From the category archives:

OFW Life & Issues

Stranded Overseas Filipino Workers

December 20, 2007

Good morning to all prospective and aspiring Overseas Filipino Workers! I have a message to all of you via our friends from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and elsewhere in the Gulf States. Our sources is telling us that these Filipinos were hired through a licensed recruitment agency in Manila to work with one of the security [...]

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America, the beautiful?

December 19, 2007

HAY BUHAY AMERICA TALAGA!  (Anonymous: English mistranslation by Reyna Elena) Akala ng mga tao na nasa Pilipinas kapag nasa America ka akala nila madami ka ng pera. Ang totoo, madami kang utang, dahil credit card lahat ang gamit mo sa pagbili mo ng mga gamit mo. Kailangan mo gumamit ng credit card para magka-credit history [...]

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My disappearing retirement money!

December 14, 2007

I am just having such a bad day today with all these news about the Philippine peso! Grrrr!!! It’s bad enough that my technorati ratings is going down drastically (napansin nyo?), I could see my 401-k disappearing forever!!! Now, I have to kayod forever para lang I could send the same amount of money na pinapadala ko [...]

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teleBISYOn

December 13, 2007

Maganda si Reyna senyong lahattttt mga kabisyoooooo!!! You know, aside from OFW’s, yong mga coconut farmers po eh malapit din po sa puso nang reyna. Marami-rami din po kasi akong ninakaw na nyog nung panahon. Kaya eto po, pinag-durusahan ever ko po talaga! hehehe! Ever!!! Charing!!! hahaha! At para naman makabayad ako nang utang ko, I’d like you guys [...]

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United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to adopt standardized employment contracts

December 11, 2007

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to adopt standardized employment contracts and other measures aimed at protecting foreign workers, including Filipino workers, from exploitative recruiters who merely exact money from them, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said Monday. UAE’s Ministry of Labor (MOL) was ready to adopt:Electronic employment contract and verification system [...]

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Who’s the prettiest of them all?

December 9, 2007

Here we go again! This is what happens when I take off my crown. I get swarmed by pretty, pretty women! Hehehe!!!  Mirror! Mirror! Cracking on the wall! Who’s the prettiest of them all? Share on Facebook Digg Stumble Upon Del.icio.us Buzz

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Binggo na talaga to!!!

December 5, 2007

Halos matapon ang isang drum na kapeng nilalagok ko pag-gizing ko. Eto!  ANO?! Sa totoo lang! Sino ba ang winners nang pag-taas nang value nang piso? Kaming mga OFW na halos barya na lang ang kita namen? I’m sure new year celebration ang mga smugglers at silang nagbabakasyon sa Yuropa! Ang sumunod kong naisip … mawawalan [...]

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No Remit Days 1-5 bawat buwan

December 2, 2007

Ang sumusunod ay pahayag ng Migrants Association in Saudi Arabia (MASA), isa sa mga kasaping organisasyon ng Migrante Saudi Arabia. Ipaglaban ang Kabuhayan ng Migranteng Pilipino! No Remit sa a-1 hanggang a-5 ng bawat buwan! Laging sinasabi ng gobyerno na gumaganda ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas. Patunay daw nito ang pagtaas ng reserbang dolyar ng bansa, [...]

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Please! Bless Marilou Ranario and spare her life!

November 29, 2007

That’s my simple prayer for Marilou Ranario.  It’s such a depressing day for OFW’s. I could only offer my prayers to Marilou and her family. Honestly, have you ever prayed for somebody you don’t know? Would you pray with me that some miracle happens to Marilou and that she be spared of death? It’s all that we can do [...]

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OFW Logo presented to you by Reyna Elena

November 24, 2007

Copy this code: <p align=”center”><a href=”http://reynaelena.com”><img src=”http://reynaelena.com/wp-content/uploads/ofwlogo100.png” alt=”ofwlogo100.png” /> </a></p>  These are the sizes: 100 125 150 160 175 200 That code is the smallest. If you prefer a bigger size, what you do is change the 100 that you see inside the code to a size that you like to fit unto your website. [...]

