Everyone's Christmas wish: Family's Love and Presence
Published Dec 21, 2019 12:00 am
By Andrea Aro and Marjaleen Ramos
A whole family sitting around a dinner table filled with scrumptious food for Noche Buena- it’s a scene all too familiar for most Filipinos during Christmas.
(PIXABAY / MANILA BULLETIN)
But in every corner of the world, there is a child still longing to celebrate Christmas with his parents who were forced by circumstances to be in distant countries just to provide for their families back home.
And while these families could not be any more grateful for all the sacrifices that were made, their only wish through the years remains the same: to be able to spend the special occasion with the whole family.
Even if far apart from each other, these families still do their best to celebrate the holidays in a way as if there is no distance between them through video calls or even simple Christmas greetings on social media.
For Marx de Guzman, 21, whose mother is currently working in Taiwan, celebrating Christmas apart is not new, having already experienced this for over 16 years.
Marx de Guzman with his siblings and mother, Violeta de Guzman.
De Guzman was only five years old when his mother, Violeta de Guzman, 47, left them. He was raised by his grandmother since.
“Sobrang bata ko pa noong umalis si Mommy kaya hindi ko pa masyadong ramdam yung lungkot kasi may nagfu-fulfill ng kalinga na kailangan ko which is yung guardians ko and my Dad as well.”
But later on, high school years and so on, ramdam ko na yung lungkot not only for every Christmas but for the whole year na wala akong nanay. Iba kasi yung kalinga o pag-aalaga ng isang ina eh, never mo mararamdaman sa ibang tao kasi nag iisa lang yun sa mundo,” he shared.
De Guzman said he would always cherish every little moment whenever his mother had the chance to go home.
“Kaya every time na magbabakasyon siya dito sa Pilipinas, sinusulit ko na kahit sobrang ikli lang ng panahon para magkasama kami… Ayun yung pinaka namimiss ko-- yung pag-aalaga ng isang ina, kasi never ko naramdaman ‘yun in my life.”
“Then every time na ihahatid ko siya sa airport, sanay naman na kami, pero hindi na kami lumilingon at each other kasi any moment babagsak yung luha ko,” he continued.
As years passed by, their family got used to the setup and had created a new tradition where his mother would prepare her own Christmas meal and joins the family dinner through a video call so they would feel their mother’s presence.
While these video-messaging apps are a bit inconvenient, he said that it is better than nothing.
“At first sobrang hirap kasi hindi pa ganoon kaganda yung social media, hindi pa ganoon ka-hightech ang mga gadgets so low communication talaga.”
“We do call through smart phones but sobrang bilis lang kasi ang mahal ng load for international calls. Sobrang dalang din niya tumawag noon kasi ang mahal nga ng load. Once a month lang, if I’m not mistaken, tapos mabilis ang tawag lang. Sobrang hirap noon kasi hindi namin alam kung kamusta na ba sya… kung okay lang ba sya,” De Guzman shared.
He said he had to go to a computer shop to be able to talk to her mother as they could not afford to buy a laptop.
Just like any other child, De Guzman wishes nothing more than to have his mother back home, but he said he already has bigger plans for them.
“Gusto ko na magstop na talaga siya as worker and start to be a businesswoman. We have a lot of plans pa pero malapit lapit naman na.”
De Guzman advised other children to be strong and not to harbor ill feelings or resentment towards their absentee parents. “Wag na wag kayo magtatampo sa parents niyo na nasa abroad kasi sobrang hirap ng sacrifices na ginagawa nila para mapunan yung mga pangangailangan nyo and please do your responsibility as their child, kasi hindi pinupulot ang pera sa ibang bansa.”
“Mahalin nyo yung magulang nyo kasi wala silang kausap sa ibang bansa, sobra silang nalulungkot, kailangan nila ng kausap. It’s like a survival na kailangan nilang mabuhay at buhay pa ding uuwi ng Pilipinas.”
Angelica Pinet, 20, was only nine years old when her father, Edwin Pinet, left the country to work in Saudi Arabia.
Angelica with her siblings and father, Edwin Pinet.
Since a call overseas used to cost a fortune, their only way of communicating was through snail mail or letters.
“Dati kasi mahirap talaga. Dahil mahal yung call, short time lang kami nakakapagusap. Tapos super bihira lang kami makapag usap. Dati kasi naalala ko pa nag papadala kami ng letter sa kanya. Siya din nagpapadala sa amin. Late nga lang dadating,” she said.
