Sunday, September 23, 2007

Fear of losing your job

There was an announcement made by our management. Our global technical support department is being moved into India and all emails, calls and manpower support will be routed there. At first, I was so worried knowing that there is a big chance that I will be terminated from my position. There was a massive restructuring to realign the company's marketing objective and position.

Honestly, when it was announced, I was sleepless and worried. I just joined the company and has been with them for only 3 months. I was so worried that I have talked with my manager and asked him directly what would be my fate.

Yes, he was assuring and comforting, telling me that the company would never terminate me, since my position is very valuable to the company. Ahhhh, I was a little bit relieve, but still the fear of losing my job is still there.

Now the question is, why am I so afraid of losing my job? Do you feel the same way too? Being a breadwinner, I cannot afford to go home with an empty pocket. I fear not for myself but for my family back home.

For all OFW'S like me, we all feel the same way. There are many times that we have to take even the most dangerous job all because of the high salary were getting out of it. I remember the story of Reynaldo Cortez, the Filipino who was executed in Saudi Arabia because of murder which he commit against a Pakistani driver who tried to raped him. I myself was a witness on that kind of crime in Middle East against Filipino OFW's.

It is embarassing, but I was almost a victim during the time when I was working in the Middle East. If not for my colleagues who rush to the site, I dont know what could have happened to me.

As I have said, many of us put ourselves into danger just because of our aim in giving our families a good life back home. Everything we do is sacrifice. For our families and for our country as well.

In anyway, I feel lucky for having a job here in Singapore. From my point of view, this is the safest country where I can work without having fear of being a victim of heinous crime. The only thing I was a victim of this country is in the hawker, where I bought a drink and comes back to my table all cleaned up. My food was gone hehehehe...I havent finished yet huhuhuhu.

8 comments:

ravenmaui said...

hey its been quite a while since u wrote again, u must really be bothered by that annoucement in ur company.

its true and i agree dat we all hv fears in losing our jobs bcoz we chose to be here, away from our loved ones precisely to work and earn better so that our families in pinas can live more comfortably (yun nga lang at our expense), whether breadwinner or not. big sacrifice kumbaga...and how selfless we can be.

since di ka affected ng restructuring na yan...tuloy ang ligaya! hahaha...pasencia ka na kay auntie sa hawker, di naturuan ng GMRC yun eh...hihihi!!!

Anonymous said...

The fear of losing my job (and even ending a contract) also does bother me from time to time. I know that I'm just a visitor / foreigner toiling in his work here in SG, a strange and foreign land away from my home.

As for the auntie, I resigned myself to the fact that (sometimes) many Singaporeans in the food service tend to be rude and impolite in their ways which seem normal to their everyday lives.

Well, you can't teach old dogs new tricks. ;-)

Anonymous said...

mura man gud kag bae, tan awa hapit na noon ka na lob%t

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Anonymous said...

Losing a job is scary but if you have faith in God, nothing will ever shake you. I always believe that work is just a tool for us to provide for the basic necessities in life but isn't it sad to know that so many people are bound by the demands of this materialistic world. We have to work and do everything we can to survive and on the process forget about what is eternal. I am a newly landed immigrant here in Canada and I can relate to how Filipino contract workers would expose themeselves to a lot of risk for the sake of their love ones. Oopps, I have a blog (www.maripipionline.2ya.com), too..why dont we link our sites?

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hungryfortheworld said...

that's scary. chanced upon your blog while looking for info on living in malaysia. want to work in SG too (or any other country for that matter) just to experience other cultures. hope the recession ends so that we could all keep our jobs and families provided for.

Admin said...

I was afraid to get laid off from my job too but I guess everything really happens for some great reasons we may not see right away but will soon realize as time goes by. I've seen friends who got kicked off from their jobs and eventually got better ones. I've seen entrepreneurs born from the recession and that's just amazing. You see, if you have something if great quality (like your skill), you will have it forever if you take care of it. Has anyone ever told you you are too funny ? I like the last part, haha.