In most cases, the success of married OFWs depends on the
wife or the husband of the OFW. 

It’s the spouse in the Philippines who receives the salary of the OFW, and it is he or she who’s the one deciding how the money will be spent.

Woe to the OFW whose wife or husband is a mallgoer, a philanderer, a man-eater, a libre-dito-libre-doon, a madamot sa kamag-anak ng OFW, a pasikat, a tamad, or one who does not find ways to supplement the OFW salary.

If you’re an OFW wife or a husband, and you no longer have small kids to take care of, and you know that your OFW spouse might be terminated because of his/her illness, would you not find ways to supplement the OFW income?

Or lalo ka bang mangutang ng mga 5-6 para sa motorcycle o bagong cellphone ng anak?

I have a personal in-law problem related to this kind, and many times I rebel. Ito yong kasong nagtatrabaho ka, nagtitipid ka, tapos itutulong mo lang yong natipid mo sa pamilya na hindi naman lumingon sa iyo noong nagtatamasa sila ng OFW money? Na hindi man lang binayaran yong 100k plus at pluses pa na inutang sa iyo sa kanilang pag-apply sa abroad, at pag-solbar ng mga problema nila. Na meron pang nagawa sa abroad na ikinasama ng trabaho ng mismong tumulong sa kanya.

Now, this former OFW person is alone, in his dilapidated low-cost amortization-never-paid 19-square-meter house. Was forced to return back home for good because of a heart-related illness. The wife and the children are gone.

Who will help him? Again, yong mga taong lagi na lang tumutulong sa kanya kahit walang kapalit — paano kasi, hindi matiis dahil kadugo.

OFW wives and husbands, maawa kayo sa mga asawa ninyo na naghihirap sa abroad. I-explain ninyo sa mga anak ninyo ang hirap at sakripisyo ng mga asawa ninyo. Sabi dati ng isa kong nakausap na seaman, “Akala ng asawa at mga anak ko, sitting pretty ako sa barko. Hindi nila alam na nakababad ako sa tubig at nagkikiskis ng kalawang ng barko.”

Yong isa naman, sabi niya, “Hindi alam ng pamilya ko, natutulog ako sa double-deck. Para kaming sardinas sa isang kuarto. Agency lang kasi yong napasukan ko.”

Pag wala nang maliit na inaalagaan, maghanap ng legal na pagkakakitaan, na kaya ninyo at walang kalugihan.

Ngayon-ngayon lang, nagbigay na naman ako dito sa in-law na former OFW na ito. Wala na siyang pambili ng gamot at pagkain. Ang payat-payat na. Sana hindi ganito ang kahihinatnan ng OFW na kamag-anak ninyo.

Photo top right: by Ed Yourdon, CC BY-SA 2.0, flickr.com/photos/yourdon/2626864976

Photo top left: by Joe Szilagyi, CC BY-SA 2.0, flickr.com/photos/rootology/2659216848

The only requirements are:

• Student’s birth certificate issued by the NSO
• Photocopy of OFW parent’s passport
• Updated OEC issued by the POEA

Additionally, the student must enroll at least 18 units per semester.

Related Articles:

Best Savings Accounts for Students in the Philippines

Tuition Fees at FEU and Some Other Universities in Manila, Philippines

Private Universities in Metro Manila, Philippines, Nearby Areas

the NAIA toilets clean and supplied with water, soap and toilet paper is good news not only for tourist but also for OFWs and their families.

Last March, when I sent my brother off at the NAIA, I mustered all my strength so I wouldn’t puke at the smell of the toilets. There was no water. But I had to choose between puking and peeing on my pants, as I couldn’t hold it any longer.

