05/07/2025
Just want to share my journey in 🇯🇵
This photo was taken during one of the heaviest moments of my life,the time I had to choose between going back to my teaching job in the Philippines or continuing my journey here in Japan.
That time, malapit na mag-expire ang kontrata ko, pero my employer unexpectedly gave me a new offer. Hindi ko alam kung tatanggapin ko ‘yon kasi in 3 months, matatapos na rin ang indefinite leave ko sa DepEd. Ang daming tanong sa isip ko. Should I stay or should I go?
So I asked for a sign. Then boom ,the pandemic hit. Nag-lockdown sa Pilipinas, pati dito sa Japan. Pero kahit ganun, I still couldn’t decide. Hanggang sa isang araw, may natanggap akong email for an interview. Kahit hindi maganda ang pakiramdam ko emotionally, I told myself: “Go lang. Prepare and give your best.”
And then I passed. Na-renew na naman ang kontrata ko. I should be happy and I was ,pero mabigat pa rin ang loob ko. Kasi hindi ko pa rin alam if I should really stay. I prayed hard. I asked Allah for guidance. I wanted to make a decision na hindi ko pagsisisihan.
While waiting, I still submitted my documents for visa renewal. Pero deep inside, undecided pa rin ako. Lumala pa ang pandemic. We started working from home. I opened up to my friends, listened to their advice, tried to weigh everything.
Then one day, a close friend from DepEd messaged me ,(my reinstatement would be in June.)Kapag hindi ako bumalik by then, AWOL na ako.
That’s when I knew I had to decide. I gathered all my resignation documents and sent them in May. I took a deep breath and said to myself:
"This is it. No turning back."
Maraming salamat, DepEd, for 6 meaningful years. It was an honor to be a teacher and to serve.
And now, I humbly accept this new chapter as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan. ✨
Mabuhay tayong lahat na patuloy na lumalaban para sa pangarap kahit mahirap, kahit masakit.
