Filipinos as posted by Azilana on QLFILEXPAT
by: Abdullah Al-Maghlooth
Al-Watan, almaghlooth[AT]alwatan.com.sa
Muhammad Al-Maghrabi became handicapped and shut down his flower and gifts shop business in Jeddah after his Filipino workers insisted on leaving and returning home. He says: “When they left, I felt as if I had lost my arms. I was so sad that I lost my appetite.”
Al-Maghrabi then flew to Manila to look for two other Filipino workers to replace the ones who had left. Previously, he had tried workers of different nationalities but they did not impress him. “There is no comparison between Filipinos and others,” he says. Whenever I see Filipinos working in the Kingdom, I wonder what our life would be without them.
Saudi Arabia has the largest number of Filipino workers — 1,019,577 — outside the Philippines. In 2006 alone, the Kingdom recruited more than 223,000 workers from the Philippines and their numbers are still increasing. Filipinos not only play an important and effective role in the Kingdom, they also perform different jobs in countries across the world, including working as sailors. They are known for their professionalism and the quality of their work.
Nobody here can think of a life without Filipinos, who make up around 20 percent of the world’s seafarers. There are 1.2 million Filipino sailors.
So if Filipinos decided one day to stop working or go on strike for any reason, who would transport oil, food and heavy equipment across the world? We can only imagine the disaster that would happen.
What makes Filipinos unique is their ability to speak very good English and the technical training they receive in the early stages of their education. There are several specialized training institutes in the Philippines, including those specializing in engineering and road maintenance. This training background makes them highly competent in these vital areas.
When speaking about the Philippines, we should not forget Filipino nurses. They are some 23 percent of the world’s total number of nurses. The Philippines is home to over 190 accredited nursing colleges and institutes, from which some 9,000 nurses graduate each year. Many of them work abroad in countries such as the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Singapore.
Cathy Ann, a 35-year-old Filipino nurse who has been working in the Kingdom for the last five years and before that in Singapore, said she does not feel homesick abroad because “I am surrounded by my compatriots everywhere.” Ann thinks that early training allows Filipinos to excel in nursing and other vocations. She started learning this profession at the age of four as her aunt, a nurse, used to take her to hospital and ask her to watch the work. “She used to kiss me whenever I learned a new thing. At the age of 11, I could do a lot. I began doing things like measuring my grandfather’s blood pressure and giving my mother her insulin injections,” she said.
This type of early education system is lacking in the Kingdom. Many of our children reach the university stage without learning anything except boredom.
The Philippines, which you can barely see on the map, is a very effective country thanks to its people. It has the ability to influence the entire world economy.
We should pay respect to Filipino workers, not only by employing them but also by learning from their valuable experiences.
We should learn and educate our children on how to operate and maintain ships and oil tankers, as well as planning and nursing and how to achieve perfection in our work. This is a must so that we do not become like Muhammad Al-Maghrabi who lost his interest and appetite when Filipino workers left his flower shop.
We have to remember that we are very much dependent on the Filipinos around us. We could die a slow death if they chose to leave us.
Link:
http://www.arabnews....
Mr. Alik with due respect Filipinos don't come cheap, when I came to Dubai to work, since I was recruited and hired from the Philippines, I came and join the company as a Senior Engineer with a higher salary compared to the other guys already employed by the company.Our supervisor compared my performance with the other guys mostly Pakistanis, I out preformed them, in terms of quality and quantity of job. A Filipinos once, he or she tells you that he or she know how to do it, rest assured, be confident that we know the trade, we don't memorize things just to pass the interview, we have the skills and necessary education to back it up, one important thing Mr. Alik, we are not fond of kissing our boss' ars* to be promoted or to get the job, we don't spy on other employees and make "chum cha" or polishing to get promotion, we mind our own business and concentrate on our job, do our job diligently, and we usuallly do it right at the first time. Hope I made my point clear, Good day to you Mr. Alik.
All i can say is that We surely did show what we can do that some are not.
