An Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) publicly decried his ungrateful relatives and friends who were unsatisfied with the ‘pasalubong’ he was bringing back to the country.
In his Facebook post, Raymond Lopez an OFW based in Riyadh shared his thoughts on people complaining to him every time he returned to his homeland.
It can be recalled that it’s already part of the culture in the country that when an OFW comes home, people would already be expected that they’re going to receive a souvenir or ‘pasalubong’ from the said ‘balikbayan’.
However, according to Lopez he always receives complaints about his ‘pasalubong’ every time he comes home so he had no choice but to call out those people.
According to him, OFWs had no obligation to give gifts to their relatives and friends when they decided to go home.
He believed the ‘pasalubong’ culture discouraged some OFWs to go home who only wanted to be with their family after years of working away from them.
“Minsan, nakakadala talagang magbigay ng pasalubong kapag nagbabalik-bayan ka, bigyan mo man sila o hindi, meron at meron silang masasabi sa’yo, na kesyo “ito lang”, “nagbigay ka pa”, “kuripot naman”, “yan ba ‘yung abroad?”, “tatlong-taon sa abroad heto na ‘yun?”. Lopez said.
“Una po sa lahat, hindi po nagbabalik-bayan ang isang OFW para bigyan o pasalubungan kayong lahat, walang obligasyon ang isang OFW na bigyan kayo ng mga tsokolate, sabon, pabango at kung anu-ano pa! umuuwi ang isang OFW hindi para magregalo, mamigay o magpamudmod ng kung ano. Kundi, umuuwi sila para pansamantalang makapagpahinga, makapaglibang at makasama ang kani-kanilang pamila’t mahal sa buhay.” he added.
He also challenged the people he was referring to try working abroad.
“Sana, subukan n’yo ‘hong mag-abroad, para po maranasan n’yo rin ang mga sakripisyo naming, ‘yng mga pagtitipis, pangungulila at kalungkutang nararanasan ditto at ng mga kapwa-OFW naming sa buong mundo. Matuto po sana kayong magpasalamat o makuntento, dahil kahit papaano’y naabutan at naalala kayo nung tao.” he stated.
After becoming trending, Raymond thanked the netizens for appreciating his post about the hardship of OFWs.