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The Winner of the OFW Slogan & Logo Competition!

October 26, 2007

And so the deliberations continued… In the end, it would be a fight between the three remaining entries which were very creative, very witty and very intelligently written. Ol For Wan, Juan For All Taas-noo OFW, Kahit saan, Tagumpay sa Sanlibutan! OK, FINE, Whatever Whenever Wherever Find out what’s the surprise! Share on Facebook Digg [...]

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The road to winning the OFW Slogan and Logo Contest

October 25, 2007

In the beginning:  On September 5, 2007, I launched Reyna Elena’s very own OFW Slogan & Logo Design Competition. The whole idea was simple. Create a catchy slogan and a sleek logo that captures the spirit and best expresses and exemplifies what an Overseas Filipino Worker is all about. This is my response to the [...]

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And so, there were five.

October 21, 2007

I didn’t realize that it was tough to deliberate on the entries, especially the slogan. All of the slogan are equally representative of what the OFW represents, except for one big fan. And so, here are the five finalists! Share on Facebook Digg Stumble Upon Del.icio.us Buzz

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Ten things I’ll do when I get home to Pasig

October 17, 2007

It’s fall again. Mausok masyado sa labas, foggy ever. The temperature changes drastically. Parang yong ex ko. Minsan malambing then after that nagliliparan ang mga kutsilto. Parang blog ko na rin. Minsan seryoso, minsan biglang whatever chuvalais. Medyo kalma ang blogging world ngayon. Everybody is sorta waiting for another desperate malu. In attack position baga. [...]

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Last day to submit entries to OFW Slogan & Logo Contest: Winner gets Php10,000!!!

October 13, 2007

UPDATE 10/18/2007 8:20pm EST:  THIS CONTEST IS OFFICIALLY CLOSE. NO MORE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED. SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT YEAR! UPDATE 10/13/2007 8:19pm EST: HILLARY HAS SPOKEN: *Set aside Presidential campaign thoughts, thinking* I consulted with my maid, Inday. She agreed unequivocally to the suggestion that the recontre be prolonged for another seven days in order [...]

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Jocelyn Dulnuan Updates

October 11, 2007

Jocelyn Dulnuan Updates: We now have an update on Jocelyn Dulnuan and what’s going on in Toronto. Share on Facebook Digg Stumble Upon Del.icio.us Buzz

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OFW Contest Update + AJ needs help on his Ad Campaign

October 11, 2007

Our OFW Slogan & Logo Design Competition updates and here’s a really diligent student needing some advice on his ad campaign. Share on Facebook Digg Stumble Upon Del.icio.us Buzz

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And the survey says? OFW kin tend to just sit back and wait!

October 11, 2007

Did you read the latest survey about OFW Families?  Gi-summarize man nako ug survey bitaw at the bottom of this entry. Naa man usa nga nakakasilaw na findings. Eto: Ang ibang pamilya daw nang mga OFW eh nakaupo na lang sa ilalim nang puno nang kamatsili at hinihintay na lang na bumagsak sa langit ang padala nang [...]

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This little girl from Daraga, Albay is shining in America!

October 10, 2007

You all are familiar with Jeopardy di ba? I don’t need to do any wiki-wiki explanation chuvalinga, right? Basta, isa syang big deal, big time at primetime game show para sa mga magagaling at matatalinong tao. Guess what! TONIGHT! As in NGONIAN NA BANGGUI! There was a Pinay on Jeopardy! World domination ever!!!  Share on Facebook Digg Stumble [...]

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Jocelyn Dulnuan, a 27-year-old OFW

October 9, 2007

I was talking with my first cousin in Mississauga just now. Lumipat na daw ako nang Toronto dahil mas mataas na ang palit nang pera nila. But of course, I blog about the fact na pumatas na yong $1CN at yung $1US. Sabi ko, bukas na dahil gabi na dito ngayon. Nauwi ang usapan namin sa big [...]

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Is the Desperate Housewives storm over?

