the driver

I made a quick visit to Batha today. I made a bank to bank transaction at Enjaz to pay my credit card bills for Singapore, and then bought some personal items at Al Rajih grocery. Quick indeed, in less than an hour I was already on my way home.

Oftentimes I took a taxi cab when going home. But today, I thought of availing the services offered by a fellow Pinoy. The agreement was, I have to pay the same amount as the taxi - SR15 - and he will take me to my place at Sulaimaniah. I felt that this is one way of helping someone earn a living, and at the same experience something new.

Well, I didn't regret my adventure. I really enjoyed the trip. The driver was talkative and engaging, and he told me many stories about the lives of Filipinos in Saudi. He said that he literally grow old here having spend the past 35 years in the kingdom. "I've seen it all", he said.

Our conversation was short, but it was full of meat and action. The stories that he told me were both painful and eye opening, that it made think long after he has left. What keeps popping on my mind was the questions:

1. "If you're single, are going to get involve with a married woman"?
2. "Would you fake a marriage license just for you to live freely as couple in the kingdom"?
3. "Would you renounce Christianity, so you can legally marry two or more wives"?
4. "How would raise the children out from an invalid marriage"?

These questions may not be applicable to me, but upon knowing the truth that more than half of the couples in the Riyadh are not legally married at all, it made my heart bleeds. How would the children take the truth that their parents have families of their own back in the Philippines? Where will they go once their parents returns to their original families?

Painful to think. But it's happening... not only in the kingdom, but all over the world. This is our problem, us the expats - the OFW - who proudly call ourselves as the country's "modern heroes". Yet, we all ignore it in the name of money and the promise of better life for our love ones.

In Singapore, I know a lot of Filipino women (and man) who plays around. Some are professionals, some are blue-collar workers, some are "fly-by-night" workers, and few are just the bored plain housewives. Yep, they play but I don't think they thought of going through to falsifying marriages and raising children. Maybe there are some, but that would be isolated cases. Unlike here... it's prevalent.

I'm sad.