Turning Japanese

I went to the reception of the christening of my niece's son today. There was nothing special about the restaurant, we had bird's nest soup, and 6 Chinese entrees afterwards. The nice thing about these gatherings is you get to meet old friends, acquaintances, neighbors, etc. and to my pleasant surprise I saw Totot. Totot finished Computer Engineering if I was not mistaken at Adamson University. I later learned that she was having difficulty landing a job after graduation in the late 90's and she somehow ended going to Japan to become a "Cultural Entertainer".

Totot was a very shy girl, the type you would not imagine entertaining people for a living. Anyways, there she was at the reception and she looked extremely different from the last time I talked to her. The last time I talked to her was at the Bus Stop more than a decade ago, we were both waiting for our ride on our way to school. She was a freshman and excited about becoming a Computer Engineer. It was fun talking to her then because she really seemed wide eyed for all the glowing possibilities of a future Engineer. However at the reception, you won’t easily recognize her from a decade ago, aside from the fact that she looks thinner, she seemed to have acquired a different fashion sense because she looks more daring. On a positive note she looks more assured of herself, exudes confidence, and ready to take on anybody.

Totot was able to provide for her family, her parents and 3 male siblings. I heard that she was able to build an apartment building. One of the reasons why Totot decided to try her luck in Japan was because of the success story of Angge. Angge’s story is closer to my heart.

Angge was a childhood friend and she is 3 years older than me. Angge became my friend and playmate because her mom would always tag her along in our house when she was doing our laundry. Our friendship goes way back pre-school. In our tender age I have noticed early on Angge’s strong personality. Why did I say this, well, for starters even though I own all the toys we were playing with, we always end up with Angge’s concept on how we should play with the toys. At a very young age she seemed to have a very clear idea on what she wants to be as a person. I distinctly remember how she would tell me that she would emulate Maria Clara until she becomes an adult. She will never wear make up and she would stay a virgin until she marries her husband.

Angge was a lovechild, her father seldom visits her and she was raised almost solely by her mother. I also remember how her mom would always ask for money from my mom for her enrollment at the public elementary school. It was not easy to raise a child solely from doing laundry. But despite all these Angge was able to finish a degree of Electronics and Communications Engineering from the PUP. We were all proud of Angge and her mom, against all odds Angge was able to finish school. Angge’s graduation from college should have been the start of their fairy tale ending of happily ever after….

Right after graduation Angge started looking for a job. I know that after almost 21 years of doing laundry, Angge would like to give her mom the rest she deserves. However, days, weeks, and months have passed and Angge could not land a job. The best job she could land is as a cashier at an SM department store. After toiling for years to send her daughter for school Angge’s mom was still doing laundry for us. I even remember the day I found Angge during her day off helping her mom doing the laundry when I got home from school. I could only offer a smile to Angge and her mom but my heart is breaking for both of them. They deserve more than this.

After more than a year of working at SM, Angge decided to join the bandwagon of young beautiful Filipinas who would try their luck in Japan as a “Cultural Entertainer.” After a couple of months in Japan, Angge’s mother finally retired from her laundry job. Years have passed and Angge did not waste the time she spent in Japan. She now owns several houses for rent, sends her daughter to Montessori and owns two cars.

These are my first hand account on how hard it is to make a decent living as a Filipino. Should you ask me the following questions, am I proud of these two Filipinas? I would say to you that I am very proud of them both. Am I happy for them? My answer would be a big NO, they deserve more than this.