Author Topic: Pinoys in the US: To stay or not to stay?  (Read 947 times)

lumine

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Pinoys in the US: To stay or not to stay?
« on: July 01, 2007, 07:14:01 PM »

WORDS WORTH By Mons Romulo- Tantoco
Sunday, July 1, 2007


We hear of Filipinos wanting to migrate to another country, particularly the US, and also stories of how our kababayans have conquered and successfully made a name for themselves abroad. Their triumphs make us and our country proud. But after all their success, does it mean they have chosen to stay abroad for good or do they still long to go back to the Philippines?

Here are successful Filipinos in the United States who have made a name for themselves in their respective fields, sharing with us their dilemma over whether to remain abroad or go back home.

GINA ALFONSO, founder, Cartwheel Foundation Inc. Philippines (www.cartwheel foundation.org); Art Therapist Inc. S.T.R.E.S.S. Centre, Virginia: A very close Jesuit family friend, Fr. Rafael Borromeo SJ, made it easy for me to make a decision when I was confronted with this question more than a decade ago after just finishing a program in NYC. He said, “Whenever you are confused about where to go or what to

do, remember, you belong where you are needed most.” This prompted me to return to Manila and to experience the eight most fruitful years I’ve had at home. Now that I’m back in the US and grappling with the same question, the same advice has led me to a different “place.” I find myself deciding to want to travel back and forth, be a bridge to connect my little world in the US with my work in the Philippines.

RICA CAMPOS, English instructor: The practical realities of life dictate, at least for now, that the US is home for us. The question is a two-sided issue for me: one is the desire to be physically close with my loved ones and all things familiar; the other is the desire to be able to contribute to the community.  The first issue is easily dealt with by going home to visit as often as I can; the other issue is a little bit more challenging. What helps is when we are able to hold fundraising events that benefit organizations for the less fortunate back home.   

BING CARDENAS BRANIGIN, community and media liaison, National Federation: I consider the Philippines still my home. That’s the reason I go home one month a year or twice or thrice. There are several non-profit organizations that I am an active member of and we give scholarships, housing, books, feeding programs, etc. to our kababayans back home. When my husband retires, we will split the year between the US and the Philippines. Life in the Philippines is less stressful. We love the waters and where better to spend our years but in Boracay, Panglao or Palawan. Then there are the unspoiled beaches in Curimao, Ilocos Norte and San Esteban, Ilocos Sur. Deep inside, I never left the Philippines. It will always be my home.

CHERYL CUENCA MADLANSACAY, account executive: Of course I would love to go back and settle in our homeland! My roots are there, most of my family and friends are there, and what can compare to the exhilarating Filipino lifestyle? But having gotten married only a year ago, it may take quite a few more years of settling down with my new family before we think of that step. 

EDI SIAN, micro-finance consultant: I firmly believe that everyone has the choice to leave. In fact, I encourage people to grab the opportunity presented. Working or studying abroad enables people to learn new skills, gain overseas networks, and put the Philippines in the right perspective. A person goes home when he/she is ready to go home... when personal and professional incentives align and make the decision obvious. That timing may happen early on or much later and sometimes it never comes. Gemma Nemenzo wrote in her book Heart in Two Places: “In this global village we live in, a person’s character is not determined by his leaving the country to live and work in another land. It is defined by how he gives back to the community that nurtured him.”

DR. ARLENE MARIE A. LORICA, infant to adolescent medicine: I have decided to go back to the Philippines to share my knowledge and training.  Having been a government scholar since high school, my Philippine education allowed me to enjoy the comforts and blessings of life in the United States. I was raised by parents dedicated to service, with bishops and nuns in my immediate family, who all instilled in me the desire to give back and serve with all that that I have. I want to go back within 10 years, when my youngest daughter will be well adjusted in college and my son will have graduated college and can begin contributing to society.

MITZI PICKARD, assistant director for development, Asia Society: The recent panel discussion on this topic sponsored by the UP Alumni Association-DC, Maryland and Virginia (UPAA) and Embassy of the Philippines was timely and thought-provoking. After careful debate and deliberation, I thought it best to stay in Washington, DC, after college and continue graduate studies for professional purposes. Nevertheless, I feel that I’ve been a strong advocate for the Philippines through my active involvement and participation in various Filipino-American community causes that benefit projects like Bantay Bata, Gawad Kalinga, Feed the Hungry, Inc., educational/school projects, medical missions, etc. For example, when PACC-DC held its Monte Carlo Casino Night this past May, a portion of our proceeds went towards a PACC-DC/Gawad Kalinga livelihood project. I agree that “home is where the heart is” but I am also a firm believer in what Jose Rizal said: “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinangalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan.” 

WILMA GONZALES BUENAOBRA, professor, George Washington University: I love the United States, where I have spent most of my adult life, specifically my home of the past several decades, the Metropolitan Washington, DC, area.  It is a well-planned city, where the gardens are well-tended, where restful parks and memorials abound. I reside in a nearby suburb in very quite subdivision. I can walk, jog, ride a bike any time of the day, or night, without fear. I love witnessing and feeling the miracle and magic of the changing of the seasons here. I have the freedom to dress up or dress down without reservation, to speak without fear or retribution. However, I am afraid I left my heart in the Philippines. For, in the final analysis, while culled in my environment as a working city girl who is comfortable in high heels, makeup and a sharp business suit, I am but a little Filipina country girl at heart.  It is the hospitality, sincerity and warmth that make Filipinos unforgettable. I have been the recipient of these amazing qualities whenever I visit the country. It is not the place, but the people that matter most to me. I am going back!

SIGRID G. ZIALCITA, director, Cushman & Wakefield of Virginia Inc.: While I have resided in the US for almost 12 years now, I still have the strong desire to go back to the Philippines. Manila will always be my home. Of course, I will always be grateful for the myriad opportunities that America has provided me on a personal and professional level, particularly equipping me with an education that has allowed me to build and nurture a career that I have passion for. However, it is my ultimate goal to return to the Philippines, be reunited with family (my parents and siblings are all Manila-based), and contribute my share in building an economic future for our motherland. 

source: Philippine Star

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Re: Pinoys in the US: To stay or not to stay?
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2012, 10:02:17 PM »
There is no place like home. When all has been said and done, we shall all return to our roots.

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Re: Pinoys in the US: To stay or not to stay?
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2012, 10:45:45 PM »
He said, “Whenever you are confused about where to go or what to do, remember, you belong where you are needed most.”

The question is, who determines where you are needed most... ::)


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