Meet Tony. With 20 pesos to his name, Tony and his wife had to ask for a loan from his parents to get them back on their feet. Times were challenging which made sacrifice necessary, and Tony was pained to still need the support of others. He felt at this time in his life he should be the one supporting his family, but he had no other choice. Tony and his wife had two children of their own, as well as a small house, but they were struggling to make ends meet. They worked a variety of odd jobs, but there was never anything consistent.
Tony had even tried moving away for a short time, testing the glamorous promises of working in the big city. However, Manila left him disappointed and scared for the future. Tony shared, “There was a point in my life where we had nothing, not even salt. Life was tough in Manila.” During this time, Tony also began to struggle with painful migraines that affected his ability to work. His supervisor had even threatened to let him go because of this. Tony knew it was no longer a healthy environment for him. With nothing left, he had nothing to lose in returning to family.
He had completed high school, as well as a vocational agriculture program, which opened new doors of opportunity for him. Tony found himself working at Dignity, mostly in the packaging section. He was a well-rounded employee, ready to help wherever was needed. His family slowly gained stability and he was proud to help give them a better life.
As hard times soon followed, like Typhoon Tisoy, Tony’s new hope was threatened. Their family’s house was destroyed and they thought they would have to start over again. The whole family was surprised, but overjoyed, when Dignity rebuilt their house. They were able to have their own place again, and Tony has now been at Dignity for many years. He dreams of being able to give back to his parents and see his children finish school.
