Pinay Ako

Pinay Ako “MANILA, Philippines- The inability of the Philippine economy to produce high-paying jobs especially for women has pushed Filipinos to marry foreigners as a way to provide for their families, the study Country Gender Assessment by regional lender Asian Development Bank said. ” 1 The research that was conducted last 2009 showed an estimate of 300,000 Filipinos of whom 92% are women, are married to foreigners mainly from United States, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Korea.

Pinay ako (translated as I am a Filipina) and I dislike the fact that we are well-known to the world to be gold-diggers –yes, that is how they call us. I never planned nor wanted to be one of them. I remember going to a church that does not support the trending 18-year-old-pinay-marrying-80-year-old-kano2. Unexpectedly, I met Jaimee, 20. My parents and relatives were against us. It is because aside from being too young, Jaimee is a foreigner from Kansas, USA.

We have been through a lot of troubles and we have prayed and cried so many times to fight for the love. I guess it is true that things that are meant to be will always be. The more they pulled us away from each other, the more we got closer. He became my husband after a year. I am going to be different among typical Filipinas. I have always been ambitious and I think I will always be. Jaimee told me that this is one of the traits that he liked the most in me. If truth to be told, before I met him I never wished for marriage.

I wanted to be independent and free. When I was still at university my primary goal was a booming career. I am more of a career woman. I love business. I love office. I actually worked in our family’s small factory and did college at the same time. When I married Jaimee I got new goals in life. First is my promise to be the best wife to him and the best mother to our future children. Second is to make a difference. I am going to be different among typical Filipinas. I am going to take a stand and become a model and inspiration.