by: April Grace R. Padilla, Intern
A mother’s love for her children truly knows no boundaries – for mothers are great heroes who are willing to conquer the world to lift us up.
Without much of our knowing, they care for us more than they care for themselves. They sacrifice their own happiness to feed ours. Some even chose to work outside the country to provide our needs. Despite being far from home, mothers who work abroad or those who were among the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) are truly the exceptional ones for they put their lives on the line to make us lead a good life. We pay our salutations to these brave and determined women who stood still despite all the adversities and sacrifices they have experienced working outside the country.
THE DIFFICULT CHOICE
It was truly challenging to raise a child on her own as a single mom so when her son was just barely 2-years old, Medelyn Allado decided to work in Hongkong.
“It was really a very difficult decision to make, yet I need to sacrifice for my one and only son and for my parents as well. Everything that I do is all for them and for my son’s future,” Allado admits.
For over 18 years, Allado has been working as a domestic helper in Hong Kong but through these years, she suffered from loneliness being far from the most important people in her life.
“I often felt sadness because I’m far from home, from my family, and my son. It was really difficult dahil wala ka sa oras na kinakailangan ka nila personally and emotionally,” she shares.
Despite her longing, her strong willpower and love for them pushed her to keep going. “It is my son and my family who inspire me to keep on working abroad because they were everything that I have in my life so I’m willing to give my all for them.”
Empathizing with all the other mothers working outside the Philippines, Allado leaves an advice to them, “Keep on fighting and believing that all our sacrifices will pay us comfort in the end. Everything happens for a reason. God never gives us challenges that we cannot handle. Let us believe in His grace and keep on fighting for ourselves, our children, and our family.”
Currently, her 20-year-old son, Fermin Sieno Allado, is taking Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the Central Philippine University and is on his fourth year next academic year. “As his mother, I am glad and I’ll be more than happy if he will be successful in the future in his chosen career. I am happy that he has overcome another milestone in his journey towards success. All my sacrifices are almost paid off because he’ll be graduating this incoming school year. I am so proud as a single mother that I was able to send him to a good university and made him took a good course. I was just hoping that all his dreams will come true, in God’s will,” says Allado.
“Sa mga anak ng kagaya kong OFW, study well and always choose the right path. Listen to the people whom you think can help you out physically, spiritually, and emotionally as we are not by your side. Always broaden your perspectives and always keep in mind the very reasons why we are working here despite all the hardships. At the end of the day, you will realize that all of these are for you. Just be patient as time will surely come that we could all be together with you,” Allado adds.
FOR ALL THE SWEAT AND TEARS
Similar sentiments were shared by the 42-year-old Rosana Francia when she first left the Philippines and worked as a domestic helper. Just like Allado, she decided to look for a greener pasture abroad for her family, particularly her children. “My children inspired me to go abroad and also, I need to help my husband to elevate our life and provide the needs of the two children, mainly to send them to respected schools.”
Francia admits that it was truly difficult to adjust and cope up with the new environment. “At first, I was really sad. I could still remember it right. I cried almost everyday for six months.”
Moreover, she has quite an unfortunate experience when she first worked in Singapore in the year 2000 to 2008. “In Singapore, I have a lot of struggles since it was my first time abroad. I was often scolded by my employer and it is not merely an ordinary scold. Everytime she does, she makes me stand for hours after lecturing me. I always sleep late at 1:00 a.m. then wakes up 4:30 in the morning. But in God’s grace, I survived the eight years,” says Francia.
Everytime she felt distress during those days, she often thinks of her children. “When I’m hard up, I think of the outcome of my children. If I give up, how will they be able to continue getting to school? That’s what I often ask myself. Much more, during that time, my husband was in Manila and has no permanent job. So no matter how hard the situation is, I tried my best to endure it.”
In 2010, however, she decided to shift to Hong Kong and by November this year, her stay in that country will be counted as eight years. “While my employer in Singapore was very strict, the present one here in Hongkong is the opposite. Luckily, she is really considerate. I even call her an angel,” shares Francia.
With all her sacrifices, the success of her children is eventually paying them off. His son, Jan Feltric Francia has graduated from John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University with the degree in Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering in 2016 and is currently waiting for his schedule to work again as a Cadet Engine. Meanwhile, her daughter, Jolly Faith Francia is on her 5th year as Packaging Engineering Student at Central Philippine University this upcoming academic year and is preparing for her on-the-job training in Cebu by June.
She revealed the reasons why she is now gradually reaping the fruits of her labor among her children. “I never lose time to communicate with them. So as for the other mothers, everytime the children have something to say, as parents, we must always find a way to hear them out no matter how busy we are here in abroad. We have to contact them from time to time as it is much easier to do so since there is already an existing online platform which is Facebook.”
Francia also leaves a message to the children of other OFW’s. “You should always respect elders and study well so that you can make your parents proud of you as they keep awake from dusk until dawn just to give all the best for you. If you have problems and stories, do not hesitate to tell your moms whether they may be good or bad. Always remember that even we are far from you, we are always here to listen to your thoughts and feelings.”
STORIES FROM AFAR, REACHING OUR HEARTS
These stories are just fractions of the sacrifices that our mothers who are working in abroad have experienced and some may get even worse. They may be thousands of miles away from us but as you have read, their love is overflowing and limitless. For us children, we must also give back all the detriments that they have made for us and the love that they are sending from afar in the expense of our comfort and good life. Our salute to these brave women, from Philippines reaching those all kinds of moms across the globe! /PN
