Why would an OFW Come Home to The Philippines?

As cliché as it sounds, time goes by fast. It was indeed a series of adventures for the past 6 years. Juggling between being a mother and an employee, I’ve finally agreed to settle back to our home country. Yes, you read it right, Manila, we are coming home!

 

Some people might say I’m lucky because I get to live with my family abroad, so why the need to move back home? Let me share with you my three reasons why “it’s more fun (for us) in the Philippines”:

 

I get to look after my children if not always, at least most of the time.

 

In the corporate jargon, I would consider this as the “key selling point” although I will still hire a house helper since I plan to be a WAHM. Just to share with you, I’m currently taking up online courses at FHMOMS to prepare for this career change. If you aspire to be a WAHM (or dad!), you may check their Facebook page or website to see the available courses and career opportunities. Back to the main topic, I had my fair share of experiences with babysitters. It was during the year 2016 when I had to take my child to the babysitter early in the morning then pick him up in the afternoon, either under the extreme heat or heavy sandstorm or rain. Then I got fed up and hired a babysitter who would come to our place in the morning and leave when I get home. In these two scenarios, I feel bad for leaving them to a “stranger” not knowing if they are really taken care of. I am sure, that when I’m with them at home I’ll be able to keep track of what they are doing, and I could attend to their needs personally. 

 

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash 

 

My kids could freely play and explore outdoors.

 

As we live in a flat and due to the insane weather here in the Middle East, it feels like children are in a controlled environment. Back home, they could have fun around our front yard or go to the playground just a few blocks away from our house This article from Scholastic.com supports how outdoor play will improve a chid’s physical and social skills.

 

Through physical play outdoors, your child develops confidence in herself as she sees her skills grow: “Watch me climb the monkey bars, look how high I can swing. Watch me, watch me!” A child who is initially reluctant to go down the tall slide feels a great deal of personal pride when he finally musters up the courage to do so.

Photo by Hussain Badshah on Unsplash

 

Work and visas are not an issue back home.

 

Of course if one is in his motherland, it’s one less thing to worry about. We’re not permanent residents in this host country, so there’s no assurance as regards to how long we could stay here. I don’t want to delve into political issues but it is a factor why there is no career growth and lesser opportunities for some employees and job-seekers at the moment.

 

Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash

 

With all that’s happening around me, I’ve decided to take my chances. I know some people will raise their eyebrows and tell us to rethink this drastic change but we should also respect each other’s opinions and differences. After all, to each his own, right?

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. Ta!