Was there a time in your life when you thought “running away” was the only solution to your problem? Yes. It was year 1999. I was working in Makati with a monthly basic pay of P14,000.00 + Service Charge + Tips {I used to work as an Exec Sec to the GM in one of the fine dining restaurants in Makati}. Come to think of it, what I was receiving was almost equivalent to the offer that the Bahrain Employer had given me as a starting salary. To myself, I knew it was enough but not to the whole family, with a brother who goes to school everyday, a father who was sick during those times, and a mother who sees only the negative things due to our situation. I grabbed the opportunity mainly because of the pay and better benefits maybe, but along with it was to escape from reality. The more I see the problems right in front of me, the more I become weak inside me.  But because I didn’t want anyone to see me in that state, I chose to leave the country.

Somehow, that move made me stronger – a lot stronger yet a rewarding decision coz that’s where I built my own family. There maybe regrets in the past because of the decision that I made, but I guess I wouldn’t be me  – a better me, if not for that…

....................................................................................................................