Being an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) might give you a higher pay than your counterparts in the Philippines but you have to sacrifice time with family so you could work abroad to give them a better life.
Minerva Somejo of Tuguegarao, Cagayan is one of these OFWs who had to spend years away from their family so she could give them a chance to have a better future. All her hard work and sacrifices as teacher for 10 years at Maputo, Mozambique have finally paid off after her son passed the 2016 bar exams and her daughter also graduated from nursing!
The proud mom couldn’t wait to get back home to the Philippines to celebrate these milestones in her children’s lives and to finally retire now that they are all done with their studies; however, she still has to wait a few weeks before she is well enough to fly back home.
Some days before the bar exam results were released, Somejo went to a church in Mozambique to light a candle and pray for her son’s success. She slipped on the floor on her way out. As she tried to get up, she slumped back to the ground as her knees were injured in the fall.
“Nagsindi ako ng kandila sa altar dahil nga humihiling ako para makapasa ang anak ko, para makauwi na rin ako,” the 56-year-old teacher revealed.
Somejo was rushed to the hospital where she would later have to undergo knee surgery. The date of the surgery coincidentally fell on the day the board exams were released.
Immediately after learning about her son passing the bar exams, Somejo said she felt like shouting and jumping up and down but her knees still hurt so much from the surgery.
“Nagpasalamat ako sa Diyos kasi pinakinggan niya ako. Nung oras na iyon gusto kong tumalon, mag hiyaw-hiyaw pero hindi ako makagalaw kasi numb pa ang paa ko sa anaestheshia. Tuwang-tuwa ako kahit masakit na masakit, parang biglang nawala lahat ang hirap ko at gusto ko na lang talagang umuwi,” Somejo said.
Now that her children are finished with their studies, Somejoy said she’s ready to go back home.
She sacrificed time away from her children so they can succeed in life – and now she can finally come home and spend time with them. Isn’t this inspiring?