OFWs saved the country from the 2007-2010 global crisis from going under, but look at the treatment they’re getting from their own airport:

• Tinataboy ang mga pamilya nila ng mga security guards out of the departure area. (Tama rin yong objective, pero may sistema sana.)
• Pinapaalis ang van na inarkila ng OFW within a few minutes of arrival sa departure area, pero marami namang naka-park doon na siempre alam ninyo na kung sinu-sino ang mga may-ari. (Tama uli ang objective, pero fair kayo dapat.)
• Tinitiis nila ang amoy at kung ano ang nasa toilet bowls sa restrooms, toilets o CR.

OFWs sent nearly $18.77 billion to the Philippines in 2010, accounting for nearly 10 percent of the country’s total GDP, according to the BSP. It also accounted for nearly one-third of the country’s Gross International Reserves of $62.1 billion as of December 2010.

The World Bank’s estimate was even higher at $21.3 billion, probably because it had estimates of remittances that didn’t pass thru BSP-supervised entities. This total pushed the Philippines to rank fourth in the World Bank’s chart on total inward remittances worldwide in 2010.

$21.3 billion — wow, that’s 34.3 percent of the Philippines’ 2010 total foreign reserves! That’s more than one-third.

I hope the NAIA and the newer airports consider the OFW and Pinoy culture, particularly the need for families to be together at the last hours/minutes before departure. Imagine, hindi nga naman kayo magkikita over a period of one year or two years, and even three years, so it’s understandable that the children, the mothers, fathers, wives and husbands maximize the time to be together.

I hope they come up with an airport departure-area design that respects this OFW reality, and I hope they finally clean up the toilets.

The last time I was at the NAIA arrival area, ang maganda ay inalis na nila yong 30-pesos fee sa covered area, pero pinalitan naman nila yong signages from alphabets to numbers. Ang hirap tingnan kung nasaan yong inaantay mo, lalo na kung hindi mo na kabisado yong itsura ng inaantay.

At least, kung alphabets, kahit walang prior usapan, common sense na tatayo doon sa start ng family name yong arriving person.

P.S.: Kahit walang TP, basta malinis, walang amoy, okay ang flush, nakikita agad yong flush button, may tubig ang faucet, at may sabitan ng bag. If you’re concerned about vanishing TP rolls, put the TP rolls outside the cubicles.

Photo credits:

• top photo by orangeyume of webshots.com
• second photo by beije of webshots.com

1. BDO REMIT Cash Card from Banco de Oro

You can read about this in this BDO Remit Cash Card article.

2. Global Filipino Card from Philippine National Bank PNB

• Just buy the card; no need to open a bank account
• No deposit requirement
• No maintaining balance
• No application fee
• No processing fee
• No ATM withdrawal fee at PNB ATMs
• You can use it to pay at PayLink terminals
• Your recipients will get text alerts when you fund the card
• You can check your balance online
• Earn reward points for every remittance
• You can buy a card for each of your beneficiaries; no limit
• Buy the card from any PNB overseas or local branch by filling up a form and presenting one valid ID.
• You can apply for a card while overseas for your beneficiaries
• Dormancy fee is 100 pesos

3.  Metrobank World Cash Card from Metrobank

• Get this card for free
• You can get more than one card
• Initially available at Metrobank branches in FB Harrison and Timog
• Available abroad in certain Metrobank offices:

Hongkong
Osaka, Japan
Pusan, Japan
Tokyo, Japan
Seoul, Korea

4. OFW Cash Card from LANDBANK

• No opening deposit
• No maintaining balance
• No dormancy period
• No interest
• ATM daily withrawal limit is 30k
• Card is free, but replacement card costs 120 pesos
• and reactivation costs 120 pesos
• Valid for two years, can be reactivated
• You can request for a statement for a fee
• Bring proof you’re an OFW or beneficiary

Related Articles:

Savings Accounts for OFW Remittances
Savings Accounts in the Philippines with the Lowest Maintaining Balances
Cheapest Checking Account in the Philippines
BPI and BDO Internet Banking — Free and Quick Ways to Send Your Children’s Allowance
Ofws Parents Take Advantage of Free Internet Banking to Manage Your Childrens Weekly Allowance
List of Banks in the Philippines — Universal Banks, Commercial Banks
Top 27 Savings Banks in the Philippines — or Top 27 Thrift Banks

1.  BDO Kabayan Savings Account — BDO = Banco de Oro

You can read about this account in this BDO Kabayan article.

