At the End of the Long Day

I have once been asked during my job interviews here in Dubai about what was the best thing about the Philippines. In a stunning declaration, I said that aside from the spectacular and majestic natural beauty that God has endowed the Philippines, one incredible piece of heaven that you could ever find here on earth are the Filipino people. That amidst the hardest blowing wind, we are probably the most positively oriented humans in the world. That though we maybe lacking in riches and what you call economic prosperity, we still take it easy and never forget to celebrate.

It would definitely makes someone proud to hear those words but it feels better when you are in a place where you can exactly compare our race with the others. Here in Dubai where I work, it is inevitable that in one way or another, I have to deal with persons from other nationalities, either directly like having them for officemates or indirectly like seeing them in public places. It’s the true test of who we are in comparison with the rest. Blatantly, you can see how our attitudes differ in contrast with the Germans, the British, Indians, Chinese and Arab people.

At the end of the long day, I feel lucky to be Filipino. We maybe generally be short in height , brown in color and not as physically defined as the others but we are jolly and mighty in the real sense of the word. We are not known for having foul odors. We take good care of our hygiene religiously. We are not like Arabs in character, dominant, sadistic, abusive and lukewarm. We are mildly mannered, hospitable and generous. We are happy to be of help. We may not be as totally liberating as the West, but we are open to embracing changes for the better.

We are likeable and loved. We can bond with almost nationalities with ease and without fear of rejection. We can communicate well enough to be understood by all. We learn things fast and willingly whether it is an office job or something that require some specialized education or skills. We find so much fascination in other culture that sometimes we try to imitate everything we see in them, even the way they speak, the way they act and the way they dress up. But at the end of the long day, we love ours and we patronage ours. We take pride in our world class talents and products.

That what makes us truly unique and distinct. That kind of uniqueness that doesn’t isolate us but rather put us in a level where we are respected and admired in so many fields. Yes, we are just a small and scattered pieces on the map, but our hearts and mind is as solid and big enough to make a difference in this world. We are democratic and many times we have taken the course of our fate into our own hands ( How many more Edsa Revolt will follow?). We are religious and our history is as colorful as the kaleidoscope of colors of the setting sun. So many times, we were conquered, so many times we were divided, but at the end of the long day, we return home and act as one.

It’s not all good though, as nobody is perfect. We are also humans and hence we are bound to make mistakes. Inevitably, we experience injustice, inequality, discrimination and abuse in the hands of our fellowmen. Indirectly, we are being punished by the effects of corruption in the government, our people’s diminishing moral and our disgusting crab mentality. Poverty is rampant just as the rich becomes richer. The means for survival is becoming less affordable. This is evidenced by hundreds of us leaving our family behind and wanting to work abroad. But at the end of the long day, no amount of money can equate to the joys and pains of sharing your every moment with your loved ones back home. That we’d rather have bad times with them than to have good times somewhere else across the globe without our loved ones.

Having been out of the country working as an OFW for two years now, despite the conflicting struggles inherent of each so called new heroes, I feel honored and proud that I got to embody the essence of being born brown and black eyed. In my workplace, Filipinos are the superstars because we work hard and we work with dedication. Back home, I got to play a good citizen's role in providing for my familiy's needs and infusing much needed dollars to our economy in my own capacity. I just hope, that at the end of the long day, our sacrifices will serve as an inspiration for government to move forward and our families to rally behind our desire for a more fruitful lives.