(Eagle News) — Living in a foreign land with the dedication of true public servants, the Philippines’ foreign service personnel who are assigned in various Philippine embassies and consulates around the world, do heroic deeds which — more often than not — are untold.
They work behind the scenes doing their best to help Filipinos in need, something that they do selflessly.
They do it without fanfare; it is part of their work, their commitment to serve.
And just like the millions of our country’s overseas foreign workers, the Philippine government’s foreign service personnel give honor and pride to the country and to all Filipinos.
One such example is Cherry Narvaez, assigned at the Philippine Embassy in Moscow, Russia, who has been working for the Department of Foreign Affairs for 20 years now.
She recalls her experiences in helping her countrymen in their difficult plight, and recalls the joy and sorrow, the ups and downs, of being a Filipino public servant living in a foreign land.
Eagle News Service Russia correspondent Emy Coloma interviewed her at the Philippine Embassy in Moscow to get her story.
And as Narvaez narrates her various experiences as an embassy personnel, she tries to control the tears welling up in her eyes, but couldn’t.
She celebrated her 20 years in the Department of Foreign Affairs this year, and calls herself already “old’ in the service. She was first assigned in Thailand, and then in Russia where she had been serving for the past several years.
She recalls the many cases she has worked with, and her stories — filled with emotion — are typical of the stories of other foreign service personnel who have tried – and are still trying — to do all they can to help their Filipino countrymen.
“Ang pagtratrabaho sa foreign service ay masaya na malungkot, Masaya dahil nakakatulong kami pero malungkot kapag yung wala kaming magawa… yung hindi namin kayang gawin …” Narvaez said, her voice tailing off as she wipes a tear away while telling her story to Eagle News Service correspondent Emy Coloma in Russia.
(Working in the foreign service is both (a) happy and sad (experience). Happy when we are able to help, and sad if we cannot do anything more… when what we can do is not enough.)
“Masaya kapag nakakatulong kami at nagagawan namin ng paraan yung mga pangangailangan ng mga kababayan natin. Pero malungkot din, kapag may mga bagay din naman kasi na hindi namin kayang gawan ng paraan,” she said.
(Happy when we are able to help and we are able to find a way to address the needs of our fellow countrymen. But it is sad too, if there are things that we cannot find a way to do.)
“Kumbaga, limitado rin ang kakayahan namin na makatulong. Pero hangga’t maaari, hangga’t kaya, tinutulungan namin. (In a way, our ability to help is also limited. But as much as we can, if we can find a way, we try to help).”
Her voice breaks during the interview, and she has to pause several times as emotions get the better of her.
Narvaez recalls her first experience in helping a Filipina and her child from Kazakhstan, so they can go back to the Philippines. The Filipina at that time had been having some difficulties with her foreign partner.
The second case was a Filipino who suffered a stroke while in Russia who cannot go home alone.
“May kasama kaming doktor na umuwi ng Pilipinas,” she said.
The third case and the latest was that of a Filipina mother who had stage 4 cancer. The Filipina cancer victim and her child, who was just turning two, had to be brought home.
“Inuwi namin yun na may kaba… na baka hindi umabot sa pamilya. Pero awa naman ng Diyos, nairating namin at nadala namin nang matiwasay sa Pilipinas. At naibigay namin sa pamilya, at kumbaga ay nasalo na nila,” she said.
(We brought them home with fear in our heart… that they might not reach their family in time. But with God’s mercy, we were able to bring them home safely to the Philippines. And we were able to turn them over to their family who took over from there.)
-Message to OFWs: We’ll do our best to help you-
As the interview drew to a close, Narvaez has this message to Filipinos living in a foreign land whose needs they are trying their best to address.
Narvaez tells her fellow OFWs to put their trust in the people at the embassy as they would try to do their best to help them.
“Sa ating mga kababayan, sa ating mga OFW, na kahit kami ay OFW din, magtiwala lang kayo sa embassy at gagawin namin ang aming makakaya, lahat ng aming makakaya para makatulong at mabigyang solusyon ang mga problemang inyong kinakaharap,” she said.
(To our countrymen, to our OFWs — and even we are OFWs too, trust us at the embassy and we will do all that we can to help and find a solution to the problems you are facing.)
“Kung kami man po ay may pagkukulang, hinihingi po namin ang inyong pasensya at pang-unawa. Salamat po,” she said.
(If ever we have shortcomings, we are asking for your patience and understanding. Thank you.)
(Eagle News and Features, with an interview from Emy Coloma, Eagle News Service correspondent in Moscow, Russia)