Kapat ir an par a s a Kar apat an at Kaunlar an
ng M ang g agaw ang Pilipino s a Ibayong da gat
Issue No.: 6 Geneva, Switzerland
KAKKAMPI at the Fete de Paquis
Photos by Pat Sadie
21-22 Setyembre 2002.
Nakilahok ang KAKKAMPI sa
kasayahan ng Fiesta ng Paquis,
ang La Rue est à Vous o Atin
ang Kalye. Dalawang araw sa
isang taon ang mga kalye sa
Paquis ay ibinibigay sa
mamamayan ng kumunidad ng
Paquis. Musika, pagkain at
kasayahan ang makikita sa mga
kalye at daan ng Paquis.
Sa kalye ng Rue Dr. Vincent
malalanghap ang bango ng usok
na galing sa nilulutong BBQ sa
Karapatan at Kaunlaran ng Migranteng Manggagawa II
Sa ika-10 ng Nobyembre,
gaganapin ang Karapatan at
Kaunlarang ng Migranteng
Manggagawa II, isang talakayan
hinggil sa mga isyu na hinaharap
ng mga migranteng manggagawa.
Sa pagkakataong it ay ilalahad ng
mga kasapi ng OFW WorldNet
Foundatin, Inc. at OFW
International Holdings, Inc. sa
kumunidad ng OFW sa Geneva
ang kanilang mga proyekto-
serbisyo: OFW Bank Project,
September 2002
puwesto ng KAKKAMPI.
Mayroon ding pansit, “fried rice”
at “spring rolls”. Nagtulong-tulong
ang grupo sa pagluluto at
pagbabantay sa puwesto.
Lumabas ang mga natatagong
pranses ng mga nagbantay.
Pagkaraan ng dalawang araw
natapos ang kasayahan. Gabi ng
huling araw ng Fiesta, masayang
naghiwa-hiwalay ang grupo
dahil naging matagumpay
proyekto na bunga ng
pagtutulungan.
OFW Insure at OFW Mall. Pag-
uusapan din kung paano
maaring magtulungan ang mga
iba’t-ibang kumunidad ng OFW
sa buong mundo para maabot
ang pangarap na maging
maunlad ang ating bansang
Pilipinas
Ang talakayan ang gaganapin
sa ika-2:30 NG hapon sa
Philippine Cultural Center
in Geneva (PCCG) na nasa
30A Rue de la Servette.
 GUMISING KA

Gumising ka ! Gumising ka sa katotohanan !

KARAPATAN Ang mundo ngayon ay magulo di tulad noon,
Ang tahimik at kay ganda ng mundong makulay.

Mga kamag-aral, mag-aral kayo nang mabuti.

Tamnan ng karunungan ang inyong isipan
Upang bukas kayo ay hindi hamakin ng mga taong
mapaglinlang.

Mga kapatid, kay yaman ng Pilipinas,

Kay daming kabundukan at katubigan.
Bungkalin ang lupa, likas na kayamanan ay gamitin.
Magtiyaga at magsipag upang buhay ay guminhawa
At huwag nang maghirap pa.

Ang mga bayani natin ay nagbuwis ng kanilang buhay

Alang-alang lamang sa Sintang Bayan…Ang Pilipinas.
Ikaw, ako, tayo ay kailangang kumilos,
Kay Bathala ay humingi ng lakas ng loob
Upang takot ay malabanan.

Gumising ka! Gumising ka at kailangang

Harapin mo ang sikat ng araw!
- mpl

…LIVE NOT JUST BY BREAD ALONE

SILVER
A young boy once asked a wise man if silver or money is really a bad influence for human kind.
The wise man replied by asking the boy to look through the window and tell what he sees.
The boy replied that outside, he sees a mother playing with her child.
Then, the wise man said, “Look at this mirror and tell me what you see.”
The boy said “I see me!”
The wise man then said, “That answers your question then, the mirror is made of glass just like
the window, only a piece of silver was added behind it.”
The silver hinders us to see others and we just keep on seeing only ourselves.

