The Migrant Worker (Live For A Reason)

The Migrant Worker
TV Series
Drama

Act One

1.     KARLA as a kid receiving awards, always elected as President of the class and top-notched the Engineering exam.  In her acceptance speech, she will say her dream is to serve others by being a College professor while serving as a paid Community Leader like her grandfather and father.

2.     Karla will enter politics and will run as a Community Chairman against the incumbent Chairman.  In her campaign speech, she will tell the voters that she’s the granddaughter and daughter of the community’s former Chairmen.  She will sound proud.  The night before the election, Karla will find out that her best friend, OSCAR, is seen at the incumbent Chairman’s camp.  Karla will be angry but will not bother because she knows she will win this battle with or without the support of anyone including her best friend.

3.     Karla will get 1/3 of the votes, the winner will get 2/3.  This will hurt her ego and will blame her best friend Oscar.  To save her face from this embarrassing moment, she will accept an Engineering job at COMPANY A in Dubai.

4.     At the Philippine airport, her mother, PEARL, will remind her that Karla never sees herself working abroad – she’s afraid that bad fate may happen to her, she can’t survive on her own, and she doesn’t want to be like her Aunt, WENA, who, after working for several years abroad, now working as a helper for her other Aunt’s family.  Pearl will say to Karla that no matter what happened, the whole family still loves her, it’s not a big deal that she had lost the election, she should forget and move on. 

5.     Karla will not listen to Pearl and will still fly to Dubai.

Act Two

6.     At Dubai airport.  She will remember her family, will feel lonely but will quickly forget it as she will also remember the Election Day.  She will recall when her other friend is telling her that Oscar is at the other’s camp.

7.     At Company A, Karla will easily learn her job and will perform well as usual.  She will see a Filipino collecting garbage and will ask her in Tagalog, “Ma’am, Filipino po kayo?”  (“Ma’am, are you Filipino?”).  Her American officemate is approaching and Karla will ignore the cleaning guy.  Karla doesn’t want to be attached to Filipinos that do blue-collar jobs.

8.     She is fine in the first two months but she will be hospitalized.  In the hospital, she will be taken care of by NING, a Filipino nurse.  They will share stories, whereabouts in the Philippines, how long they have been in Dubai, etc.

9.     Story of Ning - Ning is from a poor family in the rural area in the Philippines.  Her parents used all their savings for Ning to finish College.  She will be the only one in their family (family of 9) to finish College however she will be found pregnant 6 months before graduation to TONYO, in petition by his parents from the USA.

10.  Ning’s parents will be very disappointed but can’t do anything.  Tonyo will convince Ning to marry him so he can easily petition Ning and their future baby to USA.  Ning will agree.

11.  Tonyo will fly to USA and after few months Ning will find out that her husband is cheating on her.  This will break Ning’s heart.  She will recall the hardships of her parents that she didn’t treasure at all.  Ning will find a job abroad to give a good life to her son, she’s now in Dubai for five years.

12.  Karla will realize that her reason of leaving the Philippines (to save her face) is incomparable to Ning’s reason (to save her child).  There’s a janitor that is walking towards Ning and Karla.  Ning will politely greet the janitor in Filipino and Karla will be surprised that Ning is not ashamed that some Filipinos in Dubai are doing these types of jobs.  Ning will say that these Filipinos completed 4-year courses in the Philippines but doing these kinds of job to give good lives to their loved ones.  And even if they finished College or not, Ning will never be ashamed of her countrymen.

13.  The doctor is now ready with the results of the laboratory test.  Karla is healthy but maybe because she’s adjusting to the weather and misses her family, she got sick.  The doctor will ask her to take a two-week vacation and visit loved ones in the Philippines. 

14.  Karla is released from the hospital.  She will tell her Mom her situation.  She will go back to Philippines but will not inform her employer that she doesn’t intend to return.  Her Mom will be mad and will tell her that this is her style – always escapes from the problem, strong outside but in reality weak inside.  Her Mom will also tell her that if she will do this, Company A will blacklist Filipinos.  Her Mom will question her mission – why don’t you ask yourself again Karla, do you really want to serve others or you only wants praises?  Karla will not respond but at the back of her mind she has decided not to go back to Dubai and will not leave Philippines anymore.    

15.  While in a two-week vacation, Karla will see her friends and she will be proud telling them she’s the best in Company A.  “Wherever she goes, she’s the best”, joked by her friends.  One friend will ask if she knows where Oscar is as they heard Oscar is also working abroad.  Karla’s mood will change and will want to go home.

16.  On the way home, Karla will see a group of youths heading out to their monthly bible sharing.  The youths will ask her to join them.  Karla will agree.  The reading is about the beatitudes that focuses on two topics - 1) all our blessings came from God.  We are only a channel to spread these blessings to others. And, 2) blessed are poor.  The youths will share about their hardships and their dreams to finish College but their families can’t afford to support them financially.  It’s a cycle that if the parents didn’t finish College, it will be the same for all the next generations.  Karla is crying inside. 

17.  Going home, Karla will reflect what happened in this meeting.  She will recall Ning’s story.  She will realize that her mission is to serve but not necessarily be a Community Leader, maybe something else.  She will speak to her Aunt WENA heart to heart for the first time.

18.   Karla will ask Wena her motivation why she decided to work abroad.  Wena’s reason was she felt she was not being noticed by her parents and wanted to prove that she is somebody else too.  From the province, she moved to the city and from the city to Italy. 

19.  Because she didn’t finish College, her job in the city and in abroad were as a housekeeper, cleaner of stairs, dishwasher and sometimes collecting garbage.  Karla will be shocked to find out about this. Karla will ask Wena why she just didn’t return home.  Wena will say that her siblings needed her help during those days.  They, you, all think that I’m in Italy, I’m rich but the truth is that I was really suffering abroad.  It’s hard to earn a penny.