2.  Global Filipino Deposit Accounts – PNB = Philippine National Bank

Both you and your recipient can open a savings account.
You can open:
–  Peso ATM
–  Peso passbook
–  Dollar passbook
No opening deposit
No maintaining balance
Earn interest for balances of at least 10,000 pesos or $500

3.  Abot-Pangarap Savings Plan — RCBC and RSB

This is a helpful plan. It encourages you to save something every month.
You will be given 2 accounts: your recipient’s account and your own savings account
A portion of the remittance will be credited to your savings account.

No opening deposit
No maintaining balance
Minimum balance to earn interest is 10,000 pesos
You can request for a statement of account

4.  Overseas Kababayan Savings (OKS) Account — CHINABANK

No initial deposit
No maintaining balance
Minimum balance to earn interest is 1,000 pesos.
You can enroll this account in China Bank Online for free

5.  Remittance Savings Account — Allied Bank

Initial deposit of 100 pesos
Maintaining balance of 100 pesos
Choose between passbook and ATM card
Minimum balance to earn interest is 3,000 pesos for ATM and 10k for passbook

Related Articles:

Savings Accounts in the Philippines with the Lowest Maintaining Balances

Best Savings Accounts for Students in the Philippines

Top 27 Savings Banks in the Philippines — or Top 27 Thrift Banks

Best Savings Accounts for Students in the Philippines

To send money to your family or any recipient in the Philippines:

1.   Go to any of the following banks, and apply for a Wire Transfer.

Wire Transfer is sometimes called telegraphic transfer, bank to bank money transfer, or SWIFT transfer.

2.  Fill out the wire transfer form.  You will write:

• Name of Recipient
• Name of Recipient Bank: BPI or BPI Family
• Name of Branch and Address of Branch
• BPI or BPI Family Account Number
• BPI SWIFT Code or Address: BOPIPHMM

*Use the same SWIFT Code for BPI Family.

*SWIFT means Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication.
*SWIFT is the same as BIC – Bank Identifier Code.

BANK CHARGES:

• You will pay a Transfer Fee to the Correspondent Bank.
• BPI also charges a Service Fee:

-between 150 to 200 pesos for deposit to a peso account
-$6.50 for deposit to a dollar account

The following are the BPI correspondent banks and their SWIFT Codes.  You need a correspondent bank’s SWIFT Code if you’re far from a correspondent bank and you make a wire transfer in a non-BPI-correspondent bank. In this case, the transfer of funds would be from the non-correspondent bank to the correspondent bank and then to BPI.

SAUDI ARABIA

Banque Saudi Fransi    BSFRSARI
National Commercial Bank   NCBKSAJE
Samba Financial Group   SAMBSARI
Saudi Hollandi Bank   AAALSARI

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UAE

ABN Amro Bank N.V   ABNAAEAD
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank   ABDIAEAD
BNP Paribas   BNPAAEAA
Dubai Islamic Bank   DUIBAEAD
HSBC Bank Middle East Dubai   BBMEAEAD
Mashreqbank PSC   BOMLAEAD
National Bank of Ras Al-Khaimah   NRAKAEAK
Standard Chartered Bank   SCBLAEAD

QATAR
Qatar Islamic Bank   QISBQAQA
Standard Chartered Bank   SCBLQAQX
The Commercial Bank of Qatar, (QSC)   CBQAQAQA

KUWAIT
Alahli Bank of Kuwait K.S.C.   ABKKKWKW
Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait   BBKUKWKW
Commercial Bank of Kuwait SAK   COMBKWKW
Gulf Bank Kuwait   GULBKWKW
National Bank of Kuwait   NBOKKWKW

