Rollercoaster Ride

My latest column (March 2007, Surreality, Philippine News)

You Say, Stay.
Carissa Villacorta

Brain Drain? Brain Gain? Brain Sustain.

Whenever I’m in a conference, or at a lunch with people I hardly know, there’s always someone who later asks, “Do you have any plans of returning to the

Philippines

to give back to our country?”

Maybe it’s just me, but I find this question somewhat unnecessary. I’ve always believed that our commitment to our country is not dependent on where we are geographically. We don’t have to be in the

Philippines

, to work for the

Philippines

.  I have many friends who help through their frequent donations to Philippine based non-profit organizations or medical missions. I for one, have not contributed to the betterment of the Filipino people and the

Philippines

, as much as I have from here - 10,000 miles away.

I don’t like hearing this one either: “Should I stay or Should I go?” There is nothing more annoying than people who want to be in

Manila

when they’re in

New York

, and wants to be in

New York

when they’re in

Manila

. It only confuses our employers, family and friends. Though I understand being homesick, I feel that in our generation of ex-pats and aspiring ex-pats, it’s not only a case of knowing what you want to do, but of knowing where you want to be.

The people who ask these questions think and say that the best and brightest of the

Philippines

leave. That’s impossible! There are only 10 million around the world and 75 million still there.

My motto is to just ‘Let them be.’ ‘To each his own.’ Each person has a path to take. And it’s not always set in

Manila

. (Especially if you’re mall-ed out from the dominant presence of shopping centers.) Most of our decisions come from our own personal and familial needs first. The country needs not feel betrayed because it is so easy to keep thinking, talking and being Filipino. It is with us, it is us - wherever in the world we go. In the end, one realizes that our being Filipino reflects on everything that we do.  Everything we do reflect on our being Filipino.  And if everyday, we do our work with passion, integrity and responsibility, we give honor to ourselves, our company and our country… even if it doesn’t make the headline.

We give what we can or want to. Whether it’s our presence or presents, our time or money, we all still give back.  In fact, we give back by just being ourselves and following our own passions. Because our individual successes inspire and empower the collective 86 million. How many times have we proclaimed, ‘Pinoy din yan! I’m so proud!’ It’s interesting how we become more motivated by the success of our fellow Filipinos. How many dreams have been sparked by the successes of Rafe, Lea and Loida? Innumerable. So let our good stories multiply, soar and spread. (That’s what goodnewspilipinas.com is all about.) Let’s all be a good story to tell. This way, we not only control our own destiny, we drive our countrymen’s too.

And so, people who have created lives outside the

Philippines

shouldn’t be made to feel guilty of ‘betraying’ their native soil. Did anyone question Jose Rizal, our national hero, when he decided to study in

Spain

, work in

Germany

, and publish a book in

Belgium

? In fact, he learned 22 foreign languages, and traveled extensively through

Europe

,

America

and

Asia

. With the long travel time in those days, he hardly even stayed in the

Philippines

! But was he not thinking of the Philippines every day of his short life? Was he any less Filipino? I guess we all historically agreed that he was more Filipino than people who stayed in the

Philippines

their whole lives.

Finally, as I always say, those are your feet. Let them take you where you want to go. If you want to go to

Brazil

, then go to the Brazilian Embassy. If you want to go to Boracay, then hop on the plane. No one can take you anywhere you don’t want to (unless they physically drag you), because you control your feet. Your feet will go where they want to go…but your heart will stay in one place - always.

Contact the author at www.carissavillacorta.com

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