Festive homecoming for expat workers

Nine million Filipinos are scattered around the globe and their homecoming takes on a festive atmosphere each year.

Vivian Segundo, who works in Athens, greets her family as she arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila.

MANILA // Wiping tears from her eyes, Vivian Segundo entered the throng of people waiting at the arrivals area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Her family crowded close around her, welcoming her home for the holidays. Like hundreds of other families that flock to the airport each day as Christmas approaches, they had waited hours for the arrival of a relative working overseas. "I can't explain how I'm feeling. I'm happy and I'm so excited to be with them this holiday," said Ms Segundo, moments after exchanging heartfelt embraces with her parents and sisters. She is one of about nine million Filipinos - one tenth of the population - that is scattered across the globe. More than 3,000 people leave the Philippines every day to work abroad, and the money they send home each month helps keep their families afloat. Last year, those remittances contributed a record US$14 billion (Dh51bn) to the national economy, or about 10 per cent of the gross domestic product, according to government figures. Ms Segundo has lived in Athens for the past four years. She does "housekeeping, babysitting, walking dogs - whatever job I can find". She went to Greece because she knew her family needed more money than she could contribute by working at home. But she misses them badly, she said, and she sometimes has doubts about the choice she made. "It's like, 'what am I doing here?' I'm away from my family. What for?" Ms Segundo and others like her are clearly missed by their families as well. At the airport, a crowd of excited people pressed up against a barrier fence waiting for their relatives to clear customs and immigration. The mass homecoming takes on a festive atmosphere each Christmas season as families pile into rented vans and travel across this city of 11 million, and even from rural areas, to the airport to greet their loved ones. Many bring food, and they picnic in the parking lot as they wait. Michael Santiago sat in a van with his one-year-old nephew as his father and brother packed up and prepared to drive back to a town a couple of hours outside of Manila. "For 28 months I haven't visited my home," said Mr Santiago, who works as an office assistant in Saudi Arabia. "It feels great, especially now having my nephew. It's the first time to see him." He will visit for a little more than a month before heading back to his job. "The employment there is much better. I am getting better wages," he said. Mr Santiago's mother said she was proud of him. "He is a very good son," Ms Santiago said. "He loves our family very much. He wants to help out family with the finances; that's why he decided to go." Although Mr Santiago has a secure job to go back to, there are reports that other overseas workers decided against coming home for the holidays this year out of concern they could lose their jobs in the global financial crisis. The government is also worried about that possibility. Jesus Dureza, a presidential spokesman, told reporters that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the president, has ordered the labour and foreign affairs departments to prepare a contingency plan in case of mass layoffs of overseas workers. Mr Dureza said the government is particularly worried about the economic recession in the United States, where about two million Filipinos work. The Philippines is the world's fourth largest supplier of migrant labour, according to the government (only China, Mexico and India send more workers overseas). Filipinos work in a wide variety of jobs, notably health care and maritime trades. One third of the world's seafarers - about 270,000 people - are from the Philippines. Many others, like Ms Segundo, find employment doing unskilled domestic work. They are the ones most at risk from the financial crisis, analysts said. As the economic crunch hits middle and upper income earners, they will look for ways to cut household expenses, including laying off their domestic help. But for Ms Segundo and others arriving home, such concerns will have to wait until after Christmas. They will spend this holiday season basking in the warmth of their families. "We're so happy because we haven't seen her for such a long time," said Ms Segundo's sister, Maydel. "It's just so nice." [e-mail]