![[#RapplerReads] To Filipinos who want to go abroad…](https://i.headtopics.com/images/2022/6/17/rapplerdotcom/rapplerreads-to-filipinos-who-want-to-go-abroad-1537752494213844992.webp)
In this piece, one of our producers contemplates the thought of going abroad. RapplerReads
[returning Filipinos]Americans traveling to the Philippines, family members of Overseas Filipino Workers , and Pinoy housemaids who are OFWs themselves.
They have their own problems, such as falling in love with the wife of their foreign employer or grappling with the death of a friend. But there’s a common theme in all of these stories: the feeling of displacement palpable in each word. diasporic Filipinos living in different countries are in search of a home and always look back to the Philippines.
But for Filipinos who are just sick of a country that doesn’t seem to change? Cutting off this country means displacing yourself from your past, the identity you’ve had since birth. Going abroad to remove this country from your mind seems too escapist. There’s a quote from the book that struck me. This is our country. If we’re dissatisfied with things here, leaving is not the answer.
Of the nine stories in the collection, “A Contract Overseas” is my favorite. Let me end by sharing a quote from it that sums up what I believe love is. And I do love the Philippines. “Love’s a miracle, not a disaster. Who said it would be easy, or convenient? But if you can’t sacrifice everything for love, what else is there?”Raven Lingat is currently part of the BrandRap content team, where she leads the GoodRap series. You can also find her writing about K-pop and films.