Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. greener pastures (idiom) [green-er pas-cher, pahs-] – a better situation (usually a job) at a
different place
Example: She
is thinking of leaving her job to find greener pastures.
2. disjointed (adj.) [dis-join-tid] – separated or
disconnected
Example:
Disjointed sentences are hard
to understand.
3. heritage (n.) [her-i-tij] – something that is
inherited or passed down to another by birth
Example: The
big mansion is his heritage from his grandfather.
4. gratitude (n.) [grat-i-tood, -tyood] – the feeling of being
thankful or grateful
Example: The
boss expressed his gratitude to his staff for contributing to the
company’s success.
5. opt (v.) [opt] – to choose or make a choice
Example: He
opted to leave his job in the city to live a simple life in the
countryside.
Article
Read the text below.
A desire for strong family ties and a sense of social responsibility have encouraged a number of young Filipino professionals to remain in the Philippines for work.
In a country
where promises of greener pastures
have already urged more than 9 million Filipinos to leave their families
behind to work abroad, the decision to stay is a strange one, considering
that they could earn much more in other countries than in the Philippines.
However, more
Filipinos are realizing that having family members working abroad may result in
disjointed families and children
left without parental supervision. Without their parents around, children may
be exposed to psychological and emotional distress, even abuse.
Knox Balbastro—a
young professional from Manila whose parents are Overseas Filipino workers
(OFWs)—knows the disadvantage of not having parents at home. Growing up was
tough for her because she constantly missed them. The imported gifts she
received were nice, she says, but they were not enough to comfort her and
make her feel secure.
But even when Knox
got the chance to live with her parents abroad, she would feel as though she
did not fit in there and would miss the Philippines. Eventually, she decided
to stay back home.
Knox is now among
a small but influential number of young Filipino professionals, who have
chosen to work in their own country. Many of them have come back from abroad and have
started innovative local businesses that generate employment for others, while
some have pursued volunteerism to help the needy. According to Knox, their
choice to stay with their families and work where their culture and heritage are rooted plays an important role in helping
build the nation.
Despite having
a tough time growing up, Knox expresses her gratitude to her parents for the most important thing their
efforts provided her-- a good education. With that advantage, Filipinos can opt to make a difference at home, so
that one day Filipinos would not have to sacrifice time away from their families
just to give them better lives.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
●
Do
you think it is the government’s responsibility to generate jobs so that people
do not have to go abroad for work? Explain your answer.
●
Aside
from higher salaries, what do you think are other reasons why people would want
to work abroad?
Discussion B
●
What
if leaving your family to work abroad was the only way to ensure a better life
for them, would you do it? Explain your answer.
●
How
do you think can the absence of a parent or parents affect children?
