On the second day at exactly 11am of February “love month” the fourth child of Mr. Demy and Mrs. Remedios Collado was born named Jamaica E. Collado, yes that’s me! I was born in Mindanao a wonderful place where we got our basic needs without spending too much money or 2/3 of our food is provided by mother earth. In my 23 years of existence I could say that I’ve experienced a lot that as I look backward I couldn’t even believe that those things were part of my life. I really agree in a saying that our life is a combination of ups and down because I’ve experienced it
I spend 14years of my life in Mindanao before I came here in Manila due to my mother’s decision as well as my eldest siblings. During childhood my beloved tatay was the one who took care of us because my mother was in Malaysia. She worked there for almost 4years to provide our needs which she really did, Nanay is really great until now she is there for us and even for my son. I couldn't say that my father is perfect because he had weaknesses also but then I really felt how much he loves us. He was a disciplinarian father in which his voice was really the rule in our house but he has sense of humor. Sometimes he played with us. I remembered when I was 7, I used to cry and lay down on the road because I wanted to go to school because he told me that I couldn’t continued my schooling I just do not know if he is serious or not because I knew that education was what he wanted for us but anyway he approached me he carried my chair on his other hand and told me that he would sent me to school to make the story short he enrolled me in grade 1 in which I was the first honor. Tatay taught me lot of things even in writing my name he was the one who taught me. Every evening at exactly 6pm he would tell us “what time is it? What is your obligation?” then we come to him and took his hand into our forehead or we make “amen” an ilonggo term for giving respect to parents and old ones. We were forbidden to interrupt or join the conversation of the elder not unless we were asked to because if we do we were surely punished as the visitor left. He told us values and good manners towards other people and to each family member as well we were not allowed to answer when someone called directly we should address him in his name first. No one tried to harm or tell us bad words because they respect Tatay.
Our life most especially mine changed when Tatay died July 24, 1999. Since then I experienced to be hurt by others not physically but emotionally. I was shocked that time and I don’t know what to do my father was already dead and Nanay wasn’t there because she needed to work and earn for us especially so that Tatay was not anymore around. Because of it I was able to keep in touch with my two sisters since I was the youngest but then it didn’t last. When I was 12 years old they left me with my younger brother in my uncle’s care the elder brother of my father, my sister told me ". We were alone, I was doing school works and my assignments alone that is until now I prefer to work school stuffs alone.
We moved in here in Manila after when I was third year high school.I studied at Makati high school where I was able to learn many things. At first I experienced cultural shocked but I was able to coup up. I felt like home because I earn friends. I made a lot of wonderful memories there. Another phase of my life took place I had my son when I was 19, I gave birth through caesarian section which I didn’t dream of but I have to, to save my son’s life because he was stocked in my womb for more than 9 days. It was the hardest part of my life. James is turning four though I gave birth at young age I thank God for letting me regain what I wasted before even though sometimes I still encountered problems. Now I have my inspiration and a direction that I can follow because I must achieve my goal and this wonderful gift encourage me to do it. I also thank god for providing me the things that I need and for my mother and my siblings who continues to help me even I failed them before. Now I want them to be proud of me, fulfill my goals to give my son a better life.
I spend 14years of my life in Mindanao before I came here in Manila due to my mother’s decision as well as my eldest siblings. During childhood my beloved tatay was the one who took care of us because my mother was in Malaysia. She worked there for almost 4years to provide our needs which she really did, Nanay is really great until now she is there for us and even for my son. I couldn't say that my father is perfect because he had weaknesses also but then I really felt how much he loves us. He was a disciplinarian father in which his voice was really the rule in our house but he has sense of humor. Sometimes he played with us. I remembered when I was 7, I used to cry and lay down on the road because I wanted to go to school because he told me that I couldn’t continued my schooling I just do not know if he is serious or not because I knew that education was what he wanted for us but anyway he approached me he carried my chair on his other hand and told me that he would sent me to school to make the story short he enrolled me in grade 1 in which I was the first honor. Tatay taught me lot of things even in writing my name he was the one who taught me. Every evening at exactly 6pm he would tell us “what time is it? What is your obligation?” then we come to him and took his hand into our forehead or we make “amen” an ilonggo term for giving respect to parents and old ones. We were forbidden to interrupt or join the conversation of the elder not unless we were asked to because if we do we were surely punished as the visitor left. He told us values and good manners towards other people and to each family member as well we were not allowed to answer when someone called directly we should address him in his name first. No one tried to harm or tell us bad words because they respect Tatay.
Our life most especially mine changed when Tatay died July 24, 1999. Since then I experienced to be hurt by others not physically but emotionally. I was shocked that time and I don’t know what to do my father was already dead and Nanay wasn’t there because she needed to work and earn for us especially so that Tatay was not anymore around. Because of it I was able to keep in touch with my two sisters since I was the youngest but then it didn’t last. When I was 12 years old they left me with my younger brother in my uncle’s care the elder brother of my father, my sister told me ". We were alone, I was doing school works and my assignments alone that is until now I prefer to work school stuffs alone.
We moved in here in Manila after when I was third year high school.I studied at Makati high school where I was able to learn many things. At first I experienced cultural shocked but I was able to coup up. I felt like home because I earn friends. I made a lot of wonderful memories there. Another phase of my life took place I had my son when I was 19, I gave birth through caesarian section which I didn’t dream of but I have to, to save my son’s life because he was stocked in my womb for more than 9 days. It was the hardest part of my life. James is turning four though I gave birth at young age I thank God for letting me regain what I wasted before even though sometimes I still encountered problems. Now I have my inspiration and a direction that I can follow because I must achieve my goal and this wonderful gift encourage me to do it. I also thank god for providing me the things that I need and for my mother and my siblings who continues to help me even I failed them before. Now I want them to be proud of me, fulfill my goals to give my son a better life.