20.  Karla will realize now why her Aunt acts like a King when visiting them in the early years.  She’s a slave abroad and feels important when in the Philippines.  She will also realize that the reason why her Aunt is strict is because she wants them to finish their studies and not be like her…, a helper. 

21.  Karla will ask Wena a tip how to survive homesickness.  Wena will say, “Always think about your inspirations and why you are doing what you’re doing.  And, think that you’re earning a dollar!  That’s what I did.”

Act Three

22.  The following day, Karla will receive a call from her friend who she met at the dinner party.  There’s an offer for Karla to work for the government, high position.  There’s also another call that she will receive offering her a Vice President role for Company B.  Karla will weigh all of these - if she will go back to Dubai, she will earn 5 times the salary of this government or VP job.  Karla will think for many times whether she will accept one of these roles or will go back to Dubai. 

23.  Karla will speak to her Mom.  Her Mom will tell her that she doesn’t need to be away again and will remind the three things she said in Karla’s first flight – Karla can’t survive on her own, doesn’t want to be like her Aunt and bad fate may happen again to her. 

24.  Karla will say it’s different now Mom.  I’ll face my fears and failures. 

25.  She will go back to Dubai and will start supporting a couple of Filipino youths in their schooling.

26.  She will continue to shine at work.  She still sometimes sees the cleaning guy but not yet talking to him, she only smiles back.

27.  She will learn how to cook dishes.  She will join a Filipino group and will start to be involved in community activities.

28.  She will visit Ning and will learn that Ning saw her ex-husband trying to win her back. 

29.  A collapse at Company A and Karla will lose her job.  She will look for jobs but it will be hard because almost all companies are retrenching employees.  While waiting for the new job, she will work as a waitress 15 hours a day to continue supporting the youths back in the Philippines. 

30.  Because she’s not used to doing this job, she will be sick again.  The Doctor will tell her that her body can’t handle manual job and she needs to take a break, will advise again to go back to Philippines and stay with loved ones to easily recover. 

31.  LESLIE, Sophomore Music student in Letran College will ask for her help to a Musical show for OFWS – awareness to families of OFWs in the Philippines and recognition to OFWs.

32.  Karla will learn the story of Leslie.  Her father MARIO, an OFW died a few months ago. Her mother died when giving birth to her.

33.  Mario, an office manager in the Philippines for several years was cheated by employment agency.  Mario used all his savings and borrowed a huge sum of money to be in the USA but it was a fake employment.  He almost went back home but found out from Leslie’s grandmother, who looked after Leslie, that Leslie had a dengue (a do-or-die disease).  Mario again borrowed money from friends.   

34.  Mario decided to stay as a TNT Tago-nang-Tago (Hiding Filipinos – they don’t have a valid working permit), worked as a caregiver to pay the hospital bill.  Later Leslie will go to school, in private schools, and Mario continued his work as a caregiver to keep up.  As a TNT, when they leave USA, they will not be able to return again so Mario decided that he will stay until he saves money for Leslie’s college tuition fee.

35.  Leslie grew up getting all the things she wanted… immediately. 

36.  After 11 years, Mario was able to save some funds for Leslie’s schooling, he surrendered to the USA Immigration and prepared himself to return to Philippines.  On the way to the airport he was hit by a car that caused his death.       

37.  In Mario’s burial, Leslie will find out everything that really happened to his father.  All these years, she thought his father was doing a white collar job.  A friend will tell her that his father worked overtime for several months to get her an Ipad that she wished when she was only 7 years old and all other material things she asked from her Dad. 

38.  Karla will ask how Leslie knew her.  Leslie will say that she knew her from a friend of his father.  That friend told Leslie that Karla is passionate in serving others and can support Leslie in this project.  Karla asked who but will be interrupted.

Act Four

39.  Karla is still recovering her health.  She borrowed monies from her friends to support the needs of the youths she started helping.  She will also help in the community projects led by the Chairman who defeated her.  She’s helping Leslie by sending some youths from their community.    

40.  Karla is now fully recovered and the Musical show is coming soon.  Practices…

41.  On the day of the show (morning), Karla will receive a call from Company A in Dubai offering her two times salary of what she’s earning before the company’s collapsed.  Karla will accept the job and will say to her Manager that she will fly by end of month.

42.  Musical show – Karla will learn that Mario’s friend who introduced her to Leslie is Oscar.  She will also learn that the reason why he was at the other camp the night before the election because Oscar’s father was imprisoned that day and asked the help of the Chairman.  Oscar didn’t mean to betray her.  Karla will forgive him and will say that that must be the way of God for her to find her reason to live. 

43.  MUSICAL performances

44.  Karla will organize a scholarship foundation and will ask her Aunt Wena to manage it.  Karla will support her financially monthly and will ask her to stop working as a helper for others.

45.  In Dubai – Karla will visit Ning, who is now living happily with her new boyfriend, a widow. 

46.  Leslie is doing great in school.  During weekends, she spends time with the families of OFWs in their community and educating them to treasure every penny that their parents are sending to them.  She is also writing a song that is addressed to OFWs begging them to love themselves and not send all the salary to families in the Philippines.

47.  At work, Karla is preforming well as usual and in one company event she will thank the Management for the award.  She will also mention that she owes this award to all her colleagues including the janitor who’s outside the hall at that moment.  She will call the janitor in his name, Lukito, and will ask him to come to the stage.  “Ladies and gentlemen, like Lukito, I got this Employee of the Year award because when I do my job, I do it for my inspirations.  They are my family and the youths that helped me found my reason to live.  As long as I live, I’ll continue to serve, to do my best for our company and my country.  Thank you all!”