Jun Estrada
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Speaker 1 [00:00:00] Dennis this and I have been emailing back and forth, but it's really nice to finally talk to you guys. I'm happy you then. Oh.
Speaker 2 [00:00:08] Good. Yeah.
Speaker 1 [00:00:13] Yeah. I mean, I feel like it is like sixties. And right now a lot of people I know are getting sick and so. Um. Yeah, I just wanted to. You go ahead. No, I'm.
Speaker 2 [00:00:33] Just, uh, to ask, you know, this thing and document your. I'm trying to do this. The people whom I agree, particularly or all in the United States or. From there, it's all over. Oh, yeah. All over the world. Okay. Because I was.
Speaker 1 [00:00:56] We are kind of like I was just looking at some of, you know, immigrants in general, and you want to kind of expand, like, the stories and get the locations of where they migrated to. So it is basically all over the world. A lot of the people we've been interviewing have been in North America. Um, but yeah. Yeah. Would you like me to tell you, like, a little bit of like, a brief of. Like what? Our project is more in detail.
Speaker 2 [00:01:30] Yeah. Okay. Um.
Speaker 1 [00:01:33] So, um, a documentary is going to be released, and it's directed by Fayulu, and it's essentially focusing on Filipino immigrants and like, their stories after immigrating and the reasons why they immigrated. And like, it's kind of like focusing on the mental health aspects and how it affects families. Um, so this side of the project, we are interviewing Filipinos across the world to tell their story about their immigration process. And um, it's going to be shown and released on a website where there will be an interactive map which will have like a little dot of like a person's name and then their story. So obviously their it can be anonymous, it can be whoever you want to tell your story, the things that you hear in this call that you don't want to be released online, you can let us know and then release that. But this is more of like a conversation rather than like an interview, because we just really want to hear their experiences because it just matters a lot. Like, yes.
Speaker 2 [00:02:58] Okay, actually, it's probably a different way. Oh, I got into here because I never applied to the embassy and never had a visa or anything. But, you know, and the way I made it, because I, you know, I joined the. You is the United States military. You're United States Navy Armed Forces and through the enlistment. But there's a lot the process is not easy. Doing that. You know, it's only I think for me, what happened was just like a miracle. Because can cannot tell the stories. But how about getting.
Speaker 1 [00:03:49] Of course. Yeah. [00:03:51]Is it all right if you introduce yourself? So tell me your name. How old are you? And where do you live right now? Yeah, right now. Um, if that's all right with you. Yes. [11.6s]
Speaker 2 [00:04:05] Just. I just. Just see June, you know, just [00:04:08]my name is Jun. I'm going on 76, 76 years old. I came here the year I joined the military. U.S. Navy. Uh, 73. So about 50 years already. [19.6s] It was happened. And [00:04:34]in the Philippines, these have a naval station over there. And there's the Filipino citizen counting list. Inside a base. They had a recruiting detachment over there. [15.2s] Yeah. You know, actually, I don't really, you know, this time it's only. It's happened, like. Like. I didn't really plan it. [00:05:03]What happened was. I went back, I was in the city in Manila, I mean, back in the town, in the province. This is called Pangasinan [14.9s] because my grandma. Right. And on screen, I was there. I met all my my cartoons, all my relatives and. Right. We talk about, you know, when I see all my. My fear is about, you know, all the we were like teenagers. We were in town. Usually during this days he goes down and we kind of celebrate. We drink, you know, we go in like in the restaurant and we drink. [00:06:01]And one of my cousin came up and said, I you know what I saw in the news that they're excepting, you know, uh, Filipino citizens to join the military. They didn't have any address. She gave me the address, you know, And the only thing to do is just like they said, this requirement was just send a picture. I don't remember. I think about two by four and just saying, sign it with your name [37.0s] disappeared, you know. But is that [00:06:44]an educational attainment? You see our high school graduate. So I filled it up [5.5s] that actually during that time it was the the train of those here. Over here, my hair is too long. What what do you think? Do you think these will be accepted with our looks? So what we did, we just stayed by here and take a picture in town. You can. These are like a school you that you can be. Get a picture right away. So [00:07:16]we took