Story of Filipino Success: Rebecca Bustamante of ASIA CEO Forum

Poverty She also worked as a nanny while taking her gradu-

has alwa ys ate studies in Accounting and Marketing in Canada.
been one
It was there that she met Richard Mills, who was in-
of the
issues that troduced to her by her friends when she decided she
hinder finally wanted to date and to settle down. They got
most married after a year, and are now blessed with two
people sons.
from taking Bustamante
the leap towards something, but for
Rebecca Bustamante, this was her worked as a mar-
motivation, something that shaped her to keting executive
becom e who she currently is now toda y. and founded a
Before she became the CEO of a company of her
renowned com pany, she was a vendor own, High-Q Per-
and a domestic helper who struggled and sonnel, Canada. In
strived hard in order to fend for her the Philippines, she
fam ily. also became part of Mary Kay Cosmetics and the
Rebecca Bustamante, born seventh of Canadian Embassy, but it was in 2005 that she and
eleven siblings, grew up in a life of her husband decided to establish a company of their
povert y. As a child, s he had to work as
own here – Chalre’ Associates.
an unpaid servant in exchange for food
and the money she needed for school. She also started the ASIA CEO Forum in 2009,
She was discriminated when her mother where CEOs and business leaders get a chance to
had gotten ill, as no one would treat and share their experiences to an audience.
admit her moth because they didn ’t have
the means to pay for the bills. Before As someone who has been raised in a poor family,
she could even start changing the Bustamante also never forgets to go back and to
direction of her and her family’s life, her give back to where she came from. She donates
m other passes awa y. At 19, Bustam ante computers and books to schools in the province,
moved to Singapore where she worked hoping that this may encourage the young ones to
as a dom estic helper for three years. In study, and to know the importance of education on
between her work schedule, she studied their future.
Accounting at the Open University of
Singapore Institute of Management, Up until now, Rebecca We don’t grow when
where she finished her undergraduate Bustamante remains to
program without an y of her em ployers things are easy. We
be an icon of someone
being aware of it. In an article by GMA who has gone from grow when we face
News, she said that learning is rags to riches, but also
something that should not be forgotten challenges.
a female icon of some-
and tak en for granted. “If you want to be
successful, it’s important to continue one who never gives
learning, continue developing your up on her dreams in
skills,” she added. life.

https://primer.com.ph/business/2017/04/11/story-of-filipino-success-rebecca-bustamante-of-asia-ceo-forum/