According to Pinet, at first, they struggled a lot just to communicate. But now, they are able to greet each other through a video call during Christmas Eve.
Last year, Pinet’s father went home for Christmas and New Year, and it was the best Christmas celebration for her.
It may be hard to have your father live and work in a faraway place, but Pinet knows that her father only wants to give them a good life.
“For sure, hindi naman nila gusto na malayo sila sa atin. So in return, let's be great in what we do academics man yan or kahit sa anong ganap sa life, kasi yung parents natin nag sasacrifice for us,” she said.
Spending the holidays without a loved one always gives one’s heart a pinch.
Khimberly Baculo, 20, was also one of those who were left behind by parents who are Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs.
Khimberly with her brother and mother, Rosalinda Celestial.
“Pakiramdam ko hindi talaga buo yung Christmas. Ilang taon na din yung nagdaan na tuwing pasko, di ko siya nakakasama. Dati, nung bata ako, yung wish ko tuwing pasko puro material things. Ngayon, ang wish ko na lang ay makasama ko sya,” Baculo said.
At an early age, her mother, Rosalinda Celestial left them to work in Abu Dhabi.
She said her mother would go home every Christmas but eventually stopped in 2013. “Simula nung nag abroad siya nung 2007, never ko pa siya nakasama ng Christmas kasi never siya umuwi kasi pag summer vacation siya umuuwi.”
Baculo never got a chance to spend the Christmas again with her mother since Grade 1.
“Ang naalalala ko ay, nung bata pa kami, magsisimbang gabi kami ng 24 tapos tatanungin nya kami before christmas kung ano gusto namin kasi bibigay daw ni Santa (Claus). Tapos pag uwi namin galing sa simbang gabi, andun na yung gift sa kama na binigay daw ni Santa,” Baculo added.
Just like De Guzman and Pinet, Baculo and her family still celebrate Christmas with her mother through video call or chat.
“Ginigreet namin isat isa, like December 24 ng gabi, tatawag na siya samin tapos ayun babatiin namin isat isa,” she said.
Despite her longing to be with her mother again, Baculo understands and appreciates her mother’s sacrifice.
“Lahat naman ng ginagawa ng parents na nag aaboroad, ginagawa ng parents yun para sa anak, para magkaron ng maayos na buhay,” Baculo said.
(PIXABAY / MANILA BULLETIN)
But in every corner of the world, there is a child still longing to celebrate Christmas with his parents who were forced by circumstances to be in distant countries just to provide for their families back home.
And while these families could not be any more grateful for all the sacrifices that were made, their only wish through the years remains the same: to be able to spend the special occasion with the whole family.
Even if far apart from each other, these families still do their best to celebrate the holidays in a way as if there is no distance between them through video calls or even simple Christmas greetings on social media.
For Marx de Guzman, 21, whose mother is currently working in Taiwan, celebrating Christmas apart is not new, having already experienced this for over 16 years.
Marx de Guzman with his siblings and mother, Violeta de Guzman.
De Guzman was only five years old when his mother, Violeta de Guzman, 47, left them. He was raised by his grandmother since.
“Sobrang bata ko pa noong umalis si Mommy kaya hindi ko pa masyadong ramdam yung lungkot kasi may nagfu-fulfill ng kalinga na kailangan ko which is yung guardians ko and my Dad as well.”
But later on, high school years and so on, ramdam ko na yung lungkot not only for every Christmas but for the whole year na wala akong nanay. Iba kasi yung kalinga o pag-aalaga ng isang ina eh, never mo mararamdaman sa ibang tao kasi nag iisa lang yun sa mundo,” he shared.
De Guzman said he would always cherish every little moment whenever his mother had the chance to go home.
“Kaya every time na magbabakasyon siya dito sa Pilipinas, sinusulit ko na kahit sobrang ikli lang ng panahon para magkasama kami… Ayun yung pinaka namimiss ko-- yung pag-aalaga ng isang ina, kasi never ko naramdaman ‘yun in my life.”
“Then every time na ihahatid ko siya sa airport, sanay naman na kami, pero hindi na kami lumilingon at each other kasi any moment babagsak yung luha ko,” he continued.
As years passed by, their family got used to the setup and had created a new tradition where his mother would prepare her own Christmas meal and joins the family dinner through a video call so they would feel their mother’s presence.
