MANILA, Philippines — Roland Esmeria was among the thousands of Filipinos who lined up in a Quezon City mall for a chance at getting a job in Japan. At 62, he was not done making a living for his family.
Currently a company driver, Esmeria had experienced working in Japan 30 years ago, doing physically taxing jobs in construction for 10 years. Despite this, the father of eight still sought for a salary his family deserved.
In his 10 years of not even being able to visit home, Esmeria said he earned enough to take care of his family. But constant expenses, especially related to his children’s education, did not allow him to save enough to stay home for good.
“Ang trabaho ko doon mahirap, pero kinakaya. Kakayahin. Kasi deserving ‘yung sahod. Dito, magtatrabaho ako rito, construction worker. Deserving ba ‘yung sahod? Hindi deserve sa pamilya ko ‘yung sahod dito eh. Kaya I go back na lang to work,” he said.
(My work there was difficult. But I was able to do it. And I will be able to do it [again], because I deserve the salary that comes with it. Here, I work as a construction worker. Is the salary commensurate to the work I do? My family does not deserve it. That’s why I go back [abroad] to work.)
A construction worker in the Philippines earns around P12,000 to P20,000 a month.
Esmeria still had four children to sustain, with his youngest being in Grade 12. In his going around the job fair, he said some recruiters did not accept senior citizens, but he was banking on those who were willing to consider him. “Good luck to me,” he said.
The Philippine-Japan Friendship Week Mega Jobs Fair at Robinsons Galleria on Thursday, August 1, was the first country-exclusive overseas job fair the Philippine government had held, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which organized the event.
DMW’s initial estimate was 5,000 had checked out the fair by 11 am. Jobseekers filled up the mall’s third level from end to end.
The vacancies ranged across industries, from agriculture, construction, care work, hospitality, automotive, and food processing, among others. The minimum monthly salary is around P60,000 and above.
Migrant Workers Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan called the turnout “overwhelming.” She said that it was a sign that many felt that Japan was a good place to work in, especially since the Philippine government does not often receive distress cases from the country.
Caunan warned jobseekers to be wary of scammers trying to take advantage of the high demand for work in Japan.
Many can be found on social media, and they charge fees just to apply or set an interview. “Ngayon pa lang, sinasabi ko, scam ‘yan (As early as now, I will tell you that those are scams),” said Caunan.
While stories like Esmeria’s resonate with many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), jobseekers’ motivations still varied. According to 48-year-old Nida dela Vega, who has served various managerial roles in the Philippines, going abroad is a chance to try something new while providing for her son, an engineering student.
Dela Vega said she came to the job fair with an open mind, allowing the recruiters she approached to choose what jobs suited her best. She also felt safe looking for a job in the DMW fair, assured that the recruiters were legitimate.
“I believe that whatever talents God gave us, we should share them, regardless of who the employer is,” she said.
The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been criticized for what has been seen as a continuation of the labor export program of his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Critics have warned that the country’s dependence on remittances and the overseas job market may not entice the government to create quality jobs and living wages at home.
The DMW has responded that the department exists as a practical solution for Filipinos who dream of going abroad.
“Hindi natin pinu-push ‘yung ating mga kababayan na umalis ng bansa. Mahirap umalis ng bansa, na’ndito ‘yung pamilya nila. Pero hindi mo rin sila mapipigilan kung may pangarap sila para sa sarili nila at sa pamilya nila,” said Undersecretary Caunan.
(We are not pushing our countrymen to leave the country. It’s difficult to leave the country, their families are here. But you cannot stop them if they have a dream for themselves or their families.)
“Instead of having them rely on Tiktok, Facebook, or scammers…the DMW is here to handhold them from the very beginning, from their jobs application up until they go there [to] Japan,” she added.
There are some 300,000 documented Filipino workers in Japan, according to DMW data. — Rappler.com