No Room for Dreams at Home
Hi all,
Mar here.
I know it's been some time since I've written and likewise since I've responded to your messages... pasensyahan niyo na lang ako. The other night I went to a despedida dinner for 2 old friends, Gene and Weng, whose papers for NZ came through.
They were excited about it and we talked long into the night about old times (you only remember the good) and the new adventure they were undertaking.
Bittersweet.
I'm happy for them; they've escaped their default destiny had they stayed.
I'm sad too - for us. Our country didn't have room for people like them. College-educated, hard workers, relatively successful in their chosen fileds, good income, some built up savings and capital, large network of friends .... and yet... they did everything by the book, they followed the recipe, the instructions , and yet ...
They could see that they could only build a viable future in another country. They applied to both Canada and NZ and took the one whose approval came through first. I dont blame them; they did what they could for themselves and their 4 kids.
This pisses me off - that good, decent, right thinking, rule following people can't make a go of it in our country.
Things have got to change.
Food for thought for you all,
M.
3 comments
As to my case, I decided to go back to the country because of the difficulty of finding a job here in NZ related to my profession during this recession. I just wish the NZ government /immigration will give considerations to all migrants (Pinoy and other nationalities) to give us more time to find our related skilled jobs here beyond original timetable of 9 months in our visa. Most of us, would want to contribute to NZ through our skills but the recession is making it difficult for us, thus, many kababayans were forced to return home after their work visa expired without finding their skilled jobs, making them broke with nothing to go back in the Philippines since they already left their jobs and sold everything they had before coming here. (Sadly after spending all our hard earned savings (and utang) here in New Zealand which definitely benefited more the NZ economy, as we brought large amount with us when we came here to look for jobs, aside from the huge amount we paid to NZ immigration during the process of securing our work visa)
This has happened to a lot of Pinoys who dreamed of a better life in New Zealand but were not successful primarily because the recession made it difficult to find their skilled job that will make them Permanent Residents. These kababayans ended up broken hearted with their dreams turned into nightmares. Having observed this, I decided to return to my job in the Philppines, but surely, I will continue to dream working and living abroad if our country and its elected officials still fails to provide a better opportunity for us and for our children's future. I believe the key to solving our country's problem is by first stamping out CORRUPTION in government at all levels.
Thank you.