Gracey and Laura

GRACEY and LAURA, OFW

Friends. Colleagues. Both IT professionals. Separated more than a year, reunited and lived in paradox after fulfilling their dreams. They planned, decided and moved to put to use their professional skills where it should be. With more than enough experience in a multinational IT company, they ventured to make their fortune away from their homeland. First to leave was Laura. Five months later, she convinced her friend to consider joining here there. Her recruiter was legal, taken care of her well-being, considerate and even look after the welfare of her dependents she left behind in the country. Gracey was thankful and happy for her friend not to be victimized and fell prey to an illegal recruiter. Meanwhile, Gracey’s own recruiter personally came here more than a month after Laura left. Her recruiter wants to personally talk to her parents and convince them to allow their daughter to go with him for an overseas posting. On top of the assurance for a permanent residency, her parents and siblings can join her there if they decided to do so. Constraint would be the weather since ours is not like theirs. In winter, the climate is biting cold and on summer, the climate is oven-hot. Unlike Saudi Arabia, where the culture strictly observe the muslim faith and the teachings of Allah, this country is similar to the liberal culture of United Arab Emirates where western culture and entertainment can be freely enjoyed in their cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Gracey told her recruiter she’ll consider the offer. Four months after her recruiter left, she submitted her credentials after consulting her parents, inquiring Laura – if the documents required to be submitted were similar to hers. After getting an assurance from her friend, they were the same papers and documents she submitted, Gracey decided to follow without second thought. Terms of the offer were “ No placement Fee to be collected” and it’s a “Direct Hire”. The only expenses Gracey incurred were for Passporting, Visa Fee and of course, medical and briefing fee, all similar to Laura’s. Less than two months later, the first of two confirmation packets of documents from the government agency of that country arrived. Gracey was assured that the offer was valid and the recruiter is legitimate and can enter into a contract. Additional documents were to be prepared aside from the ones submitted earlier. The second packet arrived more than a month later. Specific instructions to submit herself to physical/medical examination to that country’s authorized medical center/hospital and to attend a ”briefing” in our government agency task to brief and orient departing OFW’s on what to expect on that foreign country’s culture and peculiarities. A month later, the physical/medical examination was completed and after a week she appeared at that foreign country’s embassy to get her visa. Finding her papers were complete and in order, she easily got her visa. She was given a six-month period to leave and report to that foreign country. More than two months later, her recruiter-employer personally came to assure her parents -their daughter is in good hands and he came to fetch and escort Gracey to gain entry to their country without hassle. Her recruiter was truly sincere, caring and took good care of her. The recruiter’s family- his sister, parents, close family friends and office colleagues were at the arrival area of their country’s Port of Entry awaiting their arrival. Gracey was reassured her arrival begins on a happy note. Two months after her arrival, her friend Laura came and visited her and serves as a reunion or sort since they’ve last seen each other in the Philippines. Less than three months after leaving her native country, she complied with the first condition to gain a permanent residency status. Gracey exchanged “ I DO”s with her recruiter-employer-former fiancé and now husband, JEFF. Laura was her maid of honor, (she married her soldier husband a year earlier). While Laura came home almost a year and a half after she left the country, Gracey took a little longer.. two years and two months. Although they’re residing in separate cities, friends keep in touch with each other. When Gracey came home for a short vacation last January, I asked her what she did. She simply told me. “ God had been so kind to me. He gave me everything. I listened to my parents so he blessed me. And most of all, I asked God to give this one to my mother.”, “ And what is that?” I asked. “ I prayed to God and asked him to give my mother a handsome and loving son-in-law. And he did. He did not fail me. Thank you God for everything.” Gracey said.

I knew their story. Gracey is Melanie’s (my sister-in-law) niece”. She stayed with us while employed at the Call Center here in the city. Truly, Gracey and Laura are great OFW’s – Outstanding Filipina Wives. And green card holders too.