Kap at ir an par a s a Kar apat an at Kaunlar an

ng M an gg aga w an g Pil ip ino s a Ib ay on g da g at

Balang-araw yayaman din kami
“Balang-araw yayaman din kami”, ito ang
palaging sumasagi sa isip ko sa kahirapan na
naranasan ko noon. Ipinangako ko sa aking sarili na
gagawin ko ang lahat umunlad lang ang buhay ng
aming pamilya.
Madalas na mababasa sa pahayagan noon na
maraming kababayan natin ang nasa kaawa-
awang kalagayan dahil nagkakabaun-baon sila sa
utang dahil sa pagsasangla nila ng kanilang mga
lupain at ari-arian makalikom lamang ng hustong
halaga upang ipambayad sa mga “recruiter” na
nangangalap ng mga manggagawa patungong
ibang bansa lab na sa gitnang silangan. Isa ako sa
mga iyon! Naranasan kong magbenta ng ari-arian at
makibaka sa pila sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng
gobyerno upang makakuha ng mga papeles na
kailangang isumite upang mabigyan ng lehitimong
bisa upang makapasok sa ibang bansa. Handa
kong tanggapin ang anumang trabaho kahit alangan
sa natapos kong karera. Hindi ako dapat mamili
kung gusto ko ng kwarta kahit pa sabihing ako’y
dating isang empleyado sa upisina. Naging mapalad
naman akong makakuha ng mapagtatrabahuan sa
ibang lupain. Sa una akala ko’y masarap ang buhay
sa ibang bansa. Nalimutan kong naroon ako upang
manilbihan at maghakot ng perang ipadadala sa
pamilyang iniwan sa bansang tinubuan. Namuhay
ako sa gusto kong takbo ng aking buhay, ‘ika nga
sa ingles — I had the time of my life! Nanagana ako
na wari’y wala nang katapusan. Binigyan ko ang
aking sarili ng pagkakataong hindi ko naranasan
kailanman. Sa kabila ng pagsusumikap kong kumita
KAKKAMPI Newsletter
Editorial Board
Clarissa Balan, Marylou Panpilo-Levraz,
Gemma Layco, Belen Conti, Dennis de Guzman
Layout & Design: Dennis de Guzman
Articles, opinions, letters to the editor should be
sent to kakkampi@hotmail.com
KAUNLARAN
ng pera ay naroon naman ang pagnanasa kong ibili
ang aking sarili ng mga original na gamit tulad ng
Lacoste, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Polo Sport,
Versacce, Giordano, atbp. Sa hitsura ko, sino ang
magsasabing ako’y isang katulong sa bahay,
naninilbihan sa mga mayayaman ng bansang
kinalalagyan ko. Aba, dapat lang akong mag-enjoy,
kahit na katulong lang ako, kaya kong ibigay sa
sarili ko at sa aking pamilya ang hindi ko kayang
abutin sa bansang sinilangan. Galing naman sa
aking pawis at pagsisikap ang perang aking
nilulustay. Gayon din ang pamilya ko mula sa
pinanggalingang bayan. Sa maikling salita’y na-spoil
ko sila. Mula sa kaliit-liitang bagay ay hinihingi nila
mula dito, ang gusto nila’y imported, ayaw ng
locally made kahit ang brand at modelo ay pareho
mas gusto nilang pinapadala ko lahat.
Sa pagmumunimuni ko isang umaga’y naitanong
ko sa sarili ko kung tama ba ang aking paniwala.
Tama bang mamuhay nang mariwasa at marangya
habang nabubuhay pa o mas tamang ibili ng ari-
arian ang perang kinita o ilagay sa bangko upang
may dudukutin pagdating ng panahon? Sa isang
banda, naisip kong kung magpapakaligaya ako
nang husto sa aking kinitang pera kahit papaano ay
natikman ko ang aking pinagpaguran. Pero hindi ba’t
ang ating lipunan ay malupit. Ang kanilang
pamantayan ay ang pagkakaroon ng limpak-limpak
na salapi at naglalawakang lupain at mga ari-arian.
Alin nga kaya ang tama sa dalawang
prinsipyo?
Maria Ubos-angpera
Kap at ir an par a s a Kar apat an at Kaunlar an
ng M an gg aga w an g Pil ip ino s a Ib ay on g da g at
Magimpok at Mamuhunan, Itatag ang Kabuhayan
