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Happy 1st PEBA Anniversary!

Jebee Kenji Solis

PEBA, Inc

Founding Chairman

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Below is a repost from the US Asian Correspondent dated

Jul. 17 2010 - 12:24 pm

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The Pinoy Expat/OFW Blog Awards (PEBA) is now open for nominations for its third edition this year.

This year's PEBA invites Filipino bloggers based abroad and even in the Philippines to share their thoughts on the theme "Strengthening the OFW Families: Stronger Homes for a Stronger Nation". As such, there will be two major categories: Top 10 OFW Bloggers and the Top 10 OFW Supporter Bloggers.

The theme recognizes the sacrifices and difficulties of Filipino families whose members are compelled to live and work abroad, a concern that is usually overlooked in the cold, calculation of dollars and cents sent home by overseas Filipino workers (OFW). Indeed, the billions of dollars in OFW remittances may save the country's economy from total ruin, but the effects on society's basic unit, the family, are not at all factored in.

According to the organizers:

PEBA calls on the bloggers to write and post about topics on strengthening the OFW families, and their being miles away from each other. Topics may include family communication, family gatherings, parent-child coaching and counseling, assistance and support in children’s homework and projects, conference meetings with family members, online contact with families, pointers on cheap communication, etc. PEBA calls on the bloggers to write about what they are doing to strengthen their families despite the distance and their absence from home. PEBA calls on the bloggers to share insights, ideas, pointers and how to express love for their spouses and children.

To qualify as nominee, the blog should be in existence for at least six months, should be maintained and managed by overseas-based Filipinos (for the Top 10 OFW Bloggers) or by those living in the home front (for the Top 10 OFW Supporter Blogs). Bloggers who wish to join the latter category should have relatives living or working abroad.

Entries are to be judged based on the following criteria: form (20 percent), substance (50 percent), and originality (30 percent).

If you are an OFW with a great story to tell about your overseas work positively (or even negatively) affected your family, or you believe you could articulate the family concerns of OFWs, check out the guidelines and rules and consider joining this worthwhile endeavor.

Finalists will be announced on or before Nov. 1, 2010

Photos are used by PEBA with permission from the owner.

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The conversation below was an excerpt of the post from the Dungeon Lord blog. The DUNGEON LORD is managed by Charlie Montemayor, known in the blogosphere as "LordCM", an OFW for more than five years, based in the tiny island of Palau. CM is a charismatic blogger, but an OFW advocate as well. He is an active forum-mer, and he won PEBA 2009 Mapagkawanggawa award for his role as KABLOGS Officer, and for helping distress OFW's most notably his role in "Project Twitch", an OFW stranded in Dubai, as well as the cases of a maltreated Filipina DH in Jordan, and Riyadh Saudi Arabia.

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LordCM : May mga parents talaga na hindi kayang mahiwalay sa kanilang mga anak, lalo't baby pa lang ang anak mo. pero sa hirap ng buhay minsan kelangan mong sumugal para magkaruon ng kinabukasan ang mga anak mo..

Tina : bakit palagi dito humahantong ang usapan natin? hehehehe
oo nga naiwan kami sa pilipinas para meron kaming magandang kinabukasan, pero is it worth it? I don't know Charlie.

LordCM : Sa tingin mo?

Actually ang pagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa na malayo sa mga anak mo ay hindi dapat panghabambuhay, sabi nga nila gawin mo lang stepping stone ito para pagkalipas ng lima o sampung taon ay magkasama sama uli kayo na hindi nagkakaproblema sa kung saan kukuha ng perang ipangkakain ng pamilya mo...

Tina : ewan ko pa rin charlie, sa akin lang mas gugustohin ko na nandyan mga magulang ko para sa supporta, sa mga school happenings na completo kayo. kahit na mahirap lang kami.

malditang bruha : tama yan charlie, kaya nga ako habang maaga gusto ko mag abroad, un nga lang di pa malinaw kung saan at anong klase ng trabaho...ayoko kasing tumanda na lagi na lang naghihirap, alam mo yun, parang sa parents ko..syempre gusto ko naman maiba ako sa kanila...Sa ating mga pinoy ngayon, di na mahalaga kung may maiiwan ba dito kasi mahirap talga ang life dito..grabe, lalo na ng mga gantong panahon ng tag-ulan..

LordCM : tutuo naman na kahit sino mas gusto ang kasama nila ang kanilang mga magulang pero kung wala ka nang maipakain sa kanila at may opportunity na maiahon mo sila sa hirap ngunit kailangan nyong maghiwalay ng ilang taon, eh ano pang gagawin mo? sunggaban ang opportunity diba? kaysa naman isumpa ka ng mga anak mo dahil ginutom mo sila sa prinsipyong di ka naman mapakain...

