The Good and Bad of Being OFW in Singapore

It is quite a long time, I’ve been working here in Singapore as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW). With God’s grace I became a Sales Operation Analyst for about one year and eight months in one of the biggest distribution company in the world.

At first it is tough because I did not know anyone here in Singapore except my former boss when I was working as an IT Head in a bank before. But that time he was in Taiwan, and as a culture in the Philippines, we had this issue of shyness type wherein we tend not to ask help because we do not want to be burden for other people.

These are the lists of pros and cons of being an OFW in Singapore.

Challenges Encountered

1.)   Cost of Living. Primary challenge I encountered is the cost of living. At this time, exchange rate for Philippine peso in PHP 33. (SGD 1.00 = PHP 33.00).  So normally I always converting my purchases to Philippine Peso, but when I get used to it, I just buy without any conversion. Simple meal would cost S$3.00 – S$5.00. Vices such as liquor and cigarettes are more higher which play around S$10.00 – S$20.00.

2.)   Flat or Room Accommodation. Since I did not know anyone. I am always changing my place because of some issues such as snoring roommates, expired contract, misunderstanding, crowded places and etc. But this time, I tried to adjust into it and think that I am working in a foreign country so I need to talk and face it with confidence. Lesson learned! Normally flat rate in HDB cost S$300.00 up to S$800.00 while in condo would range S$400.00 up to S$1,200.00. 

3.)   Multi National Environment. Working in a multinational company is one of the challenges I faced. I need to adjust with the Singlish accent and need to mingle with different cultures and nationalities. But now, I always think that I am in a Harry Potter movie.

Advantage

1.)   Salary.  When it pertains to work salary, of course it is an advantage. To be honest my salary it double of what our former Bank President is earning. But since the cost of living is high we need to spend wisely.

2.)   Friendly Singaporean. Mostly Singaporeans I met are friendly. Actually, most of the people who helped me during my train rides, directions ,and a lot of more are Singaporean. Now my boss and my former boss is a Singaporean. They treat us fare and when they do decisions, they are just. I also I enjoy community service in return to their goodness.

3.)   Systematic Living (SMART Nation). Since, this place is an island, mode of transportation is very systematic. You can easily search what you want to find, sell, or buy. Those are just over the internet or using an app using your smart phones.

4.)   Healthy Living. Normally, you will see a lot of people are engage with Physical Fitness. Hawker centers (“kainan” in Filipino) offer vegetarian meal. In addition, since I am a fruit lover, I love the fruits which are sold in a cheaper price. Added to that is the freshness of air we breathe.

5.)   Singapore is near in Philippines. In case you always want to go back in Philippines, it is much easier to travel compare with other countries in Middle East, Europe or US. Added to that, cheaper airfare is advantage. Promo fare is one of the best choice for every Filipinos who wants to enjoy holiday from Singapore to Philippines or vice versa.

If you want to be an OFW, I suggest you to read www.pinoysg.com. Then most importantly pray, be humble, and be good to everyone so that you are not just here to work but be a blessing for others.

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How To Be Strong Part 1

photo: carbonadosmedia.com

It’s been a long time I struggled for my emptiness and loneliness. Instead of staying on those negativity, I am now in the process of conquering my fears, doubts, and worries..

But one thing that helps is my spiritual growth. As stated in Luke 11:9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you: seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Being Weak You Will Be Strong

Being weak is like being poor. You aim to be rich then it comes true because  you work hard and you work smart. So being weak means you will be strong because you will do some actions.

Here are the actions that I am doing now.

Actions:

1.)    Remove Negativity. Removing negativity is not so easy at first but think when you were in primary. At first you cry or you feel lonely because it’s a new phase of your life. But eventually as time goes by, you  finish your schooling and now an adult. Sooner or later everything will be positive. So stay positive.

2.)    Read Inspirational Articles or Books. It helps on me. Not every day is a good day. But always look that changes is always for better.  To inspire me most, I read books and articles that will improve myself. There are many articles online so google it. Look the one that fits for you and strengthen you.

