OFW fruit pickers in Australia can earn 200,000 pesos a month. That is more than what most Filipino workers in Australia get paid for their jobs. This will be a game-changer in the way OFWs want to work abroad.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there are more females than male Filipinos in Australia, making up the 5th largest migrant community. Most OFWs work in private and government hospitals, care homes, and elderly care facilities. However, some find seasonal or casual work on farms and in the orchards picking fruit such as oranges, apples, and kiwi.
One OFW working in Australia is Mariel Larsen, a 22-year-old from Siargao, Philippines. She has amassed a fortune after meeting David, an Australian who works as a fruit picker in their country. Their friendship progressed into a long-distance romantic relationship until they married in 2018, allowing Mariel to finally settle with him in Australia. Mariel recalls that she began looking for work as a fruit picker as soon as she arrived in Australia to live with her husband.
The couple picks various kinds of fruits such as apple, orange, lemon, cherry, and blueberry. They have many friends who are farm owners who rent them both to harvest these fruits. Their income depends on the kinds of fruits and how many they can harvest. In their job, Mariel can earn 6,000 Australian dollars or P226,000 in just a month. “Ang pamimitas ay good charm. Kung ilan ang napitas mo ay doon po kayo binabayaran,” Mariel stated.
Indeed, just like any other OFWs worldwide, Mariel remarked that being a fruit picker requires a huge amount of physical strength, comparing her job to climbing a mountain every day. Her legs and entire body are in pain, and she wishes she would not be working the next day. However, she knew she needed to work and use her time to make money and aid her family in the Philippines. She even supported her family in the province by purchasing fishing equipment and helping build a nice and decent house.
Apart from the fact that she can earn much more money, the couple only lives in a caravan or camper van. Nonetheless, this enables them to reach the farm as early as possible in the morning. The couple is doing their best and putting in a lot of time and energy to buy their first home in Australia.
Mariel is an excellent role model for Filipinos who wish to undertake sacrifices and work abroad. When it comes to getting a job, there is no such thing as age, gender, or race. We should be all proud of our work no matter what it is, as our earnings are the fruit of our hard work and perseverance.
