Cause and Effect Paragraph
In the Philippines, there is a wide epidemic of the presence of Filipinos leaving the
country for different reasons. They are Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who are living and
working outside the Philippines for a definite period of a work contract. The Philippine Statistic
Authority stated that there are more than two million OFWs who migrate on a daily basis. With
this comes the variety of reasons such as the high unemployment rate in the Philippines along
with their own colonial mentality. Also, a major cause of the unending increase rate of OFWs is
their desire for their families’ successful future. The causes stated above can result in various
outcomes like poverty and brain drain. Moreover, the causes come with the kind of relationship
their family has.
High unemployment rate is one of the major causes why PFWs choose to work abroad.
It is stated in one of the sites of Trading Economics that 8.51% is an average rate of
unemployment rate in the Philippines from 1994 to 2017. The presence of unemployed Filipinos
will make them experience the consequences of severe poverty. Furthermore, they will have
fewer resources in food, shelter, electricity and even their medical needs. The labor mismatch
also puts OFWs to go outside the Philippines and apply for jobs that are related to the course
they have graduated from. It is in fact a reality that the Philippines is still a third world country.
College graduates of medical fields such as cardiovascular technologists, respiratory therapists
and such are more in demand abroad than in our country. Their skills and potentials will not be
maximized in this country than the success they will experience in other competitive countries.
Another agitating factor that OFWs consider is the future of their families. They aim to
provide academic support to their children and a stable financial plan for their whole family. With
them leaving the Philippines comes the assurance that they can give the necessity and even the
materials wanted by their family members. In my own experience, I can really see how stable
my friends are for their OFW parents. Compared to my own situation, I still need to get a full
scholarship in order to finish my education. The result of this certain cause includes the kind of
relationship the family has with each other. With the distance of the OFW member from his own
family, his inability to make his wife feel appreciated and loved becomes a struggle. The
well-being of his children may also be affected. With the amount of time they will spend away
from each other, the OFW parent will not be able to see the transformation of his children along
with the children’s special occasions.
Overseas Filipino Workers can also experience colonial mentalities which cause them to
leave the country. Well, other Filipinos think that their success relies on “where” they will be
working. It is an actual event that some Filipinos do not favor the jobs present in the Philippines.
They may also feel inferiority from other nations because of their cultural heritage and such.
Thus, brain drain is in sight where many educated or professional Filipinos leave the Philippines
for they will be able to receive better compensation and benefits. Filipinos favor the culture of
other countries after blaming the government for the recent issues in the country. With this, our
own culture and the principles Filipinos built many years ago are now degraded. This can also
result in the worst case scenario that our country may experience throughout the years. After
the experiences collected by OFWs, for instance, in the United Nations, they will soon forget the
customs of Filipinos like “mano po” and respectful terms like “ate”, “kuya”, and “opo”.
The prosperity that Overseas Filipino Workers experience should also be equal to the
Philippines’ abundance. Leaving the country should never be an option to be successful. This
should be solved by creating more jobs or at least encouraging Filipinos to build businesses in
order for them to receive a stable income. Also, the Philippines should focus on its economy
and socio-cultural heritage that may lessen the Filipinos’ colonial mentality about their own
country. Lastly, OFWs should still have a strong communication to their family members despite
the distance between them. The fundamental keys stated can be the steps in order for Filipinos
not to be “Overseas Filipino Workers”. Although they are considered “national heroes”, all
Filipinos can also have these words associated with their names by staying in the Philippines
and helping this country achieve its desired best form.