We pay for the decisions that we make. This we know already from previous lessons. However, you can never fully realize the extent of the consequence of your decisions until other people become involved with the outcome.

What decision exactly am I talking about? It’s the choice of raising a dog, Aria. Mateo was almost two and a  half years old when we got our golden retriever pup last 2009. Since andrea and I both love dogs, we thought that raising a puppy would be alright. Mateo would get the added benefit of having to take care of one while growing up, so it seemed like the perfect time.

Despite all the chewing, the mess, the smell, the hair, and everything else associated with a growing puppy, we managed to survive. Aria became our watchdog, mateo’s playmate, and eventually, part of our family. However, things would turn out differently from what we had planned.

When we decided to pursue the opportunity to work abroad, Aria suddenly lost a place to belong to. Ever since we moved back to andrea’s home, she remained on a leash, confined to a small corner in the garden, and deprived of the same attention we used to give her. Eventually we decided to find her a new home, a new owner to take care of her, someone who would give her everything we couldn’t anymore. Last Friday, we did, and she went home with her new master.

It was painful enough for us to watch her go, so we decided not to let mateo know about it yet. Earlier today, he realized for the first time that Aria was gone. However, he didn’t cry like we expected. Instead he took andrea’s stuffed dog (the one I gave her on our first anniversary), went outside, and hugged the toy while trying his best not to let his tears fall. I asked him why and he just told me that he was sad. That was the most heart wrenching part of the whole ordeal.

It took me a lot of time and effort to make him understand why we had to let Aria go. He still doesn’t seem to fully comprehend the situation, even the way he feels about the whole thing. But what can I do? Letting her stay would be more detrimental than giving her a chance at freedom and happiness with someone else. Plus, the one who took her is very well versed with golden retrievers having raised one beautiful male himself.

I can’t remember exactly if he is one of those website builders or call center representatives but it doesn’t really matter though. When he brought his dog to our home, we knew he was capable of taking better care of Aria. I just hope mateo somehow realizes this. Our hearts ache whenever he looks longingly at the now empty space where Aria used to stay.

Contrary to what people think, doing work-from-home jobs can be tiring, both mentally and physically. I know this for a fact because we’ve been doing that since June.

Mentally exhausting

For the last 5 months, andrea and I have been writing blogs, articles, reviews, and so many other compositions. It sounds easy enough, at least until you’ve experienced making 3-5 articles on the same topic, or beating 24 hour deadlines while trying to envision activities to keep your kids preoccupied as you work.

Physically draining

Since we spend our days (and nights) at home,  we don’t rely on housemaids to do any of the chores for us. Andrea and I would divide house chores between us while doing writing assignments and while entertaining mateo, anika, and even aria. This includes laundry, cooking, taking care of the dog, cleaning the dishes, and other menial tasks.

It’s very hard work, pretty much different from what most people imagine. Fortunately we get good enough pay for all the effort we exert. Well, not enough to buy gold coins though, but decent enough to get us through a week at a time.

Despite not having money and not feeling the Christmas season yet, I still can’t help but think about what to give people for the holidays. Limited budget though confines us to small and relatively inexpensive choices like the usual handkerchief, towels, food, and other generic gift ideas.

Andrea suggested we try those couple shirts with some fancy art prints for couple friends and family members. I said it was okay but I prefer looking for more ideas first. She also suggested getting one of those digital photo frames that show a slideshow of pictures and doubles as a video player. They’d be perfect gifts for our parents, except they’re not as affordable as other generic gift ideas.

We’re still searching for more ideas to consider and we’re still sticking to the budget. Hopefully we come across a good one before Christmas is over.

This last few days I’ve been trying to feel the air of the Christmas season but unfortunately it’s a bit difficult with so many things looming around the corner.

First, Aria’s about to leave us. Her new owner seems like a nice person and a true dog lover so we’re both saddened and relieved that we’ll be leaving her in good hands.

