Home for the Holidays: Four OFWs in Iraq finally return to the Philippines
By: Paola Belle Ebora
24 December 2018 - Coming back to the Philippines for the holidays is something that many overseas Filipino workers (OFW) look forward to.
The sights and sounds of home, the joys of gathering with beloved family and friends, reliving homegrown Christmas traditions—the Filipino Christmas spirit is truly a unique one and cannot be replicated abroad.
For four Filipino OFWs who were able to come home from war-torn Iraq after years of not being able to, this holiday season will truly be special.
Choosing Rockets Over Fireworks for Family
The choice to work abroad was a decision more than difficult to make. Not only were the OFWs leaving their families to toil in a foreign land, but they were also going to a place that was then in a state of war: Iraq.
“Grabe. Maraming rockets, minsan may car bomb. Pagdating ko doon noong 2004 sa Balad, gabi na yun, first time ko pa lang dun, may pinatay na sundalo mismo sa bakod ng kumpanya namin. Ginamitan siya ng sniper ng mga kalaban,” recounts Nelo Tolibas of Cebu, who went to Iraq to work as a cleaner in a US military base in 2004. He has not been home to the Philippines in 14 years.
Teresita Rogel of Zamboanga, who worked as a dining facility staff in the US Army stationed in Iraq in 2008, shares, “Pagdating namin sa Mosul, pagkagising namin sa umaga, may bumagsak na rocket. Lahat ng tiles namin sa banyo ay sumabog, nagsilaglagan, nagsiliparan lahat. Kami ay umiyak. First time namin dun. Sabi naming lahat, ‘Eto na ang hinahanap natin.’”
Like Mr. Tolibas, she has also not returned to the Philippines since she left the country to work for the benefit of her three children and husband.
“Pagdating ko ‘dun, mayroong mga pagsabog. May IED (improvised explosive device), may mortar dun sa aming tulugan. Mayroon ngang isang Pilipino dun na three days pa lang umuwi na. Pero ako, pagdating ko dun, alam ko sa sarili ko na iyon ang daratnan ko. Pagpunta ko dun, alam ko na, kaya prepared ako sa mga mangyayari sa’kin,” says Milbert Dela Paz of Lucena City, who went to Iraq to work as an administrative assistant in 2007.
Finding Reasons to Endure
Choosing to endure the dangers of their workplace is a shared experience among the Filipinos in Iraq. While the situation definitely was enough reason to leave, they found more reasons to stay. Despite knowing the dangers, these OFWs toughened themselves up, all for the sake of their loved ones.
“Nu’ng dun naman ako sa Tikrit, mga ilang araw lang, nanonood kami ng TV at may mga dumadaan na rocket sa itaas namin, nagtatakbuhan kaming lahat na mga Pilipino. Natakot ako nu’n. Kararating ko pa lang pero inisip ko na kung babalik na ako (ng Pilipinas). Pero naisip ko na madami ako’ng kailangang bayaran kaya nagbago na rin ang isip ko at tinuloy ko na lang,” adds Mr. Tolibas, who went abroad to provide for his family including his six siblings.
“Kadalasan, parang yumayanig pa ‘yung ground. Pero sa amin naman, sa kampo, safe naman siya kasi covered siya ng mga T-walls, mga makakapal na cemented materials. So safe naman kami dun kahit magulo sa labas,” says Edgar Avisado of Pangasinan, who went to Iraq in 2004 to work as a security guard.
“Ang kaibahan ng pagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa ay yung sweldo talaga,” Mr. Tolibas says that the amount he earned in the Philippines was not enough because he still had to cover his daily expenses unlike in Iraq where all his basic needs are already provided and his salary is used solely for supporting his and his family’s needs. “Ang sweldo dun, sapat. Libre lahat (ng gastusin), makakaipon ka, at makakapagpadala ka pa sa pamilya mo. Kahit mahirap, gusto kong makatulong sa pamilya at sarili ko kaya pumunta ako doon.”
Long Awaited Journey Back Home
In 2004, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised crisis alert level 4 in Iraq due to the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the country. This meant mandatory evacuation at government expense for the 900 Filipinos in Iraq at that time.
However, rather than choosing to be back home in safety, these OFWs chose to stay in the country to give their families better lives.
“Mahirap kasi (dito) kasi ang edad ko ay matanda na. Dito sa Pilipinas ay hindi ko makikita ng sahod nang katulad ng ganito. Dito rin ay may age limit, samantalang sa Iraq, walang age limit. Pwede kang magtrabaho hangga’t kaya mo,” laments Ms. Rogel.
Their homecoming became possible when the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad came up with the Selective Balik Manggagawa Program in 2016 to get some of them home.
Then Chargé d’Affaires Elmer Cato, now Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications, was able to convince former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano to approve the proposal in 2017.
Unfortunately, it was only in September this year when the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration issued Governing Board Resolution No. 06, series of 2018, that allowed them to go home and be able to return to their jobs in Iraq.
“It was not easy to get our Selective Balik Manggagawa proposal approved but we thank our kababayan in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq for being patient and understanding,” Assistant Secretary Cato said.
But after the ban was lifted, these OFWs were more than glad to take the opportunity to finally be reunited with their loved ones and have the assurance that they can go back to their work abroad.
“Pag-uwi ko dito, yung mga anak ko ay malalaki na. Yung eldest ko, may asawa’t anak na. May apo na ako,” shares Ms. Rogel, whose eldest child was a freshman in high school when she left first for Seychelles before moving to Iraq.
“Humingi kami ng tulong na sana ay makauwi kami at makabalik nang wala nang problema sa immigration. Kaya’t nagpapasalamat kami sa DFA at nagawan ng paraan para kaming mga Pilipino na matagal na sa Iraq ay makauwi rin,” mentions Mr. Tolibas who was glad to be back home after 14 years of being away.
Giving thanks
As soon as the four OFWs arrived from Baghdad, they went to the DFA to express their appreciation.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa DFA at natulungan nila kami na makauwi. Tinulungan nila kami na makakuha ng OEC (overseas employment certificate), makauwi dito at makita namin ang mahal namin sa buhay, at makabalik kami nang walang problema,” says Ms. Rogel.
Their homecoming is truly one of the best Christmas gifts that they could have this season and they could not be more thankful especially to President Rodrigo Duterte because finally, for the first time in years of being away and spending the holidays in another country, a decade even for some, this meant that instead of rockets and missiles, fireworks would light up their skies; and instead of explosions, beautiful voices and laughter of their beloved would fill their ears. END
