Advertisement

Saturday, November 05, 2011

Unemployment, Food Stamps, Greed

Dear insansapinas,


The news said that economy is improving but unemployment rate is still high and the value of the houses took another dive last quarter.


My friend in California confided to me that he applied for food stamps and he was approved until he gets a permanent job. 


He has no job for years now excluding the more than a year stay in the Philippines. He said he's willing to take any job even if it is merely measuring  the highway or cleaning the ocean of debris of garbage. Promise, he said, he would sing hallelujah and throw confetti to the hiring agency or company. May kasama pang banda.
Hindi pwedeng magbilang dito ng poste, ang lalayo ng pagitan.


What is the feeling of being unemployed?


Right now, he said, he's suicidal. Magbibigti siya sa puno ng kamatis. Si ako-naman-na-ang-role-sa-buhay-ay-magbigay-ng pep-talk-kahit-na-ako-rin-kailangan-ko-yon ay pinamukha ko sa kaniya na, at least ang kotse niya 2 door. May bahay sila at hindi homeless at may asawa siya na pag dumating ay makakatulong sa kaniya. 


In the Philippines, the longest time that I was out of job, palamunin and parasite was three months. Yon yong time na huwag magkamali ang lamok at patay sa akin.  That was when I took a maternity leave and never went back to my employer. I did not want to be a part of a company who was taking advantage of the workers because they were at the mercy of the employer. Karamihan, mababa ang pinag-aralan dahil manual labor ang trabaho nila.


Aside from they were not covered with SS, they did not receive their salaries on time. Most of the time, they were just asking for salary advances. When I was there, payday was stressful. The owner-manager would not bother to look at the payroll sheet I prepared not until, I complained that I need my salary too.Saka lang siya pupunta sa bangko. Pero kung makakalusot, lulusot. Hindi naman nalulugi ang kumpaniya. Greedy lang talaga.



After I gave birth, the owner came to tell me that she would be waiting for me. No way.


When I came to the US, my employer was accused of tax evasion for cases before my time. The office was padlocked. She transferred me to the other office but I did not consent. That kind of employer will never change and I do not want to be a part of her organization.Several months after, nag-alisan na rin ang mga employees, nakasuhan siya pero hindi lang tax evasion. Tsssk tsssk. Marami namang pera.


Buti na lang may kakilala ako na natulungan ko sa Pilipinas. Payback time. Ipinasok niya ako kahit hindi sa accounting. Sa Human resources. Dahil expertise ko ang magprepare ng business plan, nagtayo ng isa pang department ang kumpaniya sa tulong ko. Ahem. Pagkatapos, maayos lahat, sa iba ibinigay ang puwesto. Saklap ng buhay.


Naiisip ko ang Pilipinas kung saan hindi ako mawawalan ng pagkakakitaan pero ang pag-uwi ay parang pagsuko. Eh si Gabriela ako.


Pinaysaamerika

No comments: