Thanks to MonRam for giving inspiration for my story today.

Government has announced rosy statistics especially the $8.6 billion surplus in the balance of payments.

In fact, the government may owe this entire amount not to its economic management team or to its incessant borrowings.

The economy was saved in 2007 by our OFWs. Yes, folks, OFW remittances may have reached $14 in 2007, the highest to be officially recorded.

Read here and here on this development. For latest OFW figures from the labor department, click here.

In an “interview” on Rizal Day, Hongkong-based Mission for Migrant Workers coordinator Norman Uy Carnay said that the increase in OFW remittances are meaningless to OFWs themselves.

“Walang maipagmamalaki o walang ikakatuwa dyan,” says Norman, adding that “OFWs are compelled to work even harder because of the depreciating dollar that comes in tandem with rising prices.”