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If your organization has an event to advertise that would be beneficial/informative to Pinoys, you are welcome to send it to us and we will announce it here for free.

We would also welcome stories or press releases for publication.

We want to help you reach more audience so let us know about your events or stories by sending us a note at blog@ofwabroad.com or email@workabroad.ph

This story is written by one of the members of WorkAbroad.ph Facebook community page. The storyteller narrates his journey as he tried various jobs such as being a taho and ballot vendor, gasoline boy etc. just to finance his studies and fulfill his dream to land a good job.

His advice to Filipinos who are in a difficult situation: always persevere and trust God as all good things come to those who wait.

Read this inspiring story:

“Taho, Taho! Balot, Penoy,” sigaw ni Juan dela Cruz, isang magtataho sa umaga at magbabalot sa hapon at gabi.”Isang marangal na hanap buhay ng isang karaniwang mamayang Pilipino na nangangarap mangibang bansa.”

Masipag si Juan dela Cruz, taong 2000 noong magtapos sya ng high school sa probinsya ng Biliran isang maliit na isla sa pagitan ng Samar at Leyte. Lumuwas siya ng Maynila upang mag trabaho para matulungan ang inang may sakit, at kasabay nito ang pangarap na makapag-college at makapagtapos ng kahit anong kurso sa kolehiyo.

Sa murang edad na labing-anim na taong gulang ay nakikipag-sabayan sa paghahanap buhay sa isang mataong lugar ng Divisoria, Recto at Tondo bilang isang store helper at kargador sa isang establisyementong pag aari ng isang malupit na Intsik.

Medyo sanay sa mabigat na trabaho si Juan dela Cruz dahil sanay sa gawaing bukid at pagbubuhat ng troso sa probinsyang pinanggalingan kaya di alintana ang bigat ng trabaho. Ngunit malupit at matapang ang amo at gustong sulitin ang ibinayad na halagang 110 pesos sa labingdalawang oras na trabaho at walang oras na pahinga Alas-tres na kung mananghalian tuwing nagtatrabaho.

Dahil sa hirap ng kalagayan at ang kinitang halaga sa paggawa ay kulang na kulang, nagpasyang umalis ito sa kanyang trabaho at makipagsapalaran sa isang bayan ng Rizal.

Dahil sa isang mabait na kaibigan, naipakilala sya sa isang magtitinda ng taho at balot. Naging daan ito upang mag-umpisa siyang maglako ng panindang taho sa umaga at balot sa gabi.

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Happy Easter! Here are some inspiring quotes for today:

If Easter says anything to us today, it says this: You can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there. You can nail it to a cross, wrap it in winding sheets and shut it up in a tomb, but it will rise!
Clarence W. Hall

Easter is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless.
Charles M. Crowe

The great gift of Easter is hope – Christian hope which makes us have that confidence in God, in his ultimate triumph, and in his goodness and love, which nothing can shake.
Basil C. Hume

Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty and happiness.
Floyd W. Tomkins

Now let the heavens be joyful,
Let earth her song begin:
Let the round world keep triumph,
And all that is therein;
Invisible and visible,
Their notes let all things blend,
For Christ the Lord is risen
Our joy that hath no end.
Saint John of Damascus

The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.
Robert Flatt

Filipinos based in Hong Kong are advised by the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) there that their office will adopt a new schedule for the months of April and May to give way to the overseas absentee voting.

As announced by the Philippine Consulate, they will suspend their Sunday operations starting April 14 as the overseas absentee voting will start on April 13.

The absentee voting will go on for a month so the Consulate’s office is also obliged to adopt a Monday-to-Friday schedule from April 12 to May 10.

The announcement said, “Regular Sunday services shall be suspended from April 14 to May 12 because Consulate staff shall be assigned at the Bayanihan Center for the Overseas Voting.”

The absentee voting will be from April 13 to May 13. Filipino voters can vote hours from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, Mondays to Saturdays; and 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. They will also be open to accommodate voters on May 1 even if it is a holiday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Their regular services will also be suspended on May 14, Tuesday for the counting of ballots and canvassing of elections returns.

Read this essay that ponders on the pains and loneliness one goes through because of being physically separated from family and loved ones for long periods of time. Migrant Filipino workers can surely relate.

 Away from Home
Written by: Ricardo Liong

Last year was the first time in our 49 years of marriage that I was away from my wife during the Christmas season. Even for a brief two months period, it was markedly different from all my previous trips.

The rekindling of Christian faith in our twilight years made a difference. Worshiping together as a married couple in the past decades had brought changes in our lives. Although thousand of miles away and in different time zones, whenever I was praying the rosary or attending Mass, in communion with God I felt her presence besides me.

Moreover, as a pilgrim on earth I saw this as learning to adjust to our future inevitable separation. Thus I viewed it positively as God’s blessings to teach my wife and me how to continue a life filled with faith “when death do us part.”

Recalling my earlier separations during my younger days, I have learned to share the feelings of my brothers and sisters who are working away from home.

Even after forty years, I could still remember the pains of homesick and loneliness during those frequent trips. It was not a figurative pain but one that I could feel in my chest. Meeting a family reminded me of my own and food on the table flashed my memory to the scene of our family meal. Yes, besides my wife, my concern was focused our growing children.

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