BAHRAIN
Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait   BBKUBHBM
Citibank, N.A.   CITIBHBX
Standard Chartered Bank   SCBLBHBM
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, LTD   BOTKBHBM

OMAN
Bank Muscat S.A.O.G   BMUSOMRX
Standard Chartered Bank   SCBLOMRX

JORDAN
Arab Bank PLC   ARABJOAX
HSBC Bank Middle East Limited   BBMEJOAX

LEBANON
Byblos Bank Lebanon   BYBALBBX
Credit Libanais SAL  CLIBLBBX
Societe Generale de Banque Au Liban   SGLILBBX

ISRAEL
Bank Hapoalim   POALILIT
Bank Leumi Le Israel   LUMIILIT
Israel Discount Bank   IDBLILIT
Mercantile Discount Bank, Tel Aviv   BARDILIT

INTERNET BANKING:

You can enroll your BPI or BPI Family account in Internet Banking so you can track
your remittance online while you’re abroad. Enroll while you’re in the Philippines because you need to activate your online enrollment in a BPI ATM. Your family members can also enroll their accounts online.

Related Articles:

BDO Kabayan Savings, BDO Remit Cash Card for OFWs

OFWs Can Send Money to the Philippines Thru BDO Remit

BDO Remittance — Send Money from Abu Dhabi to the Philippines

• Bank-owned remittance services like BDO Remit or BPI Expres Remittance
• Internet banking
• Non-bank remittance services like Western, Xoom, Moneygram
• Bank wire transfer
• Post-dated checks
• Payment processors like Paypal

Typically, you choose a remittance service or method depending on:

• Reliability – Mapagkakatiwalaan ba?
• Speed of remittance – Kailan darating sa pamilya?
• Exchange rate – Magkano sa peso?
• Accessibility of sender to remittance office – Malapit ba ang office kung saan magpapadala?
• Accessibility of receiver to where remittance is given – Malapit ba ang pamilya  sa bangko, service o sa ATM na daratnan ng remittance?
• Remittance fee – Mahal ba ang pagpadala?

One of the ways to send money to the Philippines is through BDO Remit.

BDO Remit is a remittance service available in almost all countries where there are OFWs and  Filipino immigrants. You can load the equivalent of up to 100,00 pesos to the BDO Remit Cash Card of your family.  Where you are, look for:

• BDO Remit subsidiary offices
• BDO Remit representative offices
• BDO Remit remittance agents
• BDO Remit remittance partners

You can choose how your remittance through BDO Remit can reach your family:

• Through a BDO account, such as BDO Remit account, BDO Kabayan Savings account, or a regular savings account (can be withdrawn anywhere there’s a BDO ATM or affiliated ATM)
• Door-to-door delivery
• Deposit of money to family’s account in another local bank
• Cash pick-up at BDO branches, SM department stores,  Savemore, affiliated rural banks

How much is the remittance fee?

The fees vary depending on the country of origin, the type of delivery and whether the money is received in pesos or U.S. dollars.  If in dollars, the fees vary depending on the amount.  Dollar deposits and delivery are offered only in Metro Manila.

Fees for remittances from California:

Deposit to a BDO account -  US$8
Deposit to another local bank – US$12 (Metro Manila), US$14 (Province)
Cash Door to Door – US$12 (Metro Manila), US$14 (Province)
Pick-up – US$12 (Metro Manila or Province)

Fees for Remittances from Italy:
Credited to a BDO account: 8 Eur or $8, 10 Eur or $10
Credited to other local banks or door-to-door: 10 Eur or $10
Cash Pick-Up Anywhere:  8.50 Eur or $8.50

Fees for Remittances from Hong Kong:
Credit to a BDO Account:  HK$ 20 for peso account, HK$28 for dollar account
Credit to another other Local Bank:  HK$ 30 for peso and dollar accounts
Cash Door-to-Door: HK$ 30 Metro Manila, HK$ 40 for provinces (peso only in provinces)
Cash Pick-up Anywhere: HK$ 20 for remittance in pesos or in dollars