Part 5 a KAKKAMPI-Unlad Kabayan MS-AI initiative in Switzerland
KARAPATAN
Financial Placement
Simply setting aside money will not create a
qualitative improvement in one’s life for as long as
the saved resources remain idle. Inflation and
currency devaluation reduces the real value of
savings over the period of time during which they
are stored. Moreover, they are vulnerable to use
when expenditures exceed their budget allocation. It
is therefore not enough to set aside a portion of
one’s income on a regular basis. Careful
consideration should also be given to placing
savings in a way that would not only protect it from
loss and depreciation but also generate more
income. Financial placement maintains the value and
integrity of savings. In the macroeconomic context,
financial placement explains why some economies
exhibit growth and others do not.
The previous article rooted out the importance
of savings and discussed its first element amount.
We will now focus on the other two elements of
savings — time and place — as it deals with the
various ways by which savings are stored.
Broadly, savings take on a monetary or non-
monetary form.
Investments
Definition
Investing is putting something owned into something
else in order to achieve something greater.
“Something owned” may be in the form of time,
intelligence, skills, property, or money. In this
discussion, investment refers to the spending or
setting aside of money for future financial gain.
Investment is making savings generate income.
When savings are mobilized and placed in forms
that gain value, they become investments.
All types of investments carry the function and
operate on the three elements of savings:
resources (amount) are kept safe, but in a manner
(time and place) that increases their value. Savings
are invested with the
expectation that its value will
Kap at ir an par a s a Kar apat an at Kaunlar an
appreciate over time.
ng M an gg aga w an g Pil ip ino s a Ib ay on g da g at
Non-monetary are tangible assets, unused
consumption stocks, livestock, infrastructure
improvements. Disadvantages: value may
appreciate or depreciate over time; not liquid;
exchanging them for cash is time-consuming and
difficult, thus, costly
Cash offers best source of liquidity buit is
vulnerable to inflation and does not earn interest
Income augmentation is sometimes necessary to
ensure that expenditure requirements are met
without subtracting from savings. It presents no
problem for as long as additional funds are
generated from within the household. Borrowed
money, however, is an external source of funds
and is usually paid with interest. If debt payments
are included in the allocation for expenses, a deficit
would be incurred:
(Credit + Income) - Savings < Expenses + Debt
payments [principal + interest]
The values are not balanced and the resulting
deficit will only continue to add up, leading to
indebtedness. This could be avoided by putting to
use savings to generate income that can be used to
pay debts, among other beneficial uses.
Function and purpose
Investment protects savings against loss of value. A
bank savings account is a form of investment
because the interest the deposit earns is more or
less proportionate to the loss of its real value over
time.
Investment also serves to create an ample supply of
resources for two main purposes:
• To finance personal security — retirement, living
expenses and debt payments, education
• To capitalize in the production or trade of goods
and services via a business enterprise