a picture and finished it and I get home. I asked my mom, Can you send this? [7.0s] Because picture you put it nearly through a registered so store because that's one of the requirements you have to mail it registered. [00:07:37]So they registered it and mail it. That was two month of October. And I think by February I that the recruiting station sent. Oh, I like the response. And it's like a postcard letter. [22.0s] And they send it back because the, as we say, was in a province, you know, it's I live in if are you you know, town composed of various yet like a small city used like a country's you know and what happened was when my mom received that and some other like letters, you know. And they seem to meet to somebody from our. Are you? Because I was in Manila and seen it over there. And then. As one way cousin said, you had some letters from. From from your. Okay, let me see. Then I saw the slaters. Looks like, you know, just like fliers or junk letters, and they still trying to send it. I'm not interested there, so I just throw those things in the press. You know, the letter on one of my cousins all over this thing, and she found that, like, a postcard later. I look at this. June. What is this lot? Then I look at it closely. And that was the letter from the recruiting. I. [00:09:33]And there was a date of appointment. Oh, man. Oh, this is the day. That appointment was you. You are scheduled to take the test. [10.8s] You have to take the test. That's the. I checked that. Oh, man. So what happened was, I already decided. I think I would just go up, go home and kind study, prepare myself. So that's what I date until, I think, June or July. For me to take the test. [00:10:08]So I did that. I took the test when I took the test. You can't believe this about me. There were 700 applicants was going to take the test, but. [12.4s] Oh, I'm always, you know. Oh, my God. Oh, you know, [00:10:27]I'm kind of nervous and just kept going. You know, I always break it and praying and praying. So what happened was, ah, in short, we went in and all of us took the test. [14.2s] And here's what happens out of those numbers. It's only 15 made it. Actually, the the the examinations are like math comprehension juices. Those are the first thing you will do. [00:11:02]You know, out of the 700, only 15 of us made it. Then after that it's like you have interview. [9.3s] If you didn't make it, they will send you out. You know this. Oh, we need to interview [00:11:22]and I hope this ten seven made it. [2.9s] So the rest of the guys know, you know, it's only seven of us left. Then this. [00:11:32]They sent us back. [0.6s] We that, you know, we that you know start a friend in their vehicle [00:11:42]took fullbacks or physical. Physical exam. The infantry made physical out of that seven? Yes, it's only three. Made it so. Oh, my God. So it's actually only like three of us made out of those, you know, 700 kind of survivors. So it's like a miracle that really happened to me. [21.6s] I was. Oh, my God, I'm always crying. And I know. [00:12:11]And you know, the last one is the queen. You have to take the oath to be official member of the. You is the military forces. [12.8s] So I went back and that's that's how I got. You know, dead at the scene as to San Diego and have a training, you know, this boot camp training to start, you know, when you join the military. [00:12:43]So that's that's how I got it. So I guess they're making it through the through the U.S. military. [8.6s]
Speaker 1 [00:12:53] But now that that's know.
Speaker 2 [00:12:56] Yeah. And so right now, you cannot do it any more because the base was closed 1992, I think the naval station was closed. They didn't have it anymore. Yeah. So you think nobody can come here anymore? Through the. Through the military.
Speaker 1 [00:13:18] Well, that.
Speaker 2 [00:13:20] Doesn't.
Speaker 1 [00:13:21] You mean it doesn't burn?
Speaker 2 [00:13:26] Yeah, it really does. I saved my life. [00:13:31]I'm really so blessed. I'm very, very thankful. That happens to me that, you know, until now, there's no time of the day that I pray and thankful to God that really blessed me. [11.8s]
Speaker 1 [00:13:45] And that's that's really quite true. Here's the thing that you always wanted to do, but what did you want to be when you were younger? Actually, when.
Speaker 2 [00:13:58] I was in high school, you know, I don't know if you grew up in the Philippines. Are you or. No, you grew up here.
Speaker 1 [00:14:06] I grew up in the Philippines and. Yeah.
Speaker 2 [00:14:09] Yeah. But in my days in high school. Before you graduate. It. They let you, huh? Right. What is your ambition? You know, and I. Right. I joined the U.S. Navy. And it's and it's happened. I everybody. All the boys. All the guys. Actually the that's that's their. That's their dream. Yes. All. All of. All of.
