Across the globe, millions of Filipinos leave home with a shared dream: to provide a better life for their families. These Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), often called "Modern Day Heroes," make enormous sacrifices in exchange for opportunity, security, and hope for the next generation. In Kuwait, many Filipinas work as domestic helpers, quietly embodying strength, patience, and resilience.

Marichu Feliciano, a 42-year-old mother from Isabela, a province in the northern part of Luzon, Philippines, is one such worker. Since 2017, she has been employed in Sabah Al Salem City, Kuwait, by a British expatriate family. Her daily tasks include caring for two young children and managing the household. Behind this routine is a deeper mission: securing her family's future in the Philippines.

Her earnings support her husband and youngest child, but her greatest pride lies in her eldest daughter, now in her final year of nursing studies. Like many OFWs, Marichu sees her sacrifice as a stepping stone to her children’s success. Providing access to education and stability back home fuels her determination to endure the emotional toll of working abroad.

Traveling home is not easy. Each visit requires long hours of transit, including a 7–8 hour bus ride from her province just to reach Manila. Despite these difficulties, she returned to the Philippines in 2023 and again in March 2024. These reunions are brief but vital, offering moments of joy and renewal for both her and her loved ones.

Marichu’s role demands more than physical effort—it requires trust, cultural sensitivity, and emotional strength. Domestic workers like her become second mothers to their employers' children, all while maintaining deep ties to their own families across thousands of miles. Her steady employment since 2017 speaks to the reliability and warmth that many Filipino workers are known for in households across the Middle East.

Her story is not rare but rarely told. It reflects the everyday reality of many Filipinas who quietly hold families together through hard work, care, and determination. Their contributions go beyond remittances—they shape futures, nurture dreams, and inspire strength across generations.

Additional Information

1. Life Challenges of Overseas Filipino Workers - Scientific Research Publishing, accessed April 15, 2025, Life Challenges of Overseas Filipino Workers - Scientific Research Publishing

2. Overseas Filipino Workers: The Modern-Day Heroes of the Philippines, accessed April 15, 2025, Overseas Filipino Workers: The Modern-Day Heroes of the Philippines

3. As others reunite this Holy Week, OFW mom leaves PH to support family, accessed April 15, 2025, As others reunite this Holy Week, OFW mom leaves PH to support family