Outstanding

What makes someone outstanding?

This was the first thing I had in mind when I received the award as One of 2007 Outstanding Filipinos in Malaysia from the Embassy of the Philippines in Kuala Lumpur. That fateful day, 21 October 2007. His Excellency, Jose Brillantes, Ambassador to Cananda, expounded on the importance of being who you are in a place where you need to show them what being a Filipino is. I was also touched by the words of Atty. Josephus B. Jimenez, Labor Attache, when he said that these Filipinos never tire of giving the best of themselves in any circumstances.

From Penang I traveled to the capital city with Obet, a friend, and stayed at the FWRC (Filipino Workers Resource Center) for the night. While there, I met several other Filipinos trying their luck away from home and their stories were inspiring. Stories like theirs are the ones that can make a tear jerker movie a huge box-office hit. They are the sorts that qualify for a Maalaala Mo Kaya slot. Their stories are touching, and so real.

FWRC, a haven for Filipinos in Malaysia, is a training center for the upgrading and development of skills and values. Most of those who registered for courses are in domestic help or work in factories. Filipinos love to learn. These people, instead of spending rest time and holidays to something else, choose to take advantage of these opportunities to learn cooking, baking, dressmaking, reflexology, computers, accounting, communication, Philippine laws, among others. The resource persons, who are not being paid for teaching, are volunteers. Some of these volunteers are those who have undergone the courses themselves. Amazing!

During the long ceremony, I am a witness to the happiness of these people while receiving their medals for the best in cooking or best in sewing or best in computer. They would have not thought that this is still possible. Yet, they are not too old to study and learn. They are living proofs that when you think you can, then you can. They may have lost the opportunity back home; but never have lost hope in life. Somewhere somehow that hope still exists. And that hope beckons them to a better and meaningful life.

Despite the struggles and difficulties encountered being away from loved ones, Filipinos in Malaysia continue to make a mark. In whatever capacity they can, Filipinos show that they have what it takes to be someone.

One may be a domestic helper but that does not stop her to be active in community service, reaching to abused, desperate, and lonely Filipinos in this part. He may be a factory worker but that does not stop him to teach folk dancing and singing after work. She may be a teacher but that does not stop her from spending time with the other Filipinos seeking assistance. She may be out of work (for the time being) but there is more work to be done with fellow Filipinos. He may be an engineer but he has the heart to gather the Filipinos in the neighborhood to form a Filipino association.

These are some of the marvelous Filipinos I had the opportunity to meet. They have their stories. They have their struggles. They have their victories. However, no matter where the shapes of events take them, they do not forget who they are. They still reach out to those in need, and give more if need be.

Filipinos have a heart for others. They know how to deal with the roughest times and come out successful with it. They have a way with people. They do ordinary things in extraordinary ways. And that what makes them special.

To call them unique is an understatement. To call them otherwise is a mistake. There is only one word appropriate for them...