Below is the full text from the Pink Tarha Girls, your lifestyle Kikay guide in Saudi Arabia, especially in the capital city of Riyadh. No. 2 winner of the 2009 International Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards, the Pink Tarha's "Ang Tunay na Katas ng Saudi" narrates the stories of four daughters of former OFW's in Saudi, and what they felt now that they themselves are all OFW's. It was a witty, heartwarming and inspiring post that was nominated twice as No. 1, and twice as No. 2 best blog. Pink Tarha Girls believe that "real men, read pink!" :)
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Man's basic instinct is survival. We bet that the Overseas Filipino Worker's basic instinct is survival... of their family.
Time and again, we shout out loud in this blog that we are products of people who ventured into the great desert circa 90s. Without thempeople whose basic instinct was to support us, feed us, send us to school, and give us a good present and an even better future, we will not be here. These are the people whose love for us weighs more than their needs and wants. These are the people we respect highly and love with all our hearts and souls. These are our parents. Without them, there will be no Pink Tarha. No us.
Most Overseas Filipino Workers we know are parents. Whether they are mothers or fathers, we know that the main reason they are working abroad is their children. But of course, there is no perfect way to go about this. Being away from your husband/wife and children puts theab in a normal family life. As much as possible, to be a family and to raise a family means being close literally and figuratively. But we'd like to think that an OFW family is not abnormal. Just different.
Defying the distance.
This difference can somehow translate to difficulty. It is difficult to lead this kind of family life. We recognize that there are more factors affecting an OFW family. The physical distance measured in miles is nothing compared to the emotional and psychological distance created by the absence of OFW parents in their children's lives, and vice-versa. This distance, this absence destroyed many OFW families over the years. But it shouldn't be a trend. It shouldn't be THE trend. While the statistics are staggering, we'd like to believe that there are still many families out there who are working hard to keep theirs intact. That there are many fathers and mothers out there who are not just working hard literally but are also working hard to remain loyal and faithful to their roles in their homes - as husbands, wives, and parents (and of course, children who respect and understand their parents too). We'd like to believe that there are still many (like us) who think and feel thatthe family is still the most important thing in the world.
This year, the Philippine Expats/OFW Blog Award puts the spotlight on the FAMILY, the basic unit of the society.
In honor of the Filipino families all over the world, of Filipino families sharing their meals together, of Filipino families separated by migration and diaspora, of Filipino families surviving amid the trials of the times... the PEBA 2010 highlights the FAMILY, the HOME. PEBA 2010 opens its third season with the theme "Strengthening the OFW Families: Stronger Homes for A Stronger Nation."
This year, PEBA gears up for this bigger, brighter and meaningful mission and the Pink Tarha encourages every OFW blogger and supporter to join PEBA 2010!
We really like the theme emphasizing families because we love ours. For us, whatever we do, wherever we may be in our lives right now... we always go back to our roots. We always go back to the basic unit of our lives... our families."Other things may change us, but we start and end withfamily."
Time and again, we shout out loud in this blog that we are products of people who ventured into the great desert circa 90s. Without thempeople whose basic instinct was to support us, feed us, send us to school, and give us a good present and an even better future, we will not be here. These are the people whose love for us weighs more than their needs and wants. These are the people we respect highly and love with all our hearts and souls. These are our parents. Without them, there will be no Pink Tarha. No us.
Most Overseas Filipino Workers we know are parents. Whether they are mothers or fathers, we know that the main reason they are working abroad is their children. But of course, there is no perfect way to go about this. Being away from your husband/wife and children puts theab in a normal family life. As much as possible, to be a family and to raise a family means being close literally and figuratively. But we'd like to think that an OFW family is not abnormal. Just different.
Defying the distance.This difference can somehow translate to difficulty. It is difficult to lead this kind of family life. We recognize that there are more factors affecting an OFW family. The physical distance measured in miles is nothing compared to the emotional and psychological distance created by the absence of OFW parents in their children's lives, and vice-versa. This distance, this absence destroyed many OFW families over the years. But it shouldn't be a trend. It shouldn't be THE trend. While the statistics are staggering, we'd like to believe that there are still many families out there who are working hard to keep theirs intact. That there are many fathers and mothers out there who are not just working hard literally but are also working hard to remain loyal and faithful to their roles in their homes - as husbands, wives, and parents (and of course, children who respect and understand their parents too). We'd like to believe that there are still many (like us) who think and feel thatthe family is still the most important thing in the world.
This year, the Philippine Expats/OFW Blog Award puts the spotlight on the FAMILY, the basic unit of the society.
In honor of the Filipino families all over the world, of Filipino families sharing their meals together, of Filipino families separated by migration and diaspora, of Filipino families surviving amid the trials of the times... the PEBA 2010 highlights the FAMILY, the HOME. PEBA 2010 opens its third season with the theme "Strengthening the OFW Families: Stronger Homes for A Stronger Nation."
PEBA has witnessed in real life the suffering and loneliness of the OFWs and their families and believes that strengthening the OFW families, strengthens the homes and the nation! Thus, this season’s theme of “Strengthening the OFW Families: Stronger Homes for a Stronger Nation” does not just momentarily fit the hour but is a timeless subject that cannot be bound by shackles so long as there are OFWs out there.
What can we do as bloggers? The PEBA 2010 Season opens with not just the OFWs and Pinoy expatriates writing about the OFW families but will be joining forces with local bloggers who, in one way or the other, have been influenced by an OFW in their lifetime. The support of the local bloggers who are sympathetic to the OFW cause will have that exponential effect of reaching even to the grassroots level.
PEBA calls on the bloggers to write and post about topics on strengthening the OFW families despite their being miles away from each other. Topics about communication, family gatherings, parent-child coaching and counseling, assistance and support in children’s homework and projects, conference meetings with family members, online contact with families, pointers on cheap communication, etc. PEBA calls on the bloggers to write about what they are doing to strengthen their families despite the distance and their absence from home. PEBA calls on the bloggers to share insights, ideas, pointers and how to express love for their spouses and children.
PEBA will not just be an organization that will give annual awards for exemplary blogs but it will proactively act on issues that will make difference in people's lives, especially the young children, and the OFW's and their families. [Read more...]
This year, PEBA gears up for this bigger, brighter and meaningful mission and the Pink Tarha encourages every OFW blogger and supporter to join PEBA 2010!
We really like the theme emphasizing families because we love ours. For us, whatever we do, wherever we may be in our lives right now... we always go back to our roots. We always go back to the basic unit of our lives... our families."Other things may change us, but we start and end withfamily."
©2010 Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards
