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Imagine a world without Filipinos
Abdullah Al-Maghlooth | Al-Watan,almaghlooth@alwatan.com.sa

Muhammad Al-Maghrabi became handicapped and shut down his flower and
gifts shop business in Jeddah after his Filipino workers insisted on
leaving and returning home. He says: 'When they left, I felt as if I had
lost my arms. I was so sad that I lost my appetite.'

Al-Maghrabi then flew to Manila to look for two other Filipino workers
to replace the ones who had left. Previously, he had tried workers of
different nationalities but they did not impress him. 'There is no
comparison between Filipinos and others,' he says. Whenever I see
Filipinos working in the Kingdom, I wonder what our life would be
without them.

Saudi Arabiahas the largest number of Filipino workers - 1,019,577 -
outside the Philippines. In 2006 alone, the Kingdom recruited more than
223,000 workers from the Philippines and their numbers are still
increasing. Filipinos not only play an important and effective role in
the Kingdom, they also perform different jobs in countries across the
world, including working as sailors. They are known for their
professionalism and the quality of their work.

Nobody here can think of a life without Filipinos, who make up around 20
percent of the world's seafarers. There are 1.2 million Filipino
sailors.

So if Filipinos decided one day to stop working or go on strike for any
reason, who would transport oil, food and heavy equipment across the
world? We can only imagine the disaster that would happen.

What makes Filipinos unique is their ability to speak very good English
and the technical training they receive in the early stages of their
education. There are several specialized training institutes in the
Philippines, including those specializing in engineering and road
maintenance. This training background makes them highly competent in
these vital areas.

When speaking about the Philippines, we should not forget Filipino
nurses. They are some 23 percent of the world's total number of nurses.
The Philippines is home to over 190 accredited nursing colleges and
institutes, from which some 9,000 nurses graduate each year. Many of
them work abroad in countries such as the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the
United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Singapore.
 

Cathy Ann, a 35-year-old Filipino nurse who has been working in the
Kingdom for the last five years and before that in Singapore, said she
does not feel homesick abroad because 'I am surrounded by my compatriots everywhere.' Ann thinks that early training allows Filipinos to excel in nursing and other vocations. She started learning this profession at the age of four as her aunt, a nurse, used to take her to hospital and ask
her to watch the work. 'She used to kiss me whenever I learned a new
thing. At the age of 11, I could do a lot. I began doing things like
measuring my grandfather's blood pressure and giving my mother her
insulin injections,' she said.

This type of early education system is lacking in the Kingdom. Many of
our children reach the university stage without learning anything except
boredom.

The Philippines, which you can barely see on the map, is a very
effective country thanks to its people. It has the ability to influence
the entire world economy.

We should pay respect to Filipino workers, not only by employing them
but also by learning from their valuable experiences.

We should learn and educate our children on how to operate and maintain
ships and oil tankers, as well as planning and nursing and how to
achieve perfection in our work. This is a must so that we do not become
like Muhammad Al-Maghrabi who lost his interest and appetite when
Filipino workers left his flower shop.

We have to remember that we are very much dependent on the Filipinos
around us. We could die a slow death if they chose to leave us.

Prince Ahmed Bin Salman
Arab News 30th Anniversary Supplement