October 8, 2007

ANNOUNCEMENT 1: There’s less than a week na lang po for the OFW LOGO/SLOGAN Competition and beginning this weekend, I’ll start posting the ones that I received. You may now send your entries. Many, many thanks to an OFW in Dubai who wants to be anonymous and simply be called tabaknamatarom@yahoo.com for sending Php5,000. So, [...]

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Salmon of the Day: Paradigm Shift #1: Who’s reading who now?

October 7, 2007

Kids, what’s a PARADIGM SHIFT? Anyone?! Anyone?! Nasaan ang mga estudyante ko?! *blag* *blag* *blag* EEEEEEE!!!!! Ba’t puro excuse slips tooooo!!! Think of a Paradigm Shift as a change from one way of thinking to another. It’s a revolution, a transformation, a sort of metamorphosis. It just does not happen, but rather it is driven [...]

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It’s the economy, stupid! (Paano na lang tayo?)

October 1, 2007

Remember this famous line that catapulted Bill Clinton’s winning the US Presidency? My blog article today has got nothing to do with Bill Clinton, rather, I am truly disappointed by the never ending role of POEA as an eternal human resource department of the Philippines pushing Filipinos to work abroad and finding them jobs from all [...]

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KC’s from Paris to Pinas

September 26, 2007

KC, KC, KC. I know, I promised not to be a siliberty blogger because I can’t keep up with the siliberty developments that only Chuva can do. But this morning, I was late in our meeting and my Tuesday meeting starts at impuntong alas otso!!! As in bukang liwayway na alas singko nanghihilod na po [...]

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I APOLOGIZE

September 14, 2007

Yes.    Share on Facebook Digg Stumble Upon Del.icio.us Buzz

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Back to the Project: OFW Slogan & Logo Design

September 8, 2007

UPDATE: 10/18/2007 8:24pm THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING ANY ENTRIES ANYMORE. SEE YOU NEXT YEAR.   QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Slogan/Logo Design Contest When is the deadline? Deadline to submit entries is October 14, 2007. You have moooorrrreee than a month to gather your team of designers, engineers, architects, plumbers and diggers to [...]

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Project: OFW Slogan & Logo Design Competition gives you Php10,000!

September 5, 2007

UPDATE: 10/18/2007 8:22pm EST THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING ANY ENTRIES ANYMORE. SEE YOU NEXT YEAR.  Welcome! I love my OFW’s! And so, www.reynaelena.com is proud to announce the OFW Slogan & Logo Design Competition. The whole idea is simple. Create a catchy slogan and a sleek logo that captures the spirit and [...]

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Can you read my mind?

September 4, 2007

Ladies and Gentlemen: I have a very exciting announcement to make in the next few days … Yeap, anak. You heard me write. I mean, you read me right. Now, if I could finish this as soon as I can, I’ll make the announcement SOON! What could this be? Hmmm… di ko sasabihin!!! Pero, pag pinilit nyo ko – sasabihin ko [...]

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Are OFWs coming home? What’s with the POEA numbers? Are they correct?

September 2, 2007

Da TRUE and nothing butt da true: Where OFW remittances are coming from: In 2006, Overseas Filipino Workers remitted a total of $12 billion glittering US Dollars to the Philippines. Eto po sya shown by top ten sources by country. If you look, almost 60% of which comes from the US and only 10% is [...]

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From Boracay to Greece to the Doghouse

August 29, 2007

UPDATE: September 03, 2007: Da bitch is back. Here’s here 1st write-up, talking about germs and bacteria which is really pretty much defining herself as one. An incessant bacteria. http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=goodLife2_sept3_2007 . As you can see, I intend not to give her another blogspace – rather, just update this post. Apparently, this article will hit the [...]

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The Malu Fernandez-OFW controversy: According to People Asia

August 28, 2007

UPDATE: September 03, 2007: Da bitch is back. Here’s here 1st write-up, talking about germs and bacteria which is really pretty much defining herself as one. An incessant bacteria. http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=goodLife2_sept3_2007 . As you can see, I intend not to give her another blogspace – rather, just update this post. Apparently, this article will hit the [...]

