[NEIGHBORS] Owning our worth: What I learned from conversations with 2 prominent Filipino nurses

When we started the Pinoy Nurse podcast series in mid-2025, featuring Filipino nurse leaders in the United States, I thought I was just going to be the producer. I wasn’t the one in front of the mic; our hosts, Irene Mayo and Dr. Dion Candelaria, held that role beautifully.

But as I listened to the raw recordings, instructed our staff in editing each segment, and replayed the conversations with Dr. Jose Arnold Tariga (InsightGlobal) and Dr. Reimund Serafica (University of Nevada – Las Vegas), I realized something unexpected: I wasn’t just producing episodes, I was absorbing lessons — deep, personal ones — about identity, resilience, and the quiet power we Filipino nurses often overlook in ourselves.

Their stories made me sit back and think: Ano ba talaga ang halaga natin? (What is our true worth?) And, more importantly, why do we so often let others define it?

‘Competence doesn’t always equate to opportunity’

When Dr. Arnold said, “Competence doesn’t always equate to opportunity,” it felt like he had named something many of us had silently lived through.

He spoke about working in the Middle East. He was more experienced and more qualified than some Western-trained nurses, yet get paid less and even demoted — that painful, familiar experience of being told, subtly or bluntly, that your training from “back home” is not enough.

As I reviewed that segment during production, it reminded me of stories I’ve heard countless times across the Filipino Nursing Diaspora Network: brilliant Filipino nurses being measured not by skill or grit, but by passport and accent.

But what impressed me was what he did next. Instead of accepting invisibility, he chose visibility. He grew louder — not in arrogance, but in honest self-representation. He posted about his work, shared his teachings, engaged in webinars, and wrote openly about inequities.

Through editing his episode, I witnessed how storytelling becomes advocacy — and how advocacy becomes empowerment.

Building grit, not just skills

Producing his episode introduced me to the deeper work behind Grit Academy — a program that mirrors not just clinical preparation but cultural and psychological transitions.

As I listened to him explain their “facilitated shifts” — four to six hours of simulated US-style work — I found myself thinking how rare it is for programs to acknowledge the emotional friction of migration. Grit Academy trains nurses on communication nuances, American expectations, interdisciplinary assertiveness, and even local slang — like the “Johnny” incident that still makes me smile whenever I hear it during review.

What truly stayed with me was the story of the nurse who struggled not because she lacked competence, but because she missed her family. Once reunited, she transformed. Producing that part of the podcast felt like being allowed into a sacred truth of diaspora life: homesickness is not a weakness; it is a wound.

Behind every competency issue is a story — and sometimes a quiet grief.

Food, memory, and the battle for health

If Dr. Arnold spoke to the mind, Dr. Rei spoke to the heart.

His concept of “dietary biculturalism” was something I kept replaying during editing. He described growing up in Cubao, where food was comfort, memory, identity. When he began studying immigrants’ dietary shifts, he found a tug-of-war between heritage and health, between adobo that tastes like home and nutritional guidelines that promise longevity.

Producing this episode made me see how deeply food is tied to Filipino resilience in the diaspora. It isn’t just ulam. It’s survival. It’s belonging.

Dr. Rei argued we can make Filipino food healthier without erasing culture — low-sodium soy sauce, sugar substitutes, small swaps. “Why are Western diets the only ones being modernized?” he asked. “Our food deserves thoughtful adaptation too.”

Editing that line stopped me mid-click. He’s right. Our cuisine carries stories worth preserving — responsibly, lovingly, healthily.

Impostor syndrome, mentorship, and claiming space

Dr. Arnold and Dr. Rei — recording separately — both touched on the same wound: impostor syndrome. As a producer, stitching their episodes together, I heard the parallels clearly.

Both felt undervalued at different points. Both questioned whether they truly belonged in academic or leadership spaces. Both struggled to claim visibility in systems that often overlook immigrants.

And yet both insisted on one powerful truth: If we do not claim our space, no one will hand it to us.

Mentorship came up repeatedly, and producing these conversations made me see more clearly the gaps in support for Filipino nurses abroad. I found myself reflecting on mentors who shaped my own journey and how, like them, I too have a responsibility to reach back and lift others.

Representation is not decoration. It’s transmission. It’s legacy.

Mental health, older Filipinos, and tender conversations

Dr. Rei’s reflections on mental health among older Filipino adults were some of the most emotional moments in the podcast.

He talked about how our elders — our titos, titas, lolos, lolas — often don’t recognize or name depression. So he uses culturally grounded language: “Pagod ka ba?” “Parang wala ka nang ganang kumilos?”

Listening to him gave me a deeper appreciation for the subtle intelligence needed in culturally sensitive care. Producing that episode reminded me that even research can be a form of healing — a bridge between generations who love each other deeply but struggle to communicate emotional pain.

Keeping our roots, growing in new directions

At the end of each episode, I listened to their parting messages.

Dr. Arnold spoke of self-worth: “Never underestimate your worth just because you speak with an accent or didn’t train in the West.”

Dr. Rei said: “Keep your roots — your ugat — strong, but don’t be afraid to grow in new directions.”

As the producer of this podcast series, I realized I wasn’t simply assembling audio. I was also building a narrative of Filipino nursing dignity — piece by piece, voice by voice.

And maybe that’s the lesson these conversations gifted me: We are more than our titles, more than our accents, more than the systems that try to measure us.

May sariling halaga tayo. (We have inherent worth.)

The world just needs to hear it. And we need to believe it. – Rappler.com