𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐚𝐨𝐚𝐠 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤

Rolante Corpuz
ALSE 35 (2016)
Barangay 40 Balatong
Laoag City

𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐏𝐔𝐒, a married man with four children—two daughters and two sons—had been employed as a casual worker at Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Incorporated. After his contract ended, he faced significant challenges in securing a well-paying job.

Due to the high unemployment rate, Rolante decided to return to school to improve his prospects. He pursued a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology, majoring in Electronics. After completing his studies, he spent ten years working at the Philips Service Center, where he honed his skills and passion for electronics and repairing electrical appliances.

His skills and dedication spread throughout his community and even reached nearby villages. As demand from customers grew, Rolante often worked on his days off and provided home service after hours for clients’ convenience.

The extra money helped, but increasing family expenses meant it wasn’t sufficient. As his children grew up and began attending school, the family’s financial demands also increased. His salary could not cover all their needs, prompting him to search for a higher-paying job. A promising opportunity arose for him to work abroad, aided by his brother, Pepito Corpuz, who was completing his contract.

This opportunity led Rolante to Hong Kong in 2002 when he was 35 years old.

For eight years, he managed the duties of caretaker and gardener across the four buildings owned by his employer. Following that period, he transitioned to a full-time driver, a position he continued to hold today.

He also made use of his skills as a service technician. During his free time, friends and neighbors brought their broken appliances to him for repair, providing him with added income.

Being far from his family was tough on Rolante; the separation caused physical, mental, and emotional distress, and he struggled with homesickness. The local gym became his refuge, where sweat and exertion drowned out the ache of solitude. In his spare time, he would sometimes referee dodgeball matches.

He became involved in various activities, a common pastime for OFWs to stay entertained and occupied. Many associations focused on aims, such as fundraising, sports, and cultural programs. He joined a men’s club called ANNAK TI ILOCOS NORTE, which comprised male OFWs from Ilocos Norte, and was chosen as one of the officers.

Being part of this organization made his social life more vibrant, as he met new friends through Filipino community gatherings. He realized that effective socialization also needed strong leadership skills.

But in quiet moments alone, he grappled with an unshakable sense of yearning. Despite all these commitments and busy activities, he felt something was missing in his life. He yearned for something more fulfilling and questioned how long he would continue working as an OFW. He pondered how to manage his savings wisely and what the future held for him when he returned home for good.

His brother, Pepito B. Corpuz, who was the president of ALSE OF-LIFE 30, encouraged him to join the upcoming batch. Pepito shared insights on topics such as leadership, social entrepreneurship, savings, investing, and financial literacy that he learned from the course.

He enrolled and hoped he would get the answers to his questions after attending the course. At 50, Rolante joined the ALSE OF-LIFE program in 2016. During the sessions, he experienced a boost of energy, determination, and confidence to prepare for his reintegration. He learned how to save money and invest in a small business and understood that sound financial management was essential for a successful OFW. All these became his useful tools to prepare for his return.

How to save and how to prepare a business plan were two topics he liked most. After completing the course, he set life goals, including acquiring life insurance that covered serious illness, disability, and hospitalization, while making regular savings a priority. Additionally, he attended courses on livestock farming, focusing on free-range chicken farming.

He emphasized the importance of wise spending and regular saving to his two daughters, who had already completed their college education and were employed. He also suggested that they secure health and life insurance. His two sons were still in college, but he encouraged them to excel in their studies through continuous conversations. He emphasized the necessity of earning, saving, and spending wisely while they were still young. He decided to set aside some money to launch a small business as a future source of income.

So far, the farm is thriving, and he is gaining valuable experience in farm management. He learned that to achieve the best price, he must calculate the best time to sell the piglets. He learned to schedule the piglet births to meet December’s high demand.

All his children have completed their college education:

• Angeline, 30 years old, graduated in HRM and is now employed at a hotel.
• Janine, 29 years old, with a BSBA degree, works for the government.
• Jhon Kevin, 26 years old, a criminology graduate, is now a coastguard officer.
• Angelo, 24 years old, completed a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and is now working as an agriculturist in the province.