JUSTINE P.

RAMIREZ
BSN-2 SET 3

Directions: Discuss the Societal Implication/s of the given lines below to the current issue
on Labor Migration

On Amira by Mae Monteclaro-Roca

Her coos and cries
Are now all echoes
Being reviewed in my skull
Hopelessly capturing a sight
Of her growing up
An  unfolding so beautiful
That I will never witness
At all.
Explanation:
Filipinos are truly the second largest migrant population in the world – deciding to work overseas hoping that
they will receive greater opportunities and higher income in other countries wherein in this sense, high levels
of unemployment and poverty in source countries act as a push factor in the decision to emigrate. Somehow,
our fellow Filipinos has got no choice but to work abroad in order to supply their family needs – one of the
realities that is needed to be confronted and accepted as they need to leave their families despite of the
longings and pain being felt while being away. However, with the given lines, it is understood that Amira is a
poem that speaks of a mother who works abroad while having to leave her daughter in the Philippines. It
expresses her pains, and yearnings to her princess who’s growing up could never be witnessed by her
anymore. The bitterness of not being able to keep track of how the infant grows into a girl truly pains the
mother though she had to confront the reality that she is one of those many Filipino mothers who have to
leave their families for a job abroad. It implies the sufferings of the OFW’s – though labor migration is truly
an ever existing phenomenon in an economically weak country where unemployment and poor living
standards is prevalent. Therefore, the societal implication of the poem is visibly expressing how hard it is for
an Overseas Filipino Worker to leave their child knowing that they will not be able to witness the important
happenings as their child grows into person. They are the local modern heroes who are sacrificing their
sufferings including their longings just to sustain the needs of their families – indeed an act of courage and
willingness to provide a good and well-educated future to their child.

On Amira by Mae Monteclaro-Roca

“I had to brush the dogs’ teeth, clean their ears, and give them vitamins each day. But I had to sleep on a dog
bed in the living room.”
Explanation:
Human Trafficking is truly a crime against humanity – ones that are being vulnerable due to lack of education
and employment opportunities; discrimination and social isolation; and lack of protection by adults or social
systems. Based from the recent news during the year 2020, 1,443 victims of trafficking were reported by
Philippine Law Enforcement wherein most of them were sex trafficking victims – often have to do manual
labor, become sex slaves or perform domestic servitude. However, the lines being stated in the poem is about
how she was being tortured by her boss who she keeps on taking care of but amidst the goodness she’s been
portraying, the persona has been abused and trapped of violence – totally disregarding her human dignity and
rights. It showed what she experienced as an Overseas Filipino Worker, being maltreated and tortured by her
own boss to which this made me realize that in terms of seeking justice, human cruelty must be prioritized.
May this kind of happening stop before every Filipino develop their hatred to other countries that are
prominent of violence and maltreating other people specifically us – Filipinos. They weren’t receiving the
treatment they deserve considering that they need to endure the pain, their sufferings in order to gain money
to sustain their families living in the Philippines. Therefore, the societal implication of the given lines is
clearly showing us how to value the OFW’s working abroad for they are the heroes who suffer just to provide
a good future to their loved ones.