertise needed that an ordinary nature loving people do not have – expertise that the possible leaders don’t have to argue with the detractors. If we have been following the case, we know this is one of the argument raised in court.

In my own opinion, the 182 trees is the voice of the environment that created and moved the spirit of Save 182 Group. I can say that it is a fact in the history of humanity that lives are always sacrificed before something is done, and this one shows it is also happening in the environment. We know, as a truth, there were so many disasters and events where the environment is asking us to take care of it, but no one seems to be doing something. Who can forget the typhoon undoy that caused flash floods at La Trinidad Benguet, besides the many lives lost to small slides that happened on the slopes of the city mountains?

The 182 trees may all die, but their spirits will live through the Save 182 Trees Group (which I believe will continue their fight for the rights of nature) because more than the heroes of humanity who died for their beloved country and compatriots, the 182 trees are dying not only for the sake of their fellow trees, but for the sake of the Environment and the whole world.

OFW: Skills you need when you go abroad

“Abroad, abroad” that is the dream of most graduates today in the corrupt laden countries like the Philippines – to work overseas because that is where you could get money. Forget that you have a title because all that matters now is to earn money - no matter what. However, it would be much better if you could maximize your earning capacity to earn more money, and be able to save some.

 My 10 years of stay abroad to earn cash taught me that relying on your own salary, as a domestic helper, caregiver, and the like, will not give you enough to send to your family, and for your own personal expenses. It taught me that those who have skills have a very big advantage over those who are relying only on the work they know, and could not do anything to earn extra income.

 No matter what country you’re in - the trade is all the same. You work to have a salary, and you look for part time jobs to earn extra. You always need some cash to finance your needs, like, rent, food, clothing, and of course, the boxes of goods such as corned beef, toothpaste, soap, clothes and anything that would fill up the box to send for your family home.

 When I went abroad, I used my knowledge and skill in massage to earn extra income to finance my hobbies without touching my whole month salary. Aside from massage, I saw friends who have other skills and saw how much money they were earning. In addition, they do not need to go looking for their clients, it is the people looking for them, thus during the week, clients(99% kababayan) are making schedules with them for the weekend if they are live-in, and some do it during the weekdays if they are live-outs.

Skills that are in demand

1. Manicure and pedicure – everyone wants to have clean nails, so, every week same clientèle ask for a schedule to have their nails cleaned. What is good about this skill is that even men are looking forward to have their nails cleaned.

2. Haircut - A good haircut would complete good looking nails. Thus, this is necessary additional skill to learn. A scissor is not a big thing to carry around – but be sure it is properly kept to not be accused of carrying a deadly weapon.

3. Massage – this is my forte, and there were not many people doing it. Pressure, stress, and physical work get its tool upon us during the week. Add to that the boredom, and depressing routine work you do each day and you would surely have a very sluggish body on the weekend.

4. Technical know-how, such as knowing how to repair and reprogram computers, repair television,washing machine, microwave oven, oven toaster, etc.

5. Part time Cleaning – this is the most popular among Filipinos abroad. They look for families who needs help and make appointments with them. When both are satisfied with each other, a mutual understanding develops that their relationship would last as long.

6. Food preparation – No one could beat the traditional food we have at home. I saw kababayans who are preparing Filipino foods and sell them to the Filipino community, and cater to them during birthdays, weddings, and other occasions. The only thing about this skill is that you have to put out a little capital at the beginning for the things needed to cook the foods you will prepare.

There are ways more that OFWs could earn extra money but are not as the ones enumerated above which do not require much capital outlays - and are risk-free. If you are a risks-taker, and had saved enough capital, these other ways could generate massive income for you without doing so much physically. This is the principle of letting your money work for you.



 

Hence, for those who are planning to go abroad, do not just go there without learning and mastering one or two skills to have in your hands, unless your profession is something that would really give you an earnings that an extra work is not needed at all.

Talking to a Drug Mule

The news about our countryman executed in China for the crime of drug trafficking greeted most of us early in the  morning of December 9, 2011, when we clicked our yahoo messenger.

The man was calmed according to our vice-president, V-president Jejomar Binay, though his family was crying. 

The fact that he was calmed implies that he accepted his upshot because of what he did.  He knows long time ago that this is the extreme result of what he did if he was caught – the price he would pay for gambling with his life. On the other hand, he knew that if he were not caught, it would have been a long time financial freedom – not only for him, but also for his family. 

However, the question left with us is to marvel “How” they became involved with such kind of work because the “Why” question is obvious with us that money is the end point of it.

Luckily, about a few months ago, I was able to speak with a person involved in such a kind of work one time when I chanced to sit with him in a bus going up to Baguio city.  That conversation gave me little knowledge on how these drug mules as they are called, got into the business whether knowingly or not.

I do not remember how we started to talk, but I remember that in the middle of our conversation the topic went from a casual to about how hard to find a decent job here in the Philippines that could pay enough to about life abroad. 

