16/05/2026
Recently, I saw a video on TikTok.
An OFW in Dubai was sitting alone,
with the caption:
โHomeless tonight in Dubaiโฆ
but not hopeless.
God is with me.โ
And somehow,
those simple words stayed with me.
I caught myself staring at the screen,
trying to imagine how heavy life must feel
for someone far away from home,
surviving loneliness in a country that is not theirs.
And I cried.
Because being an OFW is never easy.
People only see the money they send,
the gifts they bring home,
the support they provide to their families.
But behind every remittance
is exhaustion,
homesickness,
silent breakdowns,
and sacrifices no one talks about enough.
I suddenly thought of my two aunties working abroad.
They helped me financially for my education,
and I know those blessings did not come easily.
Those school payments,
those small things I receive,
came from their sweat,
their tired bodies,
their sacrifices,
and the pain of being away from the people they love.
That realization hurt me.
And honestly,
it makes me angry when people fail to appreciate OFWs.
Some complain when the money is not enough,
some only remember them when they need something,
without realizing what they had to give up just to provide it.
OFWs sacrifice their own happiness
just to make their familiesโ lives better.
While others celebrate together at home,
they spend holidays alone.
While others sleep peacefully beside their loved ones,
they fight loneliness in small rooms far away.
And despite all that,
they still choose to endure.
Not because life abroad is easy,
but because love makes sacrifice possible.
That TikTok video became a quiet reminder for me:
strength does not always look loud.
Sometimes,
it looks like someone silently surviving in another country,
holding onto faith,
carrying homesickness in their chest,
and still finding the courage to say:
โNot hopeless.
God is with me.โ
Words by Symone Fabionar
Art by Reychelle An Petilos
