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| Nanay Evangeline is congratulated by President Bongbong Marcos after being introduced by DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac at the Bagong Bayani awards |
Former Hong Kong domestic worker Evangeline Isla was given special mention by Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac in a Facebook post on Saturday, Nov. 22, after she represented her engineer-daughter at the Bagong Bayani awards in Malacanang two days earlier.
Nanay Evangeline, proudly stood on the podium at Malacanang's ceremonial hall in place of her daughter, Qatar-based engineer
Romaline Isla, who was named “outstanding employee.”
Secretary Cacdac said in his post, “Maari pong sabihin na dalawang OFWs po ang
pinarangalan natin sa isang tropeo at medalya.” (It could be said that we
honored two OFWs with a trophy and a medal).
“Malugod po silang
kinilala ng ating mahal na Pangulo sa “Palace of the People”. (Both were
warmly received by our beloved President in the ‘Palace of the People.’)
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| Roma's poster shot during the awards rites |
Nanay Evangeline told The SUN that she began her OFW journey in Saudi
Arabia together with her husband Rolando where they both worked for five years, before she
moved on, alone, to Hong Kong, to continue working as a domestic helper
for another 15 years.
In Hong Kong, Nanay Evangeline had some of his worst
experiences as an OFW, including being shouted at and poked in the face by her
female employer from the mainland.
“Mabuti na
lang at mabait ang asawa niya na Australyano kaya ako nakatagal,” she told
The SUN. (Luckily, her husband who is Australian, was nice, so I managed to
hold on).
She was also lucky in that her husband agreed to
settle down in their Pangasinan hometown so he could do odd carpentry jobs
while looking after their four children.
It was her children, the eldest of whom was Romaline
or Roma, who kept her going, said Nanay Evangeline.
“Gusto ko
silang makatapos lahat. Ayaw ko silang matulad sa akin na domestic helper,”
she said, the memory still fresh in her mind. (I wanted all of them to complete
their studies. I did not want any of them to become a domestic helper like me).
Her effort paid off when Roma went abroad, not as a
domestic helper, but as an accomplished engineer, and quickly rose through the ranks.
Recently, Roma moved on to a renowned construction
firm in Doha where she was made an environmental manager, and because she could
not yet go on vacation leave, asked the person who played a key part in her
success - her mother - to represent her at the awards rites.
Seeing Roma so honored made Nanay Evangeline doubly
proud and happy, for she not only fulfilled her wishes for her children, her
daughter also showed how an OFW could shine and help uplift the country abroad.