He said he was an x-abroad. First, he worked in Africa in a tunnel, but when the company’s contract was finished in two years, same goes with their contract, and were sent home.  They were told to be ready for a call when the company find another work for them.  However, the waiting was long that his savings dwindled. 

He applied again for an offer to work abroad, but quit after more than a month. By the time we talked, he was trying to find another opportunity to go abroad again.

Out of curiosity, I asked what was wrong with his last work. He said nothing was wrong, but he felt it was dangerous.  I don’t know what was that mean, so I pressed him to tell me more by asking more questions, while telling him stories about the adversities of being an OFW, hoping that would make him comfortable to tell me his story – which he did.

He applied with one of the agencies in Manila, which was recommended by a friend.  When he went to inquire about what job have they got to offer, he was told to just submit his bio-data, Xerox copy of his passport, NBI, and of course a few cash for processing his papers and to pay the agency.  He didn’t have to worry about his plane ticket because it was paid by the hiring company.   However, he did not know what was the job, but he was told he will know it when he will arrive at the place because they will be trained and be assigned to the work they are most effective.  In addition, there was no particular place or country was given because the hiring company has many contracts in different countries, so they will know it when they will be there.

In just barely a month passed by, he was informed to be ready and was given the date of his flight.  Furthermore, the agency told him not to carry so many clothes because the company will provide it to him.

At the NAIA airport, he was told he has a suitcase in his name, and that he doesn’t have to worry because everything is okay, he only have to enjoy the travel.

He took a PAL flight from Manila to Hongkong, and in Hongkong, he transferred to another plane.  The next thing he knew, he was in Turkey.  He really had no idea what was going on, so he just went on with what was coming next, anyway he was not doing anything and he was enjoying the travel, the food at the hotels, and new places he saw. 

He said from Turkey, he had two more stops in Europe, then to China, back to Hongkong then Philippines.  He was like a tourist; however, he said it was scary, and did not do it again. 

According to him, he did not see the luggage and didn’t really know what was it, but he was not dumb to not know and suspect he was used to do something illegal. He said he met two people who were doing the travels many times already, and learned from them that there were more involved with the trade.  Sometimes, they go alone and other times two or three of them.


The money involved is enticing, because if you did it three times or more in few months, you can stop and have enough money.  The pot money he said ranged from P150K – P240K/travel or trip.  That is why some are really taking the chance, even though they know their life is at stake.

I asked him why he didn’t give another shot, and he shook his head, and said, “While the pot money is real money, I won’t take the chance because I love my family, and I want to enjoy life.  I’d rather find a job knowing I am alive tomorrow, than playing Russian roulette where in you do not know if you’re still alive the next day!”

I asked if he knew the one that was just executed in China a month before - he said, “No, but that one scared me,” he said.   

The Fear of Going Home

In my ten years of stay abroad, it was disheartening to know that almost all of the Kababayans* who are there are afraid to go home - for good.  No one will admit it face blank, but that is what his or her words are saying.  The common words will be, "In two more years,” “In four more years,” or, “I'll go home once I could saved enough to put up a little business."  On my part, I said, “In four years, I should be home!”

Life there is not a joke.  It is a real struggle day by day.  As I watch my friends and the others, I saw how much they value their time.  On days they were supposed to rest, they will use that to go to part time jobs to earn more dollars to send home.  I myself had to go in different places to give massage treatment, massage relaxation, to customers who called me for my service.

In my first year, I thought it was peanuts, that in a couple of years, all my dreams will be achieved, but, like the others who went there first, I was dead wrong. Ten years gone and I was still struggling to earn more. 

Because Israel allows only a limited years of stay for foreign workers, in the 3rd year, most if not all kababayan start to worry about looking for a place or another country to go into before their time is up.  The reason was that they had not achieved their dreams yet. Their savings, if they have, was not enough to carry them through, especially when they have children in college.

Thinking about all the unachieved goals and stream of unending expenses ahead, makes each one of us cringe to think about going home yet. 

The scream of being with our children and families is being overcome by the fear of not being able to give them their needs, and the fear that we do not have a business or any other source of income to sustain us. 

Add to that the news brought by kabayans(countrymen) who just arrived from a vacation to our beloved country-Philippines.  That life in there is terrible.  Business is not doing well.  The prices of goods now doubled compared to the prices when you left two or three years ago.  The government officials are all corrupt.  There are no jobs, and if there is one, the pay is not even enough to pay for your bills, and pay for the travel from home to work. These news and more negative things about our beloved country always make us think, not twice, but a thousand and one times about going home.

Fear gripped us, because we know for a fact that most ex- abroad who tried to settle home after long years of being away, went back abroad just after a year of staying home because of one or all of the reasons stated above.  In fact, I am contemplating to do the same and break my words of not going away from home again.

Every OFW wants to go home. But the dilemma of where to find the next source of income is too much to think about, so they rather make the most of their time while they have the chance and health to work for “a few” more years.