Baggage is a short lip sync animation about OFWs (overseas Filipino workers). The film tackles a serious topic and is very direct, but the use of humor in the delivery of the message keeps it from being extremely heavy-handed. The dialogue is an excerpt from the film “Bayani” by Juana Change.

I do not own the audio used in the film. Student project. Produced at Tisch Asia. Spring 2012.

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OFW (overseas Filipino worker) remittances keep the Philippine economy alive. The country relies heavily on its citizens working abroad, which is why they have been dubbed as modern-day heroes. As prestigious as this title is, having no choice but to leave the country so that your family can have a better life is a heavy burden to bear.

 Most, if not all, OFWs are able to provide a good life for their families in the Philippines—but the trade off is steep. Working overseas takes a great deal of sacrifice. Many people push themselves beyond all physical and emotional limits. And as much as the government tries to protect them, you can only do so much being thousands of miles away.

This is not a new issue, but the situation has become so ingrained in our culture and integrated into the workings of our economy that the possibility of this being a permanent setup for generations to come increases with our complacency.