Role of INVESTMENTS in the economy
The desirable scenario in the use of remittances
is not in increased savings by itself but in using
increased savings chiefly for investment. Investing
savings not only increases the financial security of
the household but, in the long run, also creates jobs
and accelerates the production of goods and
services — directly if savings are invested in a
business enterprise, or indirectly if invested in
financial assets.
For example, money deposited in a savings
account does not sit idle but is used to provide
loans to borrowers who might, for example, expand
a business, which in turn generates employment
and increases production. The savings of millions of
people pass through many financial institutions,
spurring economic growth.
Factors of production (capital, capital goods and
human capital needed in the production of goods
and services) come from a household’s resources
— savings, property, skills, labor. As shown in the
following diagram, the investment of these
resources in the economy stimulates economic
activity, which in turn accrues to the household in
the form of income and the acquisition of goods and
services.
Investments have a multiplier effect —
investment money paid to wage earners and
suppliers becomes income to them and then, in turn,
becomes income to others as the wage earners or
suppliers spend most of their earnings. An
expanding ripple effect is thus set into motion.
Similarly, an increasing level of income spent by
consumers has an accelerating influence on
investment. Higher demand creates greater
incentive to increase investment in production, in
order to meet that demand. Both of these factors
also can work in a negative way, with reduced
investment greatly diminishing aggregate income,
and reduced consumer demand decelerating the
amount of investment spending.
Part 6 of Mag-impok at mamuhunan will discuss the financial system and the different
forms investment placements and about interest rates.
KAUNLARAN
Investment, as a means of turning resources
into factors of production, is made in either
of three ways:
1. Purchase of durable goods and commodities.
Goods that last for a long period of time without
significant deterioration (house or building, vehicle,
machinery or equipment) generate income as they
may be directly used in production or rented out as
capital goods.
2. Acquisition of monetary assets through financial
institutions. Deposit accounts and financial instru-
ments (e.g., securities, bonds) serves two
functions: they create income for the saver/investor
in the form of interest earnings, and they are used
(in the factors market) as investment funds (capital)
for business enterprises.
3. Direct capital infusion in an income-generating
enterprise. Both the property and financial assets of
the household plus its human capital (labor and
skills/knowledge) are directly used in a business
enterprise.
The rate of return on an investment is
affected by the following factors:
• Taxes — For a long-term capital gain that is only
taxed at 20%, a 10% return quickly becomes 8%.
The tax consequence is greater for short-term
gains.
• Inflation — If an investment makes 10% after taxes
last year and inflation reduces the principal’s buying
power by 2%, real return is only 8%.
• Time — A peso is not always worth a peso. With
inflation consistently destroying its purchasing
power, a year from now a peso will be worth
slightly less than it is today. The real value of money
changes depending on the time it is invested. The
critical variable in the exact value of money is time.
- Unlad Kabayan
Migrant Services Foundation Inc.
Kap at ir an par a s a Kar apat an at Kaunlar an
ng M an gg aga w an g Pil ip ino s a Ib ay on g da g at
OFW Bank: shall we or shall we not ?
by: Alan Exevea
Spokesperson-OFW Bank Project
Patron/Member-OFW Worldnet Foundation Inc.
Shareholder-OFW International Holdings Inc.
KARAPATAN
The OFW Worldnet Foundation Inc.
Lately there were talks going around town that a
group of well meaning OFWs are parading themselves
as proponents of the OFW Bank vision. It all started
from a simple gathering of cyber friends exchanging
notes and ideas, and as familiarity and intimacy
evolved, the camaraderie that was established
through the net snowballed into a concrete realization
of their common desire. Thus, the OFW Worldnet
Foundation Inc. came into being, a non-stock, non-
profit organization geared towards the twin goal of
political and economic empowerment of Overseas
Filipinos Worldwide or the OFWs.
On the political front, the Foundation is not envisioned
to support a politician or a political party, but it is
advocating for the protection of political rights of
OFWs such as the Absentee Voting Bill. Moreso, the
foundation is in the forefront on the fight for the
welfare and protection of OFWs both in their host
countries or in the Philippines. On the economic side,
it will be the incubator of all businesses and economic
activities of the OFW patrons/members, providing
support such as feasibility studies, market research,
legal registration and up to the start up stages.
As the goals and aspirations of the foundation were
properly laid down and documented, the pioneering
patrons of the foundation met in the flesh and
brainstorm to come out with a more bolder step of
establishing the long cherished dream of the OFW
sector : The OFW Bank.
The OFW International Holdings Inc,
Fund accumulation started but as the vision spread,
people of innate intelligence, creativity and business
acumen came into the fold of the vision. As they
continuously search for the proper approach to
achieve their ultimate goal, a more practical idea was
explored and decided, hence they established the
OFW International Holdings
Inc., which will be the vehicle
Kap at ir an par a s a Kar apat an at Kaunlar an
that the OFWs will use to
ng M an gg aga w an g Pil ip ino s a Ib ay on g da g at
reach their ultimate destination. The Holdings, as the
stakeholders refer to their company, will be engaged
in other corollary businesses that basically cater to
the very needs of its main constituents, the OFWs. It
has already set up projects such as the OFW Travel
and Tours, OFW Transport, OFW Insure and now in
