She was never fearless and had doubts. At some point, she wept.

Jay Ocampo vividly remembers the tears of pain, as well as the satisfaction while approaching the boarding gate to take off her first flight bound for Taiwan seven years ago.

A personal encounter with her had even surged up our respect for our capeless heroes—the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

Breadwinner

The courage to step out of her comfort zone was everything about a greener pasture for her family. Having seen unfortunate events in her family, Jay is one of the many firstborns who decided to dedicate their lives to secure a better future. As the eldest sibling, she took on the highest and biggest responsibility.

She landed on a job right after gaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration. Yet, working hard does not mean being well compensated. The salary she received in her first job was 7,000 PHP (less than 150 USD), a provincial rate. It was not enough to get her through her financial difficulties.

To make things worse, they lost their home. The memories of vacating their childhood house was probably one of the most depressing moments of her life. That home was a treasure for her as it witnessed every little detail of their dreams and goals.

“Umiiyak ako ‘nung gabi hindi nila alam. Ang daming memories doon and pinaghirapan siya ng magulang ko tapos bigla-bigla mawawala. Mahirap siya talaga kasi parang doon nabuo ‘yung mga pangarap niyo e.” (“They were not aware that I was crying that night. It was hard to give up that house because my parents worked hard for that. A lot of memories and dreams were built in that house.”)

She was in the midst of gigantic tides and the only way to survive was to swim over it. Those challenging days of her life had been her turning point to try another road. Although more challenging, it is filled with opportunities, including a higher income that can surely give her family a decent life.

In 2014, she opted to change her destiny. A 23-year old Filipina from the town of Lucena in Quezon tried her luck overseas as a factory worker.

In the 2018 survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) across the world reached to approximately 2.3 million. Jay is among those 5.5 percent who found their jobs in Taiwan. Taiwan is considered to be the 4th most preferred Filipino’s destination based on PSA. Around 137,000 of the country’s factory, fishing vessels and household workers are Filipinos.

Overseas Journey

The 1,200-kilometre distance from home had tested her heart. Homesickness and separation anxiety made it all tougher for Jay.

“’Pag nagkakasakit ka doon talaga pumapasok ‘yung homesick. ‘Yung nanay mo, tatay mo hihilutin ka ‘pag masama ‘yung pakiramdam mo, pero ngayon hindi mo na kailangan isipin ‘yun kasi dapat maging strong ka.” (“Homesickness comes when you are sick. Your mother, your father would be there when you were not feeling well, but now, you should not think about it because you have to be strong for yourself.”)

Besides, it was not only her who was emotionally tormented. Her family, especially her father, experienced separation anxiety. Edwin Mandalihan cries not so often, it is just when his heart feels someone’s missing.

“Hindi ko ipinakikita sa kanila na ko’y umiiyak. Pasko wala sila, talagang masakit.” (“I would not let them see that I cry. It is painful that my daughters were not here during Christmas.”)

As anticipated, the beginning of her life in Taiwan did not sail smoothly; her shelter, her job and the food were some of the issues she did not tell to her family. Difficulties had increased the chances of surrender.

“During the training, gusto kong matuto na, gusto kong mag over time para madagdagan na yung sahod ko. Hinding hindi ako natutuo, parang ‘yung kasama ko laging good, ako no good, hindi ko talaga ma-gets ‘yung tinuturo nila sakin.” (“I wanted to learn fast so I can render overtime and earn more. It was so hard for me to learn while my colleagues were doing well.”)

Paying off

All the adjustments she made, her never-ending tries and inexplicable sense of enthusiasm were not in vain. Slowly, she was seeing change: financial freedom, re-gained losses. Finally, they are now experiencing things they never enjoyed before.

Jay’s family was finally living in their own house, capable of strolling by their second hand four-wheeled car, and had availed a brand new tricycle. Rossie Mandalihan, her mother, has now a small store that gives them additional income.

True love waits

Jay was still single yet in a romantic relationship when she left the Philippines. With a strong commitment, the guy did not hamper her dream. However, normal relationships have fights and misunderstandings, especially in a long distance one.

“Noong una, hindi naging madali kasi may nagseselos. Kailangan ko pa siyang kausapin ‘pag uwi ko kahit antok na antok na ako.” (“It was not easy in the beginning because there was tendency of jealousy. Once I got home, I had to make time to talk with him even if I was already exhausted from work.“)

Jay and Nelmar have been separated by distance, but not by heart. Even without the multi options for online communication before, they managed to share one’s story every day. Nelmar used to go to the town where there was a telephone while Jay spent some Taiwanese dollars for their daily conversations. And love has not failed them. Since 2016, their relationship has been protected with marriage.

Vlogger

With over thirty thousand YouTube subscribers today, it is funny to think that her first uploaded vlog had only garnered a total of ten views—coming from her husband, friends and housemates.

Jay began as an “awkward-speaker” as described by her husband. It was in 2016 when she created a YouTube channel to document her life as a factory worker, the places she had been abroad and the people she met. Perhaps, escape from the inescapable homesickness.

“Iyong first ever yung namamasyal kami sa Hsinchu zoo. Gamit ko pa ‘yung cellphone ko tapos hindi ako masyadong umiimik. Nakakahiya talaga.” (“My first ever vlog was about our visit at Hsinchu Zoo. I was was just using my phone. I could barely speak. I was really shy.“)

Jay never stops discovering the art of vlogging—from proper content making to video editing. Despite few audiences, she did not stop creating contents..After two years of trying, and sleepless nights in editing, she gained what she desired. But more than the earnings, Jay has been a consistent inspiration to OFWs in Taiwan. She is now being supported and loved by a group of her avid viewers— the Jaylogs.

She had never seen herself becoming a well-known Filipino vlogger in Taiwan. It never crossed her mind that she could withstand the test of time and somehow be an Influencer. Jay simply wanted to be a better provider for her family.

It was not an accident to meet Jay Ocampo. Surely, it was an honour to document her life, to once again see the immeasurable sacrifices of OFWs for their loved ones.

Written by Ricca Joice Adrada