3.)    Find What Makes You Smile. Smiling in the mirror everyday really helps. Telling yourself you are good, handsome/beautiful, optimistic and strong, will eventually manifest of who you are. On the other hand, look for your son/daughter photos or your wife/husband photo. Your family, your work, yourself are one of the things you should be happy.

4.)    Look for your Goal in Life. Looking what you desire in life keeps you moving. This is one of the things you can consider in becoming strong. In whatever adversity you are facing now remember for the reward of your goals in life.

5.)    Be Busy. Being busy into something will divert you into worries. This may vary based on your passion and desire. Like doing community activity, playing with the kids, cooking, reading, watching movies, have some coffee with optimistic friend and so on depends on what you really enjoy.

6.)    Mingle with positive people. I love this line  - “You have to be with people who can think, make informed decisions and take actions. These are the people who bring changes to the society. They are lively and Active people - Anonymous”. Mingle with positive people with the same belief will make difference in your life. 

7.)    Have Faith. No matter really happen, I believe that our Creator controls everything. But still we need to do actions on our end. Pray and Do Actions then God will reward you of all the good things in life you have done.

       Hope those actions will help you!

This is one way I can help because in my life, loneliness has been my biggest struggle in my life. And I am returning what God’s goodness he has given to me this time. Little by little, I am working on it and aiming for its best.

Currently, I am looking for a programmer who can help me to create an app to enrich people who wants a friend or someone to talk to. If you know someone or you want to be part of it, you can contact me at admin@newstrendzph.com or eem_maranan2@hotmail.com.

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NewstrendzPh Langkawi Experience

At first I don’t even think that Langkawi will be my first out of Singapore destination. I planned to go to Petronas Towers but a good friend of mine advised me to try Langkawi for some of the good beaches and adventure to explore.

So I booked my flight and googled all the places and foods I can try. It was 3 days and 2 nights; May 20 to May 22, 2015 to be exact.

Since most of my friends I met in Green Kiwi Singapore stayed in Hostels, I tried to look in Agoda for a nice hostel to stay. Fortunately, Cottage Langkawi has the best review during that time. I prefer to go to Cenang Beach as the reviews stated, it is the best beach in Langkawi.

My journey started in the morning of May 20, 2015 where I arrived at the cottage around 12:00 noon paying RM 20.00 using a cab going to The Cottage.

Without wasting my time, I just check in and put my things in the hostel and started to walk going to Underwater World. It was just a 15 to 20 minutes walk from The Cottage, which is a good exercise as well. But if you are a lazy one, you can ride a taxi. The entrance price in UnderWarter World is RM 40.00 for tourist.

Basically the Underwater World has less excitement for me. Since I came from Puerto Galera, I can differentiate the place from our natural marine life sanctuary. But what I enjoyed is the feeding of Penguins and the way clown fish reproduce. See Wikipedia for more details on how Finding Nemo (clown fish reproduce). According to the info there, all clownfish are born males. Hmmm better to search the web :). 

Then I took a rest in The Cottage, where I had a chance to meet the owner with his happy family. They invited for a short dinner because that day is her daughter’s birthday. I had a great talk with some of the travellers who stayed there plus the tidbits of information about Malaysia.

The following day would be the most exciting day. That would be May 21, 2015 which I experienced Island hopping, mangrove tour, cave exploration, monkey feeding, and watching eagles flying. I met also two Singaporeans during the Langkawi beaches exploration. And during the tour, I just learned that the beach is just near Thailand. My mind sparked and thought that my next adventure will be in Bangkok or Krabi.Moreover, the people in Langkawi preserved the Mangrove as part of their conservation. This should be a good model for some other countries around the globe.

After my beach adventure, I decided to experience the steepest cable car in the world. It is not cheap because you need to ride a cab around RM60.00 back and forth from Cenang Beach plus the ride worth RM30.00 plus RM10.00 for the magnet souvenir. While on my way on top, it made my hands sweat and it’s a breath taking experience. But once you were on top, this made you shout and amaze with God’s creation. There are two stops where you can enjoy the skywalk and you can snacks and ice cream as well. Indeed, it is very very nice! You should not miss the Cable Car!

