(The author has requested that his name be withheld due to personal health matters discussed in the article—Ed)
I lived in the Philippines for the first 43 years of my life then decided to head for the oil-rich Middle East with great hope of “striking it rich.” My career in Manila was not bad; yet I decided to plunge into the unknown and risky frontiers of overseas work because the offer seemed too good to pass. I figured I could earn in five years what would take me 10 years to make in the Philippines.
Quite unexpectedly, after three years, I was abruptly hauled out and repatriated back to my home country. I surely wonder now whether the search for material well-being through overseas employment was all worth it. For one, there’s the issue of job security.
Let me share my experiences and thoughts in the hope it might help those who are currently deciding to relocate to the Middle East.
Firstly, for the OFW who sets foot in a foreign country, one must be ready for the likely prospect that a degree of discrimination, wittingly or not may be inflicted upon him or her, depending on one’s nationality. Another point of caution is the lack of civil rights for the people, expatriates included. For example, there is the curtailment of the right to express one’s religion openly; or to constructively criticize a government official; or to be presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The practice of strict fasting on certain occasions is enforced upon everyone including non-Muslim expats who, if caught eating or drinking in public, can get into trouble and may even spend jail time.
Culture clashes
Yet another reservation whether to take employment in the Middle East is the difficulty of acculturation. My observation while residing in the Middle East is that such tolerance for cultural differences is not always the order of the day.
One last point I wish to bring forward is whether the overseas worker has a reasonable degree of job security.
Regulations and practices central to job security include: the existence of labor unions and labor agencies that take up work-related grievances, the enunciation of clear labor laws to guide corporate HR policies, and its fair and consistent implementation. Unfortunately, in my observation, these are inadequate. And this eventually hit home the hardest and most painful for me.
I was forcibly repatriated (deported?) by the authorities due to my supposed failure to pass the medical test required for visa renewal. The medical examiners claimed I had TB, a ground for cancelation of residence visa and automatic repatriation.
Having no history of the illness or even some of its symptoms, the finding came as a complete shock to me. I was required to take confirmatory tests such as a skin test, sputum tests and a culture test. I was confident that I would pass the tests and eventually receive my certificate of health.
The first two tests yielded negative results. However, the culture test was allegedly found to be positive for TB, thus sealing my fate. Not convinced, I sought a second opinion from an independent doctor who recommended that I take a special blood test that would more accurately determine whether or not I have the condition. The finding turned out to be negative so with much hope I reported the result to my employer and the health authorities. I appealed that I be given a second chance to take the entire series of medical tests again, just to verify whether the original finding was conclusive or not.
No appeal
Sadly, the health authorities declined my request saying that it does not consider findings outside and independent of its agency. Besides, I was told that I was given enough chances already.
I did not think so. To me, the fact that the two tests were negative was a tell-tale sign that something may have been amiss. There was the possibility of human error. Therefore a second opinion principle can be employed to rule out such miscalculations. Why was there no consideration for this?
As soon as I was advised of the finality of the decision, my employer gave me seven days to leave the country. Seven days! What about my rented apartment for which I had paid one year in advance? How was I to pack or dispose of all the furnishing I acquired over three years of residency? What of the schooling of my child who was well settled in kindergarten? What of my spouse who had just recently found a nice job? What happens to my financial commitments which take several years to complete? No answer to any of these critical questions was offered by my employer, much less the authorities. I was to leave in seven days.
And just to nail the point on the question of job security, many thoughts still linger in my mind. If I was indeed positive for TB, then was it not possible that I acquired it in that country? It is a highly communicable disease so what precaution can one realistically take? Why doesn’t the government assume some accountability for this? In many states, if an employee is found positive for TB, she or he will be treated for the condition and remain in residence.
Back in manila, I immediately went to a lung specialist. I undertook the culture test again. After an eight-week gruelling wait, I received the result: Negative.
What a travesty of justice indeed, I thought.