Interview With Felicidad Mendez

Interviewee: Felicidad Mendez,

Born: November 11, 1949

Interviewer and writer: Kisho Tsuchiya        Interpreter: Marjorie Tsuchiya & Dominique Lucagbo

Transcriber: Dominique J. Lucagbo

Date: March 05, 2020

Location: Malaybalay, Bukidnon

Language: Bisaya

My name is Felicidad Mendez, I was born on November 11, 1952 in Mandawa, Bohol. My parents were farmers. They also went fishing which I really enjoyed in my childhood with my father and siblings. I had 16 siblings in the family but 2 of them died during birth. I am the fourth child from the eldest. We enjoyed fishing with my father where we would paddle a fishing boat to catch fish using a net. We could only fish if there was a lot of us since the nets required a lot of man power for to work. I also went to school but unfortunately was only able to graduate primary education.

I was 14 and stayed at home doing nothing but a lot of children my age went to Manila to find a job. I was convinced by my cousins to go there because it was said that people who go there tend to have a lighter skin complexion every time they came back to our hometown. A lot of us have darker skin because we are often exposed to sunlight whenever we play near the sea and spend a lot of time in the farm. It made our skin darker than most people from the city. I was still 14 years old that time and was pressured by my cousins to go and so I asked my mother about it. She was against my decision at first. But in the end, she signed the papers to be passed to the agency. My father was away at the time doing some business in Cebu City and wasn’t able to stop me from going. He scolded my mother for allowing me who was still a child and don’t even know how to wash my own clothes.

They were right about everything and I regretted it as soon as I stepped on the ship. I was already homesick and crying while the ship was playing a mother’s lullaby. I missed them already but chose to stand by my decision. When we arrived in the agency we were held there for a while because there were a lot of people who were also waiting to be hired. We had nothing to eat there but corn and rice that wasn’t even cooked properly. I was really regretting my rash actions that time and realized I already had a peaceful life back in Bohol because we have a farm and can eat daily without much problems. Thinking about them made me ill while in the agency office. I was transferred in the second floor to rest so that I won’t make the other sick too. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find a job but thankfully a miracle happened.

A woman came to the agency looking for a babysitter. She was a doctor and just recently delivered her baby. She was going through the ladies in the first floor and still didn’t find someone who’s qualified enough to be a babysitter. She asked if there’s still more girls and they pointed at me in the second floor. I was clueless but still followed her. She discovered that I was sick and gave me medicine and let me rest for the mean time. She acted like a mother to me and was really gentle and kind. After I recovered, she taught me the basics of taking care of a child. I was clueless of these things but she was patient enough to tell me the dos’ and don’ts’. I eventually got a hold of my job and was doing fine there. The Doctor had a brother who was an accountant and started courting me. I wrote a letter to my parents saying I will go home and also mentioned my boss’ brother. My father was livid about it and said that if I go home with a guy I’ll be as fine as the sand. I was scared of what my father can do so I rejected him and went home alone. I worked in Manila for 2 years and went back to Bohol.

I spent another 2 years there. Then I went to Linabo, Bukidnon where my sister is residing. I met my husband there and when I turned 20, we got married in Bohol in a church wedding. We then went back to Bukidnon to settle for good. My husband was kind and responsible. He’s working as a driver to his auntie. In fact, we were assigned by her auntie to manage her business for the meantime. During the 80’s there were attacks of NPAs in our place but we still remained taking care of the business. The NPAs wouldn’t dare to touch us because we gave them sacks of rice whenever they ask and that made us unnecessary for evacuations. Some of our neighbours evacuated in fear of the chaos the NPAs will cause. The NPA tried recruiting us but we denied their offers as we were also afraid of the government’s soldiers who were also there to maintain the peace. In the end, the war ended by signing a paper indicating their surrender. We also signed the papers even though we were not part of them. Bukidnon was then back to its normal business. 

My husband and I had 2 children but the first born died during birth. I was really devastated and hopeless when he died but was still blessed to have a daughter. She was a good child and we were able to let her graduate with a degree of Education. She now teaches in a public school and married to a fine man who is a seaman. Her husband is successful enough for them to live a happy life. I am happy now for what she achieved. I wanted her to be successful in her life and I am happy that she’s on her way there.