I came from a family of farmers, from generations
to generations of farm ers. I have witnessed it
through m y father, m y uncles and other relatives
how difficult it is to be a farm er. My mothers ’ roots
are no different as well.
In Pampanga from where I cam e from, the difficulty
is even com pounded by the frequent flooding, that
is why the most they can do is plant once year.
Once In a while they plant another crop but it
doesn’t help much in the economic situation of a
farm er.
Inda (m y m other) is a full-tim e housewife
supporting Tatang with a seasonal business of
buying and selling of palay (rice crop) during
harvest season. I have three siblings July,
Jefferson and Jessie. I ’m the eldest.
Life is som ehow getting along for us until my high
school. By the time I reached college, our financial
difficulty sets in, no matter how hardworking
Tatang and Inda were, the earning from our piece
of land was not enough to send four children to
college. They dream of sending us to college no
matter how hard it will take for them. They instilled
on us that we will finish college and get a better
job. To be a farmer is not an option for them, they
took the liberty of deciding that and imposed
college education as the only option.
In 1989, on m y second year in college while July is
in freshm an, Jeff and Jes will be in college in the
next 2 years. This is when the option of going
abroad came in the picture. Initially, the plan was
that Tatang and Inda would go abroad together,
they know someone that has an opportunity for
couples abroad. I wanted to oppose to their plan,
but my case didn’t weight much versus the need to
alleviate the family financial difficulties. And the
dream of breaking the cycle of us becoming new
generation of farmers. But the plan changes when
Tatang met this guy that recruits people to Japan
and work in the factories. Unfortunately, it was
only Inda got the opportunity to work in Saipan and
Tatang was left to continue farming and take care
of us.
It was difficult for the family especially to m y
siblings, since they were the one m ore directly
af f ect ed when I nda bec ame an OFW (during t his
time I was already in Manila pursuing my college
education). Suddenly they have to take more
responsibilities other than their studies .
https://www.google.com/amp/s/myfarrahdise.com/2017/07/20/inspiring-story-successful-sons-of-farmer-and-ofw-mother-for-almost-20-years/amp/
They have to share the domestic chores in the house, July would
do the cooking and laundry, Jeff and Jes would take on the rest of
the work such as housecleaning and other tasks. But I think the
most difficult part is that suddenly Inda is not there to guide us.
Tatang was there…
“but I think there are things that you just want a mother to be
there, to be by your
side.”
Inda being away
somehow brought
positive impact to us,
we have grown closer
than ever. We were
very dependent in
each other and the
fact that Inda is away
served as a bond to
our brotherhood that is stronger than it was before. Inda is our
superglue that will forever bond us.
Inda works in a hotel in Saipan as a housekeeper, those ladies
that you see in the hotels that push those big carts full of bedding
and other toiletries supply. She did this job for almost 20 years.
Imagine every day she has to attend to several floors replacing
bedding and cleaning rooms.
“These sacrifices are the very reason that me and my siblings
made sure that we finish our college education.”
The difficulties that she has to endure every day serves as our
fuel to keep on going even though at time it seems like it is easier
to just give up and be a farmer just like our dear Tatang. But, Inda
would never allow it. Every time we feel down and feeling like
giving up, she would always talked to us, until we feel recharge
and ready to face the life’s challenges and adversities of going to
school with very limited resources.
Initially, Inda didn’t come home until after 3 years, we missed her
so much. We would frequently send letters and pictures to her and
she would do the same. There was no internet, emails and Face-
book yet, that made our situation even tougher. OFW generation
these days are a lot luckier with all the technology available and
means of communication is a lot easier. Once in a while we would
talk via long distance call (mobile phones are not available too),
but we cannot do it often as IDD calls are not cheap.
It would always be the happiest times of our lives when Inda
comes home for holiday. But, the saddest too when she leaves
again.
But this very situation brought us closer together, we became
more responsible, we cared for each other more. We always felt
that we will survive the loneliness when we face it together.
He would always make sure that we would be able to enroll on
time, even if he has to loan the tuition fees. He likes playing cards
he would always go to wakes just to play. I think it was his way of
coping up with his loneliness. He would always ask me to attend
to my brother’s graduation because he didn’t like going into the
stage and receive the medals and recognition. Tatang prefers not
to be in the limelight and just watch from a far.
The situation of Inda being away also brought tension on their
relationship but we were thankful that they managed to stick to-
gether until the end. Tatang died in 2009 due to lung cancer, he
smoked a lot since he was 16.
Now, Inda is happily retired she stays in Pampanga with my
younger brother and his family. Until this time Inda continuous to
be our hero, the very reason for what we have become.
At first, she didn’t want to retire yet as she is worried, she might
be bored. Yet right now, I see she’s well adjusted back to the slow
life in the province. I know
she is proud of us too.
“But I would like her to
know that we are proud-
est of her. She is the
lighthouse that have
guided her children very
well, even if there are
thousands of miles apart
from each other.”
Even if, we don’t see each
other as often as we want. Even if, we can’t hug each other every-
day. Even if, we don’t celebrate occasions just like other family out
there. Even if, our family is not physically complete, Inda made
sure that we are all going to grow to be someone stronger to face
our future.
I’m now 46-year old married with 2 kids, a Mechanical Engineer
currently working as a Project Manager. My younger brother is a
CPA, another brother is a Teacher and our youngest is an Archi-
tect, who is also working abroad right now. These are all because
of my parents handwork and dedication to give us better future.
Tatang is no longer here with us to see us grow more as an adult
and probably be more successful in life. But, I know he is also
proud and happy up there. He also did an important part in the
journey of our family. It’s not easy for any OFW to succeed with-
out the support of the other half.