It is never too easy for any Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) to work and live abroad even if the compensation being offered is ten times higher than their wages in the Philippines. The opportunity to earn more money may be the primary reason why Filipinos choose to work in other countries, but no amount of money can ever pay for the loneliness and separation every OFW suffers being away from home. Nonetheless, they take the risks knowing that it is the only solution available in order to alleviate the financial status of their families. 

Life in the Philippines is hard, and earning a substantial amount for the family is not enough to cover all expenses from the basic needs to education. Thus, it is common in a Filipino family to have no savings at all or emergency funds. 

Some OFWs procrastinate in setting aside some savings because they plan to buy a house, a car, or new appliances. Though these things make the family’s life more comfortable, this should not be a hindrance for a family to keep small portions of their incomes for savings. It does not matter how small the amount being saved as long as there is something being set aside, and not losing the momentum until saving becomes a habit. 

OFWs should bear in mind that working abroad is not indefinite; losing their jobs, or sudden retrenchment at work, are bound to happen at anytime more so in the near future. OFWs should think of all the possibilities that come with working abroad, including its positive and negative aspects. They should protect themselves and their families with insurance, business, and livelihood ventures.

Before leaving the country, they should establish options on what to do with their earnings aside from providing for the families’ expenditures on a monthly basis as they send money to the Philippines. Their dreams of owning a business should also be their motivation in working hard. For in the long run, having a business, or any other financial investments, can help the family more and can sustain their needs for longer periods.

Other experts would advice OFWs to be open and honest to their families about their financial situations, and their saving plans. If they are on the verge of losing their jobs, they should also inform their families that there will be some cut backs on the remittances they receive. However, if they plan to invest on some business ventures, they need to inform the family that they will be aware where their money goes

Learn to say, “No” especially to your children who can readily ask money and purchases from you, more so on the things that are not so important and may be just for purposes of a show-off. Do not feel bad if you cannot give them everything they want. Teach them to be responsible with their moneys and live an austere life. Many OFWs compensate their absence by buying them presents; this should not be the case. You should be the one to teach them about smart spending and saving. Teach them while they are young.

OFWs should not burden themselves with all the expenses in the house. If your spouses can work, let them be so that the financial responsibility at home will be equally distributed. If spouses choose not to work to take care of the children, then tell them to manage the bills, food, and education expenses properly and emphasize that they should not solely depend on monthly remittances. Working abroad does not instantly make you a millionaire; it just allows you to make purchases on things you cannot afford before.

For OFW parents, working abroad is never an easy decision. However, the undying dream of providing a better life for their families pushes them hard to make that difficult choice. Working abroad and leaving the children at home simply equates to missing their growing up years. There are countless stories about OFW children going astray, dropping out of schools, and getting involved in vices due to the absence of any or both of their parents. These tales often scare any OFW parent because, more often than not, these effects cannot be resolved regardless of how much you send money to the Philippines.

Nevertheless, proper rearing and guidance may still be done to these OFW children even if their parents are hundred of miles away from them. Distance from family has mostly become a pitfall in the exercise of parenting, but it cannot always be made as an excuse by absentee parents. As such, below are laid down suggestions on how to overcome this problem:

Explain to your children why you have to work abroad.
Even before leaving the family in order to work abroad, as a parent, it is your duty to explain and talk to your children why there is a need for such action. It is part of your responsibility to tell them the reasons on why you have to be gone for a while. It is even better to share your goals and responsibilities with them, like who will receive your remittances and work on the budgeting aspect when you begin to send money to the Philippines. Laying down your plans with them will make them feel involved as they become part of your decision-making process.

Talk to your children regularly.
Just as it is customary for you to send of money to the Philippines regularly, your communication to your children should also be as regular. There are free social sites like Skype that will serve as bridges for you to talk to your children. Make every conversation worthwhile. This will make them feel very important and loved. Never make excuses for not being able to talk to them. Spare at least 30 minutes or an hour a day to listen and talk about their lives. Regular communication with them is a foundation in being a good OFW parent.

Get involved in their daily activities.
Being away does not mean you no longer need to know their everyday activities. As much as possible, know the ins and outs of your children’s lives. Talk to your spouse or guardian about how your children are, their interests, and their problems. You can also call your children’s school directly and inquire about their studies and performance. When you are talking to your children, always encourage them to keep you updated about their lives. Get involve with their loves to show that you care.

Maximize your time with them when you are on vacation. 
In time for your yearly vacation, it is a must that most of your days should be spent with your family, especially the children. Make your family vacation memorable by doing activities that your children will enjoy and love. Take note that you do not need to spend much to enjoy. It is all about the fun, laughter, and the bond you shared with them. Always leave your children with happy and fun memories so they will always look forward to your next vacation.

