They say that the youngest child in the family is usually the baby of the entire clan. But sometimes that isn’t how life turns out. Sometimes, the youngest among the children will step and up take charge of the care of their parents, even when it means leaving home and working in a foreign land.
Earlier this year, MoneyGram launched a contest to find and pay tribute to some modern-day Filipino heroes: those that live in foreign land, away from their families and endure the pain of separation in order to provide a better life for those they leave behind.
One of these stories was of a daughter who sought a better life for the parents who raised her, and went to one of the most progressive counties in Asia to seek her fortune.
The youngest of three
49-year-old Geraldine Tabanera speaks lovingly of her youngest daughter Rogene. She left a year and a half ago to work as a factory worker in Japan, and has not been home since. However she does speak with her parents almost every day, thanks to the wonders of instant messaging and Facebook.
Rogene comes from a relatively small family. Before she left, she lived with her parents, two older brothers, and her eldest brother’s three children. She knew she wanted more, and even though she had only finished high school, she found a way to go abroad to work.
It’s always hard when an OFW leaves home. Rogene’s father, Rodolfo Tabanera, feels the distance most keenly. “Pinakamasakit po sa akin ang mawalay sa aking bunsong anak,” he shares. (It’s very painful for me to be apart from my youngest daughter.)
Rogene must also miss her family terribly, but for now video calls and frequent chatting fill the void. Sometimes the family calls her up, and sometimes she reaches out to them. And every time they talk, it strengthens her resolve to keep going, despite the difficulties she faces in being far from home.
Always dreaming of the future
As with most OFWs, Rogene works in order to send money back to her family in the Philippines. “She’s really a big help to us and to our daily living,” her mother shares. “She’s a good daughter and always thinks of how she can make our life better. When there’s anything we need, she sends money right away.”
Remittances from Rogene arrive like clockwork at least once a month, depending on her family’s needs. She also makes sure that they put away a little money towards their dreams. “She has many dreams. She says she wants to give us our own big house, a jeepney use for daily income, and help her brother (Kuya Ke) to complete his ECE course.” The last goal is close at hand, because this year, her Kuya enters his fourth year of school.
These aren’t her only dreams, though. Rogene doesn’t want to stay in Japan forever. For now, her goal is to save up enough to establish a stable business here in the Philippines and return home to run it.
MoneyGram makes it easy
Both Rogene’s parents appreciate how MoneyGram allows Rogene’s hard-earned money to arrive without a hitch. “Mabilis, napakabilis, at laging maaasahan,” they say. (It’s fast, very fast and always reliable.)
Many other OFW families choose MoneyGram because it’s so easy to use – they just visit any of the over 350,000 partner locations worldwide, and once they see how easy and reliable it is for their families back in the Philippines, they usually visit any of the location nearest to them right away!
Not only can MoneyGram be used to transfer money reliably and easily, it can also be used to pay your bills, estimate transfer fees, and track transactions.