IS OFWism THE SOLUTION TO OUR POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT?

This is in affirmation to a reader's letter to the editor, part of which to wit:

"I HAVE just read the article "Number of OFWs in '05 breaches 500,000 mark." I want to make a response to the following comment made by Acting Labor Secretary Danilo Cruz: 'We are confident that our goal to deploy a million OFWs globally continues on a firm and stable track.'

"My response is: Why does Cruz and the Department of Labor continue to focus so much of their time and effort on making sure there are more OFWs abroad rather than on the more important tasks of attracting more industries and creating new jobs in the Philippines?

"It seems to me that the Philippine government should try to encourage the creation of more industries and jobs in the Philippines itself so that the country's economy will improve on its own, rather than have to rely on the help of OFWs, who go overseas to find a better life for themselves. The whole OFW policy is misguided and short-sighted and is more of a bandage solution to a much bigger and lingering problem.

"It's time for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her government to come up with better ways to improve the Philippine economy without having to depend on the income remittances of Filipinos working overseas or raising taxes on everyone, which Arroyo wants to do..."

As a community organizer/SMEs nurturer, we have a concept called BUBD (Bottom-Up Business Development) to help solve our employment problem.

We also oppose OFWism as the solution to our country's poverty.

For many reasons:

1) Marriage is often sacrificed in favor of money or economic needs;

2) Family, especially the young children, often become the casualty. Children of OFWs often fall victims to drug addiction, teenage pregnancy, failure in their studies, juvenile delinquency, suicide, sickness, etc. In a previous survey, most of the drug addicts in the Philippines are children of OFWs.

3) Moral decadence. It is logical to think that foreign/employer nation will not give their decent or better jobs to our women, the Filipinas, who are not their wives, daughters or sisters. So, as expected, the jobs given to most Filipinas are those their women reject (e.g., housekeeping) and the “below-the-belt” immoral works (e.g., prostitution).

4) Since 19 out of every 20 women who got out of the country turned into prostitutes, it means to say that 5-10 years from now, they will come home with AIDS & STDs!

5) When AIDS & STDs are spread by these women who will still be very sexually active, then, the natural immune systems (of the bodies) of the Filipinos to resist sickness, bodily weakness, and death will fail!

So, you can foresee that what has been happening in Africa will also happen here in the Philippines: AIDS as an epidemic afflicting almost every man and woman, every family, knocking out everyone, disabling us to work and enjoy life!

If you have the capacity to stare at that harsh vision for a moment, then, you will conclude that something more terrible is awaiting us in the near not-so-far future -- starting 5 or 10 years from now!

I ask all media to focus our sight and concern along this line: What will happen to our OFW-Filipinas and the Philippines a decade from now when the consequences of violating the laws of God (e.g., monogamy, chastity) will start to take its toll?

That is something to fear about. Lord Jesus help us!