“Strengthening the OFW Families: Stronger Homes for a Stronger Nation”

"Andito ka na naman, di pa nga kita namimiss eh" ... yan ang salubong saken ng tatay ko nung una kong uwi sa Pinas, adik di ba?! "Baket sa tingin nyo namimiss ko kayo? sino bang nagsabi sayong namimiss kita? umuwi ako kase 4hrs lang ang layo ng Singapore sa Pinas at 3K lang ang promo roundtrip ticket ko, raaaarr!" sagot ko naman sabay sakal sa leeg niya...hehehe

Four months pa lang kase ako sa Singapore nun...siguro sanay kase siya sa mga OFW na taon ang binibilang bago umuwi, dati rin kase siyang OFW sa Saudi nung mga bata pa kami. Three years ang pagitan naming magkakapatid, so I'm assuming every 3years sya umuuwi...ahahaha. Sabi niya dati nakakabaliw ang homesick noon, araw araw siya nagbibilang ng butiki sa kisame sa pag-aabang ng sunod na sulat o voicetape galing samin kung gaano kadalang magkaroon ng butiki sa Saudi hindi ko po alam:P Nagpapasalamat ako na sa kabila nang layo at panahon na hindi magkakasama, nanatiling buo ang aming pamilya.

Ngayon na kami naman ang nangingibang bayan ibang-iba na, salamat sa mga budget airlines mas madali at affordable nang umuwi at salamat sa technology natin ngayon mas madali nang makausap ang pamilya...nauso na ang cellphone, YM at Skype! Who knows mauso na sa mga OFW in the future ang hologram calls...asteeg nun! nyahahaha;)

Seriously, isa sa pinakamalaking sakripisyo na binubuno ng mga OFW para sakin ay hindi ang haba o bigat ng trabaho dahil sanay tayo dun, mas malaking challenge ang mamuhay ng malayo sa pamilya. Doon sinusukat ang tatag ng loob ng mga kababayan nating nagingibang bayan. Saksi ako sa mga pamilya na pinatatag ng mga pagsubok na ito, ngunit saksi rin ako sa mga pamilyang nawasak ng pagkakalayo at kawalan ng gabay na isinisisi sa pagkawala ng mga magulang na OFW.

So this year at PEBA at it's 3rd year, we honor the OFW Families who have been able to keep and strengthen their family ties despite distance. And we hope to inspire other OFW families to remain strong and work on building stronger homes for a stronger nation.



PEBA’s 2010 Theme: An Out of the Ordinary Call

PEBA has witnessed the real life suffering and loneliness of the OFWs and their families and believes that strengthening the OFW families, strengthens the homes and the nation! Thus, this season’s theme of

“Strengthening the OFW Families: Stronger Homes for a Stronger Nation”
does not just momentarily fit the issue of hour but is a timeless subject that cannot be bound by shackles so long as there are OFWs out there.

Scores of blogs and articles have been written about the subject in the past but it seems that the government authorities remain clueless of solutions and action plans to abate the increasing number of broken families.

We cannot wait and just rely on our government to come to rescue of the OFWs families in crisis. As Pinoy Expats and OFW bloggers, we have the moral obligation to help and encourage one another in our own little ways. What we blog and write about may encourage a fellow OFW or a fellow blogger to save his marriage from falling apart… it may help one to keep the family intact.

What can we do as bloggers? The PEBA 2010 Season opens with not just the OFWs and Pinoy expatriates writing about the OFW families but will be joining forces with local bloggers who, in one way or the other, have been influenced by OFWs in their lifetime. The support of the local bloggers who are sympathetic to the OFWs cause will have that exponential effect of reaching and educating up to the grassroots level.

PEBA calls on the bloggers to write and post about topics on strengthening the OFW families, and their being miles away from each other. Topics may include family communication, family gatherings, parent-child coaching and counseling, assistance and support in children’s homework and projects, conference meetings with family members, online contact with families, pointers on cheap communication, etc. PEBA calls on the bloggers to write about what they are doing to strengthen their families despite the distance and their absence from home. PEBA calls on the bloggers to share insights, ideas, pointers and how to express love for their spouses and children.




PEBA will not just be an organization that will give annual awards for exemplary blogs but it will proactively act on issues that will make difference in people's lives, especially the young children, and the OFW's and their families.