Speaker 1 [00:14:45] Yeah. Well, [00:14:46]what was the experience like moving to the US? Oh, you'd have to leave anyone behind. Did you leave behind. That memories? [9.6s]
Speaker 2 [00:14:56] [00:14:56]Yeah, actually, my. The rest of my family, my siblings, my parents, uh, left behind. So finally, you know, my first enlistment is four years. [12.4s] When you read a reading list and reading list, you [00:15:15]when you're reading list, after the four years, you can apply your citizenship. So within that four years, I got my citizen. I petitioned my parents. My mom. To come here. You know, as soon as they arrive, as soon as theoretically they get here, they get their green card. You know, is there a permanent because they were like permanent residents. They get their green cards that day. I told them to bring all the facilities to take, you know, my siblings. Then I applied for them to come here. So this is kind of easy. You know, during this time. [43.3s]
Speaker 1 [00:16:00] Papa.
Speaker 3 [00:16:02] Yeah. Papa Nucci. I would love for my dad to just maybe mention what year it was. And, Papa, you could say how many members or siblings were in the Philippines. And then your youngest year.
Speaker 2 [00:16:15] This was 1978. 1970.
Speaker 3 [00:16:19] No, Papa, before I'm talking about when you applied. Yeah. To join by.
Speaker 2 [00:16:26] AIDS.
Speaker 3 [00:16:27] Yes. And. And where are your mom and dad lived and the rest of your 12 siblings and where your youngest brother lived?
Speaker 2 [00:16:36] Oh, we we always we all live together. You know, they live in in the province. They were my my youngest, actually, my sister. I think maybe she was about six years old. Yeah. But the rest of my my brother and my brother. I don't really see how old he was when he came here. I think maybe before 30 years old. If the person is not married or if it's not married. You can still the theories and you still petition the children. But when I joined the Navy, I am already 25 to the age to join the military. It changed it usually about 32 years old. They changed it. When I enlisted, it changed it to 25 years old. It's my last year for me to the drawing and yeah. So you it. Then all of my reputation them all one time. And all of my my siblings.
Speaker 3 [00:17:54] So, Papa, could you just say how many siblings you have?
Speaker 2 [00:17:57] And actually. Okay, let me the one that my first petition was. This. Gloria. Zita. Gloria beat the Orient Beat.
Speaker 3 [00:18:21] Matt.
Speaker 2 [00:18:23] That must be the. I did this five came all at one time because Junior. Actually, my my youngest brother also here. But he was adopted. He came here first. He was adopted by my uncle because my uncle didn't have any family. We don't have children. So they adopted him. He came here before I came here. My other sister was married to American Citizen Guy. So he came by petition by their husband. So actually it's only like five. That was application by my mom. My mom and dad. Yeah. Yeah. Not only that, though, I. I mean, I the patient, my my brother died, and, you know, his children could see the orphanage, so all his five children petitioned them to come here. So that's all the things that, you know, the rest of the family were here.
Speaker 1 [00:19:47] [00:19:47]That's what I'm trying to do with you. Like how you felt when you had to separate from your family for a little bit. [10.5s] How did you feel? And.
Speaker 2 [00:20:00] And just. [00:20:02]Oh, it's you know, during that time, you know, I was growing, actually. I don't know anybody. All by myself, you know, in the military. There is [16.0s] a foreigner on the ship and [00:20:21]a lot of, like, recreation inside the base, in bowling, a lot of activities. We have you know, they have we always do barbecue party. You know, we go some friends, you know, they invite us in. That was a marriage that we know was you in the service. That's all we do inside the base. Do you have a theater? A lot of things you can do. You don't really have to go outside, you know? [28.6s] So you you. You have recreation, things like that. They have like, Oh, you can look, you know, whatever you do there, you can drink everything you got out of those.
Speaker 1 [00:21:17] [00:21:17]If you find any close friends, save yourself. [2.5s]
Speaker 2 [00:21:20] [00:21:20]From. [0.0s]
Speaker 1 [00:21:22] Anyone that is close to you here and in that room. Oh.
Speaker 2 [00:21:27] [00:21:27]I think I actually I didn't speak single for a long time. Within two years in my service, I got married. Yeah. So. I really had a family. Then after that, I didn't go back. Even asking me to go home to, you know, they are trying to find somebody for me to, you know, to marry. But it never happened. [25.4s] So I just. How often did you.
Speaker 1 [00:21:57] Fly back to the south?
