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.

This morning, our neighborhood was stirred up by the sudden piercing cries and screams of a 10-year-old girl inside a long vacant unit beside her family’s house.  “Kuya! kuya! kuya!…”

Neighbors ran to see what happened, and they were shocked to see her 13-year-old brother hanging from a rope tied to one of the exposed beams.

It appeared that the boy has been dead for hours. He must have died during  the night.

The immediate conclusion was that he killed himself. According to most of the stories that soon circulated, the boy has just gone home after running away for a few days, and must have been punished severely.

Several in the neighborhood say that the boy was always being scolded and was always ordered to do chores, barring him from playing.

What must have worsened the situation was that the boy was naturally quiet.  He may have not spoken about what he’s going through with his friends.

The mother of the boy is working abroad, earning for this boy and his two younger sisters.  She left the children with her parents because her husband was apparently irresponsible.

I came to know later that these three kids at one time were taken by the DSW from the husband because he neglected them when they were living with him in the province.

OFw parents are heroes.  They sacrifice.  They bear hours and hours of lonely work in foreign lands… for their children.

But they should ensure that their children are in good hands.  They should instruct their children how they can be contacted directly and easily in case there are problems.

Texting, calling and emailing are now affordable.  Even financially struggling neighbors are willing to lend their cell phone loads, especially if children are involved.  They should talk to their children directly and not always through certain people.

Who am I to judge the people who took charge of the boy?  They are good people too.  The boy is their own flesh and blood.

But why did the boy kill himself?

Most large banks now in the Philippines offer free Internet banking, and they offer lots of services that prompts you to say Wow.

However, in this article, I would describe only two, BPI Express Online and My BDO Internet Banking, because they’re the ones I use.

1. If you already have accounts with BPI and/or BDO, then you’ve
done the first step. Your savings account or checking account
would become the wallet from which you would get money to give
to your child weekly.

2. Next is to get an ATM card for your child, or ATM cards if you have more than one child to support.

If you get a regular ATM card, you are required to maintain a balance — 2,000 for a BDO account; 1,000 for a BPI Family account or 3,000 for a BPI account.

For most children, this maintaining balance is a temptation — a cake on the table ready to be consumed.

So the best option is to get a BPI Express Cash Card or a BDO Cash Card. Both of these ATM cards do not require a maintaining balance.

You can get a BDO Cash Card for only 120 pesos or a BPI Express Card for only 120 pesos also.

For OFWs, a better account is available — BDO Kabayan Savings. It only has a 100-peso maintaining balance, and it has other benefits too. More info for this account here.

OFWs can also get a BDO Remit Cash Card. More info on this here.

3. Then enroll your BPI savings or checking account with BPI Express Online or your BDO account with MyBDO Internet Banking.    You can enroll online and then print the filled out form to be submitted or sent to BDO or BPI. Or you can just go to your bank branch.

Just prepare your user name and password and be ready with your account number and your BDO or BPI cash card numbers.

4. After your Internet banking account is activated, you can plan and schedule when and how much money to put into your child’s cash card.

If your child needs 200 a day, you can reload your child’s cash card 1,200 or 1,500 every week. Just adjust the amounts when your child needs to pay the dorm or buy something.

Just tell your child that the minimum withdrawal for BPI Express Cash is 500 pesos and for BDO Cash Card, it is 200. Tell them to withdraw as much as possible from these banks’ ATMs to avoid ATM charges (around 10 pesos for each withdrawal).

5. For OFWs, Internet banking can save you remittance costs and
at the same time prevent your children from having access to large amounts of money, which can be tempting.  One-day millionaires among OFW children are common.

You don’t have to send money every month or every week. Just remit an adequate amount to your savings account and then transfer controlled amounts to your kids’ accounts as often as you like without paying any transfer fee.

For more details:

BPI Express Online

MyBDO Internet Banking

This is a special savings account for OFWs and their families in the Philippines.

You can open an account here in the Philippines, or abroad if you work near BDO correspondent banks.

• Can be in pesos or U.S. dollars
• Initial deposit of 100 pesos for a peso account or $100 for a dollar account.  (Update as of March 2010:  was changed to 50 pesos)
• No maintaining balance as long as you make at least 6 remittances a year. (Update as of March 3, 2010:  was reduced to one remittance a year )
• You will receive a passbook and an international ATM card.
• Additional update for seafarers: You can open a BDO Kabayan Shipping dollar savings account with passbook for only US$10.

Check BDO correspondent banks here.
BDO Remit Cash Card for OFWs

This card is similar to the regular BDO Cash Card,
but you can get this card abroad — in BDO accredited remittance
services.

This also has a higher load balance and deposit limit. While the
regular BDO Cash Card is limited to 10,000 pesos, BDO Remit Cash Card can be loaded with up to 100,000 pesos.