How fast can the family receive the remittance? (From California, Italy, or Hong Kong)

• For deposits to BDO accounts -  within 1 hour
• Deposits to other local banks – within 1 to 2 days if in pesos, within 3 to 4 days if in dollars
• Door to door – within 1 to 2 days in Metro Manila, within 1 to 3 days in major cities, within 4 to 7 days in other areas
• Cash pick-up – within 1 hour

You can open a BDO Remit account abroad:

1. Go to a BDO Remit subsidiary, partner or agent located in your city.
2. Fill up a BDO Remit Cash Card Application Form.
3. Pay the BDO Remit cash card fee.
4. BDO will deliver the the ATM to your family.

Or a member of your family in the Philippines can open his/her own BDO Remit Cash Card account and then email you the account number.

You can check online the status of your remittance through BDO Remit Status Inquiry.  Just fill in your Reference Number, including any alphabet letter or special character provided by the remittance office, partner or agent.

What is a BDO Rewards Card?

You can also earn points that you can use for shopping through a BDO Rewards Card. You can request for this card at your branch or at any BDO Remit office abroad. Just fill out a BDO Rewards Customer Information Update Form.  The card will be delivered to your mailing address. You’ll earn points as you remit money, make deposits and pay bills using BDO services.

There are BDO Remit Subsidiary Offices in:
Germany
HongKong
Italy
Macau

The addresses of BDO remittance offices, partners, representatives and agents can be seen on the BDO website.

There are BDO Remit Representatives in:
France
Israel
Taiwan

There are BDO Remittance Partners in:
Australia / Bahrain/ Belgium / Brunei / Canada / England (Great Britain or UK) / Greece / Guam / Hongkong / Ireland / Israel / Jordan / Kuwait / Lebanon / New Zealand / Norway / Oman / Malaysia / Mexico / Papua New Guinea / Qatar / Saudi Arabia / Singapore / Spain / Switzerland / Taiwan / United Arab Emirates / U.S.A. /

There are Remittance Agents in:

HongKong
California and other U.S. cities

Related Articles:
BDO Kabayan Savings, BDO Remit Cash Card for OFWs
BPI and BDO Internet Banking — Free and Quick Ways to Send Your Children’s Allowance
BDO Correspondent Banks for Sending Money to the Philippines
Cheap Ways to Send Money to Your Loved Ones Within the Philippines

Here’s a list of BDO correspondent banks for Filipinos, OFWs and other persons abroad who want to send money to the Philippines through a WIRE TRANSFER or TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER to a BDO account.

In some cases, if not most, wire transfers or telegraphic transfers are more expensive than other remittance or money transfer services, so if there are no valid reasons why you need to stick to wire transfers, check if there are other ways to send money to the Philippines in your place of work, business or residence. These money transfer services could be cheaper, and also faster, and at the same time as secure and as safe as the banks.

If you’re sending to a BDO client, you can check if there are BDO Remit partners or BDO remittance agents in your area. Other options are MoneyGram and Wells Fargo ExpressSend, which are both BDO partners. You can also use Western Union if you’re depositing to a BDO account.

If you need to use a WIRE TRANSFER to send money to a BDO account, you need the following information:

• BDO Swift Code is BNORPHMM.
• Name of your recipient, spelled exactly the same as the name on his/her BDO account
• BDO account number of your recipient
• Address of your recipient
• Address of the BDO branch of your recipient (some banks require complete address; others require just the country and city)
• Your name
• Your address
• Your bank account number (Most banks require that you have an account with them before you can send a wire transfer.)
• Amount to be sent
• Telephone numbers of both sender and recipient (required by some banks)

BDO Correspondent Banks

Related Articles:

BDO Kabayan Savings, BDO Remit Cash Card for OFWs
Use of BDO Kabayan ATM and BDO Debit ATM Cards Outside the Philippines
BDO Remittance Partners in California
BDO Remittance Partners in London, England, Other Cities
BDO Remittance from Australia — Money Transfer to the Philippines

You should also be not more than 21 years old, have no failing grade and currently enrolled in a four-year course.  Specifically, your general weighted average for school year 2009-2010 should be at least 80 percent for the artist/athlete, entrepreneur and community leader awards, or at least 85 percent for the Ibang Klaseng Talino Awards.

