I Say Foul, Respect The OFW

While KABLOGS is still reveling on its four-way successful events this August -

• the fruitful conclusion of 2009 KABLOGS Award;
• the glory of Mike Avenue’s humble return;
• PEBA's accreditation to SEC;
• and the P6,300 seed fund donation from our philanthropist’ member

our celebrations was short-lived and disturbed by a blogger, Arvin U. de la Pena, who used to write love poems is now on spotlight after posting "Mukhang Pera" hoping to gain fame and popularity by tarnishing the image of the OFW and Migrant Workers.

It is ironic that a “KABLOGS Supporter” as displayed on his sidebar has discriminately and irresponsibly posted a blog article which depict the millions of Filipino Expats and OFW as a hungry money-oriented and avaricious “dinosaurs” wherein words “mukhang pera”, “para (lang) sa pera” and "para magka pera" are recklessly repeated at least 15 times in his article.

The blog was an anecdote based on hearsay wherein the author has purposely selected vulgar words and profanities with full obscenity on the narrative accounts that portrays our nurses and caregivers as “prostitutes". This is completely disheartening; a disregard to the countless contributions of our professional Filipino nurses and caregivers outside the country who are the mainstream of the "Global Human Ecology of Caring".

I find it really disturbing that a blogger have abused the freedom of expression for his personal satisfaction, just to stir controversy at the expense of our fellow OFWs who have sacrificed their lives and dignities not just for money "per se" but to follow their dreams to provide a better future for their family back home which was denied by our Government. I wonder if he is my "kababayan" and now I am reluctant to ask him the question "Pilipino ka ba?".

In the democratic air that we are breathing and the freedom of expression that we are enjoying, let us try to be a responsible blogger, let us be righteous and conscientious in all of our writings and observe social justice and truth in reaching with our readers that may our blogs build bridges instead of walls and may it bring glory to the Almighty Father in return for the blogging talent that He has endowed us.

As it is written,

“God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” (1 Peter 4:10)

Let us pray that we may be guided by our Lord the Almighty on every strokes of our fingers in our keyboard as we shape a literary composition before our eyes in our monitor, and before we click the "Publish" button in our window screen, let us contemplate on the simple prayer written by Sandy Tritt.

The Writer's Prayer

Open my mind, Lord.

Grant me the talent to write

with clarity and style,

so my words go down rich and smooth,

like fine wine, and leave my reader thirsty for more.

Open my heart, Lord.

Grant me the sensitivity

to understand my characters,

their hopes, their wants, their dreams;

and help me to confer that empathy to my reader.

Open my soul, Lord,

so I may be a channel to wisdom

and creativity from beyond my Self.

Stoke my imagination with vivid imagery

and vibrant perception.

But most of all, Lord,

help me to know the Truth,

so my fiction is more honest than actuality

and reaches the depths of my reader's soul.

Wrap these gifts with opportunity,

perseverance, and the strength

to resist those who insist it can't be done.

Amen.