You can remit directly to this BDO Remit Cash Card account.

Your beneficiary can also check the status of your remittance
online at
https://www.bdocashcard.com/rts/remitinquire.asp

Based on our personal experience, BPI also offers credit cards to OFWs, but you wait for the bank to offer you one.  BPI offers a credit card to an OFW who has maintained a BPI time deposit account for a couple of years. BPI also has investment accounts that offer a credit card account as incentive.

BDO

BDO issues secured credit cards for OFWs, meaning one must have a savings or checking account with BDO.

The required documents are:

1. Valid IDs
2. Employment contract or certificate of employment
3. Remittance receipts for the last 6 months or payslips for the last 3 months

The other requirements are:

1. Minimum monthly income of 10,000 pesos
2. At least 21 years old, not older than 65
3. Must have a BDO checking or savings account or time deposit of at least 15,000 pesos or equivalent amount in dollars
4. Must have 2 years continuous job contract
5. Beneficiary or card administrator must be residing or working within 30 kms of a BDO branch
6. Must have a home landline phone

You can call the following numbers for further inquiries:

Call 631-8000
(within Metro Manila)
1-800-10-6318000
(Libreng Tawag Outside Metro Manila)
(IAC)+800+6318000
(Libreng Tawag Outside of the Philippines)
Email: callcenter@bdo.com.ph

HSBC

For OFWs, the requirements are:

1. Employment contract or certificate of employment
2. Working visa or work permit or OFW card or certificate issued by POEA
3. Proof of home address, such as the latest billing statement under the name of the applicant, with the address of the applicant.
4. A valid ID, such as passport, driver’s license, PRC ID or SSS photocard
5. TIN number
6. SSS or GSIS number
7. Proof of Income

• could be latest ITR or
• employer’s certificate of compensation or
• payslips for the last 3 months

The other requirements are:

1. At least 21 years old, not older than 65
2. Philippine resident
3. Have a residential landline phone
4. Must be living or working in Metro Manila, Bacolod, Baguio City, Batangas, Bulacan, Butuan, Cabanatuan City, Cagayan de Oro, Calasiao Pangasinan, Cavite, Cebu, Cotabato, Dagupan City, Davao City, Digos Davao del Sur, Dipolog, Dumaguete City, General Santos, Kalibo, Iloilo, Laguna, Laoag City, Legaspi, Lucena City, Naga, Olongapo City, Ormoc City, Pampanga, Panabo & Tagum Davao del Norte, Puerto Princesa, Subic, Rizal, Roxas, Tacloban, Tagbilaran City, Tarlac City, Tuguegarao, Urdaneta Pangasinan, Zamboanga City.
5. Have at least a gross annual income of 150,000 pesos for the classic cards and at least 480,000 pesos for the gold cards

One of many things missed by OFW parents is everyday interaction with their children, including what their children are thinking about various things.

Well, yes, even non-OFW parents have difficulties in getting into the inner thoughts and feelings of their children.

One way for OFW and non-OFW parents to know more their children, especially teenagers is to encourage them to join the online site MyLot.

MyLot is free to join. Your daughter or son must be at least 16 years old. If your child has been using Friendster, then this is a very easy site for your child to explore.

Simply, MyLot is an easy-to-use question and answer site. Your child can post a question, or she or he can answer questions. Don’t worry about pornography or online violence; it is prohibited by MyLot.

I just recently discovered this “knowing more our children” as one of the benefits of MyLot when my teenager daughter joined the site. At first, she just joined because she heard she can earn money from it. Later, she found out she can also improve her English writing skills on the site.

Your children can develop confidence writing on MyLot because many of the young people and adults writing are non-native English speakers. I’ve observed that many of our children can write better than many of those writing on the site.

This early, my daughter has attracted a lot of online friends because of her writing.

But the benefit to us, parents, is knowing their inner thoughts. You don’t have to know you daughter’s password to be able to read her thoughts, as MyLot is open to everyone. In my case, I discovered feelings and assumptions that I never thought my daughter has, such as her dream of having her own room and her fears about our family losing our house to foreclosure, just like what happened to her close friend.

Your child can also earn income as she posts and answers questions. It is not much, but if she has lots of interest in it, she can reach the $10 minimum payout faster. She can be paid through Paypal, but if she’s younger than 18, she can use your Paypal. There’s an article here about Paypal, if you like to know more about Paypal.

Lastly, as you introduce MyLot to your children, advise them not to reveal personal information, such as home address and telephone number, and not to join anything that asks for payment. Since the Internet is becoming a big part of our lives, you might as well capitalize on it or make them ready for it.

You can visit MyLot now and explore.