Parenting is different from providing. As you regularly send of money to the Philippines , it does not automatically follows that such action defines you as good parents. Remember that the love and care you shower your children know no distance.

Many factors affect the lives of every Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) around the world.  From among these factors, homesickness proves to be one of the most challenging. Others, who are faced with more serious predicaments at work, are made worse when homesickness creeps in. Almost always, it is the seriousness of these predicaments which brings them to the feeling of homesickness.  Such emotional state of an OFW could lead to severe depression if not dealt with accordingly, and could even cause him to lose his job. However, just like any problem that anyone usually encounters, there are approaches which can be applied as you deal with it:

1.  Acknowledge the feeling - Accept that it is bound to strike you at any moment that you leave your home and set foot on your new quarters. No man or woman who is in his/her normal state of mind will not miss his loved ones, families, and friends once he/she is separated from them.  Even the most emotionally stable men are not spared from the feeling of homesickness. Knowing that it is a normal experience for anyone who is far away from home, acknowledging that such feeling makes it easier for anyone to accept it. 

2. Communicate with your family -  Be reminded that they are the reason why you are making this sacrifice, and that they are also the reason why you would survive any worst case scenario.  We are now in the modern times where all possible and convenient means to communicate with our loved ones and families can be accessed to. Technology provides us the capability to interact with them in many ways using a computer, a mobile phone, and a tablet through an internet connection or subscription. By using any of these gadgets, you can communicate with them through instant messaging, Emails, VoiP, phone calls, writing letters, and through social networks at anytime.

3. Socialize with OFW co-workers like you would with your friends back home - Once in awhile invite other OFW to join you for a home cooked meal.  Create gatherings that other OFWs in your workplace may look forward to joining like: an excursion on your rest days.  The difficulty of working in a foreign country, and being away from your family, could invite you to get melancholic and be unhappy, but you can choose to look at things positively that you will feel better and encourage you to persevere.

4. Try new things – Doing things that are new to you can provide you with excitement.  Try a dish that you haven’t tried before or go to famous places that you haven’t explored yet in the country where you are deployed . The idea is to bring excitement into your life to avoid finding yourself sulking inside your room at your free time. The secret is by keeping your hands busy and your mind preoccupied.  Homesickness is a state of the mind, and it can readily strike you if your mind is idle.

5.  Find new things to discover  - Looking for new things to learn from can arouse your interest and keep your mind busy. The internet can provide you with a vast source of data, pictures, videos, and other information where you can learn anything from.  Who knows? The new thing  you might stumble upon may become your new hobby.  You can learn how to play computer games, cook specialty dishes, play the guitar or even watch movies for free. You can even find cheaper ways to send money online to the Philippines.  Methods that can be more affordable to you while availing of a better exchange rate for your money transfers.  You can also learn more about social media sites like Facebook.

Filipinos are known to be resilient and are capable of finding reasons to smile amidst difficulties.  Their hard-working nature are fueled by their dreams for a better life and a brighter future for their loved ones. As long as they don’t lose sight of their dreams, they can overcome any challenge which crosses their path.

In 2005, I worked as a Furniture Designer in China. I had a good job in Cebu, but the furniture industry slowly dissipated and I was scratching surface to make ends met. I have two children and my money was just enough for our daily expenses and, most of the time, nothing was left for savings or for emergency needs.

When an opportunity knocked at my door to work abroad, I welcomed it without any misgivings or second thoughts. After all, I would be doing it for my family it would be an opportunity for me to send OFW remittances to the Philippines

My first week in China was hard, but I survived. I had a very good salary --- much more than what I had expected. I was earning $1500 a month and, at that time, the currency exchange rate of a dollar into pesos was around P55.00. Obviously, I was very happy as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) and a father to my family for I was able to provide everything they wanted. 

For three years, I worked hard in China. Aside from my regular job,  I also had other sidelines. I sent 80% of all my earnings to my wife. However, having too much money tempted her to begin going out with friends and eventually became unfaithful. After years of sending her monthly remittances, I found out that she has spent them all to her boyfriends. I was devastated and wanted to die, but the love for my children and the thought of what will happen to them once I am gone prevented me from taking any drastic action against myself or my wife. Eventually, I applied for annulment and continued to work overseas for what was left of my family.

My children, being young,  were still with my wife and I only sent a monthly remittance of P5,000 for their food expenses. I assigned to my sister the payments for their school’s tuition fees and other relative expenses for I no longer trust my ex-wife. Being totally disheartened by the arrangement I have set, my wife left the kids to my mom and never came back. Without having second thoughts, I left my job and rushed back to the Philippines to personally took care of my kids. 

