I’m not a huge Sharon Cuneta fan…well I’m huge, but not a Sharon Cuneta fan…but I sure am looking forward to that movie of hers, Caregiver. Looks like another tear-jerker. I dunno, for some reason, I find myself drawn to her less “hysterical” films - Nang Iniwan Mo Ako, Madrasta and now this new one.
I was a caregiver once. Well, for approximately 2 days and 2 nights. It was something I will never forget and something I will never ever regret doing. Wala akong makitang sideline nun. It was less than 2 years ago and I was looking for a money-earning diversion. Pang-shopping baga. (Pauwi-uwi pa ako ng Pinas nun, if you get my drift). Anyways, asking around brought me to an office in the north side in need of a temporary companion for an elderly lady. I clarified, “companion ha?”, and they assured me that indeed, that is the case. So off I went to this southwest suburb.
By the first night, I was crying alone at the dinner table. My definition of companion, is worlds apart from the agency’s. Duh. First I called B and told him about my situation, then I called the manager and asked to be let off this assignment. As expected, he cannot pull me out as nobody can be called upon to replace me at such short notice. So I wiped my tears and continued with the tasks at hand. The next day, the manager called again and told me that somebody will be coming tomorrow. Whew.
I will not go into details here about what made me cry. Medyo censored eh - not for those with a weak stomach. Okay, I’m sure I can be classified as maarte, or better yet, maselan. But let it not be said that I shy away from work if work has to be done. I’ve been taught how to do everything from cooking, ironing, doing the laundry, basic sewing and house cleaning, and although life here has made the laundry and house cleaning part easy, I still do the chores. But nothing has prepared me for that level of “caregiving”. Wala, dude. So hindi yung trabaho ang inayawan ko, yung certain “characteristics”.
That was an eye-opening experience for me and my respect for those who chose to go into that line of work, has increased a hundredfold. Hindi biro yang trabaho na yan at hindi biro yung hirap at lungkot na malayo ka sa pamilya mo at lahat ng bagay na pamilyar.
Sana lang mas maalagaan pa ng husto ng gobyerno ang mga OFWs. After all, it’s come to that, human resources na ang prime export natin.
28 May 2008 at 16:51
ako pasado sa requirements mo - i’m huge and i’m a sharon cuneta fan hehe.
my aunts have a caregiving business and i have, more or less, an idea of what it entails. hindi talaga madali kaya i applaud all the caregivers in the world for doing what they do.
and yes, yung gobyerno should really care for its HR. it’s the least they can do for everything that the OFWs have done to help keep the country afloat with their dollar earnings.
29 May 2008 at 10:05
sana ang culture at perception natin sa mga OFWs ay mabago na rin. kasi kahit anong ganda ng programa ng gobyerno para sa mga bagong bayani kung ang expectations at pagtingin ng mga tao, lalo na yung malalapit sa OFW, ay napakadali lang ang buhay ng OFW, nawawalan din ng saysay ang paghihirap nila. isipin mo naman kung paano tipirin nila ang pagkain sa ibang bansa para lang me pang-inuman sila pagdating sa ‘pinas, di ba? o kaya eh kelangang me pasalubong lagi kahit wala na ngang trabaho sa ibang bansa. haaay!