Speaker 2 [00:22:00] I, uh, during my deployment. Usually when you. When you are assigned to the ship, you deploy. You go to the Middle East, you know, but you have to pass. You go to Hawaii, then you go to either Japan. In our thing. Go to the Philippines. Before you go in to the Middle East, you pass to Singapore. Sometimes you risk Hong Kong, then you go to the Middle East. That's what happened. Actually, during my 20 years in the service, I was assigned to three ships. I was in a carrier. For years. My first shift. The second was I was in the amphibious. And the third one, it was the first. So almost all of my C corps were like 12 years. It is the kind of rating, you know, I do in the Navy is is like four years C then two years assigned to a duty equal like Cerruti. So most of the things that I stayed on, on the ship are everything. The thing is, every time a ship goes to the Philippines. I didn't go to, you know, to the province because I didn't have, you know, my my brothers and sisters are not there anymore. So I just stay in a in a in a longer form. That's the base where naval base was. So I call it like so busy about a. Maybe already has two Manila. You should take the bus hour and the airport to do so.
Speaker 1 [00:24:05] And got exactly what you wanted it to be and just what you thought it would be like when you wanted to become part of the U.S.A..
Speaker 2 [00:24:16] Uh uh, what? What is that again? What I like to be.
Speaker 1 [00:24:23] I've one job that I.
Speaker 2 [00:24:26] Have to go to law school. Yeah. If you are before, during the time when you join the. The the helmet, you know, just goes ahead of me. Beware of you were trying to go to school for Stewart Reagan. Stewart is the one you, sir? No, sir. You serve in the galley serving and the officers in the wardroom. But in my time, that was the time when. Filipinos are allowed to go in different reading before they are only stop the black during the time that the blacks and the. Filipinas. They were just assigned to Stuart Stuart rating. And I was also assigned to take that school, but I saw them. I have experience in the engine room. So the way that they got me an engineering department. So they sent me to a training and an engineering. That's what I can do. I went to engineering. And when you go to the scene, you go on board. And if you are recalling that fireman, you know that there's always this like calm in the princess environment, things like that that's starting. When you go on board, you are saying to engineering that the chief engineer assigned you what ever a decision it's needed in the engineering. There's a boiler division designation. What he called a dedication. My senior education. What are those? The departments. They have a boy. Boys are a. Uh, I just. Oh, they have different kinds of divisions that they will assign you mercenary kinds of. But I was assigned a mercenary as far as I was assigned in the investigations. In the boiler, boiler assigned in the firing in a fire room. I was there for, like, about a year. Is is kind of. I'm not comfortable in there because if you use crane in a fire, which is very hot. It's very hot. This the ship. I was I was assigned. Was it you know. You know, if they're here they've already spent it's been driven. It's a turbine ship. These are all conventional ships. You know, the carriers, they have, like, overkill, like, for instance. One engine is. But it is run by three boilers. Three boilers. Here is how far extremists have had the failures. So I was assigned in one of the the fire room. The thing is, I really don't like working over there. Reasons why I get out, you know, is is I did my own the job training. We call it like OJT. What happened was I stand watch is from 4:00 to 8:00 in the morning. Up to 8:00. 4 to 8 in the morning and 448 also in the afternoon. What I did was I saw a giraffe at night. I did 3 hours working on the messenger. So I go to sleep like before 12. Then wake me up again. 330. Aside from that, the whole day I was compartment cleaner. I work in the compartment. I clean the compartment, I get the laundry and bring it to the laundry shop. So I work the whole day, working in the compartment. So I only have to sleep for almost, I think about a year. Because I did. After I did my six months training, I took the test and I made a name that I test. I pass it. Then I become like, we call it like machine repairman. I was a center assigned to a machine shop. That's the only way I can get out, because it's really hard working in the fire room. So that's.
Speaker 1 [00:29:41] Really difficult. I think you don't have enough time for yourself to hear the things that you did for five. Ow, ow.
Speaker 2 [00:29:54] Ow, ow. Can you, uh, can you deploy? Uh, actually, you have, like, three sections. They assign you in three, three sections. One, two, three is going to six in one if you are six. If you're your your duty, you cannot get out. You cannot get out of the ship. You stay on board. But if it's not your jurisdiction, like article two the following day, 5:00, you can get off. You can go and come back in the morning, but usually you come back at night. But if you are overseas, actually, there is a lot of like tours, a lot of activities you can request. Like if the tourists like on the weekend. You can request to be able to get off and join the tour, you know, during the tour. So you can be off, but you have to be on your jurisdiction. If the second one comes, comes on, you have to be there. Not unless somebody will stand by your duty. Yeah. Yeah, Somebody will take your duty. So you can get off, but you have to take his duty. Also their own. That's how you you get out if you don't have duty. You can. You know, and, you know, go outside, you know, you whatever, enjoy around somewhere else. But you have to return back. Yeah.