Im proud to be filipino
huh??.."philipinos are running the world"...we wish..and.. . nah..i'd rather not comment more.. not worth it.. :/
[img_assist|nid=12867|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
first i want to clear that this article is made to make its readers understand us more not to bring us down and even you try you can not. Now if you are threatened regarding the increasing number of Filipinos in your company it is because they are much better. And we filipinos are not cheap it is only a lack of opportunity and luck. we are hard worker and we know that if we prove something grace will surely come.
Just an advise, work hard, educate yourself, and think before you open your mouth because that will be your worst enemy. during these time all must be competitive because of the stiff competition globally, if you lose your job to a Filipino it is not our mistake its yours, if you dont improve im sure you find your way down.
your statement proves that if you body stinks your mind as well. hope that you dont lose your job.
pykester
Poor Alik because of ur comments prepared ur self..
BETTER HIDE NOW!!! >=(
"Life's rule: Assume nothing...expect little...do more...need less...smile often...sleep long...dream big...laugh a lot...pray always & once in a while...cry but continue living!
alik, you smell like one, lol.
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Never go younger by a month, a hard bod is no substitute for wisdom.
-Angelica Houston, Material Girls
b'coz they can not afford the highly skilled Filipinos anymore. The Pinoys dont come cheap for your information!
"Fascinated with Supercars but can’t afford it yet, so I settle down for a humble Jeepney. Proud Noypi!"
Professionalism comes within your attitude....it is more on how you deal with your friends and how you treat them...Do you have friends?
ROBIN!!!take your FRIEND to the BATCAVE!!!http://www.qatarliving.com/user/spanky1423
spanky1423's picture
alike is a pan (chewing tobacco) dealer and just jealous, please ignore his childish comments ...
actually this tread i supposed was only in due respect to all filipino overseas workers... "alik said plus, they come really cheap ..." are you sure about this? uuuh wait till you know my paycheck and you will cry your heart out ..., with rocks..AHAHAHA!!! anyway,,, FYI.., it's not only what my paycheck counts.., it is how i do my work and every filipino's sincerity to their work... we are not pretenders... we are good business men and never been a slave to anybody.... WORK HARD my friend so that you will never feel that way... but work smart and professional...
"plus, they come really cheap and except any living standard they are given.." we live decent way of living....and clean...that shows how many times we bath ourselves in one day....
ROBIN!!!take him to the BATCAVE!!!SHOWER HIM!!!http://www.qatarliving.com/user/spanky1423
spanky1423's picture
your mouth stinks! anyway, maybe that's how you're being raised. the reason why most of us filipinos, are most loved because we know how to respect & love our brethren.
How to Find Your One True Love????? (http://onetruelovenetwork.com/)
are u starting to envy them who work on ur company? guess u nid to work hard than usual nowadays...
and they aren't cheap, its only coz, some employers are cheating them on der salary wen came here and hav no choice dan to stay til ders enough money to go home. it happens in anybody not just filipinos, so dont make a generalization.
it defines u and how u think! maybe dats why ur company starts to replace/hire filipinos and scrap those dat can't be of any help to them?
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"Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees, you're in the perfect position to pray" (anonymous)
Think before you open your mouth... not all filipinos or any other nationalities ACCEPT (except??) any living standards they are given. It's always depends on the situation. But do you know any Filipino sleeps on the rooftop of the building just to save money?.
Also the expats need their host country as much as the country needs them. The scenario of a massive re-migration this author is afraid of, will be as traumatic to the employment scene in their home country as to the host country.
Somebody told me, "You are what you eat".Now I know why I'm nuts!!
plus, they come really cheap and except any living standard they are given..
i just cant start toexplain how philipinos choose to excel in the company i am working in..
and due to that very reason there nos are increasing in my company..
if someone thinks that philipinos are running the world...
they sure are mistaken..
Even though I do agree with quite a few of things said here, I wouldnt agree with the concluding statement..
"We could die a slow death if they chose to leave us."
I belive in "Nobody is indispensible". One wave goes back, another wave comes in.
Would like to add....IF at all a country/society/culture 'dies' because of some section of an expat society leaves, they DESERVE the 'death'. or rather they have committed suicide, but I guess the chances of that happening are too remote.
Somebody told me, "You are what you eat".Now I know why I'm nuts!!
WE should all thank god that there are Fhilipios in the world to keep the world going!!!
GET A LIFE!!