Paying My Last Respect

It’s almost three weeks now since my last post in my blog. I was too tied up with work that I am too drained by the time I reach home, and even if I still have that last ounce of energy, work follows me home. Except tonight, I must post this memorable day of my journey as an OFW. Memorable not because I want to remember this day, but because it has enlightened me in someway about life as an OFW. Today, I paid my last respect to a great colleague.

This week is a tragic week for us as a company. We lost a colleague, our Deputy Construction Manager. He did most of the house chores the night before and putting his kids to bed. His eldest tried to wake him up to send her to school the following day, but he never woke up. He passed away.

Last Thursday when I was about to leave for work, Mamang, in the laundry, called me and told me that June died just today and Sir Manny went to his house to check on the family. I was shocked. I was just discussing with him about work the day before. When I reached our workplace, the carpark area was almost empty. When I reached my office, our tea boy asked me if I already knew what happened to June. Our quantity surveyor also came by my office and asked me. The news about June has reached everyone in the company.

Today, our Project Manager has shortened the working hours to 4:00pm for everyone to pay a last respect to June. They will offer June a simple rite at the hospital’s mortuary. Since this country is an Islamic country, they don’t have a proper place in a hospital like a small chapel for such a simple rite. June’s wife has requested the hospital for the simple rite. She also requested for her to bathe June and to dress him up for the rite.

We arrived at the mortuary about 4:30pm, my group was among the first to arrive. We offer condolence to the grieved family, especially to the wife. As we are waiting for the rest, I sat at the waiting area. I watched everyone who arrived and every time someone offers their condolence to the wife she cries on their shoulders. It is a very sad sight to see. I really feel the wife’s grief that every time she cries on someone else shoulder, I feel that I also wanted to cry. Frankly, I am holding back my tears because I cannot avoid to think the “what if’s” that crop up to my mind. As much as I wanted not to think about it, it just sticks to my mind.

Then June’s children arrived, they’re very young to be in such a situation. Nine, four and almost two, they are too young to understand what’s happening around them. And to think that they just joined their father here in Doha two and a half month ago. It is really devastating. Their only consolation was that they have lived with their father for the last two and a half month, before he left.

I already reached home, but still I am thinking about June’s family. I just wish that they can make it through the hard times ahead of them. Specially the wife who is left alone to raise three young children, fend and provide for them. I wish she’ll come to terms the soonest that June will no longer be around. I wish her all the strength to be the father and mother of her children.

Paying my last respect to June and witnessing the grief and suffering of his wife has someway enlightened my views on being an OFW. More often than not, OFW’s are out there making and earning as much as he/she can. That sometimes, family time is sacrificed if not forgotten. That sometimes, work is more important than quality time with the family. That sometimes we tend to forget, that once we die we can be replaced the next day or two in our work, but our family can never replace us and once they lost us, they will grieve for a very long time.

But for June, he chose to be with his family in the last moments of his life.

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Applicant from Hell

About 4 weeks ago we had this one job applicant which I thought could have been the worst I’ve ever seen and the worst you’ll ever know, an applicant from hell.

Let’s call him PN. PN could have broken all the basic rules, etiquettes and guidelines on applying for a job. You would wonder if he is really looking for a job, testing the waters or just out there for other reasons only him could have known.

One of my boss’ visits to Doha, sometime last month, with him was curriculum vitae (CV) of PN. PN was applying as a Contract Administrator for one of our projects in Saudi Arabia. My boss is to interview PN during his visit here in Doha.

Two days before the planned interview, my boss has been trying to contact PN using his contact numbers provided in PN’s CV. Unfortunately, my boss was unable to contact him and so he called the other number provided from the CV. He spoke to PN’s mother-in-law and to PN’s wife.

Fast-forward to the day of the interview.

PN was scheduled for an interview at 4PM on that day. The very first opportunity you’ll make a good impression to your prospective employer is you punctuality. Unfortunately, PN must have been absent or sleeping in his class when punctuality was taught. PN called my boss at 4:30PM, half hour late from his scheduled interview.

To make things worst, PN was asking direction to my boss how to get to our office. As my boss is having a discussion, he referred PN to our secretary to guide him and give him directions. Taking the situation on a lighter note, my boss jokingly commented, “This is a Filipino, they always get lost”.

At last, PN reached our office at about 5:15PM. Since my boss was already occupied according to his plans, PN was asked to wait for a while as we are wrapping up our discussions. As he is waiting to be called, instead of asking the secretary of some general information about our company, PN is more interested how many Filipinas are working with the company or any Filipinas also working in our Head Office in Riyadh.

It seems that PN also forgot to bring with him a copy of his CV, as he was asking the secretary if she has internet access and asking favor if she could download and print his CV.

As we finished our discussion, my boss asked me and my colleague to browse through PN’s CV for 5 minutes, he instructed us to conduct the interview. As I was browsing through his CV, I was surprised that he is a lawyer, a bar passer back in the Philippines. I thought to myself how a professional like him could have failed to be punctual in his interview.

I could have forgiven him for such one-time lapse on his part, but as we proceeded with the interview, I couldn’t see why he is here in the first place. We asked him to guide us through about him previous works, his job responsibilities and his experience relevant to the position he is applying for.

I can honest tell you, he was unable to elaborate convincingly what were his job responsibilities. He is like a “puto-kutsinta” salesman trying to sell a car. He was trying hard, the more he talked, the more it becomes clear to me that he did not prepare his own CV or he is not what he claims to be.

At the middle of the interview, his phone rang. Without excusing himself, he answered his call and the 3 of us we left looking at each other while PN talked to someone at the other end. Being his countryman, I felt very ashamed and wish I wasn’t there in that room.

As we continue interviewing PN, my boss must have heard and seen enough, he asked PN what he is really applying for. Surprisingly, he is not also sure but his CV indicates that he is applying for a Contract Administrator position. My boss asked if we have other positions, what would he apply for. Again, PN is not sure what to answer.

Finally, as a courtesy, PN was asked to reconfirm his contact details just incase he will be called for further discussion. My boss casually asked if his wife knew his number here in Qatar and PN answered affirmatively.

When PN has left, my boss gave me his notes on PN’s CV and asked to send it to Head Office. There was a note which reads, “He is a liar, I called the wife this morning and she doesn’t know his number, she hasn’t even spoken to him for more than a year, she didn’t even know he is in Qatar:”

I can swear to my neighbor’s grave, PN was the worst candidate I’ve ever met. He is an applicant from hell.

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