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10 things that came out of the malu fernandez debacle: After the storm

August 26, 2007

UPDATE: September 03, 2007: Da bitch is back. Here’s here 1st write-up, talking about germs and bacteria which is really pretty much defining herself as one. An incessant bacteria. http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=goodLife2_sept3_2007. As you can see, I intend not to give her another blogspace – rather, just update this post. Apparently, this article will hit the roads [...]

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You quit because of death threats! Not because you were sorry for what you have said against us!

August 24, 2007

Manila Standard columnist quits after getting OFWs’ ire [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cW6MV8J1sQ] I am deeply apologetic for my insensitivity and the offensive manner in which this article was written, I hear you all and I am properly rebuked. It was truly not my intention to malign hurt or express prejudice against OFWs,” her satement said. Fernandez claimed that [...]

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Bangkurokots!

August 23, 2007

 Banks charge too much for overseas money transfers Modern-day banking started on the sidewalks of medieval Milan, Italy. Money was actually traded from benches, hence “banco,” or bank. At that time, bankers were considered only a head above murderers, robbers and thieves.Today, bankers have become respectable. But there are pockets of sheer greed. When I [...]

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What are the implications of the emerging middle class from OFW families?

August 21, 2007

The Interview continues: This is the continuation of the Inquirer Interview. Click these links for the: 1st part: Are OFW’s the emerging middle class in the Philippines? 2nd part: OFW migration is natural. Is it? 3rd part: What do you think is the reason for this difference in common observation and official figures? QUESTION: To [...]

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What do you think is the reason for this difference in common observation and official figures?

August 20, 2007

This is the continuation of the Inquirer Interview. Click these links for the: 1st part: Are OFW’s the emerging middle class in the Philippines? 2nd part: OFW migration is natural. Is it? QUESTION: People I talk to easily accept the observation that OFW’s are the new middle class. They can feel it happening, and there [...]

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Have you seen da bitch?!

August 19, 2007

Amazingly, the line has been drawn by da bitch reminding the world of the power of blogging! In today’s fast paced, lightning speed of the information age, when you ran across bitches from upper class hell society who smacks down on OFW’s, and a proclaimed columnist and writer no matter how lousy, uneducated and insentive she is, [...]

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Excuse me bitch! But I love my OFW’s!!!

August 18, 2007

That’s how she calls herself! A bitch! Most people don’t get the fact that they need bitches like me to shake up their world, otherwise their lives would be boring and mediocre. Like everyone else, I was infuriated?by the comments, the crappy?and really insulting apology by this bitch (that’s how she calls herself)?from Manila Standard [...]

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OFW migration is natural. Is it?

August 18, 2007

This is the continuation of the Philippine Daily Inquirer Interview. Click this article to read the 1st part: “Are OFW’s the emerging middle class in the Philippines?“ Question: Do you believe the government’s explanation that this is because more OFW deployments are now professionals and skilled workers? (I have attached the latest figures from the [...]

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Are OFW’s the emerging middle class in the Philippines?

August 16, 2007

This is the unedited version of the interview by MA. SALVE DUPLITO, Editor of Money Smarts, INQUIRER.net with me. I got a permission from her to post it here. Of course, once this gets edited, isang sentence na lang ang matitira. hehehe. Question: Former Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas has said that OFWs are the emerging [...]

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Visit ViSA warning to those planning to go to Dubai

August 7, 2007

Here’s an email I received from a fellow overseas filipino worker and I like it when I get these kinds of email. Sino pa ba ang magtutulungan kundi tayo na lang, kaya maraming salamat kabayang Manuel. Hopefully, my readers will forward this blog article and link this para malaman nang boung pinoys wanting to go to [...]

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Are you in favor of withholding remittances to the Philippines?

August 6, 2007

FAVOR BA KAYO? Isa-isahin nyo ang tuldok nang Sauna 2007, wala akong nakitang programa sa mga OFW’s dun, kayo? Nakita nyo ba? Now, we know that the rising peso is affecting remittances of OFW’s to their families. Yong mga opisyales nang gobyerno naten should take notice, what brought these OFW’s to ask for a special foreign exchange rate? [...]