the exploratory stages is the OFW Remit.
As an entry point to the vision of the OFW Bank, the
Holding Company decided to spin off the OFW Micro
Finance Project which will eventually be registered
as the OFW Micro Finance Bank. By 2006, with the
continued support of the OFW sector, the conversion
of the Micro Finance Bank to a full commercial banking
institution will come into being.
What is a sound investment ?
If you will answer the question as it is asked, then
you will be one of those who will be very complacent
and answer, “ I will put my money on low risk, low
yielding instruments like Treasury Bills, government
bonds etc.”. Yes, I agree on this if you are just
thinking of safekeeping your money and plan to keep
it intact in the next 5-10 years without analyzing all
factors going around you and all that affects the
cost of your money. To say that OFWs who engaged
on businesses such as mega taxis, jeepneys, poultry,
swine raising, and lately internet cafes end up a
failure is a classic example of stereo typing. There is
no perfect formula for success in business. Like all
big businesses that abound now, they all started
from scratch. The Sys of the SM empire started as a
small shoe store in Carriedo…when the patriarch of
the Ayala family started to invest in pieces of cogon
lands, he was tagged as crazy…what we have now
is the Makati business area. In business, it is wise to
say that basic elements such as protection of capital,
adequate return and study must be present. I agree
to this and nobody disputes these facts. However,
to complement these basic elements, it is also
necessary that we adopt the Ant Philosophy : Never
give up, Look ahead, stay positive and do all you
can. With all of these elements in place, I do not see
 For more information, contact any of the following:
Norman Gacula < yayam888@yahoo.com >
Alan Excevea <alcan910@yahoo.com>
Jimmy Leonida <jbleonida@yahoo.com>
why an investment will fail. And most OFWs, if not all
, are akin to these elements. OFWs plan, protect their
interests, ensure reasonable returns on their
investment and to top it all OFWs are ANTS!
Why a Bank ?
Cynics abound and a lot of misgivings were
expressed on the very essence of establishing an
OFW Bank. Questions on viability, unstable banking
industry and lack of expertise among the OFWs were
often the main points of arguments. But all of these
qualms bothering the minds of the uninformed are
not supported by facts. By and large, of all the
industry that is available for the OFWs, a bank is one
of the most viable. OFWs remit about US$ 6
Billion(actual figure may run as high as US$ 15 Billion
considering transfers made through non-banking
means) to the economy of the Philippines and the
government is accepting these fact to the extent that
the OFWs were conferred the title of “Bagong
Bayani”. And if the OFWs have their own bank, they
will directly benefit in all the income from FOREX
transactions, remittance charges, credit cards, trust
fund management, loans and other allied business
as allowed by the Monetary Board. Moreso, to put
your money in your own bank will give you that level
of comfort knowing that your money is being handled
by people who knows how difficult it is to earn a
single centavo overseas. Before you think of
depositing your money in a bank, you consider fund
security, stability, accessibility, service efficiency,
customer focus and most of all competitive pricing.
Yes it is true that the banking industry encountered
some strategic mergers which to an ordinary mind
may be construed in the context of unprofitability.
But to the well informed people, these moves are
more of a strategic move as these banks may want
to grow bigger the quickest way. The merger
between PCI & Equitable Bank, Far East Bank and
BPI, are classic examples of union of two profitable
institutions. Synergies may be one of the main reason.
Cost efficiency may be another factor or possibly
Lani Fe Lagdamat Jalando-on
<genevagirl2001@yahoo.com>
KAUNLARAN
022 752-2515 * 078 889 1256 * 076 385 9813
KAKKAMPI <kakkampi@hotmail.com>
076 522 7161
that some of them just wanted to exit the business
and embark on another arena where they found new
core competencies.
How viable is a bank ? The prospects are good,
hence, the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas lifted the
moratorium on the issuance of bank licenses so that
new players can come in and establish themselves.
Just recently, a very respectable business guru from
AIM, Professor Romulo Neri, openly commented that
the only way to lower down the cost of funds or
interest rate is for the complete liberalization of the
financial sector. Meaning more financial institutions
and banks be allowed to enter into the business.
New players in the industry will not be saddled by
Non Performing Loans (NPLs) which is one of the
biggest components to consider in fixing interest rates
by banks. Arguments have been raised that the
banking sector is a sinking businesss industry, this is
a myth! If this is true, then why are there investors/
offshore banks dying to enter the arena ? Likewise,
there is a misconception that you have to be as big
as it can be to be able to face head on banks such as
BPI, Metrobank, PCI-Equitable, etc., again this is a
myth! Fact is, if size is a deterrent then there should
not be a single rural bank existing in our country. In
the banking industry, what matter most is the trust
and confidence that your clients will bestow on you.
I once worked in one of the biggest bank in the
Philippines, and one of its most successful marketing
strategy is to create a mindset that the bank is a bank
for the ordinary Juan dela Cruz and it succeeded till
politics came into view. The phenomenon proved that
a bank with an established core client base(in our
case the OFWs) and proven worth as a business
undertaking, and be able to project stability and social
responsiveness, is assured of success. It is not only
the bigness of a bank or the backing of the
government that determines its success, it is the
people that rally behind the business.
Kap at ir an par a s a Kar apat an at Kaunlar an
ng M an gg aga w an g Pil ip ino s a Ib ay on g da g at
The OFW Power

