A million pesos and a whole lot richer

Published January 25, 2015 5:27pm

Mapanonood ang Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho tuwing Linggo ng gabi sa GMA-7. Para sa karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa programa, sundan kami sa Facebook, Twitter at Instagram.

She is now, in a lot of ways, considered rich -- but what seems to be richer is Salmiya Makasait’s backstory. Who was she before becoming Laban o Bawi’s first jackpot winner since its return in 2014?

The answer may be found in a humble home in Basilan, where Salmiya used to live with her second husband and kids.

But her dysfunctional relationship with her husband drove her to look for opportunities outside their hometown. Salmiya knocked on every door, trying to find a recruiter somewhere who could maybe, just maybe, turn her life around.

180-degree turn

It was a long search but Salmiya finally found a recruiter. Desperate to escape her husband’s bad temper and beatings, she wholeheartedly gave the required amount for the recruiters so they could process her papers -- and it all seemed legitimate until she was told, upon arriving in Saudi Arabia, that she was not registered to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

There are few things more terrifying than illegally residing in a country that does not speak your mother tongue. Little did Salmiya know that far more horrific things are bound to happen.

Stressed out as she was because her work did not even allow her to take a break (she admitted to falling asleep inside the comfort room because of exhaustion), Salmiya even had to endure the ridicule of her employer’s jealous wife.

“Para bang pinagselosan, kahit pangit ka pa, pinagseselosan ka talaga niya (She was always jealous, you can be ugly, but she'll still be jealous.)” said Salmiya

The insults were one thing, the maltreatment was another. There were times that days would go on before Salmiya could eat properly. Sometimes, her employers would even padlock their refrigerators. The longest Salmiya had endured without food was three days. Out of desperation, she destroyed the fridge padlocks and drank all her employers’ milk.

To cap off her misery, Salmiya did not receive any compensatjon for one whole year because her employers did not process her “iqama” or residency permit.

OFW blues

Alone and helpless at Saudi Arabia, Salmiya did her best to stay away from everyone who knew her whenever milestones such as graduations came up. This was her deliberate attempt to fend off gift requests and balatos. “Tinawagan ako kasi sinadya ko rin ‘yung hindi magpa-contact kasi wala akong panggastos… nanghihingi ng regalo, anong [ibibigay] ko sa kanila? Pinapatay ko na lang cell phone ko. (They called me but I really didn’t want to be contacted because I don’t have money… whenever they asked for gifts, what could I give them? So I just turn my cell phone off.)” said Salmiya.

It was a lonely life. A lonely and very difficult life. Salmiya missed her mom. She missed her children. She missed home.

Enough was enough. Salmiya packed and headed to the airport to fly back home to the Philippines. Little did she know that another horrifying mess was waiting for her just as she was about to exit the country.

Being illegally recruited, Salmiya did not have any proper documents. Even the embassy at that time seemed to be at a loss as how to get her out.

So joining other overseas workers with no proper documents and registration, Salmiya endured her plight. She was kept in a room where everything was communal -- even their food was served in a single platter. This went on for 15 long days.

Salmiya stayed in that sorry state until the Philippine Embassy came to her rescue and allowed her to fly home.

A fresh start

Salmiya had no intention of going back to her miserable life in Basilan so upon arriving in the Philippines, she stayed in Manila and immediately looked for two jobs -- one she could do right away, and another which she could do in the future.

Her original plan was to work in the country for a while, save some money, and then find another job abroad. She did not even have any documents, just an NBI clearance.

It was then that a friend asked Salmiya to apply for a chance to play in Laban o Bawi. Her friend was going -- so she tagged along and did not expect a callback at all -- but as fate had other plans, she was brought back to the studio and was given the chance of a lifetime.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Salmiya’s papers were all set for Brunei -- she was just waiting for her visa. She already has an employer, a place to stay, an exponentially more comfortable life… but she will now have to turn it all down.

She had been away for far too long, now it’s time to embrace her own country, her own source of income, and her own children. “Babawi talaga ako sa [mga] anak ko (I will really make it up to my children),” cried Salmiya “lalo na ‘yung panganay ko kasi nag-birthday siya, nag-graduate, wala ako (especially to my eldest because when he celebrated his birthday and when he graduated, I wasn’t around).”

In many ways, Salmiya Makasait’s greatest fortune was not really her one million pesos prize money, but the chance to come home and stay with her true treasure---her family. ---Princess Daquigan, ARP

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