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What’s with the bling-blings?!

July 3, 2007

Ok, what is this anomaly? How come overseas filipino workers tend to buy a lot of bling-blings? He! He! He! Sori, napapag-initan ko ang bisita nang bayaw ko. He works in Dubai with his wife. They went to New York to visit and decided to stop by in Philadelphia. There’s four of them. Sila ang aking [...]

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Wanted: New Immigrants

June 30, 2007

Philadelphia. My city. My home for the last 21 years. With it’s newest and tallest building currently under construction na dinadaanan ko araw-araw. A picture, perfect city.  It’s called the City of Brotherly Love. It’s the first capital of the United States. It’s where the first Supreme Court of the United States is located. It’s [...]

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Listen to their music! SinaGlaya Band

June 24, 2007

I love getting and reading emails from pinoys all over the world! And I swear, I respond to them one by one. I have another special email today from some very aspiring group, headed by an Overseas Filipino Worker based in Singapore. They have a band! I’d like to introduce to you all SinaGLaya. Sinaglaya stands for Sinag ng Kalayaan. According to [...]

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3 Pinays trapped in toilet (or things you should never do in Italy)

June 22, 2007

Sun.Star: When in Rome, do as the Romans do or end up getting cheated, humiliated, penniless or maybe even stranded. A trip to Italy’s tourist traps with my sister and cousin led us to misadventures we can never forget. 1. Never cheat on automated toilets In Italy, the public toilets on the subways are automated. [...]

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Daddy’s Little Girl is our first OFW Story

June 15, 2007

But first – Watch this unbelievable performance by a mobile phone saleman! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA] AND FINALLY! We have our first OFW Story submitted by a reader. Daddy’s Little Girl June 15th, 2007 Our featured OFW Story came from a 31 year old Overseas Filipino Worker from the Middle East. Click the link and follow the story [...]

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The OFW Story

June 12, 2007

If you are an Overseas Filipino Worker, an immigrant or whatever you maybe in your host country so long as you are Filipino, we would like to hear from you. Baka naman you have a story to tell, a poem like what C5 is doing? Or do you have a special story to share us? Let it [...]

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Are you in favor of the DLSU study that OFW remittances be taxed?

May 28, 2007

SO, TELL ME! ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF THE DLSU STUDY THAT OFW REMITTANCES BE TAXED? Yeap! You read it right! There’s a study out there – somewhere in the halls of the De La Salle University that OFW remittances will be taxed.  That’s right! tha’s an interesting piece of news imbedded in this article that [...]

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It’s clear OFWs can’t depend on gov’t

March 31, 2007

I wrote about this earlier: http://reynaelena.com/?p=393 and I really did not understand why the nurses walked out nor did I understand what must be in their mind for doing so. Here’s an email I picked up on the Inquirer to offer us some insights. Whether these are true, who knows. But what we know is the [...]

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It’s the government, not the Balikbayan boxes

March 29, 2007

Here’s an article and a commentary I picked up on the Inquirer that’s worth reading. It’s all about our plight and balikbayan boxes. It’s the government, not the Balikbayan boxes INQUIRER.net Posted date: March 13, 2007 Randy Castro’s cricitism is out of this world. He said, “What’s wrong with going abroad to work?” There is [...]

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Success is when… Kuta’s scholar becomes a doctor!

February 22, 2007

One of our dear online friend, a wacky teacher who drives our faces with laughter that sometimes nears the boundary of insanity, is just one happy, heureux, glücklich, ???????, felice, ????????? woman today! Here’s why: Nakaw ulit ako internet sa school kasi minu minuto ko inaabangan ang result ng physician licensure exam given noong Sunday [...]

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Rising dependence on OFW remittances alarming

January 19, 2007

Think tank: Rising dependence on OFW remittances alarming Workers’ money accounts for 10% of GDP; By Delfin Mallari Jr., Southern Luzon Bureau, Posted date: January 18, 2007 MANILA, Philippines — The growing dependence of the country’s economy on the money sent home by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) has become alarming, the head researcher of the [...]

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