At the Crossroad!

N O W     I S   T H E     T I M E !
n o w    i s    t h e    h o u r ! 

#Ople2016 #OpleSaSenado

Yesterday, in her Facebook status, Ms. Susan "Toots” Ople thought out loud of running for the Senate. She is at the crossroad of making a crucial decision. She can choose to be on the sidelight, be quiet and to just continue doing her advocacy of helping OFWs and the Filipino labor sector or take up the challenge of running for the Senate to broaden and enlarge that circle of influence so she can be of more help to us OFWs and the labor sector back home. In 2010, she gave a shot but lost her bid to the candidates who had the 3Ms – Money, Machinery and again More Money (Money Pa More) to sustain through the campaign period up until the pay-outs on election day. We all know how politics work in our country and up until this time, Ms. Toots still doesn’t have the 3Ms to back her up or the 3Ps (PERA [Pesos], POLITICAL Machinery, organized PARTY).

I first met Ms. Susan “Toots” Ople on 27th December 2009 during the 2nd international Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards Night held at the Philamlife Theatre, UN Avenue, Malate Manila. She was one of our distinguished speakers where she challenged the OFWs to continue to become a potent influence and a catalyst of change in this fast emerging alternative media (Photo in this post was taken during that occasion). From that time on (and even before that time), Ms. Toots has become OFWs partner and crusader in our fight against the Philhealth Membership fee increase, Terminal Fee, and most recently the Balikbayan Boxes fiasco. Moreover, the Blas Ople Center, where she is the President, continues to assist and help the Filipino migrant workers. In 2010, she was named by Harvard University as an Alumni Awardee for her work in fighting human trafficking and illegal recruitment.

When she lost her bid for the Senate in 2010, she continued to stand and fight for the rights and privileges of the OFW. The Blas Ople Center always stayed at the forefront in our fight against the discrimination aimed at the OFWs. Because of all these issues and challenges faced by the OFWs and their families, it is high time to have someone who has the best intention and who is truly qualified to represent the interests of the OFWs. There is no one more qualified, among the Senatorial candidates, who will fight for the sake of the OFWs and the Filipino labor! It is high time for us to send an expert on workers' issues and a champion for their causes to the Senate!

This is the time to keep ablaze the advocacy for the OFWs and the workers which Ka Blas Ople started.

Let’s go back again as to how politics work in our country. We all know about it! And we all know that we don’t have the 3Ms or the 3Ps to back up that dream. What Ms. Toots has is “only” Y O U and M E ! Yes, you and me and our families.

If only all OFWs and the Philippine Labor sector will unite, we will have a representative to the Senate come 2016!

#OPLE2016 #Halalan2016

Disclaimer: This post is not to campaign. No, not yet! This is to show our support and encouragement to Ms. Toots to take up the challenge! This is also to inform and to let everyone be aware, especially us OFWs, that with you and your family’s support and help, we will have a qualified with expertise, well-experienced with proven and impressive track record Senator come 2016!


OFWs and their families, please feel free to share!