7 Questions OFWs Need to Ask Before Going Home for Good
Until when will you be an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW)? When do you plan to settle down in your homeland? I am pretty sure you have more than a hundred reasons to go home or not to go home yet. Give yourself sufficient time to think about it. Are you ready or not yet? Here are seven straightforward questions that you can ask yourself before settling down in the Philippines for good.
Read: “Special OFW ID Card approved, direct hiring is back” – Secretary Bello
Question #1 – Why am I going back to the Philippines for good?
Why are you going back home in the first place? Will you take care of your ageing parents? Are you tired with your job overseas? Will you make your own family? We all have our own reasons. Whatever they may be, these concrete reasons have strong significance on why we are settling down in the Philippines.
Question #2 – What will I do in the Philippines?
What tangible plans have you prepared for yourself when you set foot in the Philippines? Are you setting up a business? What kind of business? Where? How?
In setting up a plan, make sure that you meet the SMART goal setting: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timebound. Going back to the previous example of setting up a business, try to integrate SMART objectives in it. It can be as detailed as this:
”I will set up a water refilling station business by the end of November. I will process all the business documents 2 months before November. I will use 70% of my savings to cover all the cost of business permits and to purchase all the equipment needed for the water refilling station.”
Question #3 – Have I saved enough already?
One of the main reasons why OFWs work overseas is to earn more money. Now that you want to stay for good in the Philippines, do you have enough money to pursue your desired business (granted that you want to venture into business). Have you been consistently paying for your life insurance so you can have something to use when time comes?
Question #4 – What will be my source of income back home?
Are you prepared to work as an employee back in the Philippines? Have you been investing into the stock market, mutual funds, or UITFs? Will your small-time business cater to all your financial needs?
Question #5 – Am I ready to work overseas again if I run out of resources?
If you have been a factory worker in Taiwan, went home to the Philippines, and ran out of finances, would you be going back to Taiwan to work again? Or are you honing your knowledge and skills in the Philippines so you can apply for a higher paying job in Canada?
Question #6 – Will I be happier If I settle down in the Philippines?
This question might be a bit odd. But relatively speaking, will you be happy? If no, allow yourself to reassess your decision.
Question #7 – Is my decision final?
Now that you have gone through all the first six questions, the final and the most important question is “Is this my final decision?” If yes, you can now pack your luggage, book a flight, and say “It’s nice to be back home!”
It is indeed important to plan for your future. What will you be doing 5 years from now? How about 10 years from now? While we are working overseas and are still strong and able, it is but essential for us to save, save, and save. Someday, when the right time comes, we will all be returning to the country that we first called home.
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