Myra Anne Joy Hernandez from Cainta Rizal is currently employed as a Clinical Audiologist in New Zealand. According to Maj, (her nickname) an audiologist is a professional who make a diagnosis and treat individuals with hearing loss or balance problems.

She became an audiologist after obtaining a Master’s degree in Clinical Audiology course in the University of Santo Tomas (UST). The two-year full time program was patterned to the curriculum of Macquarie University in Sydney Australia.

The course only started to be offered in 1999 and Maj belongs to the third batch of graduates. A relatively new profession, Maj is one of the first 30 Filipino audiologists in the whole world. According to Maj, one advantage is that it makes their profession in-demand but graduates face fewer competitions so it increases their chance for deployment.

Maj’s reason to leave the Philippines is not so different from the reason of other overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) - to earn more and to broaden her clinical experience. Maj also wants to share her knowledge and offer her service to the Philippines but she feels she can only do this by improving herself first; both in terms of financial and professional aspects.

Maj left the country to work but is looking forward to the time of her return when she intends to start her own hearing center and serve fellow Filipinos.

“Our country needs a lot of charity work to do --collect some funding and help the less fortunate with hearing impairment,” Maj said.

Her former classmates are now in Singapore while her other colleagues are in UK. Maj says it is difficult to enter U.S. because it requires an audiologist to have a doctorate degree. A course leading to a doctoral degree in audiology is still not available in the Philippines.

Maj searched for a job via internet and found many opportunities in different countries. The employer from New Zealand sent her the employment contract and she applied for a working visa. She arrived in New Zealand January 5 2006.

She said, “New Zealand is a very fantastic place to live in especially if you have a family or your loved ones here. It’s different from the city life but you'll love the sceneries and weather.

She also said that New Zealanders (composed of the European race and the natives called the Maoris) are very nice. Adjusting to the Maori culture is easy because like Filipinos, Maori’s ways are also family–oriented. Maj have not encountered any form of discrimination. “People are very kind and helpful and criminal rate is low,” she added.

She said the biggest enemy of being an OFW is the loneliness and Maj misses the Philippines very much. Maj misses the Christmas celebration in the Philippines as well as the food, the videoke, and shopping.

Her message to all OFWs around the world: Always remember that we are heroes and throughout all those pains and hard work, there are good things waiting for us in the end. We are not alone; God is always with us. Never give up!

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