Filipino Christians

Kung Wala ang mga Pilipino, Paano na ang Mundo? Cold Flare Pilipinas ang bansa ko. Pilipino ang lahi ko. Kayumanggi ang kulay ko. Hindi ako puti gaya ng Kano, pero walang katulad ang dalisay kong puso. Hindi ako kasing tangkad ng mga Arabo, pero tinitingala ng marami dahil sa kahusayan ko. Sa sipag at tiyaga kilang-kilala ako. Sa karunongan at talino, hinahangaan ako. Sa tapang at katapatan ko, pinag-uusapan ng lahat. At kalinisan ko na sa mundo ay kumakalat. Sa lahat ng bagay, marunong ako. Madaling pakisamahan, madaling matuto. Minsan natatanong ko ang sarili ko. “Paano na ang mundo kung walang Pilipino?” Kahit saang sulok kasi ng daigdig may makikita kang mga Pilipino. Na nagtatrabaho, inuupahan ang serbisyo. Kilala kasi saan man ang kahusayan at kasipagan ng mga Pilipino. Marunong sa kahit na anong klaseng trabaho. Kung sa talas ng isipan hindi nagpapatalo. Sa Beauty Pageant pa nga lang kilala na tayo. Libo-libong Domestic Helper ang nasa kalapit nating bansa sa Timog Silangang Asia. Sa Gitnang Silangan mas marami pa. Sila ang mga tagaluto, tagalinis, tagalaba. Ang mga iba naman, taga-alaga ng bata. Kung wala ang mga Pilipino, paano na sila? Libo-libong Mekaniko ang nasa Korea at Japan. Factory Workers naman ang mga nasa Taiwan. Mga bansang yumayaman gamit ang husay ng ating mga kababayan. Kung wala ang mga Pilipino, paano na sila? Engineers at Construction Workers naman ang mga nasa Middle East. Nagpapatayo ng mga gusaling matatayog at naggagandahan. Marami din doon ang mga nagtatrabaho sa mga Hotels at Restaurants. Ang mga Pinoy kasi malilinis at mapapagkatiwalaan. Kung wala ang mga Pilipino, paano na sila? Sa Canada naman, sino ang Tagapag-alaga(caregiver) sa mga may kapansanan at matatanda na wala ng kakayahan? Pilipino pa rin ang sagot diyan. Dahil ang Pinoy tapat at maasahan. Masipag, matiyaga at higit sa lahat mapag-mahal tayo. Kung wala ang mga Pilipino, paano na sila? Libo-libong Nurse din ang nasa Amerika. Kahit saang pagamutan doon makikita sila. Kilala kasi ng mga Kano ang galing ng Pinoy. At nakukuntento sila sa ating serbisyo at kakayahan. Kung wala ang mga Pilipino, paano na sila? Marami pa ang hindi ko nabanggit. Kung saang bansa man sila at anong trabaho nila, hay kahit ano pa yan. Basta ang masasabi ko lang, “PINOY YAN!” Imagine a world without Filipinos Abdullah Al-Maghlooth | Al-Watan, [email protected]

Nobody here can think of a life without Filipinos, who make up around 20 percent of the world’s seafarers. There are 1.2 million Filipino sailors. So if Filipinos decided one day to stop working or go on strike for any reason, who would transport oil, food and heavy equipment across the world? We can only imagine the disaster that would happen. What makes Filipinos unique is their ability to speak very good English and the technical training they receive in the early stages of their education. There are several specialized training institutes in the Philippines, including those specializing in engineering and road maintenance. This training background makes them highly competent in these vital areas. When speaking about the Philippines, we should not forget Filipino nurses. They are some 23 percent of the world’s total number of nurses. The Philippines is home to over 190 accredited nursing colleges and institutes, from which some 9,000 nurses graduate each year. Many of them work abroad in countries such as the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Singapore. Cathy Ann, a 35-year-old Filipino nurse who has been working in the Kingdom for the last five years and before that in Singapore, said she does not feel homesick abroad because “I am surrounded by my compatriots everywhere.” Ann thinks that early training allows Filipinos to excel in nursing and other vocations. She started learning this profession at the age of four as her aunt, a nurse, used to take her to hospital and ask her to watch the work. “She used to kiss me whenever I learned a new thing. At the age of 11, I could do a lot. I began doing things like measuring my grandfather’s blood pressure and giving my mother her insulin injections,” she said. This type of early education system is lacking in the Kingdom. Many of our children reach the university stage without learning anything except boredom. The Philippines, which you can barely see on the map, is a very effective country thanks to its people. It has the ability to influence the entire world economy. We should pay respect to Filipino workers, not only by employing them but also by learning from their valuable experiences. We should learn and educate our children on how to operate and maintain ships and oil tankers, as well as planning and nursing and how to achieve perfection in our work. This is a must so that we do not become like Muhammad Al-Maghrabi who lost his interest and appetite when Filipino workers left his flower shop. We have to remember that we are very much dependent on the Filipinos around us. We could die a slow death if they chose to leave us.