The iSavta Team | 13.11.2019

For the longest time, Filipinos have been a victim of racism and degrading blow of people who don't even have any clue of what's going on in our country. Our culture, tradition, way of life and our struggles. How we became a country which exports people instead of goods? How have we become so visible all over the world? Why have we decided to leave our country for good and live in a place where we can't even speak the language? How have we survived the humiliations? And how have we celebrated the appreciations? I still can't forget the first time I reached the holy soil of Israel. It was 7 years ago and I was tasked to take care of an 80 year old woman somewhere in Tel-Aviv. The family has been very kind and supportive. I can say, I was liked and loved by everyone. But there are a couple of doubts and curiosity on their side which hinders them to fully trust me, especially the old woman. It's her first time to have a Metapelet to live with her, eat with her, bath her, help her. I understand it was really a big adjustment that she had to make. I had episodes of anger-attack when she used to comment on everything that I do. She didn't want me to turn on the washing machine alone, to turn the TV on or even just to hold the remote control, to operate the microwave oven, or use the vacuum cleaner. It's all because, according to her, "I'm from the Philippines and I don't have it at home". She was thinking that it would be my first time to use such things and I might destroy it. My patience went weary from time to time but I held my myself and let her say whatever insult she wants to throw at me. Can I blame her for having that kind of perception when all she knew about the Philippines was Imelda Marcos with more than a thousand pair of shoes? Can I spat on her face and say... "I have even a flat screen 42 inches TV at home bigger than your bulky 24-inch old TV." " I have washing machine at home with automatic dryer." "I have a big vacuum cleaner that can clean even the smallest speck of dust inside your nose." Well, you can only rant silently at the corner and get on with your job for you are just a Caregiver from the third-world country and there's nothing more important than your job and the salary you will receive every 10th of the month. Period! Regardless of whatever insults and humiliations you received from ignorant people, you still have to push yourself and expand your patience for you not to deter your focus on your purpose. Recently, a certain Devina DeDiva became an instant Internet Sensation following her comments about Filipino's victory on Miss World 2013. We've been very proud of Miss Megan Young who won and crowned as the most beautiful woman in the world. It was held in Indonesia a couple of days ago and the Miss Philippines bagged the crown. This Devina DeDiva posted a comment on her facebook account saying "Miss Philippines is Miss World? What a joke! I did not know those maids have anything else on them" She also added, "they are poor, smelly from cleaning toilets and uneducated." It went viral on social media sites and Netizens went crazy especially Filipinos who saw and read all the articles about it. Several facebook "Haters of Devina DeDiva" emerged from nowhere and had over 11,000 likes for a just a couple of hours. I had my blood raised over my throat too when I learned about it. How could one person make such rude comments about other people? I was thinking, maybe she had a very bad experience with Filipinos or she's just one of those ignorant people who has no clue about us and doesn't even know where to find us on the map. But, no matter how difficult it is to endure these hateful comments, we Filipinos has still a lot of things to be proud of. The fact that there are millions of Filipinos all over the world, could be a positive thing. How come we are so in demand when it comes to skilled works? And why do you think there are so many families in the world who are willing to welcome us in their homes, trusting us with their children, with their parents? Why hospitals abroad prefer to hire Filipino nurses and caregivers than other nationalities? With all these unpleasant brutalities in this world, it seems that you cannot trust anybody anymore. Why would they trust a total Filipino stranger with their lives? It's because we have something good in us. We are poor, yes. We are poor in material things but we are rich in values. Some of us may go astray but most of us are honest and hard-working people. Filipinos are known to be the most caring and sincere people in this planet. We may be tag as the country of Domestic Helpers but it's one of the noblest job in the world. But most of all, we have to be proud of ourselves because we are doing all these sacrifices for our FAMILY - the foundation of society. If there's someone, anyone, who will try to put you down because you are JUST a Filipino and a housemaid, let that person know that no matter what he will do with his life and how successful he can be, he can never do what you are capable to do. And that makes you more HUMAN than he could be.