Family Matters

23 December 2017

It is no coincidence that no less than the President of the Philippines ordered the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong to assist thousand of Filipino Overseas Workers who were victims of fraud to fly home just to be with their families at this time of the year.

This story is no different.

It’s interesting how dreams take form – like when a sick loved one prompts a young man to become a doctor, or being with kids who haven’t had the chance to read and write inspires one to teach; as a child, to me it was pretty simple: I wanted to fly my parents home.

Today, after 16 Christmases apart – and unknown to my parents, I was actually part of the crew that was flying them home for Christmas.

It’s been a wonderful year for me - a year of dreams turning into reality, and this is definitely the cherry on top. Thank you, Philippine Airlines, for this amazing opportunity.

Have a merry Christmas, everyone.

Posted by Juan Paulo Fermin on Monday, December 18, 2017

There is more to this story from CNN Philippines.

It may not be a big deal for other cultures, or not too important to maybe understand, but for us Filipinos, this is what defines us. Family comes first wherever you are around the globe. It really doesn't matter whether you are the President, an OFW in Bermuda, or simply a household help in Hong Kong. As one radio station mildly put it, "Home is where your heart is."

Happy Holidays from us!