Speaker 1 [00:31:41] We were. What did you do to spend your birthday or friends? Birthday?
Speaker 2 [00:31:48] Who had a birthday on my own life? On my birthday. Every year on the ship. I was assigned to a fabulous Navy ship, and I'm the only one in the scenery. I'm the only one. They call it independent duty. Nobody. I'm the only one in my CCL. I operate machinery is like, you know, a boring mill lathe drill, preserves, engraving, whatever. Uh, whatever. A first. Like, if there's a part that was broken, I can manufacture it. I can make a new one. You know, I can do it with a with the blueprints or with a sample, whatever. The old one. I can do it. So I'm the only one, so I'm always busy. Also, wake me up at night. You know, any time at night, they will pick you up and they will let you do some work, you know? So sometimes 5:00, I don't eat my. I just do it. My, my, my dinner. I just want to get up and eat outside. But before you. You're going down the ladder. They pass my name so I can get out. I have to go back because there are some work to do. That's. That's how. You know, that's. That's because I'm the only one. That's. That's. That's the hard part of that thing. You know, if you are only alone. But in some other bigger ships there are different people w working in the in that shop. So like you. Oh you see it about the third day. Yeah. In that shit, if you have the birthdate, they will assign you to a different table. And they gave you steak and lobster. They know it's there. Whoever has the burden, they will give you special food. Yeah.
Speaker 1 [00:34:01] Well, steak and lobster.
Speaker 2 [00:34:03] Yeah, they. They gave a stick of lobster. Yeah, just on your birthday. But the thing I was, uh, when I was in the. The other ship, their ship repair ships. A bigger ship. You know, their ship is a. Of all the things that they want to do on the other ships, whatever. They are doing and accepting the jobs. And that shit is like a. They are doing that thing for the thing, the whole the different ships. Especially if you are overseas, if you are in the Middle East. We are all just anchored out. And everybody, all the ships that stayed up alongside of the ship so they can do all the the problems, the they want to be done. So it's going to be that kind of ship. Yeah, that was there. This one, as we know, was about maybe 15, 16 years in the in the service. And I was a little bit the, you know. But to live with, you know, higher rank. So we had we had a bitter situation. We we have our own like kind of golly, somebody assigned there for us, you know, and everything. We always everything we have is stick and lobsters. And we have we can write down we can put down what we want because we have our own like budget for our food. Yeah. Oh, we get everything we whatever we want in there. And somebody.
Speaker 1 [00:35:54] Asked I.
Speaker 2 [00:35:57] I is that.
Speaker 1 [00:35:58] I you climb over there. [00:36:00]Was there anything that you regret. [1.9s]
Speaker 2 [00:36:04] [00:36:04]Oh, that's the best for me. [2.3s] My, my, my military. [00:36:11]Serving in the military, I think is the best for me. You know, it's the best that happened to me, you know? [5.5s] And so, you know. [00:36:20]I am so proud serving in the military. And I really, you know. I enjoyed it. [7.1s] Yeah. You know. [00:36:31]It's kind of different to me. You know, working civilian and in a military. [5.6s] In the military. A lot of you a lot of people are saying to like, you know, [00:36:46]it's not only one person doing a lot of people doing it, you know, so. It's me. Looks like I didn't really have a. Work so hard. Only in my. In my early years. Really, really hard. Really hard for me. Yeah, but later on, you know, it's kind of. Easy for me. Yeah. I love it. Compared to the civilian, it's still I love I love in the military. [33.7s] This is. It's. Really? Interesting to hear this. My daughter is being raised to work in their.
Speaker 1 [00:37:37] I was like the best part and the worst part, which is totally kind of what did they do? What was best for you and what was worse for.
Speaker 2 [00:37:46] You in the military?
Speaker 1 [00:37:50] Yes. And working abroad as well. Uh.
