We had the module on “Mission and Migration” facilitated by Fr. Danny Pilario, CM from May 7th to 9th. The following topic is one of the reflections from one of our participants.
picture is taken at the end of module thanking Fr. Danny
DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE OF MIGRANT LIFE
Enrique Sonsona Oliveros, Jr. (Eking)
The module ‘Mission and Migration’ was started with a Film Anak of Vilma Santos, an OFW mother and Cluadine Baretto as Anak (daughter) of Vilma. The movie was very touching and had a big impact on me as I continued the session. I was reminded of a life of young boy. His mother died when he was nine years old studying grade four. His father, together with his five siblings migrated to a faraway place with a hope and a dream of having a better life. The boy carried along with him the memory of his passed away mother. He had always felt the absence of his mother in his life as he grew up. His father was an ordinary man who is not much educated. Being a stranger in that foreign land they started to feel out of place from the culture, languages, food, lifestyle, and the people around them. It was very hard for him to adjust himself with the situation over there. A feeling of sense of doubt and of being out of place is started. In addition to that he felt that he stood at the wrong corner in a place where seemed to be slipping away from his mother just as he tried to define or describe it.
In spite of the feeling of loneliness and lack of his mother who provides a hug, kisses, motivation and even joke he tried to survive and move on. He worked hard and strived in his studies. Sometimes he worked as a promo merchandiser of a certain products, packer, and a store clerk. Because of his dream to finish his college he applied for a working student. He became a office clerk assistant in the entire university while he was studying.
At present he is doing job and discerning his future life. He even finished helping some of his siblings to finish their college. He is able to develop himself because of his experiences in life. He attended a lot of seminars, spiritual activities in order to grow up his personality in a healthy manner. But he felt something lacking in his life that is of the love of his mother. He realized this feeling whenever he meets the grown up woman. He tries to seek motherly affection from them.
What I realize from this story is that there is no holistic growth because of the young man is a victim of what so called “broken homes” at the early age of his life he suffered a lot of Moral Care (discipline and socialization to be good and acceptable members of society) problem, Emotional Care (provision of emotional security, warmth and affection) problem and Material Care (provision of physical needs) problem. Furthermore, he also experienced the migrant emotion like the absence of his mother when he was a child going to the school. He felt the gap caused by our physical separation especially he missed a lot about his mother packing a lunch box for him, because that’s what her mother used to do when he was a child. He began to think further that at this moment my mother should have been taking care of me, even she make sure that I remove sweat from my body.
This experience challenges me to face the reality willingly and thank God for all his blessings in my life. It gives me strength to continue my life on this earth. Also, I really believe that this experience of life continues and takes a long process to overcome migrated life. It is very important to go along with the people wherever we are together with their laughter’s and cries. If not I can bring this until I die then that’s the time I can talk to God and asks that question – Where are you in this trouble?
I thank God for giving me this opportunity to participate in EUNTES program! BASTA IKAW LORD!!!