Tina : but does the consequences justifies the means? loss years, family indifferences, heartaches? ewan ko pa rin..

LordCM : Yan ang "sakripisyo" na tinatawag ng mga OFW, Ano ba naman yung limang taon na magkahiwalay upang pagdating ng araw ay habambuhay na magkasama kayo at may kinakain, kaysa magkasama kayong namamatay sa gutom.

Tina : Five years is fine charlie but pero minsan merong mas matagal pa dyan...

LordCM : meron talaga, dahil nga sa hirap ng buhay...o kaya naman hindi nagamit ng maayos ang perang kinikita kaya kahit ilang taon sa ibang bansa ay walang nangyayari.

linlazo : sorry to butt in. but i go for tina. i grew up without my mom she was an ofw like you guys. when i was young, whenever my tooth ache, whenever i have a fever, whenever i am sick, i look for my mom. i dont need that fancy barbie toys, i dont need the fancy talking dolls na pasalubong nia sa akin before. i am delighted but only for a short time. now i grew up, i hate her for leaving us when we needed them most. she should be there during the sensitive years that affects our whole personality. she should be there when we need encouragement, should be there when we need to take our medicine, she should be there when when we have parents meeting at school. she should be there to appreciate our sunday bible school drawings, she should be there during our birthdays. etc.

me, as my two daughters mom, with the blessings from God, i will forever strive for us to survive, for as long as im with my kids - money can never buy the times you were with them.

i dont know about lcm, lalaki cia eh. iba ata ang pananaw ng lalaki, just like my hub. he, too, want to go, i support him, but i do not encourage him.

LordCM : Wala na akong masasabi Lin, tutuo lahat ng sinabi mo.

Ang sa akin naman, naisip ko lang, tutal anjan naman mama nila para gabayan sila sa lahat ng oras dahil sa tutuo lang simula nung umalis ako, nakatutok ang misis ko 24/7 sa mga anak ko, ok lang na humiwalay ako para sa kinabukasan nila.

linlazo : sabi ko nga na iba pa rin ang pananaw ng isang ama at ng isang lalaki. wala rin akong masabi sa u pareng charlie, i know u want the best for ur kids. pero ang drama mo nga. naiiyak ako sau.

LordCM : Ikaw kaya nag umpisa, di ko lang masabing nangilid ang luha ko sa sinabi mo eh kasi kahit iba ang pananaw ko, alam ko sa sarili kong kelangan ko rin ung TIME na sinasabi mo kasama ang mga anak ko

ogyaBgrown : huhuhu... napahagulgol ako sa inyo..kase..kase...kase...i can relate waaaahuhuhuhu
ngayon kahit umalis ako o dumating, hindi masyadong close sa akin mga anak ko...ahuhuhu
pero *hikbi* tulad ng sabi ni.. *hikbi* hikbi* preng charlie...kailangang gawin para sa kanila huwaaaaa....

ogyaBgrown : pero totoo pare, my kids...i come and go and no effect na sa kanila, sabi pa ng isa minsan nung sabihin kong bukas babalik na naman ako sa japan... sagot niya "dad, i am so used to you leaving us, i don't feel sad anymore" ...hanggang ngayon nag e echo pa sa utak ko yun. waaahuhuhuhu

ogyaBgrown : i truly feel i don't belong where i am now, i feel useless at work, i feel useless anywhere. and when i am home i watch my family go about their daily routine not needing me, even at home i feel useless. i'm gonna go write a poem.

Read the rest of the story here

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Note: The photos above are of the Balane family, an OFW based in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Carlos Balane did everything he could so he could bring his wife and his kids with him. He is also a blogger, a photographer, and a basketball professional referee. Some PEBA officers are personally good friends to this wonderful family who now live happily, together. Photos used with permission. Not to be used for other purposes other than as PEBA material as an OFW family.

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An entry from 2009 PEBA Winner, Palipasan managed by The Pope, of the capital city Doha, State of Qatar. Chosen by the 5 judges as one of their Top 10 Choices, Palipasan eventually emerged as No. 6 in the over-all ranking.
Some of the judges comments about Palipasan:"Inspirational and a model of what bloggers should be.""They who have withered the storm should be rewarded."
Today, we are proud to present to you the spirited and devout blogger from the tiny but booming state of Qatar. Joining PEBA and KABLOGS as a volunteer, spending his precious hours without pay and without expecting anything, George V. Babiano, a.k.a The Pope is an example of a blogger-in-action. His countless services for nearly two years both as Assistant Administrator of KABLOGS, the PEBA gateway, and as Secretariat of the 2010 OFW Supporters nominees, is truly an honor.
This is PEBA, we honor the bloggers, and in turn they bring honor to the OFW's around the world. We join him in an invitation for you to join PEBA, be a nominee and inspire the globe.