Second, my papers are still on hold. I haven’t had any progress ever since that argument we had with the agency. My employer hasn’t given me an exact instruction to follow, but I’m afraid time is running faster than they could settle the matter.

Third, the closer Christmas comes, the closer my departure gets as well. It’s technically just 20+ days till I go to Brunei (hopefully).

I want to feel the Christmas in the air but, a lot of things are weighing heavily on my mind. Huhuhu!

I can’t buy gold bullion yet. I haven’t received word from the school and I’m still waiting for instructions on how to proceed. Although we’re slowly becoming agitated with the waiting game and the looming separation, andrea and I are just trying to make the most out of the situation we’re in.

There are still low moments though. That much is expected. But we try to preoccupy ourselves with work and the dreams of settling down anew somewhere else.

I know we’re bound to make some huge adjustments especially with two little kids and everyone else being a country away. However, there is solace in the fact that we’ve always thrived with moving and relocations. We learned to love the places we’ve moved to in the past 5 years. We’ve made beautiful memories in each area we settled in regardless of how long we stayed. That’s the silver lining that andrea and I are keeping are eyes on.

This transition will end too.

Everyone was optimistic about the 700+ million lottery pot this week that people who don’t usually buy tickets were convinced to try their luck. I’m not ashamed to say that we were one of those who did.

In fact, there was even a time when all I could think about was how to spend the money. Here were some of the things that came to mind.

House – Although we always wanted  a house of our own, I thought perhaps constructing one that is entirely off the electric grid would justify winning the lotto. No, we’re not after something fancy, just something completely environment-friendly.

Car – There are no electric automobiles in the country yet, but it sure is something I’m willing to wait for. The Tesla perhaps? or maybe a Hydrogen car? I’m done with gas and diesel, and even hybrids don’t appeal to me that much. Then I’ll build a solar garage to collect power for the car.

School – Yes, andrea and I would like to start a non-profit school of our own designed to teach kids an alternative way to learning – a green school dedicated to providing students plenty of learning experiences and ways to help protect nature.

A business – This particular concept we haven’t finalized yet. There are several business ideas we’ve been brewing up but unless we have the money to start them, it would be better to keep them to ourselves for the meantime.

The rest would probably go to a trust fund for the kids – something to keep their futures secured even if something untoward happens to us.

Too ambitious? Well, everyone is entitled to dream. I just think that 700 million can very well  afford all my ambitious dreams.

I still can’t help but fume in frustration whenever I think about the manning agency that I have to go through. However, my mom and dad told me that I need to weigh the consequences of my action.  I’m looking at a December 29 deadline and my chances of beating that deadline only grows slimmer and slimmer as I continue my defiance to submit to that agency’s demands.

But, it’s not that easy. I’m not looking for the best affiliate marketing program. I’m looking to teach in Brunei, so that’s what that agency should be helping me to do. Actually, I don’t even see what kind of help they can provide me with that I cannot do for myself. If only I was included in the school’s quota for directly hired  personnel, then….

Anyway, I’m trying hard to swallow my pride and figure out what to do with a cool head. As soon as my employer confirms the fees, I’ll proceed with the processing ASAP.

I’ve just finished the last phase of the medical yesterday, a grueling 4-vaccination visit, but I can’t proceed to processing my papers yet. The agency that my employers from Brunei wanted me to go through is showing some unfortunate and suspicious changes.

First, here’s my case.

I applied for a teaching position in a school in Brunei, through the help of a friend who already works there. After a phone interview and submission of papers, I was told that I’d be hired. However, because they’ve already reached the quota for directly-hired Filipinos that the Philippine Embassy has imposed in Brunei, I was instructed to go through an agency for formalities. The school contacted an agency in the Philippines and then gave me the contact details so I could pay them a visit. And I did.

You see, during my first visit to Excel Green Kard (that’s the agency I was referred to), I was told to prepare around 18k for the processing (with an initial 5k to start the process and the rest, 13k, to be given when I’m ready to leave). The agency also told me that I was to get an insurance ON MY OWN from any of the insurance companies that the POEA specified. I was also informed that it would take me around 6k to get an insurance. So, all in all, I was expecting to spend only 24k (that’s 18k + 6k).

