Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) make a lot of sacrifices as they work far from home to provide a better life for their families. They do receive much higher salaries than those working in the Philippines, leading many to choose this life; however, they have to deal with loneliness and homesickness, among other things.
Back home, families also struggle to cope with a missing member working aboard. They now have a better way of life, yet many children wish their OFW parents would just come back home.
Minerva Jane Borca graduates from BS Travel Management at Our Lady of Fatima University. Now that she has completed her college education, the young lady wants her OFW mother to come back home. Minerva promised her mother it was her turn now to find a job and support the family.
Photo credit: Minerva Jane Borca / Facebook
The sweet offer went viral as Minerva shared a photo taken during graduation pictorials wherein she was holding a white board where she had written, “Ma, uwi ka na ng Pinas, ako naman MAGTATRABAHO!”
In her post, Minerva shared that she was still very young when she stood as ‘mother’ to her three younger siblings when their mom went abroad.
“Sa murang edad nagpaka nanay sa tatlo kong kapatid, dati si mama gumagawa lahat, nung nagdesisyon siyang umalis ako sumalo lahat ng mga gawaing pang nanay. May mga oras na nasasabihan akong “mas mukha ka pang matanda kesa sa nanay mo” “mukha ka ng manang” yung pakiramdam na hindi mo na magawang mag ayos para sa sarili mo kase mas kailangan mong unahin yung mga kapatid mo,” Minerva narrated.
“Pagka may gusto akong bilhin nagdadalawang isip ako kase dapat pag meron ako meron din sila. Yung realidad na mismo nagbukas sa isip ko na hindi dapat pansariling kagustuhan yung mauuna. Mas komportable ako sa salitang sila muna bago ako.”
Learning how to be responsible at such a young age, Minerva put her siblings’ needs and wants over her own. While there were times when she felt like complaining, she thinks about the hardships her mother had to go through abroad.
Photo credit: Miles Away / Facebook
“Kung maraming nawala at kulang sakin simula noong mag-abroad siya, alam kong mas marami siyang tiniis at sakripisiyo sa malayong lugar para sa ikagagaan ng buhay namin at para mabigyan niya kami ng sapat na edukasyon,” Minerva wrote.
She would also share some common ‘hugot’ lines often shared by OFWs, pertaining to the difficult lives they live away from their families.
“Mabuti pa yung ‘sahod’ buwan buwan umuuwi ng Pinas.”
“Ako na naman magcecelebrate ng pasko at bagong taon mag isa.”
“Ne, sobrang nakakapagod dito wala pakong kain nagkape lang ako.”
This time, she wants her mother to come back home as she finds a job to support her siblings.
“Ma, tumupad ako sa usapan nating kakayanin kong magtapos at hindi ako magloloko. Hindi lang ito para sakin para sa inyo to. Ma, oras na para ako naman yung tumulong…” she wrote her mom.
Minerva’s post went viral, with many netizens hoping all children would be like her. Many also wished her luck and hoped she could find a good job with a high pay so that she can truly fulfill her promise to her mother…