March 7, 2009

It is of great help for me it you could answer me on this inquiry. I finished paying my Danvil plan and it will mature in 2019. Actually I paid it in advance so as not to miss payments. But I’m having many sleepless nights because of many doubts about how pre-need companies are doing in the market today. I am having second thoughts about waiting for my plan to mature. Any idea on this? How much money would I get in return if I apply for early reimbursement of my payments? Much as I would like to inquire personally at the Danvil office regarding the matter, I’m here in Japan working hard to make both ends meet for my family. It was hard earned money that I used to pay for my plan. That’s why I am really bothered and annoyed by different news I heard about the pre-need business.

Dalawa ang aking plans sa Danvil. Sad to say na noong kinuha ko yon sa SM Southmall, di ko naintindihan masyado ang paliwanag. Kadarating ko lang noon, galing ako sa work ko abroad and I’m only on my vacation. Actually, I can say na forced and pressured lang din ako ng Danvil employee. Para bang para makauwi na lang ako kumuha na lang ako, then bahala na. Parang ganoon ang nangyari sa akin.

But all is history now, natapos ko na bayaran yong isa, 5 years investment period yata and my plan is supposed to mature on Feb 2019 pa. At yong isa ay sa Oct 2011 ko pa matatapos at magma-mature naman on Oct 2021. And that’s a long long time for me to wait. Tama yong iba na nagsasabi na dugo at pawis ang puhunan para lang makabayad. Presently andito ulit ako abroad working to make both ends meet for my family. If sa status kong bayad na last month ang plan ko at mag apply ako ng reimbursement ilang percent po ang makukuha ko? Your answer will be of great help for me lalo na po sa decision making na gagawin ko, and also it will be of great help for me para mabawasan na ang burden ko sa pag-iisip kasi balak ko na po talaga mag-apply for reimbursement.

March 8, 2009

Gusto kong iparamdam hindi lang sa mga katulad kong planholders, but also to the employees and the company of Danvil as a whole, it is very true na magsisi man po tayo or even if we condemn ourselves kung bakit tayo kumuha or sapilitan tayong napakuha ng plan sa Danvil, the sad truth is wala na tayong magagawa. We only have two options left on our sleeves, firstly and POSITIVELY speaking umasa na lang tayo, especially those which own a plan na malapit na ang mga maturity date, na comes our due date makuha natin ng buo lahat ng ating inaasahan. And for those who are willing to gamble to wait dahil nagsisimula or maybe katatapos lang nilang bayaran ang kani-kanilang plans ay umasa pa tayo na through the coming years maging mas stable pa ang kalagayan or status ng Danvil.

Or secondly which is very NEGATIVE ay bumuo na tayo ng desisyon hanggang maaga pa if we’re to wait or we have to make up our minds kung kukunin na natin pabalik ang ating mga naihulog, may it be 20% or 50% of the amount we already paid to Danvil. Ok na sana kung 20% or 50% of the maturity value ang makukuha natin, kaso 20% or 50% lang ng ating mga naihulog. If I may use ang isang salitang pang matanda na lagi nating naririnig,  “talagang parang iginisa nila tayo sa sarili nating mantika.” It is really so sad and devastating knowing in the first place na talagang napakahirap ng buhay ngayon, na tayong mga planholders ay halos magpakamatay sa hirap di lang sa katawan lalo at higit sa isipan para lamang mabayaran at umasa na sa darating na panahon ay mayroon tayong “kayamanang inaasahan.”

For the planholders reading this article, I appeal to all of us to continue praying for us to see a brighter tomorrow, at doon po sa ilan na malapit na ang maturity date nila at makakakuha, please update us para kahit paano we can generate some strength and inspiration.

And to Danvil employees specially to those initiating/implementing some sort of forced/aggressive sales strategy, I am appealing to you guys to please put some HEART into your work. Alam ko at nauunawaan ko na kayo ay nasa ganyang linya ng hanapbuhay,  subalit sana po ilagay natin sa mas maayos at pantay na paraan ng panghihikayat. At ipaunawa po nating ng buong linaw sa ating mga kababayan ang lahat ng detalye lalo na ukol sa haba ng panahong ipaghihintay rather than focus the discussion on how your prospective clients will gain at the very moment you invited them. The money we put in Danvil is hard-earned and of good faith. Huwag po ninyong hayaan na ang makuha ninyong kliyente ay kumuha ng plan sa Danvil dahil napilitan lang. Kawawa naman po sila. Please put yourself on their shoes, then look at the mirror and ask yourself if you really invited them para tulungan sila, as many of you guys will surely reason out or you invited them based on your own agenda… I sincerely hope that this appeal won’t bring any misinterpretations or rather bring some sort of bad reaction on all people involved.

May God bless us all!  And let our prayers reunite us for more positive things in the future!