ConGen Raly to OFWs: ‘Tell your family money does not grow on trees in HK’

ConGen Raly deivers his speech at the CARD OFW Foundation graduation ceremony in Wan Chai.

Consul General Raly Tejada urged overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Hong Kong to tell their families back in the Philippines about the hardships of earning a living here instead of granting every request they make.

Tejada said that OFWs should tell their loved ones back home about the difficulties of working abroad so that they will also realize how hard it is to earn money as an OFW.

“Turuan nyo rin po yung ating mga kababayan sa Pilipinas…lalong-lalo na yung mga pamilya ninyo. Turuuan ninyo po sila. Ipakita niyo po ang tunay na sitwasyon dito,” Tejada said at the graduation ceremony of OFWs who attended the basic financial literacy courses of the CARD Hong Kong Foundation.

“Sabi nga nila, hindi po tumutubo sa puno ang pera…Lalo na dito sa Hong Kong, dinudugo po tayo; pinapawisan po tayo; talaga pong nagkasugat-sugat po yung ating mga katawan para kumita,” he said.

“I mean, that’s very graphic pero yan po yung totoo. I can feel that pain because araw-araw po meron tayong mga kababayan na pumupunta sa consulate na ganun ang sitwasyon,” he added.

The ceremony, which saw more than 200 graduates get their certificates, was held at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Wan Chai on Nov. 17.

“On behalf of the Philippine Consulate General, I would like to congratulate CARD Hong Kong Foundation and, (to) all of today’s graduates, congratulations po for finishing your basic financial literacy program,” he said.

“Ito pong financial literacy is something we need to have because it gives us the knowledge to make the right decision in managing our financial resources. And for this, I would like to thank again CARD for continuing to impart this knowledge to our kababayans here in Hong Kong,” he added.

Tejada said that many OFWs who spent 10 to 20 years abroad still go home to the Philippines without enough savings.

“Ayon sa pag-aaral ng Bangko Sentral, 70 percent po ng mga kababayan natin na nag-aabroad umuuuwi ng luhaan,” Tejada said.

“Yung iba sa kanila diyan nagplaplano lamang three to five years ng trabaho sa labas ngunit nauuwi po 20 to 30 years.  At ang masakit po dito, 70 percent nauuwi sa wala sapagkat hindi po nila alam kung papaano magplano ng pinansyal…Kaya nandito po yung financial literacy,” he added.

Tejada also noted that many OFWs in Hong Kong were mired in debt and even pawn their passports so that they can take out a loan.

“Kanya lang, marami sa inyo naiipit din dahil naisasangla ang passport. Tapos may guarantors na naiipit din kasi, I will not deny this, marami ang tumatakbo so yung mga naiiwan dito lumalapit sa amin sa konsulado at luhaaan din sila,” he said.

“So yung mga ganito, it’s part of life in Hong Kong. It’s part of life anywhere in the world. Pero kung meron po tayong financial literacy, at armed po tayo with proper knowledge,  maiiwasan po natin na malagay sa ganung alanganin,” he added.