I’m not leaving…yet
Despite my previous post about how bad things are with health care here in the Philippines, I’m still staying put.
The Philippines is home. It is home to my family, to my friends, to my child.
My grandfathers both came over, in the post war era, to seek better opportunities here. My then-16 year old paternal grandfather, the second of three sons was tasked to “find money” to support the family. He came over with nothing but the clothes on his back and not knowing a word of either English or Tagalog. There was already a community of Chinese settlers by then, and with a little help from his countrymen, he was eventually able to build a business and better his life. He eventually went back to China to marry my grandmother. He left her in China while preparing to bring his family over. He was eventually able to bring his wife and 2 sons over. The rest of their children were already born here.
The history of my maternal grandfather is a little more vague for me since he already passed away before I was born. But from what I learned, he had a hardware store in Iloilo and sent all his earnings to his wife (my grandmother) who settled in Hong Kong.
After my maternal grandfather passed away, my grandmother and my mother came to the Philippines to sell off his business. While here, my mother was introduced to my father. The rest is history. They got married and had kids, the oldest being me. 
We are born and raised here, we had our schooling here, most of our family and our friends are here. Our roots have grown deep in this former “land of opportunity”, as seen by the older generation Chinese. I also met and married my husband here, and we now have a small family of three.
Despite the fact that the Philippines has since lagged behind its neighbors in terms of progress, it is still home in a way no other place is.
As long as we can earn enough for our needs — the basics of food (3 meals a day for our family), clothing and shelter (our own place), get my son a good quality education and the best health care for all of us, as well as prospects for a good retirement…we’re still staying. Will that be too much to ask for?
Yup, it’s a home in a way NO place is. Galing. I love reading the posts, like this one, in this week’s TBR. Very inspiring.
April 29th, 2008 at 8:19 am“If we don’t ask that much,we wouldn’t be looking somewhere else..” The bare necessities will all make us heart Philippines!
Great post Joey!
OT: When would you want to host TBR?Thanks in advance!
April 30th, 2008 at 12:52 amHome is really where the heart is
April 30th, 2008 at 5:46 pmSometimes the simple things in life is what really counts.
It’s really difficult to describe what “home” really means to everybody. It’s where you thrive and where you feel most comfortable with. And yes, where your heart is :). Thanks to everybody who visited!
Bone MD — I’ll be glad to host a future edition of TBR. Thanks for inviting me. Maybe the May 20 edition?
May 1st, 2008 at 3:40 amhi joey,
May 1st, 2008 at 6:07 amthat’s great! i have never imagined myself living in another country, as well.
Not too much to ask for Doc Joey. Simple needs lang. Simple joys. Yan ang Pinoy. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
May 1st, 2008 at 6:58 pmi want to try a life abroad with my family because I want to see how deducted taxes are translated into tangible things we can enjoy… but I know that there can be no other place that would feel like home than our motherland…
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 amIt feels great knowing people still love our home country.
I believe most people leave because they feel that their simple needs are not fulfilled. But a lot of them still long to be home.
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:35 pmThis has been one of the questions I have asked myself for the longest time to the point that I am already redundant. But the Philippines does have a certain charm to it
May 8th, 2008 at 2:07 pmTahn — Yes it does
May 13th, 2008 at 4:40 am[...] only one in our family who was not enthusiastic about my ambition was my grandfather. He wanted me to become an accountant. He actually “bribed” me by saying [...]
May 18th, 2008 at 2:51 am