Speaker 2 [00:37:55] I think, uh. My early years. But early years may be the. Maybe that. Really? I think for us that really, uh. Uh. Good day for me, but. Being in the military, being in here. Like I said, I was blessed and it's like paradise to me compared. You know, it was, you know, place where I was younger. I'll never forget. For an engineer. But. Oh, the. The. The. The thing is, like, uh. The training, you know, before before is you have to be just really busy before you get deployed. You have to be you know, you have to be. 100% ready for whatever anything happens. So they have this training. At their training, you have to do it. You have to pass because somebody is accredited and everybody can belong involved in this kind of training. You cannot go you cannot just deploy them unless you will. You will pass it. You have all kinds of like if they're training, you know, like if really something happens in actual law. August a. Training about this and chemical industry warfare kind of you have kinds of things that you go and they'll go and you have a part to do. Everybody is, you know, everybody has assigned to those during that kind of terrain. And so if they call anytime at night, you have training, they have to, you know, wake you up as soon as your alarm hear the alarm, you have to go to your training place. I mean, a pair party, you call it like the their party training. So you have to go there. Yeah, because you don't know what's going to happen.
Speaker 1 [00:40:20] [00:40:20]You feel like you did a good job staying connected to the Philippines, or is that something that you were not interested in? [8.6s]
Speaker 2 [00:40:31] [00:40:31]And, uh, while I was in the service of for. [4.9s]
Speaker 1 [00:40:36] [00:40:36]Yeah, and even now, even even to this day, like, have you recently flown to the Philippines? [5.5s]
Speaker 2 [00:40:44] [00:40:44]Oh. Actually, I went back there. Oh. Then back to where I was born. 2013, but that's the second time. But then that was since since 73 and up. You know, I only went back to high school for a year. I was bored. I don't go much. I don't go there. Uh, really? I never been back in my hometown, you know. Yeah. And I. I don't know. I don't think I ever had a intention of going back or whatever. Yeah, I just. Yeah, I enjoyed staying here, and I'm already kind of, uh, now I feel really old, and I'm kind of scared traveling. So I just stay home and do some of my yard work. You know, I planted some of the tree that I wanted and I'm really happy with, you know, so. [75.0s]
Speaker 1 [00:42:01] Probably they'll be a little bit more about your yard work you do. Oh, big. A lot.
Speaker 2 [00:42:07] Oh, actually, I don't. I planted it here. I live in Sacramento. But the the the trees that I want to plant doesn't grow here. I planted papaya many, many times. I planted a moringa long day. I don't know if you know about this milonga. You know you unique. I don't know if you know some of the Filipino Filipino menu food like melon. You can do it like you can make it okay they call it like in all the chicken. This is like leaves moringa moringa in the leaves and you cook it with I usually cook it with chicken wings. This doesn't grow in here. Mangoes. I love those, doesn't grow here, but I try to grow them in about one hour from here. I have the property over there in San Pablo. I go there, like every weekend. I played a gringa and a girl. I had about this been like growing up, but I don't know. Have you heard about this, Brenda?
Speaker 1 [00:43:32] Yeah, I always have it in Panama.
Speaker 2 [00:43:35] Yeah. Yeah. You're okay over there Because I planned it over there, but maybe have a 15 and trees. 15 or 17 or 18 trees. And right now I go there every every Saturday or either Sunday, I get the leaves, I cook it, I, I bring some trees, I give it to my nephews, I give it to my friends because I'm eating a lot. I go there again tomorrow I'm going to cook again. So over there is grill. San Pablo is in the Bay Area. It's like about 20, 21 miles to San Francisco. It is. It's close to Berkeley area. Are you familiar in Berkeley?
Speaker 1 [00:44:24] Yeah. Area.
Speaker 2 [00:44:26] Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's, it's, it's close there in San Pablo. That's, that's Yeah. I had this moringa. I planted some mangoes but they are still start to grow, they start growing out and those are the only things that I can plant there that grew. But here it doesn't grow. Sacramento is very hot. I just came through this winter times very cold over there. It's. It's just right. It's not, you know, is it right now? If it's hot over here, over there, it's only doing here about six or seven degrees over there. It's only maybe 75 degrees. You know, the things that I saw we had this property is it's like on the hilltop, it's overlooking. There's ocean and mountains and it's been there. She knows it. They always do it. Yeah. I always think it's over there. I relax when I go there. I just sit down and, you know, watching. There are ships, ships passing by sometimes, you know, ships passing by. So I, I enjoy it so much. I did a lot of work over there. So that's, that's my last time. Every weekend I go there. Yeah. This I welcome. I enjoy doing my thing, though. Yeah.
Speaker 1 [00:46:01] [00:46:01]I'm curious to know what your favorite cuisine is. So, you know your favorite cuisine. [5.6s]
Speaker 2 [00:46:08] [00:46:08]Oh, because I thought I could play food. Uh. I got things I cooked all the time. I cooked in all Senegal. I do. What else. [18.4s]
Speaker 3 [00:46:28] On set?
