Since the start of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia on March 18, 2020, amid the threat from Covid19 infections, a lot of business sectors worldwide have been affected. The new normal existed and work from home became common practice to avoid any possible spread of the Covid19 virus from the workplace.

My lady employer talked to me in January 2021 including the reason for ending my contract. She explained to me how they are going to go about it. They talked to my agency about the procedure and so my work permit in Malaysia was canceled. They bought my flight ticket and I was supposed to fly back to the Philippines somewhere on the last week of January 2021. 

Where did you stay since then?

I stayed at my employer's house while waiting for my flight to be confirmed. My flight has been canceled three times due to the rising cases of Covid19 from January to the early week of March 2021. My flight was booked thru Air Asia then moved to Malaysia Airlines. My employer told me about all those cancellations and constantly updating me about my flight status.

I actually want to go home so I can be with my family especially during these difficult times.

How did you react when your flight was canceled?

I am really disappointed. I called few Filipino friends whom I know and share my frustrations. They advised me to be positive as this is for my own welfare. We can’t do anything if the flight is canceled. My employer paid for everything. They paid for my flight including my food throughout my stay at their house. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive any salary from January to March as my contract has ended.

What did you do from January to the early week of March?

As an OFW, I don’t want that those months to be waisted so I asked my employer if I can work part-time with other employers. However, they informed me that once I step out of their house, I will already settle my accommodation including my transport from Johor Bahru to the Airport during that time. At least they gave me an option so I decided to stay in their house and continue to help in whatever I can.

I also asked for some advice from Filipino friends and they told me that it's difficult to find a job right now since the case of unemployment is really high due to bad economy. 

How does it feel during those times?

I went overseas to work and earn money for me to save before returning to the Philippines- this is my intention. But with this pandemic, everything has changed. Safety is our main priority. Of course, the feeling was different. I am just staying at their house without doing much and at the same time, wasting my two months without any pay. 

On the other side of the coin, I am also thankful because I have shelter, a room, and food to eat while waiting for my flight back to the Philippines to be confirmed (which was very uncertain at that point in time).

So how did you go to the airport as interstate is still not yet allowed in Malaysia?

The father of my employer sent me to the airport from Johor Bahru. That is about a 4-5 hours drive by car. I am very thankful to him. He also needs to go to the nearest police station (in Johor Bahru) to acquire the Travel Permit for our Interstate Travel as the CMCO in Malaysia won’t allow interstate (for now). If you violate this, the penalty is very high. It can be up to 100,000 if converted to Philippine money. 

We started our journey from 2 AM and reached the airport around 6 something in the morning. The journey was smooth and luckily there was no roadblock along the highway.

I am thankful for his help.

How was your boarding experience?

At the airport, the immigration officers were really careful. Wearing a mask is a must. The airport was quite empty.  I had an experience in an international boarding as I have been traveling from Saudi Arabia to the Philippines, but this time around, the situation was totally different—we need to follow protocols due to the CMCO from the Malaysian Government. Everyone was really careful.

I am one of the few passengers waiting for our gate to open. The immigration officer asked to me wait for the gate to open before we are allowed to wait at the boarding gate and chop our passport that we are exiting Malaysia.

We also need to fill up a Health Declaration Card about ourselves including our personal details.

Did you go for a Swab test before your flight to the Philippines?

Yes. My employer paid all the costs. The experience was horrible. They inserted that cotton into my nose and the feeling was really uncomfortable. There were tears came out of my eyes that time. The sensation was so weird and a bit painful. 

I am so happy that I am tested negative. They gave me the result and I keep it for future references.

How was the flight?

The flight was totally different now. I am very tired and a bit dizzy from our trip from Johor Bahru. My muscles were aching as we need to walk quite far to get to our boarding gate. There were few Filipinas also who are waiting for their flight same as mine.

To my surprised, there were some passengers from Philippine Airlines (PAL) who boarded the same plane as mine. Accordingly, they combined the same flight.  

Do you think you can go back again overseas to work?

At this point in time, it will be different. The cost of flights and quarantine is very expensive. I am not sure if my (future) employer is willing to pay for all these things. But I do hope that in time I can go back again and work abroad.

What can you say to other OFW staying out there?

Always be thankful to an employer that is very supportive.  Don’t get panic when things don’t go according to what we are expecting. Pray to God that we are all safe at all times.  If you need help, we have our Embassy who are actually willing to help aside from our agency who brought us to Malaysia. Ensure that you have the contact details of our Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

Get in contact with fellow Filipinos working in your place so that you have someone to contact in case you need help during an emergency.