While these video-messaging apps are a bit inconvenient, he said that it is better than nothing.
“At first sobrang hirap kasi hindi pa ganoon kaganda yung social media, hindi pa ganoon ka-hightech ang mga gadgets so low communication talaga.”
“We do call through smart phones but sobrang bilis lang kasi ang mahal ng load for international calls. Sobrang dalang din niya tumawag noon kasi ang mahal nga ng load. Once a month lang, if I’m not mistaken, tapos mabilis ang tawag lang. Sobrang hirap noon kasi hindi namin alam kung kamusta na ba sya… kung okay lang ba sya,” De Guzman shared.
He said he had to go to a computer shop to be able to talk to her mother as they could not afford to buy a laptop.
Just like any other child, De Guzman wishes nothing more than to have his mother back home, but he said he already has bigger plans for them.
“Gusto ko na magstop na talaga siya as worker and start to be a businesswoman. We have a lot of plans pa pero malapit lapit naman na.”
De Guzman advised other children to be strong and not to harbor ill feelings or resentment towards their absentee parents. “Wag na wag kayo magtatampo sa parents niyo na nasa abroad kasi sobrang hirap ng sacrifices na ginagawa nila para mapunan yung mga pangangailangan nyo and please do your responsibility as their child, kasi hindi pinupulot ang pera sa ibang bansa.”
“Mahalin nyo yung magulang nyo kasi wala silang kausap sa ibang bansa, sobra silang nalulungkot, kailangan nila ng kausap. It’s like a survival na kailangan nilang mabuhay at buhay pa ding uuwi ng Pilipinas.”
Angelica Pinet, 20, was only nine years old when her father, Edwin Pinet, left the country to work in Saudi Arabia.
Angelica with her siblings and father, Edwin Pinet.
Since a call overseas used to cost a fortune, their only way of communicating was through snail mail or letters.
“Dati kasi mahirap talaga. Dahil mahal yung call, short time lang kami nakakapagusap. Tapos super bihira lang kami makapag usap. Dati kasi naalala ko pa nag papadala kami ng letter sa kanya. Siya din nagpapadala sa amin. Late nga lang dadating,” she said.
According to Pinet, at first, they struggled a lot just to communicate. But now, they are able to greet each other through a video call during Christmas Eve.
Last year, Pinet’s father went home for Christmas and New Year, and it was the best Christmas celebration for her.
It may be hard to have your father live and work in a faraway place, but Pinet knows that her father only wants to give them a good life.
“For sure, hindi naman nila gusto na malayo sila sa atin. So in return, let's be great in what we do academics man yan or kahit sa anong ganap sa life, kasi yung parents natin nag sasacrifice for us,” she said.
Spending the holidays without a loved one always gives one’s heart a pinch.
Khimberly Baculo, 20, was also one of those who were left behind by parents who are Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs.
Khimberly with her brother and mother, Rosalinda Celestial.
“Pakiramdam ko hindi talaga buo yung Christmas. Ilang taon na din yung nagdaan na tuwing pasko, di ko siya nakakasama. Dati, nung bata ako, yung wish ko tuwing pasko puro material things. Ngayon, ang wish ko na lang ay makasama ko sya,” Baculo said.
At an early age, her mother, Rosalinda Celestial left them to work in Abu Dhabi.
She said her mother would go home every Christmas but eventually stopped in 2013. “Simula nung nag abroad siya nung 2007, never ko pa siya nakasama ng Christmas kasi never siya umuwi kasi pag summer vacation siya umuuwi.”
Baculo never got a chance to spend the Christmas again with her mother since Grade 1.
“Ang naalalala ko ay, nung bata pa kami, magsisimbang gabi kami ng 24 tapos tatanungin nya kami before christmas kung ano gusto namin kasi bibigay daw ni Santa (Claus). Tapos pag uwi namin galing sa simbang gabi, andun na yung gift sa kama na binigay daw ni Santa,” Baculo added.
Just like De Guzman and Pinet, Baculo and her family still celebrate Christmas with her mother through video call or chat.
“Ginigreet namin isat isa, like December 24 ng gabi, tatawag na siya samin tapos ayun babatiin namin isat isa,” she said.
Despite her longing to be with her mother again, Baculo understands and appreciates her mother’s sacrifice.
“Lahat naman ng ginagawa ng parents na nag aaboroad, ginagawa ng parents yun para sa anak, para magkaron ng maayos na buhay,” Baculo said.