Have you noticed how there are people who think that all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are rich and, thus, are supposed to give money to their relatives even if they have families of their own to support?
That’s a sad reality that many of our OFWs face – and many often get insulted and quarreled over money issues.
One of these is a nurse working in Canada who took to Facebook page PESO SENSE to ask for advice on what she should do after her older brother insulted her for not giving him money to buy a car.
The OFW, whose name was withheld for privacy reasons, narrated that she had not been selfish with her brothers and their families because she gave the younger one capital for business several times. The first was for Php200k for a quail business which eventually went bankrupt, the second was for Php30k for a mini grocery store, and the last was for Php25k as additional goods for the grocery store.
Not only does she send expensive shoes, watches, and other goods they ask her to buy, she also let her older brother’s family live on a lot she owns and pays for the tuition fees of this brother’s kid which amounts to Php30k at a private school.
But her brothers were not content. One of them asked her for money to buy a car but because she already has a family of her own to support, she no longer has a lot of “extra cash” to share with them; thus, the brother told her to take a loan.
When she refused, she received the following message from her older brother who slammed her for being “selfish”:
The burdened OFW said she felt that this was too much but wasn’t sure what she should do next or how she should handle the situation.
The post struck a nerve among many netizens who advised her to take control of her own finances and let her brothers stand on their own feet. Other OFWs admitted that they were stuck in a similar situation and feel that it was their own fault for “spoiling” their relatives but told her it is not too late for her to change the situation.
Many told her that her brothers have become abusive and that if they choose to renounce her, then she should not be bothered because they are not her responsibility and she should just focus on her own family as well as their mother who, according to her brother’s reply, lives with her.
What’s your advice for this OFW?
