Come Home And Guide Us

To date, my Tita Loida is still in Hongkong. She was there when it was a British territory and she is still there now that it's Chinese territory. She is a grandmother now to her eldest daughter's kid. Her younger daughter is stopping school for absurd reasons. One of which is still money.

My Tito Pako and his wife Tita Nancy are still in Rome. Their eldest daughter is taking up HRM in Bulacan. Their youngest is there too. They have a home made in front of Tita Nancy's parents' house. They plan to live there when they retire, I think.

My Tita Clemen went home this March for her eldest son's elementary graduation. She came home just in time for his birthday. She was able to take care of my grandfather who got sick. He's 80 and had water and a lump in his left lung. He missed her a lot but of course, he's not saying that.

My cousin Len is in Italy too. She is asking her mother to have her daughter sent to the best school. She wanted her angel to enrol in an international montessori. She says that the reason why she is sacrificing so much is for her daughter to have all the things that she never had.

My Tita Nanet is in Canada. She is heartbroken that the cousin whom she sends money to for her review didn't pass the nursing exam. They were supposed to go to Canada, everything was going to be arranged for them, international hired caregiver they would be but since they are now shackled with young children and unemployed husbands, things are looking bleak.

My tita Joy got married in Dubai. She was my uncle's widow. Her two sons are in the Philippines and she has a new baby there.

I have an Uncle who comes back and forth now. He tried to retire from going abroad and tried to invest on some businesses but he still had to leave later since things didn't work out that well. He decided that it would take some time before he can retire indefinitely.

My Kuya (Tito) Lem stayed with my Ate (Tita) Connie abroad for a while. He was able to do odd jobs and take care of her kids when he got back. He decided that he can't stay abroad to make a difference for his family. He decided that some had to leave and others had to stay. He decided to run for councilor in our baranggay.

I never thought that he would ever enter politics. The Perezes are notorious for being opinionated people who like to reform and work together to make good changes in their community. But except for my Lolo Celo who has a Baranggay treasurer for a long time, no one else ran for office and won. I remember coming in third to the last (without having to campaign for it) during one SK election.

When I read about this year's PEBA 2011 THEME : "Ako'y Magbabalik, Hatid Ko'y Pagbabago." (I Will Return, I Will Bring Change.) I realized he would be a great example. I have no intention of joining this year since I already placed last time but I figured I could write an entry either way. Also I needed to catch people up on my family who are OFWs. ^.^

So long story short, my cousin/tito Lem won. I am hoping that he is not just going to do projects that would get him elected but that he would really do something that would cause positive things in our community. He's a fratman too so there is a chance that he could utilize their community based chapter to do projects for the youth and for the community. I think it's admirable what he is trying to accomplish and I hope that he gets to do more projects that would help lower the number of young men dealing with drugs in our community. He's a big animal lover and that could be a way for him to prevent people from poisioning dogs so that robbers could take things from people's homes.

I am not saying that everyone who are working in another country should come back to lift the Philippines up. But it wouldn't hurt for them to be able to enjoy what they earned and to be with their family.

My officemate Ate Mhel is in Pangasinan now. She was a jazz singer in Korea and Japan. Her son who is half-Japanese is graduating from college. She's been an online English teacher for a few years now. She is not as healthy as she used to be and she misses the times when she was able to help people in her family. But she is happy because all her hard work has paid off. And no one, not even obscure paperwork would stop her from coming home to celebrate her son's achievement and her own.

For Ate Mhel her son is her legacy. He grew up to be loving, family-oriented, hard-working and talented. For most OFWs their legacy are their well-educated children. I salute them and I salute their children. Because growing up without my parents would have been something that would have led me astray.

So to all the moms, dads, titos,and titas who helped their kids, nieces, and nephews, we are your legacy. Come back home and tell us the stories of how home is never that far away if you keep it in your heart and that no job is too little for a man who knows in his heart that he is doing it to lift up his life and the lives of so many others. Show us the face of someone who, although he or she has seen and marveled in the great architechture and riches of other lands finds that the true fortune they have acquired is the love of their family and the respect of their peers.

Ignore those who ask for pasalubong and just please, come back to us.

My dear college roommate and bestfriend is coming home. If I win the lottery, I would go on hiatus for the months that she is here with her mom to help her brother who is studying in UP Baguio (woot! Isko na bro nyo!) and spend everyday going around Makati, Baguio or risk riding an airplane to finally go to Boracay together. But even if that doesn't happen and we just end up staying in my dingy room and talk about the past and our future, I would be glad to give her the Mig Ayesa shirt I got for her and laugh like there is no tomorrow and make new memories.

Because just having her back is enough reason for me to get excited whenever I hear the word HOMECOMING.

If you are an OFW supporter like me who knows someone who came back home from working  abroad to spread enlightenment, stories and even just the love then tell their stories to everyone. The theme is here and the form is here.
Try to check out the rules first. 

Here's the catch, your blog should have been around more than half a year for it to qualify. But hey, who cares if it qualifies or not (me actually because I want to read your entry and vote ^.^) as long as you are able to tell an inspiring story.

And believe me , between the people who went back home from the Middle East and Japan, there are a lot of stories to go around.  

If you want to read the entry that I made for PEBA 2010, you can read it here.

My Mom's Quasi-orphanage by Niña Simon

Feel free to leave comments, I always tell my mom when I get new ones. (too bad I lost the original ones. T_T)

If you have an entry, leave your link at the comment box. ^.^