This was the heartwarming message of the son of a Filipina domestic worker who spent the past 20 years in Hong Kong, as he picked her up and brought her with him on an ASEAN jet-setting trip.
Calling the moment his mother’s “graduation,” Hans Alcazanre said he was finally fetching her home because she had already overstayed in the city after two decades of working as a domestic helper.
Hans was only six years old when his mother left for Hong Kong. Like many children of OFWs, he admitted he struggled to understand why she had to leave her seven children behind. He remembered feeling angry, confused, and abandoned—emotions familiar to many OFW families who grow up with love expressed through remittances instead of presence.
As he grew older, Hans began to understand the weight of his mother’s sacrifices. He could not imagine how she endured receiving bad news from home while being thousands of miles away, tired from work, and unable to comfort her children in person. He recalled how difficult it must have been for her to hear about their struggles—moving houses, transferring schools, and facing challenges—while she herself was navigating life in a foreign country.
But after 20 years, Hans finally saw the fruits of her sacrifice. His mother managed to send all her children to school. Today, her family includes a Certified Public Accountant, a licensed teacher, a registered nurse, a pharmacist, a civil engineer, a registered master plumber, and soon, an information technologist.
Hans also shared how his mother often had to borrow money just to keep them in school. She took cash advances from her employer, Mr. Lee, leaving her with little or no salary by payday—another reality many domestic helpers quietly endure. Yet she pushed through, trusting that her sacrifices would one day change her children’s lives.
Looking back, Hans said God guided their family through every hardship. He expressed deep gratitude not only to his mother but also to her friends in Hong Kong—fellow OFWs who became her support system, who helped her emotionally and financially, and who stood by her during the toughest years.
For many OFWs and their children, Hans’ story reflects a familiar journey: years of separation, misunderstandings, and emotional distance eventually giving way to healing, gratitude, and a deeper appreciation of a parent’s sacrifice. It is a reminder that behind every diploma, every professional license, and every success story is a parent who quietly endured loneliness, exhaustion, and homesickness so their children could have a better future.
