Inspiring Story: An Illegal OFW a Chef in Italy

Filipinos are known for being resilient in every situation, regardless of where they are.

Notwithstanding, the possibility of getting depression, fatigue, workload, risking lives, loneliness, possible addiction to substances, and homesickness due to the thousands of miles away from the Philippines, mainly far from each family’s loved ones. Yet Filipinos lingered calm, focused on their passion, grounded, committed, and robust.

There are 1.83 million Overseas Filipino Workers, aka OFWs, around the globe. And these OFWs have a story that delivers greatness, inspiration, braveness, genuine friendship, courageous effect, and a heroic impact for those who can relate to and understand each level of these Kababayan’s story worldwide.

This article features the tremendous impact of the story that could and can be the weapon for those who adrift the picture of how great life can offer. Despite the dreadful path we may be walking through and how dark the approach is. There is always a way of light coming to rescue our darkest life to see the bright side of the most unlit road of our life.

Photo Credit to Ms.Ces from her Instagram account

Cecilia Delacruz was born in the Philippines. Cecilia’s expedition abroad started when she finished university in the Philippines and traveled to Taiwan as a factory worker, becoming a successful carrier woman. Feeling homesick and bored, Cecilia resigned and flew back to the Philippines. Who would have thought she would be happy to stay longer in Taiwan? In the Philippines, Cecilia worked hard with her passion for culinary and met her French national boyfriend. However, her love story with the French national ended up which became the tool to meet her well-off next love story with a Dutch national who invited her to join him in Europe.

Like her first love with the French citizen, her relationship with the Dutch guy did not become a happy ending story. Cecilia was in the dark in a foreign country with an expired travel document, limited sources of income, and no one to run to except for herself to stay robust. Cecilia became homeless and lived in Europe as an illegal. However, the consequences never pushed Cecilia to return to the Philippines. She fought back and accepted the multiple workloads of surviving in a foreign country despite as an illegal OFW. To keep her journey running and inquisitive, Cecilia did not think of possibly being held in crossing Italy from the Netherlands without a valid travel document. Later, with her grit and passion for surviving and working, she finally encouraged herself to apply her paperwork correctly, and she broke up to being Tago nang Tago (TNT.) Cecilia obtained her documents to stay and could legally work in Italy.

Cecilia‘s thriving carrier is unstoppable with a new love life in an image of a British national. Cecilia is in love again, full of hope and determination, thinking she could create her own family this time because she got pregnant. Unexpectedly, Cecilia miscarriages the pregnancy. Followed by a breakup with the father of her unborn child. Cecilia was again tested, dragged to a dark scene of depression, lonely, entered into illegal substances, and struggling to lift herself again. However, a true Filipino, a brave person, is a fighter. You do; you constantly fight to win. Cecilia realized that she had no one to lean on but herself. She must stand up again and show she’s a winner.

Photo Credit to Ms.Ces from her Instagram

Therefore, Cecilia stood up and continued to fight, to work for her passion, and to prioritize loving herself first whenever her passion and love were considered home. Now she continues to develop a better picture of herself and become richer in her passion for cooking as one of the best Filipino Chefs in Italy. Nonetheless, Cecilia is also the founder of her podcast That Chick in Rome. She continues blogging for food and is an independent woman who inspires many Filipinos around Europe and hopefully reaches around the globe.

Pinoy Care wishes the Filipino Community here in the Czech Republic not to let themselves go into despair but to be inspired by this inspiring story of our Kababayan. Always remember that solutions and help are on the corner to rescue every upsetting situation, regardless of every hurdle we may stumble along our journey in life. May you light up while reading this article.