I would say that the whole day gives me a negative stress level and it is awesome!

By the way, I did not eat on some restaurant. I just ate in all well known fast-food chain such as KFC and of course I dropped in Starbucks. This is because most of the foods are not so common for me; normally Arabic foods but there are other restos which they served Malay and Western food. On my last day, I tried to eat in a seafood restaurant which I forgot the name… so sorry!.. and the food is ok, not so much special. But the special food I tasted is the glutinous rice in The Cottage with curry and the mango… it has a fragrant smell which I love most.

I would suggest buying souvenir on the long streets of Cenang. It is cheaper compared to the stalls near the famous attractions. Though I bought some in Underwater that was when I have not seen the differences. For souvenir shirts you can buy around RM10.00 to RM25.00.

After the whole tiring day, I had a great smile and planning to go back with my friends. By the way I travelled alone that time. I prefer to be alone for my first time travel because I do not want to be lost and I do not want a nasty companion.

Hope you enjoy my experience. Till next time.

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Green Kiwi Backpacker Hostel: The Best Hostel to stay in Singapore!

Looking back to my first vacation outside the Philippines, I decided to travel alone going to Singapore. So during that time, I just did my walk-in hunting on some of the Hostels in Singapore. That was almost eight in the evening. Then the only way to sleep is on the available bed besides the reception.

Since, I need to stay for that night, I took the place and thank for the Filipina receptionist who is so friendly and always smile.

So for the third time, I am staying here again with a great ambience of the place (of course my favourite color is green) and enjoying the place and the people around who came from different places of the world such as Malaysian, Thai, German, American, Australian, and a lot.

In Green Kiwi, you will find their free items:

• Use of Rooftop
• Breakfast (Combination of Toast, Spread, Tea/Coffee, and Fruits)
• Fast WIFI
• Food Tour
• Maps and Advice
• Lockers
• Luggage Storage

The room is fully air-conditioned 24 hours 2/4/6/8/10/12-bed dorms (also available as private room).

On the rate, they have the best rate ever. Doing the booking online is very user-friendly plus they will not charge until such time you arrived in their reception area. You do not need to pay any reservation but make it sure you have your credit card. Moreover, they are also offering discounts for frequent stayers like me and special packages for groups.

As a whole Green Kiwi Backpackers hostel is a cool place to stay with their motto – “???”. Moreover, they received various awards such as Certificate of Excellence from tripadvisor (2012 and 2013), HostelBookers’ Best Value Award, Community in Bloom Awards (2012) and Winner in HostelWorld as Best Hostel in Singapore 2014.

Below are some photos I grabbed from their Facebook page, which one of the model is a friend of mine, Nesty.

For more details you can visit Green Kiwi Backpacker Hostel official website  www.greenkiwi.com.sg or contact them +659695 9331 or email them

greenkiwi@hotmail.com.

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DOH issues Health Advisory to the Public on MERS-CoV

Department of Health issued an advisory to public on Tuesday, April 22, 2014. They advised the all the passenger s of Etihad Airlines flight EY 0424 that arrived in NAIA from Abu Dhabi last Tuesday, April 15, 2014 to get in touch with DOH thru their hotlines.

Below is the full text of the Advisory.

One of the passengers of Etihad Airlines flight EY 0424 that arrived in NAIA from Abu Dhabi last Tuesday, April 15, 2014, was a Filipino male nurse who had tested positive for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Corona Virus. We wish to advise the following passengers who were also aboard that flight to get in touch immediately with the Department of Health (DOH) through the following 24-hour hotlines: 711-1001; 711-1002; 

You may also send a text message to the Philippine National Police through 2920 on any network. As this disease is transmitted through close contact, those closest to you are the ones most at risk, in case you may be infected. As a health precaution, you are directed to submit to a simple nose-and-throat swab examination at the nearest DOH facility to which you will be guided. This procedure will rule out the possibility of infection, or ensure that you will get prompt medical attention if needed. Thank you for your kind cooperation.

For the list of passengers click the link HERE provided by Manila Bulletin thru Scrib.

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