BABALIK NA SI MA'AM

Reported by: Howie Severino

Casts:

Mercy – OFW in Hongkong who wants to go back in the Philippines to teach.
Lenie – sister of Delia
Sammy – taxi driver in Hongkong, and husband of Delia.
Delia – wife of Sammy, who is also an OFW in Hongkong
Daisy – editor of the newspaper that gives free newspaper for the OFW.
Alice – mother of Samantha and Ambross, who gave Mercy a bonus salary, jewelry, and a photo album of their family
Samantha – she used to sleep with her, who took cared of her.
Ambross – son of Alice who had also gets close with Mercy
Margie – sister of Mercy who had replaced Mercy in her work
Rizalyn – she top-notched the exam and she works in a school in Nagtahan, Manila.



Synopsis:

“Babalik na si Ma’am” is the story of the OFW who are working abroad as domestic helpers, because of insufficient jobs offered for teachers here in our country, but then they realize that still want to teach and serve our nation and apply what they have learned.
Some of OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) are training to learn karate. They are domestic helpers of the Chinese. In other countries, Filipinos are scattered. But in Hongkong, they are helping each other. Six thousand of the OFW are teachers, but because of the low salary of the teachers in our country, they had applied as domestic helpers in abroad.
OFW are regarded as new heroes. But what should we call those domestic helpers that are willing to sacrifice their salary abroad, just to teach and serve our fellowmen?
They are conducting pageant for domestic helpers during pastime. Many of them finished their tertiary education, but they can’t find job in the Philippines. They had a chance to live in a progressive and peaceful country.
Mercy is teaching the Chinese children, Samantha and Ambross. Mercy also knows how to cook. She is already 13 years in Hongkong, but still, she’s not forgetting her profession, which is teaching. The salary that she is receiving is the salary for maids. 2000 OFW want to go back to teach.
The reporter asked this question: Why do they want to teach? Some said, for the fulfillment of their dreams and some said that they want to be with their family.
Daisy is the editor of the newspaper that provides free newspaper for OFW. And also the one who screens those who are willing to go back in our country to teach. Many of them are taking Licensure Examination for Teachers or LET.
Mercy took the exam and passed. Her husband, Sammy, is in Saudi Arabia and also an OFW. They are married for almost 10 years, but they shared not just a bit of that time together.
Sammy was working in Hongkong, where only few Filipino men are working as domestic helper than women, for 5 years. He followed his wife there. Sammy is a driver who finds a work in the Philippines as a teacher. They have a constructed house in the Philippines, but Delia would be left alone to work.
Lenie, the younger sister of Delia bought some “pasalubong” for her children in the Philippines. Their mother is also working as OFW.
While in the airport, they met a certain OFW who will return to the Philippines for a sadder reason. The 2 tricycle that she had worked hard of was sold to spend in gambling. Her 7 years of sacrifices were useless.
Sammy would now see his 2 kids but then Delia would be left alone.
Mercy’s departure to Hongkong was as sorrowful as her departure to the Philippines because she already gets close with the family she had worked with. Samantha used to sleep beside Mercy. Ambross was taught by the right spelling of English words and how to construct a good sentence. And Samantha, her sister is going to miss her. Mercy spent a long time with their family. Alice, their mother, gave her a bonus, jewelry and a photo album of their family.
The whole family joined her in the airport. Margie, sister of Mercy, replaced her. Mercy wants to serve her country.
Rizalyn is teaching in a school in Nagtahan, Manila. And she top notched the exam. She used her savings in abroad for insurance and was used in building their house. She returned to be with his child. But she felt that her child gets so far away with her and she gets a difficulty in communicating with her family. She returned to be with his child.
Hermie worked as a domestic helper for 6 years. But she realized that it’s not enough just to pass the exam. There’s no vacancy in the school she is applying. At last, she got her appointment papers. Now, she’s ready to face her new career. Mercy had a sad farewell. And now, not just one family will benefit in her service but one town.
Her father died while she’s in Hongkong. He didn’t see her as a teacher. She was lucky with the family she worked with. If she decided to go back to Hongkong, she will go back their as a friend not a domestic helper. Alice said she wanted Delia to write her.

Commentaries:

I understand those OFW who wanted to go back in the Philippines to teach; even they are earning high salary in abroad, because applying what you learned in your profession is a fulfillment of your dreams. They have study educational courses not to apply for any unrelated jobs to teaching.
Since most Filipinos are financially in need, they have to find a job. But then, our government cannot offer a sufficient job for Filipinos that’s why, one of their options is to leave our country and serve other nation. I can’t blame them, because many Filipinos get the chance to be financially stable by working in other countries.
I hope those relatives, especially the children, of the OFW, who are benefiting with the money they are sending for them, would realize their parents/relatives hard work. They are not having an easy life in other countries. The money they send is equivalent to their eagerness to provide them a better future.
It’s not really easy to be afar from your love ones. Maybe it’s the reason why OFW are regarded as new heroes because they are sacrificing for the sake of their children.
Many children grew up without their parents, because they are working abroad, and they sometimes get mad at them for leaving them. That’s why when the OFW decided to go back home, these children tend to elude them. But then, I should say that OFW are just doing this for their sake. Just like what happened to Rizalyn.
They say, “Time is gold.” And gold, or the money they had earned, cannot replace the time you must have spend with your family. But what if being afar from them in order to work abroad is the only way to be able to save for their future?
This is really complicated because they will choose between their children’s future and their bonding with the family.