In present Philippine society, the most neglected sector
is the Overseas Filipino Worldwide or OFWs. Though
the government recognizes the important role that
OFWs play in our economy, yet it is deprived of all
the rights to determine and influence the political and
economic scenarios in the homefront. OFWs are
disenfranchised and can not exercise the basic
constitutional right to suffrage. The OFWs are
displaced and are not provided with viable and
acceptable reintegration programs. The OFWs are
sick and tired of lip service. They need to make a
move…they need to organize and now is the time.
We have the numbers, we have the financial capacity.
To leverage our position with the government and
the Philippine society as whole is not a show of
power but to let them know that we are already losing
hope in waiting for their support and assistance. The
“I scratch your back, you scratch my back” principle
is not happening and I believe will never happen.
OFWs, we better scratch our own back !
The twin goal of the OFWNet Foundation to acquire
political and economic empowerment of OFWs is a
tall order. The patrons/subscribers of the foundation
and the holding company are determined, they are
not about to lose sight of the intent and purpose why
the group was created. We will not be derailed by
opinions of people be it honest or malicious. Our
group is composed of well seasoned OFWs from all
walks of life: doctors, engineers, accountants,
computer experts, lawyers, nurses, housewives of
OFWs, children of OFWs, name it and we have it all.
But the most important bond that make us move as
one is our determination to see a better Philippines.
What determines success in any endeavor
are the people behind the initiative.
For me, I do not preach to my children the idea of
them becoming another OFW. I want to stop the saga
of OFWism in my family. I hope I would succeed. I
want them to enjoy their life back home and be a
Filipino by heart and soul. I come from a family of
OFWs, we are five boys in our brood and all of us
went outside our motherland to earn our keep, and
with all honesty, I am on my 15th year here in KSA and
I know people who have been here longer, I can say
I lived almost half of my present life away from my
mother, my brothers, relatives and friends…most of
us do feel alone…and this I really regret.

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