FOR A SPOUSE OR PARTNER of a work visa holder in New Zealand 11 years ago, Mahal (that’s how I and everyone else calls her) hit the ground running . She did have a work visa, but neither I nor she herself expected to start work immediately, she wasn’t expected to.
But she was asked by a kabayan (who’s now a good friend) if she didn’t mind giving other people manicures and pedicures, and that’s how she got her first job in New Zealand, less than one week after she landed in Wellington, unexpectedly: as a “nail technician,” the first in her collection of many trades (professions).
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Not only that. Soon after, she started work in another (part-time) job, to augment her new-found income. The cleaning lady who cleaned our office asked me if I knew anyone who wanted to help her clean houses and offices three times a week. The cleaning lady offered a competitive wage and would bring Mahal to and from work. Without hesitation, Mahal accepted, and in less than a month was earning close to what I was earning, on a per hour basis.
The cleaning lady liked her so much, she gave her more hours after the first week and, more importantly, taught Mahal to drive. This, she said, would encourage her to buy her own car and get around faster. Before long, I would start seeing Mahal drive the cleaning lady’s car, first as a practice driver, then as a regular driver. She learned to drive before me.
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Thing really started picking up when she chanced upon the local jewelry / moneychanger where she remitted her newfound income back home. (This was before widespread online remittances became popular). Always light on her feet and quick with numbers and figures, Mahal found herself on the short list of final interviewees and bested a few experienced retail veterans (and Kiwi grads) for the job selling jewelry and handling money.
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All the while, she never forgot to cook three meals for this lucky OFW, prepare my daily baon, do the lion(ess)’s share of the household chores and plan and prepare the week’s budget, which she did from the day she arrived in New Zealand (I got here two years ahead of her)
In typical Pinoy fashion, she always underestimated her skills and ability to grow and improve with every passing day in whatever job she did. But because she wasn’t afraid to learn, ask the right questions, and help out as a member of the work team, she became a reliable and productive worker for every employer she worked for.
This became clear when she was asked to train her co-workers every time a new branch or position opened, and became the unofficial “2IC” (second-in-charge) whenever the manager was unavailable. Kiwi, Indian, Islander or fellow kabayan, Mahal always got along, and never sacrificed her work ethic and quality of work while staying positive and keeping team spirit alive. She never planned for it, but was always popular with both her peers and the employer.
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And the surest sign of her popularity with the customer? Not only Filipinos but a rainbow of races, gender and trades looked for her whenever she was on leave or was on a break. Transactions peaked during the days she was on full shift and she had so many regulars, people always passed by just to ask when “the Filipina lady” was on.
Through it all, four jobs and numerous part-time gigs, Mahal took time off only to come home to the Philippines, never taking unscheduled leave and always filling in for others.
Without realizing it, Mahal had taken over in our marriage. She had become the model OFW. And without a doubt, I’m the proudest second-placer.
mabuhay ka Mahal, happy birthday!