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Below is the full text from the Pink Tarha Girls, your lifestyle Kikay guide in Saudi Arabia, especially in the capital city of Riyadh. No. 2 winner of the 2009 International Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards, the Pink Tarha's "Ang Tunay na Katas ng Saudi" narrates the stories of four daughters of former OFW's in Saudi, and what they felt now that they themselves are all OFW's. It was a witty, heartwarming and inspiring post that was nominated twice as No. 1, and twice as No. 2 best blog. Pink Tarha Girls believe that "real men, read pink!" :)

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Man's basic instinct is survival. We bet that the Overseas Filipino Worker's basic instinct is survival... of their family.

Time and again, we shout out loud in this blog that we are products of people who ventured into the great desert circa 90s. Without thempeople whose basic instinct was to support us, feed us, send us to school, and give us a good present and an even better future, we will not be here. These are the people whose love for us weighs more than their needs and wants. These are the people we respect highly and love with all our hearts and souls. These are our parents. Without them, there will be no Pink Tarha. No us.

Most Overseas Filipino Workers we know are parents. Whether they are mothers or fathers, we know that the main reason they are working abroad is their children. But of course, there is no perfect way to go about this. Being away from your husband/wife and children puts theab in a normal family life. As much as possible, to be a family and to raise a family means being close literally and figuratively. But we'd like to think that an OFW family is not abnormal. Just different.


This difference can somehow translate to difficulty. It is difficult to lead this kind of family life. We recognize that there are more factors affecting an OFW family. The physical distance measured in miles is nothing compared to the emotional and psychological distance created by the absence of OFW parents in their children's lives, and vice-versa. This distance, this absence destroyed many OFW families over the years. But it shouldn't be a trend. It shouldn't be THE trend. While the statistics are staggering, we'd like to believe that there are still many families out there who are working hard to keep theirs intact. That there are many fathers and mothers out there who are not just working hard literally but are also working hard to remain loyal and faithful to their roles in their homes - as husbands, wives, and parents (and of course, children who respect and understand their parents too). We'd like to believe that there are still many (like us) who think and feel thatthe family is still the most important thing in the world.

This year, the Philippine Expats/OFW Blog Award puts the spotlight on the FAMILY, the basic unit of the society.

In honor of the Filipino families all over the world, of Filipino families sharing their meals together, of Filipino families separated by migration and diaspora, of Filipino families surviving amid the trials of the times... the PEBA 2010 highlights the FAMILY, the HOME. PEBA 2010 opens its third season with the theme "Strengthening the OFW Families: Stronger Homes for A Stronger Nation."

PEBA has witnessed in real life the suffering and loneliness of the OFWs and their families and believes that strengthening the OFW families, strengthens the homes and the nation! Thus, this season’s theme of “Strengthening the OFW Families: Stronger Homes for a Stronger Nation” does not just momentarily fit the hour but is a timeless subject that cannot be bound by shackles so long as there are OFWs out there.

What can we do as bloggers? The PEBA 2010 Season opens with not just the OFWs and Pinoy expatriates writing about the OFW families but will be joining forces with local bloggers who, in one way or the other, have been influenced by an OFW in their lifetime. The support of the local bloggers who are sympathetic to the OFW cause will have that exponential effect of reaching even to the grassroots level.

PEBA calls on the bloggers to write and post about topics on strengthening the OFW families despite their being miles away from each other. Topics about communication, family gatherings, parent-child coaching and counseling, assistance and support in children’s homework and projects, conference meetings with family members, online contact with families, pointers on cheap communication, etc. PEBA calls on the bloggers to write about what they are doing to strengthen their families despite the distance and their absence from home. PEBA calls on the bloggers to share insights, ideas, pointers and how to express love for their spouses and children.

PEBA will not just be an organization that will give annual awards for exemplary blogs but it will proactively act on issues that will make difference in people's lives, especially the young children, and the OFW's and their families. [Read more...]

This year, PEBA gears up for this bigger, brighter and meaningful mission and the Pink Tarha encourages every OFW blogger and supporter to join PEBA 2010!

We really like the theme emphasizing families because we love ours. For us, whatever we do, wherever we may be in our lives right now... we always go back to our roots. We always go back to the basic unit of our lives... our families.

"Other things may change us, but we start and end withfamily."

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