I remembered one time when my mom and her friend had dinner at Greenhills. At that time I was the one who drove them to the restaurant. My mom and her friend kept talking about the living conditions here in the Philippines. Suddenly my mom asked, "if you did not migrate here, how would your life turn out in Hong Kong?" Mom's friend laughed as she replied, "I think I would not turn out to be this fat, my son would be more diligent in his work and he would concentrate more with business." My mom nodded as she replied, "I'm thinking the same things too."
While I was listening to their conversation, I was thinking - how would I turn out if I grew up in Taiwan? I would definitely turn out as a different person. I wouldn't be that much fluent in English, probably I'd be a Buddhist, and I would have a deeper appreciation of Chinese Culture. My parents and I would have a smoother relationship (there would be no Bad Filipinos to influence me). If we still stayed in Taiwan, we might not experience any kind of prejudice towards outsiders.
Honestly I never knew why my grandfather decided to migrate to Manila. I'm guessing that at that time, China's economy was not that stable. So in order to earn some money, my grandfather decided to move here and open a business.
Our family have lived in the Philippines for many years already. My parents also grew up in Manila, and they view this place as their homeland as well. Despite the chaotic political situation and the everyday difficulties of earning a living, I believe that we will continue to stay here in the country.
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