A lesser-known aspect of the Filipino diaspora is the phenomenon of older, relatively-successful, mid- or late-career countrymen and -women choosing to pull up roots and make a go of it in a foreign land, despite the uncertainty and hardship this might entail—all for the prospect of a better life for their families.
You’ve probably heard the stories: medical doctors working as hospital orderlies, retired military officers employed as security guards, seasoned professionals downgrading to entry-level positions as supermarket cashiers, salespersons, used-car salesmen, and so on. Save for the lucky few who manage a soft landing, most of them soon discover that their Philippine résumés and job experience don’t count for much in their new homes, and what they need to do is hustle, often juggling multiple jobs and side gigs, to get by.
Apollo Tiano was a top creative in the Philippine advertising industry when, at an age when most of his peers were contemplating retirement, he decided to join this exodus at the turn of the millennium, with his wife Jeng and sons Niko and Gio.
It made a kind of sense: His parents and siblings had already settled in the United States, the local advertising industry was in its sunset phase with dwindling clients and shrinking ad budgets, and the economic and political future of the Philippines was, at best, unpredictable.
“Aside from family reunification, my main reason for migrating to the U.S., was for my two boys, Niko and Gio, to have an expanded opportunity to realize their full potential through U.S. education,” Tiano writes in “Pinoy Portraits,” a newly-published book he has authored in collaboration with artist Raul Lacanilao, like himself a former advertising creative now living in the United States.
Tiano adds: “As for my wife and I, who worked in advertising agencies in Manila, we were prepared to retool and reinvent ourselves in whatever work we could handle.
“Working in the U.S. after 9/11 was not easy. We both had to work hard to maintain a job. To make ends meet, working 2 to 3 jobs during our adjustment period is a must, knowing that at the end of each day, my wife and 2 teen-age boys are provided for.”
To make a long story short, the couple plunged into the task of building new lives, taking on different and unfamiliar types of employment and side hustles. It is a daunting task for anyone, doubly so for a couple of middle-aged baby boomers.
But Filipinos are nothing if not resilient. Tiano is now a grandfather to three young children who have yet to set foot on their parents’ native soil.
With enough leisure time to contemplate the journey thus far, he turns his pen—which he once wielded toward producing catchy advertising copy—to the question of Filipino identity, specially as it applies to the 10.8 million or so Filipinos who live and work abroad, 4.6 million of them in the United States.
In her foreword, Ruby Villavicencio Paurom writes:
“In this book, Pinoy Portraits, he and his artist friend, Raul Lacanilao, creatively weave in the understanding of the Filipino, from their own personal lives, and from a grander historical perspective. Through Raul’s portrait-sketches, and with Apollo’s narrative, we have a portal to view the majesty, from different angles, of the unique creation, who is the Filipino.
“Who are we? What delights us? What upsets us? How do we perceive what the world presents us? Or conversely, what do we present to the goings-on around us? How do we meld with people in environments other than our own home country? Why do we sing at a moment’s notice when asked during bonding time at a global conference? Why do we serve feasts when we gather together?”
“Pinoy Portraits” is, in a way, an epistle to Tiano’s grandchildren, looking forward to the time when they are old enough to ask where they came from, and what makes them unique in the melting pot that is America.
Tiano writes: “To stay on track while writing about being Pinoy with childlike curiosity and wonder, I imagine having a storytelling session with my first grandson, Ezra. At 9 years old, Ezra is already a bookworm, and I’m certain he will eventually read this book. I hope that, based on what he learns from it, he will grow up proud of himself as a Pinoy. At least, that’s my hope.
“My grandkids, being classified as Generation Alpha kids, are projected to be the smartest, most computer savvy of all generations. But for all their smartness and in speaking English without a trace of the Filipino accent, I want them to know their cultural roots and discover for themselves how distinct and remarkable Pinoys are.”
Hopefully, by that time their adopted country would have come to its collective senses and realized the strength that comes from its cultural diversity.
“Pinoy Portraits” will be launched on Nov. 22, 5–7 p.m., at Park Terraces Condominium Function Rooms 1 and 2 (Point Tower) on A. Arnaiz Street corner West Street corner Palm Drive (beside Fairmont Hotel), Makati City. It is also available on Amazon.com.