You should also be able to write an essay in English titled “What Is My Role in Nation Building As a Child of an Expat Pinoy?” or in Filipino titled “Ano ang Papel Ko sa Pagpapaunlad ng Ating Pamayanan Bilang Anak ng Isang Pinoy Expat?” Total number of words must not be less than 1,500 and not more than  2,000 words.

Ten winners will be chosen:

• Seven winners — Ibang Klaseng Talino Awards
• One winner — Ibang Klaseng Artist/Athlete Award
• One winner — Ibang Klaseng Entrepreneur Award
• One winner — Ibang Klaseng Community Leader Award

Start writing your essay now, as you prepare your papers. This contest ends on September 30, 2010, with the names of winners announced on October 10, 2010.

The ten OFW children who won last year were:

1. Kennie Kabee A. Alegno
BS Accountancy
De La Salle University – Dasmariñas

His mother, Editha A. Alegno, has been working in an office in the United Arab Emirates for five years.

2. Armando G. Araneta, Jr.
BS Marine Transportation
John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University

His father, Armando C. Araneta, has been working as a seafarer in Europe for 25 years.

3.  Jirah Cortes Armandico
BS Nursing
Trinity University of Asia

Her mother, Florida Cortes-Armandico, has been a nursing supervisor in Saudi Arabia for 17 years.

4.  Jezza May A. Boquilon
BS Geology
University of the Philippines – Diliman

Her father, Ronito C. Boquilon, has been working as a seaman in Brazil for 14 years.

5.   Jordan C. Cabandong
BS Political Science
Far Eastern University

His father, Rene M. Cabandong, has been a a Site Supervisor in Qatar for 15 years.

6. Alyanna N. Cunanan
BS Accountancy
University of Santo Tomas

Her father, Paul Ziegfried S. Cunanan,  has been working in China as an operations manager for seven years.

7.  Daryl K. Del Rosario
BS Management
Ateneo de Manila University

His father, Lorenzo P. Del Rosario, has been a seafarer in Great Britain for 27 years.

8.  Maris Cay E. Gabornes
BS Political Science
University of the Philippines – Visayas Tacloban College

Her father, Manuel D. Gabornes, has been a seafarer in Japan for 36 years.

9.  Nikko Jones G. Servanio
BS Marine Transportation
John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University

His father, Banjo J. Servanio, has been a seafarer for 19 years in different countries.

10.  Lean Angelo A. Silverio
BS Physical Therapy (Medicine)
University of Santo Tomas

His father, Leandro R. Silverio, has been working overseas as a lead paint shop operator for 23 years.

Submit entry on or before September 30, 2010.
Mail or personally deliver entry to
Paul Joseph V. Fonte
BPI Search Project Secretariat
9th Floor BPI Card Center
8753 Paseo de Roxas
Makati City

To get application form and more info, visit www.bpiexpressponline.com
or call Program Secretariat at 816-9011 or 845-5414

Thanks to Marist R. Nagera, account executive of BrandSpeakAsia, Inc. for the press release.

Philstar chooses and publishes three essays every week,  and if your essay is chosen,  you’ll receive 2,000 pesos,  and a chance to win the first, second or third prize of 15K, 10K and 5K, respectively,  in December this year.

You should be:

• 18 years old and above
• an OFW or ex-OFW
• a Filipino living abroad or has lived abroad
• a foreigner living in the Philippines
• a Filipino with a friend or relative abroad

Your essay must:

• be in American English
• about a real Filipino experience

This runs from December 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010.

Read more details and chosen essays at The Philippine Star website.