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Yes, you read that right. I am now one among the almost 2 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs); the once-upon-a-time considered “Bagong Bayani”. (Of course, because of the pandemic, the new “bagong bayani” are the health care workers.) I have been one for over a year now. Wow! That much happened from the last time my column was published. But to my readers, you need not worry because Ekonomista is back!
And no, I did not decide to leave the Philippines because Ferdinand Marcos Jr. won as President, which some of my friends suspected. I was actually given the opportunity to work abroad way before the elections, but I was only able to fly out after the elections. Blame it on our government’s bureaucracy. I wasn’t even able to vote in the Philippines because I was already listed as an overseas absentee voter. That was one less vote for whomever I wanted to vote for.
Anyway, I now live and work in a fairly developed country very near our dear motherland. Some say, one can actually take a boat from the southernmost tip of this country and be back in the northernmost province of the Philippines in 30 minutes, on a good day. But who would do that when there’s a plane that can conveniently bring you back to the Philippines in two hours.
There is a constant risk that this country will be “taken back” by that dragon of a country that has been bullying the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries in the South China Sea. Missiles have been launched in various directions near this country just to show their military power, usually, as a reaction when some US officials decide to take a stopover and visit this country.
I have friends and family calling and messaging me about these aggressions and my usual answer is that the people here are not bothered. There are no signs that they are worried about these aggressions from the big, bad wolf, who huffs and puffs missiles every now and then. My aunt in the US told me to always keep my clothes in my luggage, always ready for evacuation. I would always have to wear wrinkled shirts to work if that’s the case. Imagine 200,000 OFWs here would have wrinkled shirts everyday.
I am lucky to be based in the countryside, where life is more laidback and the cost of living is cheaper than in metropolitan areas like Taipei, Taichung or Kaoshiung. I would ride my bicycle and go to the market every Saturday and buy fresh produce. The area is surrounded by many farmlands, where rice, corn and sugarcane are planted. There are also a lot of vegetable and fruit gardens. Almost all the fruits and vegetables in the Philippines are also found here. I can actually cook Pinakbet or Chopsuey here with complete ingredients, and even sing the bahay kubo while walking around the market.
At first, I was still converting the prices of goods here to Philippine Peso. As of this writing, the exchange rate is NT$1 to PhP1.77. It was difficult because the conversion has decimals, even for me who is a Math teacher. Actually, I found the prices relatively cheap and are comparable to the prices in the Philippines, so I did not convert.
I am also fortunate to have friends who brought me around and toured me around the island, that is why in the span of 1 year, I have already gone to more places in Taiwan than my friend, Benjie who has been living here for more than a decade now. I am truly grateful.
Speaking of Benjie, this high school friend of mine has been a great help also in giving me information about this country. I would ask him what the situation is in Taipei when I read or watch news about the big, bad wolf bullying this meek island. And he would always reassure me that I have nothing to worry about.
The first time I went to visit Taipei was in time for the New Year celebration. I was excited to watch the fireworks display in Taipei 101, the highest building in Taiwan. There were crowds of people who flocked to the area surrounding Taipei 101 eager to witness the fireworks, but left quite disappointed because the fog diffused the fireworks. Maybe next year.
Traveling around Taiwan via trains is very convenient. There are two types of trains. One is the high speed rail (HSR) which can go as fast as 300 km/h. The city where I am is 235 km away from Taipei, and travel time is a little more than 1 hour. The other train is the express train, which can go as fast as 180 km/h, so travel time to Taipei is about twice longer. Of course, HSR is more expensive than the regular express train. I prefer riding the express train because I can appreciate the view of the countryside while I travel, and it’s cheaper.
I was able to visit two aboriginal villages here. One was in Nantou, which is located in the mountainous central part of Taiwan. I was surprised that the aborigines looked very similar to the people from the Cordilleras. What surprised me more was that their houses, their fabrics and even their skin art (tattoo) were also very similar to the Cordilleras. Benjie told me that legend has it that in ancient times, Taiwan and the Philippines were connected by land bridges and the people traveled from the Philippines to Taiwan, or the other way around, I don’t remember. The other aboriginal village was in Alishan, located in the mountainous south central part. This time, I was able to immerse myself more with the natives. I thought I was just in Buguias. Their food was similar to the Philippines, with rice as a staple.
So far, I am enjoying myself here in Taiwan. It has been a great experience. It was more fun because I met some wonderful workmates who have become good friends. There are more places to explore, more people to meet and more food to eat. I will be more than happy to share these experiences to you every now and then, but still expect commentaries on current economic issues, too. Xiexie! Zaijian!