臺北市新住民專區網站英文版

Radio Host for Filipino Language Program

Name: Nene Ho

Nationality: Philippines

I'm Nene Ho, married to a Taiwanese and we have a daughter. My husband used to

manage buildings, and I worked as an administrative secretary at a travel agency.

Wanting to buy a house in the Philippines, I also worked as a part-time English

teacher at night. Both of us had to work, so we took turns caring for our daughter,

managing her school routines, and meals. Initially, our income was modest, but we

managed to cover our expenses. Despite that, we cherished our simple family life,

quite different from the typical large families in the Philippines.

During the early stages of my job search in Taiwan, I established the "Filipinos

Married to Taiwanese (FMTA)" Association. Initially, we had only a few members,

but over the seven years of my leadership, I represented FMTA in various international

conferences, taught English and cooking classes to members' children, and organized

events to assist those in need, including Filipino students studying in Taiwan.

After my husband passed away, I resigned from my positions as an administrative

secretary at the travel agency and as an English teacher, and began writing. My

daughter helped me publish these articles and publications, and we launched a

magazine called "The Migrants". In the early stages, we couldn't afford to pay

employees, so we had to do everything ourselves.

Back then, to cover paper and printing costs, we had to rely on advertisements.

Despite my passion for writing, it took many years due to household and financial

obligations before we could publish "The Migrants". The magazine helped many

homebound individuals alleviate life pressures and anxieties. However, with the rise

of social media, people's reading habits shifted away from printed publications,

leading us to cease publication. Despite this, the work gave me a sense of purpose,

and writing helped me temporarily forget the loneliness I felt after my husband's

passing.

After wrapping up my magazine work, I was lucky to secure a job reporting Taiwan

news at the Central Broadcasting Station. It's been an exhilarating and proud .0ex

perience for me. I find it unfair that some new immigrants in Taiwan can't work and

solely rely on their husbands' income. Working not only boosts the family's finances

but also offers me the chance to learn and make many friends along the way.

Though I love my job, family comes first, especially my children's education.

Teaching them to respect others, especially elders, teachers, and friends, is vital.

When they show respect, they usually receive it in return. Caring for children is

tough; we must consider their education and school performance. However, we can't

force everything, like exams. Some kids are naturally bright, while others aren't.

Pressuring them too much could be harmful. Regardless of how they perform, we

should always encourage them.

Some parents I know push their children to excel in school just to boast about them to

friends. This isn't ideal. It's better to praise children more and avoid adding pressure.

Parents should lead by example because kids learn how to treat others by watching

their parents.

Also, I know many young people who didn't do well in school but still found good

jobs. Isn't that enough for a happy life? At work, they learn from their company,

friends, and colleagues. As long as they're happy and earning, we should be satisfied.

True happiness comes from within, and that's reason enough to live. These are my

experiences in Taiwan, and I hope they can help other new immigrants and their

children.