Prevention is better than cure

            I believe somehow, at least once you have heard about the name Mary Jane Veloso, the most current OFW whose death execution was reprieved.  She was caught with 2 kilos of heroin in the Indonesian airport and was set to demise through firing squad. Mary Jane’s case is still or maybe forever will be sensitive like Flor Contemplacion, an OFW executed by hanging in Singapore year 1995 for being accused of killing her employer's son Nicholas Huang and co-worker Delia Maga . It will always remind us how much cruelty our  countrymen get to experience under those abusive employers in exchange of money to improve the living of those families left behind.

             Mary Jane is a 31 year old mother of two from Nueva Ecija. She just finished first year high school and got married at the age of 17 and eventually got separated from her husband. She was almost raped by her employer upon working in Dubai and did not get to finish this two year contract. She grabbed the offer of Kristin Sergio to work in Kuala Lumpur but sooner became a victim of drug trafficking in Indonesia (Mary Jane’s point of view).

              It’s been decades and a lot of OFWs were judged to be guilty and executed but still many are willing to take the risks of going abroad through these illegal recruiters. Mary Jane is one of them. Every year, International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that there are one million filipino men and women migrate abroad for work opportunities and about 10 million currently live and work abroad (humantrafficking.org).  Mostly are subjected to abuse and terrors, victims of human trafficking by many syndicates, working abroad without any protection and benefits from our country.

             Looking from Mary Jane’s perspective, how did she end up being illegally recruited? Is it that she’s lacking of awareness and gullible? Or maybe she knew or at least an idea but is willing take the risk for the betterment of her family. But is this really how we are supposed to look at the problem? I am not saying that our government does not do anything but maybe what they do is not enough to protect the people of our country. There are not enough jobs offered by parents like Mary Jane, who has two sons and only get to finish first year high school. Education is commercialized which could have helped her to be more aware and developed competency. My point is that maybe we are looking from a wrong point of view. We are alarmed by the death execution of these Filipinos but in the first place our society allowed them or maybe I could say pressured and pushed them to go there. It’s like curing someone with a severe tuberculosis in a contaminated area but do not do anything to prevent it from spreading, causing the same illness for those free from it.

                  It’s not that tuition fee in school is very expensive. There are some considerations especially for those people in need. In fact, education in high school is for free. But it doesn't just end there. Human being is a complicated creature and it’s a fact. We need to eat, we have to take a bath and we have a family whom we are asked to help. The problem to provide becomes the children’s problem too. How are you going study if you have an empty stomach and a guardian with an empty wallet? There is just too much problems to face that education and self- development become last of the priorities. Can the state do something a about it? Maybe yes, since it is one of its major functions, to provide security and development of its citizens.

  

SocSci10 Z Group 5

                                                                                                                                

Enriquez, Ryan

Flores, Nathaniel Lorenz

Galido, Noel Joseph

Jimenez, Rica        

Paican, Maria Luzviminda

Vergara, Bryan