Experienced overseas worker, Pokwang, openly discusses heart-wrenching, impactful insights from her stint abroad.
Pokwang, whose real name is Marietta Subong, is a well-known Filipino comedienne and actress. In the early '90s, she worked as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Japan, a period that significantly influenced her life.
During her time abroad, Pokwang experienced the loneliness common among OFWs. However, she found solace in using her platform to cheer up her fellow Filipinos overseas and make them laugh through her comedy sketches, or touch their hearts with her relatable dramatic roles.
Life was difficult for Pokwang before she worked overseas. Money was scarce, but the opportunity to work in Japan changed her life. She enjoyed good money, which she spent on her days off exploring Japan, and bought pasalubong for her family.
However, sending money back home was not always easy. The fees were expensive, and the process was time-consuming, leading Pokwang to try less secure methods. She experienced theft when trying to send money home using unconventional methods like hiding money in a box or asking acquaintances to hand carry it.
Now, Pokwang encourages OFWs to use reliable online remittance services or banks that offer secure, fast, and low-cost international money transfers. She is grateful that OFWs today have better options to send money home without having to risk losing their hard-earned salary.
Pokwang's family includes 12 children, and she learned the importance of saving part of her earnings during her time as an OFW. When asked for advice, she encourages OFWs to be wise about their savings, learn to save, and not waste their blessings.
Sending money through informal means can have consequences for OFWs. Pokwang lost her son in 1998 due to a brain tumor, and she did not have enough money for his medical expenses or his funeral. This tragic event underscores the importance of having access to secure and reliable money transfer services.
Today, Pokwang is the face of CIMB Kababayan, the first foray into the overseas Filipino market by CIMB Bank Philippines. She remains thankful for her life abroad and believes it helped shape her into the strong woman she is now. Her journey as an OFW serves as a reminder of the struggles and triumphs faced by many Filipinos working overseas, and her advocacy for secure money transfers continues to inspire many.
