MONEY TALES FROM OFWs: Italy during the subprime crisis

Lovelyn and family

(Last week, I interviewed via email Filipinos working all over the world to find out how the US global financial crunch is affecting one of the major sources of the country’s liquidity—the OFWs. Some are regular readers of MoneySmarts, while some are friends of another blogger Reyna Elena. They were kind enough to reply and a short version of their emails (in the interest of space) were included in a feature I wrote for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I am publishing this week in installments the full version of their emails. I hope this will help us understand how Filipinos all over the world are affected and are responding to the crisis.)

By Norissa Marie “Lovelyn” Dacawi

I’m an Igorota from Tublay Benguet, a town 18 kilometers away from Baguio City. I am 34 years of age and the mother two boys, Lukie and Dylan—six and almost two years old respectively. Make that three as my husband, Boogie, sometimes thinks he is my son. We’ve been here in Italy for seven years now after working two years in Malta.

Back in the mid 90’s when hiring nurses abroad was not yet rampant, I accepted the offer to be a nanny for a wealthy family in Malta. Just to be employed and go abroad, I did not continue reviewing for my CGFNS after passing the Nurses’ Board Exam. Newly married back then, the nanny offer came with another offer to hire my husband as the keeper for the family’s swimming pool. We were lucky to leave the Philippines and work as a couple, something we always considered a blessing.

In 2001, we came to Italy as tourists. We stayed with my sister and cousins who were already legal residents of this country. Amnesty came out the next year, and so did the our eldest, Lukie. The first week we got here, I was employed as a housekeeper and kept the job for five years. I only stopped working when our second son, Dylan, was born.

My husband now works as a porter in one of the top hotels here in Venice. He’s been with the company for four years now. With the current global financial crisis, clients continue to come in. However, our household is affected by the increasing cost of living. It is only compensated with the ‘mancha’ (tips) he receives but if the trend of soaring bills and the increasing prices of commodities doesn’t cease, we might not keep up.

Just this June, we were charged a 10 percent increase on house rent. City services (gas, water, electricity and garbage collection) now cost 50 percent higher. ‘Abbonamento’ (a month prepaid ticket for bus and boat) increased twice during the summer.

We are confident we can cover home expenses, but luxuries like vacationing in the Philippines will be put on hold. The original plan last year was to go home this coming Christmas. With our plane ticket alone costing 1,250 euros each for my husband and I, and 1,120 for each our kids, these would cost around P300,000 if converted to Philippine money. The last time we went home, the 5,000 euros (P300,000) allotted for our daily expenses was not enough to sustain us for our 45 days of stay. We had to borrow some amount during our last week.

Another plan that has been put on hold is applying for a house and car mortgage. For now, we can’t afford to spend more than what the family is earning. I believe that we don’t really feel the effects of this ongoing crisis because we don’t have debt, and we try not to want more of this and that—like an iPhone, a MacBook and such.

OFF TOPIC:

Speaking for Venice alone, recession has not greatly affected employment for our fellow Filipinos. Except for the influx of workers coming from Albania, Bangladesh, Romania, Russia and other countries that accept low wages. ‘Anziani’ (old people) that compose most of the Italian population go for low paid caregivers to stretch the pension they receive from the government. Though Italians prefer hiring Filipinos, regardless of a higher pay demand, the competition is still quite high.

Share This