Speaker 2 [00:46:30] Yeah. Then I all this before I do a lot of barbecue. Uh, then I use what I used to drink. I love to make barbecue every weekend so I can drink. So I make barbecue and drink, But I quit drinking now. Uh, about three years. Almost three years now. I've just been drinking and more. I admit that. [00:46:56]But every now and then I do barbecue. I go, you know, in San Pablo, I guess my nephew make barbecue. So I go there, we'll make barbecue. And we though I call all my siblings over there, called them I we had a late get together. I, I make a lecture and I'm camping. I do that every year and. That's it. That's all I do now. There's nothing more. I just. [31.0s] Once in a while. I just, you know, here I was. It was in Sacramento. I call my son and we all do barbecues sometimes not, but that all the time before I do it all the time when I was drinking, I didn't drink no more. Yeah.
Speaker 1 [00:47:50] And that's what's something that you like to do a job. Then what do you guys like to do together? Oh.
Speaker 2 [00:47:58] Agenda. We know. We don't. Oh.
Speaker 3 [00:48:05] You visit my sons, huh? You visit my sons.
Speaker 2 [00:48:10] I. Yeah. We all just go there and, uh, once in a while. Me, me and my daddy's mom will just go there and visit them and. David them. And now they are going out. But yeah, they had when they were younger, you know, is this. Is it? You can do whatever you want to them. You can pick them up. You can, you know. Yeah, that's the best thing. And they were. Yeah. You know, they, they, they do their own thing now. You know, they can whatever do work on TV or whatever. These games, everything is changing. They are going out. But like when they were young, you can kiss them, you can whatever you do, they are fine. Yeah. Well.
Speaker 3 [00:49:04] Papa, you also helped plant all the trees in my yards and the repairs on my house.
Speaker 2 [00:49:10] I, I make good air. I.
Speaker 3 [00:49:12] I plant a tree.
Speaker 2 [00:49:15] Yeah. Every year they changes. I did a lot of work for the kids on the beach. Yeah. Yeah. No, I'm getting better.
Speaker 1 [00:49:28] You're doing great. Cause I. You know.
Speaker 2 [00:49:31] I. I like almost, almost everything. I cook. I cook. Sydney, come with. I usually cooks in the garden with, uh, you know, I. There's an Asian market here. Chinese. I buy, uh, that someone here. I like to cook that someone here see me go. I cook okra. Bitter melon. Are these. And come calling. I mix them together things. I just got.
Speaker 1 [00:50:04] With your favorite meal from your father.
Speaker 3 [00:50:09] Oh, that he would cook. He taught me how to cook, adobo his way. When we were younger, we never put anything but chicken. And he always used lemon instead of vinegar. And then when we got older, he started to make it with potatoes now. But my dad taught me how to cook Filipino food. And also, the most important thing a parent can teach their child is how to make rice in a pot the real way.
Speaker 2 [00:50:40] Yeah. They like this before, but nowadays they have different taste.
Speaker 3 [00:50:47] Yeah. My dad.
Speaker 1 [00:50:51] I think.
Speaker 2 [00:50:52] I know I'm the one cooking. I'm cooking. Everything.
Speaker 3 [00:51:00] My dad liked to fry fish and make fried banana Q Or a drone or anything fried.
Speaker 2 [00:51:10] I drank too much now that older before I used to fry a lot. But I'm not frying domestic.
Speaker 3 [00:51:22] Oh, rice soup about the rice soup with the lemon and ginger.
Speaker 2 [00:51:26] I have this for you. I like to do this before, but it's been a while. I didn't do that. Uh. Uh, rice soup.
Speaker 1 [00:51:36] Yeah, I. My mom also like a dog with lots of guns and a potato. And she taught me also how to make up.
Speaker 2 [00:51:51] Yeah, I like the. Actually, I like to cook a bit myself. It's only before you can buy, you know, the chicken, you know the bones. But I do see them now. I like to cook the one with the chicken bones. It's kind of this dear to me. You know, if I could be a double. I don't like the one that has a lot of me. Yeah. We're sometimes like on Biden's bones. I love dogs or to cook it, they make it adorable. Yeah, I like that kind of dry.
