[...] something about ofwwatch[...]…

We appeal to all concern agencies.

thanks.

1. BE OPTIMISTIC AND INNOVATIVE:

Optimistic means always positive in times of crisis. And be innovative. Innovative means to find new ways of doing things. When these two words are combined together you can see new opportunities. You can even turn a Negative thing to Positive.

2. PLANNING: Know what is important each day and get your priorities straight.

When I decided to work as an OFW, my goal was to save money for the education for my children. That was my number one priority. By establishing my priorities I was then able to make a plan. The importance of having a plan is, it provides the tool you need to control and discipline yourself. If and when you stumble, the plans remind you of what is really important and provides the tool to get back on your path

3. KNOWLEDGE:

In life there is no finishing line… when it comes to learning.

When I was in HK, my two sisters were also there to work. When they know that my free time is occupied in the study in application of technology they commented like;
“you are too old already to study technology and besides you cannot use it when you go back home”.

Now that I have IT Business, they realize how important knowledge can be. Knowledge can be learning from school, experience and most importantly gained from our mistakes. We are not perfect and we definitely will have some mistakes. But if we accept our mistakes, and learn from those mistakes, we will become a better person.

4. Budgeting: Normally, when you talk about budget, you refer to the list of expenses and revenues. We must learn to do this if we want to become successful.
In my very young age, without even knowing what is the meaning of Budgeting, I have already adopted and practiced how to budget my time and money. After school, I would spend my time at the sea gathering shells and seaweeds to sell in the market. If I have money, I spent it for my pen and paper and gave the rest to my mother to buy matches, kerosene and other commodities.

Financial Budgeting not only applies to money. It applies to time as well. TIME is MONEY. You may ask why? Look at the words we use to describe activities related to time and money.

Spending: We say I spent my money, but we also say I spent my time.
Investing: We say I invested my money, but we also say I invested my time.
Wasting: I wasted my money for what reason or I wasted my time……

Many of you can think of other examples.

If we Filipinos will realize that time is money, we may slowly break the cultural cycle of dependency. We can do this by teaching the families of OFWs who remain at home to use their time more productively to support their loved one overseas. We must teach and empower them to do more than just wait and rely on the monthly remittances.

In summary, to my fellow OFW and their Families let us work together to have a positive impact on our community. Be optimistic and Innovative and don’t wait for someone to tell you what to do. Endure the struggles and the stress. Focus on your priorities and plan ahead and DO NOT WASTE TIME. Be courageous enough to face the challenges and Risk in life. Don’t give up when you stumble, instead always learn from your mistakes.

And most importantly, continue to learn something useful everyday because the knowledge you acquire is a precious gift you give yourself. It can not be mortgaged or taken away. It is yours forever.