I had saved enough for myself and my children which enabled us to live comfortably despite having lost my job. Since the furniture industry in Cebu was no longer as flourishing as it was before, I invested around P100,000.00 to grow bangus (milkfish) and prawns in a fishpond I bought in Bohol. I entrusted its management and care to my sister-in-law’s brothers and even paid them more than the minimum wage. But I found out that the fishpond was not very well taken cared of as it should be which eventually resulted to a very poor harvest. Instead of confronting them, I just charged it to experience. 

I shifted into another business which was hog raising, but the profit was not that big and the labor was so extensive. I tried another business again and again before I realized that I was not cut for this. I became desperate as my savings slowly diminished and the needs of my children had increased. I had long days of thinking, worrying, and sleepless nights about what must be done. 

With so little money that was left from my savings, I accepted a big financial help from my mom and built a small sari-sari (convenience) store. With God’s blessing, the business brought in bigger profits. As my store grew, so does my goods. I had sold rice and became a distributor of softdrinks and beers to smaller sari-sari stores.

I may no longer be earning as much as I did in China,  but I am happier now being with my two kids who have been my inspiration and motivation to persevere and work harder. 

As an OFW working abroad, I am duty bound to send remittances monthly to my family back home to the Philippines. I don’t mind doing this because it is for my family. But coming from a humble abode, it is hard for me to send money for my parents back home for they have no bank account. This is not a shocker in the Philippines.

I have been working for about a year now here in England. But during my first few months of working here, I had trouble sending money to my parents. Good thing that one Filipino nurse intended to spent a vacation with her family in Cebu. So, I called my mom to contact my co-worker on where they could meet to get the money I sent. However, it is not always possible to find a Filipino co-worker in England who is scheduled to go home at any time, and I could not solely rely on friends to help me send money to the Philippines from time to time.  I need to find a safer, reliable, and more convenient way to send money back home on a regular basis.

Remittance companies in England are quite expensive. Still, I tried making use of their services to create a money transfer system between me and my family. For months I did this and was satisfied with the kind of service I enjoyed. However,  when the time came that I need to send bigger amounts of money immediately for my father’s hospital expenses, the service fees charged against me were ridiculously high. I tried sending it through banks this time, but they even apply bank charges as much as $30 or more.

I was mumbling about this experience when a housemate told me to try Qwarta Padala since it only charges P200.00 as its fixed service fee for every money transfer transaction, regardless of the amount of money I send. According to her, she has been sending her remittances online using Qwarta Padala, and found it to be safe, reliable, and user-friendly. It also applies higher currency exchange rates if I want to send money in Philippine pesos, giving a higher value for my money’s worth.

Curious about what she was telling me, I opened my laptop and began searching for www.qwartapadala.com. Indeed, I found the site. I started browsing its Help pages until I found myself registering for an account. I was required to fill up personal information including that of my recipient.

Still curious to find out  the veracity of my housemate’s statement, I  initially created a money transfer transaction and sent P2,000.00 to my family. Indeed, I was charged a service fee of P200 only. I readily received a text message from my cellphone confirming the transaction I created under my Qwarta Padala account. A few  minutes after, my Mom called surprised to have received a text message at her cellphone about my money transfer.

Taking the opportunity of presently talking with my Mom, I instructed her to proceed to any M. Lhuillier branch around town and bring with her at least two IDs with pictures. True enough, my mom was able to receive her money fast. Yes, electronic transfer is fast, but Qwarta Padala is fast and cheap. For a Filipino nurse like me, that is a big deal.

Sending money to my family is like sustaining their life amidst the difficult situation in the Philippines. Every penny saved is an additional remittance I could happily send to my family.

Discovering Qwarta Padala, made me realized that indeed there is a company who willingly thrive to help OFWs like me. We don’t make a lot here, that’s why I am glad that Qwarta Padala is not all about profits and cutting throats. 

It has always been hard for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to be separated from their families as they work abroad. Much harder it is for them to maintain financial stability through the years out of the meager incomes these OFWs receive and the lifestyles they keep.

Wealth cannot be achieved overnight simply because a member of the family is working abroad. It  simply means having enough money to provide the family’s basic needs, a few of what we want, and be able to give some to others. It may be true that the generated income from abroad is higher, but how to keep this money in our pockets is the biggest challenge.

The famous financial analyst in the United States, Suze Orman, came to the Philippines and shared some of her expertise on how to handle your finances. Her financial advices are truly an awakening and must be heeded by every Filipino. Her rules are so simple yet hard to do. Orman urged Filipinos to live below their means, but within their needs. She encourages people to get as much joy out of saving as one does out of spending. She also warns Filipinos not to dwell much on credit card debts whose interest rates soar as much as 36% in a year. Instead, she wants them to make a habit of buying things in cash.