They actually didn’t even look like they knew what to do at first because I had everything that they’re usually paid for to  get (a position abroad, a contract, a visa). They didn’t have to look anything up for me. It was just for formalities’ sake that their name appears in my contract and my POEA papers. But I still agreed to what I thought was an absurd 18k fee. After all, it was relatively close to the estimate that my employer gave me when I asked them how much should I prepare for the processing.

However, upon checking the POEA guidelines, andrea and I found out that the agencies that were the ones who should be responsible for getting workers their insurance and that no worker should get his/her own insurance directly from any insurance provider. So, why was I told to get my own?

When I told the agency on the phone about the possible misunderstanding, this was their initial reply. “Ah pwede din naman po sa amin. Kung magkano na lang po, yung na lang po idadagdag niyo.” (We could also process it for you. Whatever the (insurance) fee is, you can just pay the additional)

But then, it was also stated in the POEA guideline VI: Premium Rate and Payment, under Section 1, that the premium shall be paid by the recruitment/manning agency of the worker, and that in no case shall this premium be charged by the recruitment/manning agency or the foreign employer directly or indirectly to the migrant worker. This means that they cannot charge me any additional fee for the insurance. That’s what I told them.

This is how they responded. Ano nga po bang posisyon niyo? (What was your position again?) I replied, “teacher”. They said, Ah, sorry po, hindi po pala 18k. 30k po pala dapat kasi teacher kayo. (Oh, I’m sorry because the fee wasn’t supposed to be 18k. It was supposed to be 30k because you’re a teacher.) WHAT… I was at a loss for (kind) words. In my attempt to stick to the numbers, I asked them if they could tell me the breakdown for the 30k. They didn’t answer. They told me to just come over to the office so that we could talk. Isn’t that what we were doing already on the phone? Why couldn’t they discuss the breakdown right there and then? They want me on their turf when the confrontation happens?

I just don’t get it. I showed them my papers including my contract when I first went to their office. I even remember the look of surprise on their face because I basically had all the papers they’re supposed to process, except for those from POEA. They even encoded the details on their computer. Then they conveniently say that they made a mistake with the fee… Yeah, right!

Yes, I’m a teacher. That’s the position  I’m applying for so I’m there to teach and earn, not to buy gold. It’s written in the contract that I showed them. That’s the position I wrote on the paper they gave me. So how can they mysteriously overlook that?

And what about the insurance that they were blabbering about? That RA 8042 amended by RA 10022,  entitled INSURANCE GUIDELINES ON RULE XVI OF THE OMNIBUS RULES AND REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING REPUBLIC ACT 8042 (THE MIGRANT WORKERS AND OVERSEAS FILIPINOS ACT OF 1995), AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT 10022 RELATIVE TO COMPULSORY INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR AGENCY-HIRED OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS was in effect since September of the same year before I came to their office last November. Does that mean that they did the same thing to the workers who came before me?

The feeling in my tummy was so sickening. I expect some discrimination and some unfair treatments outside the country. But to get taken advantage of, here, by my fellow Filipinos… It’s just down right frustrating.

I still don’t know what’s going to happen next. I already informed my employer in Brunei about what this agency is trying to do and I’m waiting for instructions on how to proceed. But for those who are still on the first step of finding an agency, please choose carefully. Here’s the agency I’m working with: (taken from the POEA directory of agencies)

EXCEL GREEN KARD INTL INC Landbased Agency
G/F AND 2/F 620 REMEDIOS COR MA OROSA STS MANILA MALATE, MANILA
Tel No/s : 5245232/4003960
Email Address : ARLENE@EXCELGREENKARD.COM/EXCELGREENKARD@YAHOO.COM
Website : None
Official Representative : EROS G. KAW
Status : Good Standing
License Validity : 8/3/2009 to 8/2/2013