Why Many Filipinos Want to Become OFWs and Work Abroad

There are many Filipinos who have chosen to find a job and work overseas. There’s nothing wrong in wanting to work in other countries. In fact, it’s been a norm in the Philippines that if you want to earn more money, you can work abroad and find a good career. Before anything else though, it is important that as an OFW, you should be aware of the benefits you can get as an OWWA member and be sure to keep your OWWA membership active to maximize these benefits.

Overseas Filipino Workers have been labelled as modern-day heroes as collectively, they contribute to the economy of the Philippines through the monthly remittances they send to their loved ones in the country. Here we share some reasons why some Filipinos want to work overseas.

However, remember that working abroad is not always as peaceful as you think of it. It’s risky because you are going to work in a place you don’t know. If you go there alone, you will be away from your family and you need some time to adjust.

It’s a risk to go abroad and work, but if you want to take the risk and looking for some motivations to pursue your career abroad, here are some ideas why many Filipinos want to work as an OFW based on the experience of our fellow OFWs.

1. Better career opportunities.

The first reason why Filipinos want to work abroad is because of better career opportunities. Unlike in the Philippines where there is a limited number of jobs, there are more job openings abroad, which means that you will likely find more vacancies and opportunities if you go outside the Philippines.

2. No strict qualifications for some jobs.

Some good and big companies in the Philippines require their potential employees to have a good line-up of experience, education, and other qualifications. Most companies require the candidates to be college graduates, with years of experience, and so on. If you don’t have these things, can you still find a good job in the Philippines? More often than not, you will end up working for a local company that doesn’t pay good compensation. One of the reasons why Filipinos want to work abroad is because employers there don’t have tight requirements. Even if you have work experience of less than a year, you will find a job that pays a reasonable salary.

3. Reasonable compensation.

Another reason why Filipinos work abroad is that more reasonable compensation is awaiting when you work there. For example, if you are earning 8,000 pesos for a month in the Philippines, you may earn twice in other countries even if your occupation is not a white-collar job. You may consider earning more if you plan to work abroad. As long as qualify for a job there, you will certainly earn more than what you are earning in the Philippines.

4. Opportunity to renew contracts.

When you work abroad, your employment is more likely to be contractual unless you’ve been working under the same employer for quite a while now. Although a regular job is more favorable, the usual job offer to expats is contractual. But, the fact that it can be renewed every time the contact expires is a good thing to continue your employment. Aside from renewal, you also have the chance to look for another employer and get a new contract.

5. Good work experience.

If you going abroad to gain some experience, then this is a good opportunity for you. You can also gain good work experience when you work abroad. This is among the reasons why Filipinos want to work abroad so that by the time they return to the country, they have something good to put in their resumes as part of their work experience. In this way, by the time they apply for a job locally, they can get a job with high compensation. It’s worth it to work abroad for experience and many have done that already.

6. A chance to earn a residence permit.

Also, the longer Filipinos work abroad, the more they get chances to earn a residence permit. This means that if you work for years in a country, you will get a chance to permanently stay in that country if you enter and exit quite often. It’s a good opportunity as there are many benefits when you become a resident of other countries. Also, it becomes a privilege for Filipinos when they earn a residence permit since they can choose where to live or to work. When they earn a residence permit, it’s easier to enter the country as well.

7. Lots of benefits for resident expats.

When a Filipino becomes a resident expat, they become entitled to a lot of benefits such as medical assistance, educational assistance, and many more. This is another privilege only OFWs can be entitled to. If you want to work abroad and you are planning to work there for a long time, it’s good that you also have a goal to become a resident and be able to get all the benefits attached to this privilege.

8. Opportunity to get their families and sponsor abroad.

OFWs are more likely to earn opportunities to get their family and sponsor abroad. In fact, this is what most OFWs do. They work abroad and after some years, they get their spouses and children to live with them. It’s given that most Filipinos who work abroad are alone when they started working in other countries. Getting homesick when you’re alone abroad is really inconvenient. This is also why many of them aim to get their families with them.

9. Benefits for dependents.

When Filipinos work abroad, they also get the chance to claim benefits for their dependents. For example, when they start working abroad, they become OWWA members, which entitles them and their dependents to some benefits like scholarships. Also, when they become resident expats, their dependents become entitled to some benefits like free education abroad and something similar. If you have the same goals as other OFWs, then it’s going to be beneficial to your kids.

10. To save money.

Last but not the least, since working abroad can help OFWs earn more, they become capable of saving more money. This is another reason why OFWs work abroad—to save money and maybe after working for some years, go home and establish their own businesses, buy a house, buy a car, or do something similar.

Working abroad has a lot of benefits, indeed. But always remember that there is a risk when you work in other countries. It’s not as peaceful and smooth as always. Know the risk of working abroad and manage your expectations.