Where happiness strikes
Ngunit kahit na anong mangyari, ang pag-ibig sana’y maghari. Sapat nang si Hesus ang kasama mo, tuloy na tuloy pa rin ang Pasko. — APO Hiking Society
A couple of weeks ago, a promotional video from a big multinational company went viral over social networking sites and people were sharing how they were moved to tears of joy. The video, as most already know, was how the said company brought home OFWs who have not been able to return to their families for years. Although a promotional tool, the marketing video was extremely effective as it touched many levels of the Filipino psyche. It emphasized the love for family, the value of hard work and sacrifice, and the hope that one day, the OFW will finally return home to their loved ones for whom they have toiled long and hard.
This Christmas season, the video invites us to pause and appreciate how God comes to our world through the Filipino. The video captures how we essentially value human relationships as part of our culture. The video features three OFWs who worked in very progressive countries and had well-paying jobs. For some cultures, this is already tantamount to a successful life. It was clear from the ad, however, that we view our career simply as a means to achieve the end goal of expressing our love to our family. The Filipino does not look for meaning in material possessions and career advancement. Rather, we use our achievements to enrich not ourselves but our relationships with other people, most especially, but not limited to, our families.
This idea shines through in many of the snippets featured in the news nowadays. There was this remarkable story of two street children and their mother who returned a bag, with P10,000 cash in it, at a radio station so that the rightful owner could come and pick it up. The mother and her children were homeless, but they could not find it in themselves to deprive others of their hard-earned money.
Just a few days ago, President Noynoy Aquino traveled to devastated Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, leaving behind people in NCR who took the opportunity to lambast the President for attending a party in the middle of the tragedy. Upon his arrival however, the President was greeted by the actual survivors with gratitude and hope. Overwhelmed by the people’s response, the President’s official account twitted pictures with these thought-provoking words: “mga ngiti sa gitna ng pighati.”
Elsewhere, the Filipino continues to spread happiness through compassion and empathy. Fil-Am nurse Michael Tagadaya was recently commended by the New York Times for his contribution to health care. What was he recognized for? It was for his projects that sought to alleviate the worries of families of patients and his idea of creating new staff positions to resolve shortcomings but at the same time, create more employment opportunities amid the economic recession.
Talking about nurses, there are many stories, too, of how foreign elders valued our Filipino caregivers so much that they chose to give all of their inheritance to our countrymen instead of their own kin for they were the only ones who took care of them in their old age. As Filipinos, we could only surmise that our kababayans did not simply go through routine elderly care. We are sure they offered their services with candid warmth, genuine concern, and utmost respect.
This particular story reminds me of an actual Christmas miracle I witnessed at a foreign airport a few years ago. I was waiting for the arrival of a family member at Changi airport in Singapore when I noticed a Singaporean-Chinese family waiting beside me. Curiously, I watched out for whom they were waiting for. To my surprise, the family jumped for joy upon seeing a Filipina exit the airport doors. Quickly approaching her, the young father was teary-eyed and quickly offered to carry her suitcase. The mother welcomed her with an embrace and the two children clung to her legs and grabbed one hand each of their yaya as they walked out of the airport, seemingly as one family. I do not know if the Singaporean family is Catholic or Christian, but I know that more than any other household in Singapore, it was theirs where Christmas is alive and resplendent, thanks to a Filipina domestic helper whose service transcended cultural barriers by sharing love and concern beyond her duties as a kasambahay.
And that is my only caveat to the video I mentioned at the beginning of this column. It asks, “Where will happiness strike next?” as if happiness occurs only in our country. But I have witnessed where it does manifest. It is most resplendent whenever we Filipinos are at our best, dealing with people, being hospitable, and treating them as human beings with dignity and as persons longing for love and affection. Happiness strikes wherever there are Filipinos.
