Promoting Positive Work Values in Workplace Relationship Among Overseas and Local Filipino Workers1 Dean Jorge V.

Sibal, U.P. School of Labor and Industrial Relations The University of the Philippine School of Labor and Industrial Relations (U.P. SOLAIR) is proud to be a partner in this memorable event of giving awards to the outstanding blogs of Pinoy expats and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). We totally agree with the organizers of this annual awards, the Pinoy Expats/OFW Awards, Inc. and the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, that the Filipino workers can promote the value of positive labor and industrial relations not only in our country but also in the rest of the world considering that more than 20 percent of our labor force are working overseas. This does not include Filipino workers in the BPO and contact center industries that cater to the world market. Let me clarify that all nations have positive and negative work values that can make or unmake a productive, harmonious and just industrial relations. Nations that have progressed have capitalized on the positive values in their workplaces and industries. This means that their industrial relations actors, namely the organizations of employers, workers/citizens and government administrators have consistently adhered to and practiced the good tenets of a productive, harmonious and just workplace. We have heard many negative work values among Filipinos, perhaps more than what is said about their positive work values. These include being uncooperative (talangka mentality), indolent (as in Juan Tamad), undisciplined (being pasaway or matigas ang ulo), impatient (get rich quick mentality), fatalistic (umaasa sa swerte o umiiwas sa malas), etc. But you and I know that these negative values are not ingrained among the Filipino workers. These negative work values are results and outcomes of some unfavorable factors in the environments of the Filipino workers.

Paper written as invited guest speaker at the 2nd Annual International Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards, 27 December 2009, Philamlife Auditorium, Manila sponsored by the Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards, Inc. and the Blas F. Ople Policy Center.

Let us analyze these negative work values one by one. We will find out that each of these negative work values can be transformed into their opposite positive work values if the work environments are changed. Negative Work Value 1. uncooperative 2. indolent 3. undisciplined 4. impatient 5. fatalistic Positive Work Value 1. initiative, cooperative, obedient 2. hard working, creative 3. obedient, principled, innovative 4. persistent, hard working 5. orderly, systematic, scientific

Many have wondered why many Filipino workers who are touted with so many negative work values may be transformed into their opposites when they work in a different environment especially abroad. The changes in their personal and work environments make them react to the new situation differently. Their new environments are described as follows: 1. Personal environment- They are now isolated from their family, relatives and friends. This results to utmost insecurity (i.e., they cannot rely on these security nets while abroad, and they are unmindful of their status and esteem or pride). 2. Work environment- There are better conditions of work in terms of compensation, benefits and social services. We can say that in general, personal and work environments while working abroad are more conducive to adopting positive work values in order to survive, excel and progress. Otherwise, they may end up unsuccessful and suffer extremely as a consequence. The positive values which can also be learned locally are very important ingredients in the progress of a nation. These positive work values, if continuously advocated and practiced locally, are more valuable that the annual OFW dollar remittances that have help our economy survive. The OFW dollar remittances only increase the consumption pattern in our country. This is reason why the growth pattern of our economy is called consumption-led.

If we aspire for our countrys real economic progress and development, we need to transform our country from a consumption-led growth pattern to a production-led growth pattern. This means that the various actors of our workplace- the employers, workers and government administrators- should be imbued with positive work values that are needed to make our country and our industries productive, harmonious and just. Positive values in the workplace are the primary elements that lead to real national development and progress. Asian nations like Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, India, Malaysia and Thailand were once poor like the Philippines. They also sent many of their workers abroad. What they learned abroad in terms of positive work values and new technologies were adopted and strengthened in their native countries to enable them to achieve their industrialized status.