Sentidokomon

By Joy B. Miranda

Editor in Chief, Tinig Pinoy-Politis

Published 28th March 2009

My phone was ringing while I was driving my moped so I went to stop in front of a house to answer the call. Suddenly a huge dog came near the gate and angrily barked at me non-stop. Startled and scared, I clenched my fist for seconds but immediately drove away cursing the dog. In few minutes, my mood changed lightly when I passed to a newly opened bakeshop and saw different people inside, I said to myself, “Ah, a new bakery with a lot of costumers, life is not that bad after all!�

In recent days, the law enforcers apprehended hundreds of illegal migrants, and talks have been scattered that this tracking down of undocumented aliens will continue in the coming months. As tension arises in town following the early-dawn sweeping operation of the immigration police, I could only feel sorry for the people who were caught, but doubly sorry for those still uncaught. It must be hard for them roaming around now, living in constant fear of being apprehended anytime plus the weariness of not having to work regularly, thus would end them up not having enough money to sustain their stay. More so, they will be even more bonded in huge debts that may only have a slim chance at repaying. Ah, the money-chasing business of life. But this is reality everyone should deal squarely. To trace the illegal people is the job of the immigration department, delegated to their enforcers. Immigration policemen are just doing their job, to be on the look-out for strangers making sure that the people coming here have permits to stay. Just like the dog that barked at me when I parked at its master’s house, so are the officers “barking� now at any illegal migrant staying in Cyprus. Initially, for those affected, they are more likely to be saying curses to the apprehending officers. Just like what I did to the dog (again), clenched my fist and cursed the dog. In a broader sense, we can not blame the authorities to do a clean-up operation against undocumented migrants, after all, it is their duty to do so. Whatever the circumstances which aliens of this country are having, it is still the prerogative of Cyprus government to try to control the number of the influx of migrants and immigrants.

Let me share my personal opinion on the matter. I urge any undocumented OFWs to read and think about this carefully. Many might not agree with what I say here but I urge everyone further not to be closed-minded in taking my views. As OFWs, we are all aliens in this country. By law, we need to have legal permit to stay. By being illegal, we have violated the law. More so, we show disrespect to the host country. If I own a house, I would not be pleased seeing a stranger coming in and just move freely around as if he owns my house. Same thing with a country like Cyprus. Life might be hard at this time of global crisis, with a current record of 10 million unemployed Filipinos, but, here is an unsolicited advice to undocumented OFWs: PLEASE GO HOME.

Do not feel sorry because you will be losing money which you wont be earning in the Philippines. Rather be sorry that whenever you will be caught, you will be jailed for unknown period of time. Second, your travel record will be stained, and you will be having trouble next time and chances are, you wont be able to go abroad again. Passport will have a blemish which you can never be erased. So think about it. If you feel that there is really no more chance for you to get a Cyprus visa, then you should return home. By returning home, you can have no problem in your future travels. Filipinos are known to have an innate ability for survival, so try to weigh things carefully. It is not worth living here in constant fear. Never underestimate the authorities because after all, this is their country and as aggressive as they are now, “illegals� will be caught and deported sooner or later. Be positive and optimistic that there is life far better than being here illegally. Life should not end in Cyprus. Like that newly opened bakeshop that I passed by, look for other options, new avenues in life where you can earn a living in a decent, legal way. Another opportunities, another journey. There are other places to go like in Greece, which offers a much higher salary for OFWs which is a triple amount than what is being earned here. According to the situational report of Atty. George A. Eduvala, the Philippine Labor Attache to Greece, the minimum wage of land-based workers with valid residence permits is 33.04 euros per day as compared to Cyprus’ minimum wage of only 10.84 per day or 826 euros per month as compared to 282 euros per month salary here. So please don’t despair leaving Cyprus. We are day by day faced with pressing problems at home, but we will manage to solve them one by one, especially when our liberty to find the solutions are not taken away due to our stubbornness. So think of the negative effect of not abiding by the law. Whatever we do, wherever we go, there is always a rule, and we should follow the rule or face the consequence.

In case ayaw ninyo talagang umuwi dahil sa mga personal na rason kagaya ng hindi maiwanan ang nobyo (let’s not be hypocrite here) or nagkapamilya na dito (na wala pa ring maayos na papel), puwes, tumahimik at magdoble-ingat na lang kayo. Huwag kayong pasaway or umastang parang kayo ang may ari ng Cyprus or umiwas kayo sa gulo, intriga, agawan ng nobyo ng may nobyo, panlilibak at paninira sa kapwa at higit sa lahat, iwasan ninyong manloko at manggulang ng iba lalo na pagdating sa pera, huwag ninyong takbuhan ang mga utang ninyo at kung singilin kayo huwag yung kayo pa ang galit. Again, let’s not be hypocrite here dahil may mga cases na ganito dito. Ilang beses na kaming nakatanggap ng mga report na ganito, humihingi ng payo sa amin kung pwede ba nilang ipalathala sa Tinig Pinoy ang mga pilipinang nagwalanghiya sa kanila. We are doing our best na makapagpaabot ng sound advises sa lahat at sinisiguro namin na hindi kami magkukulang sa mga usaping ganito. So think about all these things that I mentioned.

I was also stopped by policemen many times while driving my moped in different areas in Nicosia. If I didn’t have the necessary documents in driving, then I might have paid the price. But I do have my legal papers. I don’t have to clench my fist again. I find Cyprus generally as a fair country. There might be some issues regarding racial discriminations, yet to me, this is a friendly country. Folks seemed to be not totally ready yet for a cosmopolitan community, owing to the fact that tracing Cyprus’ history, as a small island as she is, she had been invaded and exploited in the past. Hence, the shield is commonplace in every Cypriot face. But as I have said, I have never been to a place as fair and friendly as Cyprus. She is open at welcoming guests, so long that guests behave well. She extends her hands to shake with anyone who is as friendly and as fair. If we all abide by her laws, we can extend back our hands, free and wide open to return the shake. After all, as the saying goes, “We cant shake hands with a clenched fist�!