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Saturday, June 28, 2008

OFW Tale: Candy

It’s been a week since she left home. But she has yet to return.

I’m talking about Candy*, my friendly neighbor. Last Friday, she left for the Immigration Bureau, after receiving notice of the supposed release of her visa. Having recently married a Japanese national, she was now eligible for permanent residency. Or so she thought.

For as the grapevine had it, she was detained upon arrival at the Bureau. Why? For contracting a fake marriage.

Because Candy is actually a “he”. But she looks, speaks, acts and dresses like a woman. She even has “boobies” to boot. In fact, she works as a bargirl in one of the clubs here.

But being an overstaying alien, she was forced to arrange a marriage with a Japanese acquaintance in order to legitimize her stay in Japan. This country has been her home for the last fifteen years and she doesn’t want to go back to the Philippines. Having saved enough to pay-off a partner, she went through what they call here as an “imitation” marriage. That of course, is not uncommon.

She once recalled to me how hard she tried to sport a masculine stance during the wedding. And she funnily recounted the many retakes they had to endure during the photo-sessions, as she simply looked more feminine than her “spouse”.

During the mandatory observation period, the “couple” lived together. And through all this time, Candy had to give her spouse the monthly fee for the marriage, and at the same time support her sustenance. But the immigration agents must have sensed the oddness of the arrangement. In their visit to the couple’s residence, they must have noticed her beautiful lady-like pictures on the wall and those of her erstwhile boyfriend.

Thus, the detention. Now Candy has to acquire the services of a lawyer (read: very expensive!) to get her out of the bind. But even if she gets legal representation, I am sure it would be difficult to disentangle her from the mess. All the physical evidence are against her. What the litigation may result to would just be the invalidation of her marriage, which could then signal her deportation to the Philippines.

And that would be very sad. Japan has become her home (she hasn’t been back to the Philippines since she went TNT), and she earns considerably well here. And just like any other overseas Pinoy, she supports her family in the Philippines. If she goes back to the Philippines, it will already be a strange place for her. For sure, she will just end up joining the long roster of Filipinos unable to find a job.

I wish her luck.
* not her real name.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

First time ko here, and it's really enjoyable to read your entries (read: nakiki-social climb! bwahahaha! kasalanan to ni JP na tiga-Surigao!)

In any case, I feel sad dito sa story mo. All because of not wanting to go back to PI and I can't blame him/her because a friend of mine in Philly was in pretty much the same situation, although walang kasalan.

He was a programmer on a contractual basis here in the US dala nung Y2K. He was very lalaki when he came although he was gay and then he discovered doing drag and he was quite good as in, there's been so many times that he was mistaken for a total she.

When his contract expired, he was being sent back to Manila... nawala na lang because he too does not want to go back.

Candy on the other hand is in a lot of mess, lalo pa tong mga Japanese who don't play games at pag nahuli ka, yari ka. I only wish that things will get better on her end.

Thank you for sharing the story. It's kinda moving...

atto aryo said...

Reyna: Una, ba't naman nakiki-social climb? Mukha ba akong stairs? he he.

Re Candy feeling ko nga malabo talaga dahil sabi mo nga, di uso lagayan dito. pag nahuli, bihira ang nakakalusot. Nakakaawa lang talaga ang ating mga kababayan na gagawin ang lahat magkaroon lamang ng magandang buhay. hirap kasi sa atin.

Bryan Anthony the First said...

I wish her luck too...

Anonymous said...

i bet this candy person looks better than most girls. haha. i wish her well and i hope she can stay.

Ely said...

Nalito ako sa kwento, kala ko lalaki pinakasalan niya. hehe. Naawa naman ako kay Candy.

BlogusVox said...

First time to comment here. I'm an OFW myself but stationed in the middle east. I understand Candy's predicament but I can't relate to it. Wala kasi nyan dito (I mean patago, walang exposure). Even if you belong to the 3rd sex, dapat mag asta kang macho or else yari ka sa mga religious police or sa mga arabong sorbra ang hormones.

Oman said...

panyero kalungkot naman yan pero i guess kahit kasi magpabago ka ng anuman sa katawan ay it will still bite you in the ass in the long run.


By the way i am campaigning for INSULARE and DONGISM in Filipino Blog of the Week. Kindly VOTE for them in Talksmart's or my blog. The poll is in the upper right side of the blog. Just check both their names. Take Care!!!

Dakilang Islander said...

tingnan mo nga naman...nagawa yun lahat dahil ayaw na uuwi sa pinas..kakalungkot pero hindi rin natin sa masisi

Rochelle said...

Wow... that's really sad that it all ended up like that. I wish her well too.

escape said...

kakalungkot pero meron talagang mga ganyang consequences na kailangang harapin.

lawstude, maraming salamat pati pala dito kinakampanya mo kami.

pepe M. said...

my sympathy for her...
me being an OFW myself can empathize indeed! i maybe in the white collar thingy pro talaga mahirap sa abroad...

atto aryo said...

bryan: she does need all the luck.

acey: actually, naloko ako nun minsan. pinadalhan ako minsan ng MMS. di ko talaga makilala dahil naka make-up. :-)

ely: pati nga ako nahilo din sa kanya, heheh

atto aryo said...

blogus: oo nga daw, sobrang strikto dyan. kaya nga dito dito talaga ang punta ng maraming magaganda. di naman kasi alam ng mga hapon kung sino peke o hindi. :-)

panyero: he he. me alam ka ng ass biting ngayon ha. he he. nway, i voted na.

dakila: lahat talaga gagawin kumita lang. kesa naman mamatay sa gutom sa pinas.

TENTAY™ said...

Nakakalunkot naman kasi dito. Kahit gusto mo magstay hindi kaya eh. Grabe Php60/liter na halos ang gas. Yun palang mapapatambling ka na eh. Ang isipin mo nalang yung pamilya ni Candy. Hay...

Anonymous said...

reo, you should have invited her to the immigration awareness forum at the embassy! hehehe. where were you? we thought you were coming.

atto aryo said...

tentay: ang hirap na nga ng buhay dyan. kaya napipilitan talaga ang iba na magtago sa ibang bansa.

atto aryo said...

caryn: i really wanted to attend the forum, but i had a prior commitment.

TENTAY™ said...

oo nga ang hirap ng buhay dito eh. gusto ko umalis din. may wanted nga ko sa blog pag nakita mo sbhn mo skn ha? hahahah.

Abaniko said...

Sana di na lang sya nagpakasal.