DIARY NI GRACIA - A soft place to land for the battle weary OFW.
116th Independence Day: Mabuhay Kabayan in Kuwait!
Each year, we Filipinos celebrate the Philippine Independence day every June 12. No matter where we are, this special day is already a part of us, so we will definitely celebrate it.
Even here in Kuwait, OFWs still have ways to celebrate this special Pinoy occasion. Last June 13 was the successful celebration of our 116th Independence Day in Fahad Al Ahmad Handall Complex in Daiya, Kuwait. This was attended by various Filipino community organizations in Kuwait like United Filipino Charitable Organization(UFCORG), Kuwait Triskelion Alumni Association (KTAO), and Kuwait Filipino Mothers Organization (KFMO) among many others.
The unity was evident all throughout the event. The celebration showcased skills and love for our culture as each organization performed a particular cultural presentation. Everyone really enjoyed the colorful nationalistic songs, cultural dances, and group presentations.
Of course, there were other exciting activities like the Almusal ng Bayan which started the celebration early. This was a free breakfast for everyone, so everyone had their share of a hearty meal with their kababayan. Also, who had not enjoyed the refreshing Zumba exercise which followed after breakfast? Many also participated in the parlour games, and jammed with the live band performances.
However, what made the kabayan in Kuwait really felt the essence of the Independence Day was the speech of the guest speaker, H.E. Ambassador Lamberto Monsanto. He inspired everyone to continue being strong as Filipinos for the Philippine nation despite being away from home. We are reminded that we OFWs have the responsibility to uplift the Philippine pride by always aiming for excellence wherever we are.
Kabayan in Kuwait excited for the new Kuwaiti Currency
Recently, the official designs of the new Kuwait currency have been released by the Central Bank of Kuwait. The designs of these Kuwaiti Dinars were created by the De La Rue company in the United Kingdom. Since 1821, this company is known for selling printing technology and high-security paper for more than 150 currencies in the world. For these new Kuwaiti bills, they have used plastic polymer to make them more durable and difficult to tear. As a kabayan in Kuwait, I find this exciting too. I have seen the designs and they are really beautiful. Moreover, the durability of these bills is really practical as they will have a longer life. Also, as I have talked to some of our fellow kababayan, many are also fascinated with the ½ bill which has an image of the hawksbill turtle. This animal is feared to be extinct soon as they receive less protection from the government yet. Hopefully, this will remind Kuwait to take care of the welfare of the coral life in the state. However, some people are disappointed that there is no KD50 note. For them, KD20 is not big enough as a bill and 50 bucks will make it easier for people to carry around larger amount of cash. On the other hand, there are those who think that KD20 is enough as the largest bill. How about you kabayan? Are you excited for the circulation of these new Dinars? It looks like we will be more motivated to work harder as we will be receiving beautiful bills soon. Here are the official photos of the new Kuwait Dinars. 
New shelter for abused OFWs in Kuwait—a real blessing
Last April, a new shelter was opened by the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait for abused Filipino household service workers (HSWs). This three-storey building is located in Hateen, and this will serve as another home for our kabayans needing protection from abusive employers—in addition to the Filipino Workers Resource Centre (FWRC) in Faiha.
FWRC and this new shelter are where OFWs in grave abuse cases stay for debriefing
Address of the new shelter for HSWs
from the trauma and distress that they got from the maltreatment by their previous employers. Here, they are protected and cared for while their cases are being processed.
This is really a good news for all OFWs in Kuwait as this means that our rights are being fought for by our government. I believe that this is another milestone in the campaign of the Philippine Embassy to improve the welfare and treatment of the HSWs in the state.
I know that there are still lots of OFWs out there who are experiencing bad treatment from their bosses. It is because of fear, especially because they think the government cannot really help them, that they just endure violence. Hopefully, this new facility will be an encouragement to them to come out.
Aside from the Philippine Embassy, we should also be grateful to the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affair (OUMWA) of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the other institutions for supporting this project. And for all the OFWs in Kuwait who are fighting for justice for our kabayans, MABUHAY! This is what we call family in unity.
2 Questions to Intuitive Reading
The 2 questions to Intuitive Reading, whether they’re emails, journals, blogs, books or Ebooks, most of us read regularly as part of our jobs, and to develop our skills and knowledge.
But do you ever read what should be a useful for you, yet fail to gain any helpful information from it? Or, do you have to re-read several times to get a full understanding of the content?
In this article, I am giving away helpful ideas how you can read more effectively. These approaches will help you get the maximum benefit from your reading, with the minimum effort.
From the recommended Ebooks asking 2 simple questions before picking up any piece of reading material will help to develop Intuitive Reading:
- WHY am I reading this?
- WHAT might I get in this after reading?
These questions are immensely important to realize before start reading any material.
So download now this link and discover how it can help you more, goodluck!
2 questions to intuitive reading