Speaker 1 [00:52:41] [00:52:41]What do you what do you think about Filipinos going abroad? I'm joining the Army. What do you think about that? And also the amount of Filipinos leaving our country? [13.8s]
Speaker 2 [00:52:57] [00:52:57]The the the only way or just Filipinos now to join the military. Yes, there has to be a permanent residence and have the green card. These are the ones that happened to me. The thing is. There's no more base. They don't have. You cannot have that anymore unless. They already come here. They were. And maybe their parents, their brothers, their sisters, India, when they were British and they had a permanent residence and automatic. Soon as they got here to got the green card, then they can join and they have the green card. They can join the military. Yeah. The. When they extend, you know, if they get three years, four years investment, they can get their their citizenship. Yeah, they can do it. [64.8s] But what happens to me is, is. Is this before is when there is in able station over there. Yeah, it was closed during, uh, when they have that eruption. The volcano eruption when that time. They closed the beach. Didn't extend the contract. So. They don't have more. But right now, there's no Filipinos. Going to join SB have to come here first to come to the United States first and come here legally, but not in a coming like illegal because I know a lot of there's a lot of different ways to stay here, but a lot of them are doing that. They're legally. Yeah.
Speaker 1 [00:55:05] [00:55:05]That's a big part of our project is like kind of looking at Filipinos and how a lot of us are abroad now and we want to explore why everyone is leaving the country. [17.3s]
Speaker 2 [00:55:24] [00:55:24]So yeah. [1.1s]
Speaker 1 [00:55:27] [00:55:27]I just wanted, I wanted to know what you thought of that and whether that is something that you agree with or disagree with or. Yeah. [11.0s]
Speaker 2 [00:55:40] [00:55:40]The thing, you know, there is a lot of reasons why we want to go. We want to leave the country. Uh. Another thing is, even in our situation in the Philippines, even you have a good education and you are paid out over there. Still, you don't get much benefit out of it. You don't get paid much, whatever. So that's the reason why even those professionals. They still want to go overseas like there's boys w they go to Dubai or whatever, Saudi Arabia and things like that, and they get like domestic helpers. Even they are professionals who go to Hong Kong, they go to Kuwait, they go everywhere they go to. Right now I saw in YouTube a lot of Filipinos going in Africa. I know they go in, even in Greenland, they go in Norway and Finland. A lot. But now it's not only those, uh. Uh. Uh, domestic helpers, but a lot of professionals use their, uh, uh, profession in the Philippines. They prefer to go overseas, they go in Canada or even here in the United States because they can apply for a professional based visa. And sometimes the there is a the government. Uh, that, uh, relations with the Philippine government and they had a minor, I think, to get certain visas to come over here and work. Yeah. So. That's that's why they are, you know, leaving and going somewhere else. Yeah. We don't have enough. [123.7s]
Speaker 1 [00:57:45] Uh huh. Yeah. I just think. You think it's in your thoughts.
Speaker 2 [00:57:52] [00:57:52]Yeah, but like. Like for me, for my. You know, what happened to me is, like, it's real blessings. [7.6s] And, you know, this is like, [00:58:04]I'll see over and over again. It's like a miracle to me. I'm always thankful. I'm always every day. There's no time of the day that, Oh, thank you, God. Thank you, Thank you, my Lord. You know I'm here. Yeah. For me, it's a paradise. It's a paradise for me. Stay here. And that's the truth. As for me, because I just really have other ways to come here, you know? Yeah. Yeah. [29.6s]
Speaker 1 [00:58:35] [00:58:35]That's amazing. Thank you so much for your perspective and Congress with honesty. It was really nice to hear, like your experience going up and you are moving to the U.S. and their experience with your family. I was wondering if you had any last words. I'm sorry. What is something that you want to kind of say in this interview? [29.4s]
Speaker 2 [00:59:08] [00:59:08]I hope you know, this this little experiment in my life with Will was share or could contribute a little. And now is benefits that maybe find other ways to to to to improve or other ways. So maybe. Some of us will stay with them in the Philippines and, you know, stay there. But I I'm I don't know if they don't have enough economic whatever their people going to stay. But the only way is find ways to, you know, to improve it. So that's one the I believe everybody's is doing. So I hope I hope everyone will be successful in whatever intentions or plan or whatever they have to do. [78.0s]
Speaker 1 [01:00:29] [01:00:29]Yeah. Thank you so much. I'd like to say it was very nice talking to you [5.1s] also this week. So much for connecting that you can also start the recording on your Shot here.
