Maria Teresa “Tess” Delgado never imagined she would one day leave her beloved town of Lipa, Batangas, to chase a dream across the ocean. At 39, with three children and a husband working as a jeepney driver, life in the Philippines had become an endless stretch of sacrifice and struggle. Bills piled up faster than her husband could earn, and her children’s school needs became heavier every year. So when her cousin mentioned an opportunity to work as a nanny in Italy, Tess hesitated only briefly. She wasn’t sure if her heart could take the separation, but for her family, she would endure anything.
The first few months in Milan were the hardest. Tess worked for a wealthy Italian family with two children. The language barrier was frustrating, and her homesickness felt like a knot tightening in her chest every day. She cried silently at night, clutching the small photo of her children tucked in her wallet. Her employer, Signora Lucia, was strict but fair, and gradually, Tess learned their routines, picking up Italian words along the way. She cleaned, cooked, and cared for the children with a gentle touch only a mother could give.
As months turned into years, Tess became more than a nanny to the family. The children began calling her “Tita Tess,” and even Signora Lucia confided in her during lonely afternoons. Despite her longing for home, Tess found small joys in her work a child’s hug, a thank you note, even a Sunday mass with fellow OFWs. They would gather after church, sharing food and stories, each one carrying a tale of sacrifice, dreams, and perseverance.
Back home, her eldest daughter graduated from college. Tess cried tears of joy as she watched the ceremony via video call, her heart swelling with pride. Her sacrifices were bearing fruit. The house they once rented was now theirs, and her husband had started a small motorcycle parts business from her savings. Slowly, their lives were changing.
But being an OFW was never easy. She missed birthdays, Christmases, school plays, and family dinners. She felt the ache of being present in absence. Her youngest once asked, “Mama, why can’t you come home forever?” And Tess had no easy answer. She wanted to. More than anything. But responsibilities still loomed.
After ten long years, Tess finally decided it was time to return. Her contract ended, and she chose not to renew. She had saved enough, her children were grown, and it was time to go home not just for a vacation, but for good.
Coming back felt like rediscovering herself. She was no longer the same woman who left. She was stronger, wiser, and more determined. Tess used her savings to start a small daycare center in her barangay, combining her passion for child care and her dream of staying close to home. Now, she looks after children while their own parents work just as she once did.
And every time she sees a mother hugging her child after a long day, Tess smiles, grateful that her journey, though difficult, was not in vain.
