Buhay Amerika

(Rough English translation is below)

Akala ng mga tao na nasa Pilipinas
kapag nasa America ka akala nila
madami ka ng pera. Ang totoo, madami
kang utang, dahil credit card lahat
ang gamit mo sa pagbili mo ng mga
gamit mo. Kailangan mo gumamit ng
credit card para magka-credit history
ka, kase pag hindi ka umutang o
wala kang utang, hindi ka
pagkakatiwalaan ng mga kano. Pag wala
kang credit card, ibig sabihin wala kang
kapasidad magbayad.

Akala nila mayaman ka na kase may
kotse ka na. Ang totoo, kapag
hindi ka bumili ng kotse sa
America maglalakad ka ng milya-
milya sa ilalim ng init ng araw o kaya sa snow.
Walang jeepney, tricycle o padyak
sa America .

Akala nila masarap ang buhay dito sa
America. Ang totoo, puro ka
trabaho kase pag di ka nagtrabaho,
wala kang pangbayad ng bills mo sa
kotse, credit card, ilaw, tubig,
insurance, bahay at iba pa. Hindi ka na
pwedeng tumambay sa kapitbahay kase
busy din sila maghanap buhay
pangbayad ng bills nila.

Akala nila masaya ka kase nagpadala
ka ng picture mo sa Disneyland,
Seaworld, Six Flags, Universal Studios
at iba pang attractions. Ang
totoo, kailangan mo ngumiti kase
nagbayad ka ng $70+ para makarating ka
dun, kailangan mo na naman ang 10
hours na sweldo mong pinangbayad sa
ticket.

Akala nila malaki na ang kinikita
mo kase dolyar na sweldo mo. Ang
totoo, malaki pagpinalit mo ng peso,
pero dolyar din ang gastos mo sa
America. Ibig sabihin ang dolyar mong
kinita sa presyong dolyar mo din
gagastusin. Ang P15.00 na sardinas sa
Pilipinas $1.00 sa America , ang
isang pakete ng sigarilyo sa pilipinas
P40.00, sa America $ 6.50, ang
upa mo sa bahay na P10,000 sa
Pilipinas, sa America $1,000++.

Akala nila buhay milyonaryo ka na
kase ang ganda ng bahay at kotse
mo. Ang totoo milyon ang utang mo. Ang
bago mong kotse 5 taon mong
huhulugan. Ang bahay 30 taon mong
huhulugan. Ibig sabihin, alipin ka ng
bahay at kotse mo.

Madaming naghahangad na makarating
sa America . Lalo na mga nurses,
mahirap maging normal na manggagawa sa
Pilipinas. Madalas pagod ka sa
trabaho. Pag dating ng sweldo mo,
kulang pa sa pagkain mo. Pero ganun
din sa ibang bansa katulad ng
America . Hindi ibig sabihin dolyar na
ang sweldo mo, yayaman ka na, kailangan mo
ding magbanat ng buto para
mabuhay ka sa ibang bansa.

Isang malaking sakripisyo ang pag
alis mo sa bansang pinagsilangan
at malungkot iwanan ang mga mahal mo
sa buhay. Hindi pinupulot ang pera
dito o pinipitas. Hindi ako naninira
ng pangarap, gusto ko lang buksan
ang bintana ng katotohanan..

Translation:

Filipinos think that if you’re in
America, you have a lot of money.
The truth is you have a lot of debt
because credit is one of the main
ways to buy. If you don’t borrow
or if you have debt, you are not
trusted by Americans. If you don’t
have a credit card, you are saying
you cannot pay.

They think you are rich since you
have a car. The truth is if you
don’t buy a car in America, you
will walk miles. Miles under the
heat of the sun or the snow.
There are no jeepneys, tricycles, or ?
in America.

They think life is sweet in America.
The truth is it is full of work, because
if you don’t work, you can pay bills for
your car, credit cart, light, water, insurance,
house, and more. YOu can’t stay with
your neighbors because they also have
busy lives, paying their bills.

They think you have fun because you
bring photos of Disneyland, Sea World, Six Flags,
Universal Studios, and other attractions.
The truth is you must smile in these
photos because you had to pay $70
to get there, 10 hours of pay to buy
the ticket.

They think you have a large income because
your salary is in dollars. The truth is,
the dollar is stronger than the peso, but
the dollar also costs more in America.
The dollar buys more, so it costs more.
P15 pesos of sardines in the Philippines,
is $1 dollar in America, one pack of
cigarettes in the Philippines is P40, in America
it is $6.50, your rent in the Philippines
is P10,000 pesos, in America it is $1,000 plus.

They think you have a millionaire life because
you have a nice house and a nice car. The truth
is you are a million dollars in debt. You owe 5 years
for your new car. Your house, 30 years. In other words,
you are a slave to your house and car.

Many want more in America.
Especially nurses, who work hard in the
Philippines. Tired of work. Your salary
is not enough for food. It is the same
in other countries like America. (I can’t discern
the translation for this last sentence).

It is a huge sacrifice to visit the Philippines,
and sad to leave your loved ones. I don’t want to
bash your dreams, I want to open the window
of truth.

Originally found on kayie48.multiply.com/journal/item/16, link no longer works. But it has been shared and posted unattributed in various places, such as on the GMA website.

This is a Filipino telling other Filipinos how America is really like. What would an American tell another American how the Philippines is really like?

American flag photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.