A HEARTFELT TRIBUTE BY TWEE WHITE

"I owe the Filipino people my life!"

A personal account by Twee White (IT Project Manager/Business Analyst at JNJ)

I lived in PFAC Palawan Refugee Camp from 1988 to 1991. How did the native Filipinos treat the Vietnamese refugees? 

I can tell you that we were the luckiest refugees in the entire history of refugees. We were treated very well by the locals. Filipinos didn’t look down on us. Many of them considered us as friends. Many also volunteered to teach us English. The Catholic nuns were angels, always ready to help us with anything we needed.

Before being transferred to PFAC Palawan Refugee Camp, we landed on this island called Mamburao. A Philippine fishing boat rescued us from many days floating at sea with no food nor water. They rescued us when many other big international boats just went by. International boats looked at us via binoculars but never stopped to even drop us some water or food. Anyways, the Philippine fishing boat saw us and they pulled us to a nearby island called Mamburao, where they fed us, nursed us back to health.

As you can imagine we had all sorts of physical problems after many days of drifting at sea under the hot burning sun with no food or water. The people on Mamburao Island were so kind to us. I even made a friend in a short time there. I am so sad that I didn’t keep in touch with her. I remember telling this girl (with sign language, number, and very broken English), that I would be back to Mamburao in 10 years to visit her, that I would never forget her. But when it was time to leave the island, I had no way of keeping in touch with her. I never asked for her address. I think we stayed there for ten days, and then they put us on the plane to PFAC Palawan, the refugee camp where I spent the next three years. 

Many of the Filipinos in Palawan were so poor, but they had such an amazing attitude. They were always upbeat and happy, and they never made me feel less of a human because of my situation. In some twisted way I even felt luckier than them because at least eventually (I hope anyway), that I would get to go to the United States or other first world country to resettle. The Filipinos weren’t the refugees, they wouldn’t have the opportunity that I had.

Yes, of course life in the refugee camp was very, very difficult, I endured many hardships that I am not ready to share with many people IRL. I was just fifteen years old and alone. However, I can tell you that I owe the people of the Philippines a great gratitude. I owe them my life!

Feedback

Of all the nations that lent their hands to us back during the dark days of boat people, no other nation could do better than the Philippines. I was in Thailand, unfortunately, which I can’t say they treated us the same as the Filipino did. However, my wife’s family stayed in the Philippine and until this day they still talk about how nice and caring the Filipinos treated them. In fact, a year or so ago when the Philippines had a huge disaster from a hurricane, a lot of former Vietnamese refugees who had stayed there came to the rescue. They raised an insane amount of $$$ as a payback to who were the nicest people on the Earth.

LOUIS NGUYEN 

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I've never seen such a strong and heartfelt validation focusing on the Philippines and its people until today. My hugs to you, Twee. Very well said and sincerely uttered.

ANDREW TAYLOR

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What a wonderful tribute to Palawan and my country, the Philippines. Yes, I have seen firsthand how the refugee camp was during those days.

MARILOU REYES

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I am in awe with this tribute. I am still moved by what the Filipino people do to help others. I was so proud to work with them during 1982 and 1983.

DWIGHT P. RUSSELL

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The Vietnamese boat people in the Philippines only ended in 2006, thirty years after the fall of Saigon. The Filipinos have shown us their unconditional hospitality towards the Vietnamese, their uninvited guests, with love and generosity. We all owe them a big thank you but wish we would have chances to do something for the Filipino in time of hardship as in 2013 when the Haiyan storm hit the Philippines.

SANG NGUYEN