She stressed that one does not have to buy things and go places in order to impress other people, especially people they do not like. Material things and possessions will never define who we are. One should be satisfied, contented, and proud of what we have and what we are. Instead of focusing our minds on buying things, it is imperative to save.

According to her, the first step in saving money is to purchase a house instead of paying rents for something that will never be ours. She emphasized that owning a house will make us feel secure and safe, considering the fact that the reason we aim to acquire money is to keep us secure and safe all the time. Owning a home makes us feel powerful.  So every time an OFW sends money to the Philippines, they should know what should be on the top of their priority list.

She also urged Filipinos to invest in mutual funds and investment funds as they do not require anything to keep, to replace, and no capital gains tax. Mutual and investment funds are good places to put our money since the Philippines has the potential to go further in terms of its economy. Also, we can sell these funds at anytime unlike in real estate investments where we cannot sell them right away in case we need the money. It is also possible that prices in real estate may suddenly drop and will not give us back the amount we expected, when sold.

Orman also warned Filipinos that jewelry is not a good investment since its value depreciates. It simply means that we cannot sell it more than the price we payed for it. In the long run, jewelry gets lost and may even be stolen.

Overall, she urged Filipinos to save, to invest, and to be ready for their retirement. Investing money is not just for the rich, but it is for people who look for security even after retiring.

“You cannot put off preparing for retirement any longer. One is never too young to start investing, but there will come a point when it becomes too late,” says Orman.

She encouraged Filipinos to educate themselves with the importance of saving and familiarize themselves with many investment options in the market.

“If I could just educate everybody to, rather than buy that watch or gadget, put that amount in a mutual fund, then I would be okay,” says Orman.

“I believe that once people experience how it is to save money, they will realize that it leaves a better feeling than acquiring a new watch,” she adds. “Once they get a taste for it, they will keep on eating it.”

Recognizing the sacrifice made by thousands of Filipinos who opted to leave their families behind to go abroad in search of jobs that would provide them with a more comfortable life amidst the economic crisis in the country, Qwarta Padala launched its Cebu based website to provide these Overseas Filipino Workers a fast and reliable money transfer services back home to the Philippines.

These OFWs' made significant contributions in beefing-up the country's economy by bloating its dollar reserves through their remittances. According to BSP (Banko SentralNg Pilipinas ) Money sent home by Filipinos living and working abroad rose by 8.4 percent to $1.855 billion in January from $1.7 billion a year ago. Such contributions made them earn the title of being the country's modern-day heroes and yet, these unselfish souls who work their hearts out to ensure a decent life for their families back home had to be burdened further by the skyrocketing cost of online money transfer to the Philippines and the large "buy-sell" spreads implemented by foreign exchange brokers on a prevailing exchange rate further devaluates their hard-earned money as if disregarding the fact that it is earned through blood, sweat and tears.

In response to such concerns, Qwarta Padala accommodates these unsung heroes' remittances with a minimal cost. They will be charged with a minimal service fee for every money transfer transaction he makes through Qwarta Padala. However, this service fee is in a fixed amount regardless of how much money he sends to his recipients. Devaluation of money sent due to the wide "buy-sell" spread on both sides of the exchange rate as usually implemented by other foreign exchange brokers will not be a concern since Qwarta Padala provides the prevailing exchange rate during the time their transactions were made. Being partners with M. Lhuilier makes Qwarta Padalacapable of providing their services 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Recipients can receive their remittances through their own personal bank account or to any of the close to 1,600 branches of M. Lhuilier nearest to their homes.

Every transaction created through Qwarta Padala is safe and secure for the website is protected by a high level of SSL data encryption, an innovative security card, and a sophisticated built-in fraud protection system which securely protects its money transfer transactions. With service accessibility 24/7 while charging only as low as a fixed amount of P200.00 regardless of the amount per transaction and providing the actual prevailing exchange rate during the transaction is made, Qwarta Padala provides the best possible solution for every online money transfer needs of OFWs' aroungd the world. To enjoy all these benefits, all they have to do is to sign up and create a free account through our website.

My name is Angelico F. Evangelista a market researcher and one o the content writers of Qwarta Padala. Qwarta Padala offers a fast and reliable money transfer service back home to the Philippines. Send money to families, loved ones, and friends using the country's number one money transfer service, exclusively paid out at over 1,600 M. Lhuilier branches nationwide while paying a service fee of as low as a fixed amount of P200.00 regardless of the amount per transaction. To enjoy all these benefits, all you have to do is to sign up and create a free account thru our website www.qwartapadala.com