Behind the laughs: Pokwang shares painful but powerful lessons from her life as an OFW

Many of us know Pokwang, whose real name is Marietta Subong, as a well-loved comedian, actress, and television host. She is also the face of CIMB Kababayan, the first foray into the overseas Filipino market by the country’s most awarded digital-only commercial bank, CIMB Bank Philippines. But before becoming a household name, Pokwang’s life was quite a roller coaster ride. Coming from a family with 12 children, life was difficult, and money was scarce, which was why she bravely decided to step up and work overseas at the young age of 18.

She became an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in the early 90s, where she worked as a choreographer and performer in Japan. That time, life was good, as she recalls enjoying earning good money and sending it to her loved ones, spending her days off in a country as beautiful as Japan, and happily buying pasalubong for her family back home. After a decade of working as an OFW, Pokwang has learned her fair share of life lessons, which remain relevant for overseas Filipinos to this day:

Learn how and where to save your hard-earned money

Pokwang used to send money to her family monthly, as supporting them financially was the main reason she decided to work abroad. This also taught her the importance of holding on to part of her earnings as savings. She recalls a time when she needed money as it was a matter of life and death but unfortunately did not have enough at that time.

“I lost my son in 1998 because of a brain tumor. Hindi ako nakauwi noon, nasa Abu Dhabi ako. Hindi ako nakauwi, wala akong pamasahe tapos napakahigpit ng hotel owner kung saan ako nagtatrabaho. Sabi niya, kung hindi ko tatapusin yung kontrata, sagot ko ang pamasahe pauwi. Eh wala ngang pera, kinailangan ko pa mag-solicit ng pampa-gamot ng bata. Yung nasolicit ko napunta na lang sa pampa-libing,” she shared. (I lost my son in 1998 because of a brain tumor. I was in Abu Dhabi and couldn’t go home. I didn’t have the funds for the airfare, and the hotel owner I worked for was very strict. They said that if I didn’t finish my contract, I had to shoulder my flight home. I didn’t have any money at that time and even had to solicit funds for my kid’s medical expenses. The money I solicited eventually ended up being used for his funeral.) 

This is why she’s grateful that OFWs now have safer and more convenient options to save their hard-earned money. With CIMB Kababayan, overseas Filipinos can easily open a CIMB savings account using their international SIM, making banking more accessible even when they are far from home.  Opening their own savings account takes less than 10 minutes with no maintaining balance, allowing them to earn high interest rates for their savings, pay bills easily, and enjoy free InstaPay transfers. Transferring funds from overseas is also made more seamless with the launch of the CIMB PH’s remittance service.

Filipinos abroad can now open their own CIMB Bank PH savings account  in 25 countries and counting, namely Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam. More countries will be added soon.

Only use trusted institutions to handle your earnings

Like many OFWs, every centavo counts for Pokwang, which was why she always tried to look for the most cost-efficient method to send money home. She learned the hard way that sending it through informal means has consequences, and the reward isn’t necessarily worth the risk. She tried methods like hiding money inside a box she was sending home and even asking acquaintances to hand carry the money home for her – both of which resulted in theft.

The fees to send money to the Philippines before were so expensive and the process was time consuming, which was why she was willing to try other, less secure methods at that time. However, she does not recommend these methods and is grateful that OFWs today have better options to send money home without having to risk losing their hard-earned salary. 

To help make banking more accessible for the underserved overseas Filipino market, CIMB Bank PH has enabled direct crediting of remittances to CIMB bank accounts. This makes it easier and more convenient for both senders and recipients, as sending money from over 170 countries to a CIMB Bank PH account is now easier with no hidden fees from CIMB. 

This service also makes the process easier for recipients, as they no longer need to line up at remittance centers anymore, as their remittance can be received directly on their CIMB Bank PH mobile app. Remittance via CIMB Bank PH will be available in even more countries in the coming months, empowering even more overseas Filipinos to bank the way they deserve in order to live their purpose. 

From challenges abroad to inspiring Filipinos back home

Pokwang remains thankful for her life abroad and believes that it helped shape her into the strong woman she is now. She also truly understands how lonely the life of an OFW can be, having experienced it firsthand. This is why she’s glad that she now has the platform to cheer them up and make them laugh through her comedy sketches or touch their hearts with her relatable dramatic roles. 

When asked for a final nugget of wisdom that she would want to share with OFWs all over the world, she said, “Maging wise tayo sa mga pinag-iipunan. Hindi po tayo bumabata at tayo ay humaharap sa kapaguran araw-araw. Maging maingat, mag-ipon at huwag sayangin ang biyaya. Ingatan ang pinagpapaguran.” (Let’s be wise about the things we are saving up for. We’re not getting any younger, and we face exhaustion every day. Be careful, learn to save, and don’t waste the blessings you receive. Take care of what you’re working tirelessly for.”)

To know more about CIMB Kababayan, visit cimbbank.com.ph/kababayan. A full step-by-step guide on how to send and receive money from abroad can also be found at cimbbank.com.ph/remittance.