Marissa Santos had never imagined herself leaving the warm, familiar shores of her hometown in Bohol. A soft-spoken single mother of two, she lived a modest life selling homemade delicacies by the roadside. But when her youngest fell seriously ill and hospital bills began piling up, she knew she had to make a heartbreaking decision leave her children behind to work abroad.
With borrowed money and heavy prayers, she secured a job as a domestic helper in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The transition was jarring. The desert heat, strict rules, and towering cityscape were a far cry from her coastal village. But Marissa was not there for comfort; she was there to provide.
Her employers, a large family of eight, had their own set of expectations. She worked tirelessly from sunrise to midnight cooking, cleaning, and tending to the children. At first, the language barrier made her feel invisible, but slowly, she began picking up Arabic phrases, earning small smiles and occasional kind words from the family.
She missed home terribly. Each Sunday, her one-hour video call with her kids became her lifeline. She’d ask about school. remind them to say their prayers, and always end with “Mama loves you. One day, we’ll be together again. “Their smiles gave her strength, even when her body ached and her heart longed to hold them.
One day, the youngest daughter of her employer had a severe asthma attack. Marissa, calm and quick-thinking, rushed to administer the inhaler and called the father. The family, realizing how dependable and compassionate she was, grew to trust her more deeply. She was no longer just the maid she was Tita Marissa.
After two years, Marissa’s contract ended. She returned to Bohol with savings, enough to pay off debts and open a small sari-sari store. More importantly, she came home to her children with pride and renewed hope. She missed milestones birthdays, school awards, even first heartbreaks but she brought back something no one could take from them, a future.
But her journey didn’t end there. With careful planning, she took online business courses during the pandemic. Her store expanded, and eventually, she started a small catering service using the same recipes she once cooked for a wealthy family across the sea. From being an employee abroad, she became a businesswoman at home.
Marissa’s story wasn’t about luck. It was about sacrifice, resilience, and a mother’s love that traveled oceans. She became an example in her barangay, helping others navigate overseas applications, guiding returning OFWs on how to invest wisely, and reminding them that being an OFW is not just about earning it’s about dreaming bigger, even when you’re far from home.
She once left home to survive. Now she stays home to thrive.
