No Place Like Home

Raising children is both challenging and fulfilling. Seeing your little one laughing and smiling makes all the late nights and the sacrifices worthwhile. But what if you had to give that up to give your child a better life? What if you had to be a thousand miles away, raising someone else’s child while your very own aches for the comfort of your arms? This is Josie’s story.

Josie Cabanayan left her seven year-old child, Jonathan, to work overseas as a nanny for more than twenty years. While she practically raised her employer’s children, she only got to see her own son every two years.

She missed many milestones in her son’s life. She would always wonder if her son was doing well in school. What if he got sick? Would there come a time when he would forget her face and call someone else “Mommy”? As Josie lived the sorrows of every OFW who has ever left their loved ones to give them a better life, she tried to stay in touch with her roots by reading all things Filipino. Once while reading a Filipino newspaper, she saw an ad for a Philam Life savings and life insurance plan.

Intrigued by the plan, Josie sought more information from Alberto C. Berino, a Filipino Financial Advisor, who explained the benefits of the plan. Assured by the company’s stability, Josie got herself a plan.

Today, Josie is home taking care of Jonathan. She is enjoying the benefits of her savings and life insurance plan, which even allowed her to buy a tricycle to supplement her family’s income. She is now busy making up for all the time she lost with her family.

Just like Josie, many Filipinos leave their families to give them a better life. And yet, most OFWs come home with no savings at all.They lived a life of comfort and abundance while working abroad. But without financial planning and discipline, they come back home without setting something aside for their future.

“After being away for so long,” Josie smiles tearfully, “I almost lost all hope of coming back to my family. But anything is possible – happy endings are possible – when you have the right plan.”

Josie Cabanayan