I have 2 nieces in the Philippines. Cnit(Nickname) is in her last year of getting a degree in Business. We sponsored her for HS jointly, then I took over when we lived in the Philippines since my wife had no income. I also paid for her first year of nursing school. Then COVID hit and they were teaching via cell phone and I just didn't want to pay for that, a waste of money. I had her test for a school where we were living and they had enough students from the local area to fill the spots, so she wasn't accepted.

The school works way differently there. It's mostly full-time, and they nickel and dime the bill. They let you pay as you go sorta, before each major test you have to pay a portion of the bill or they won't let the student test. The bill ALWAYS creeps up. As an example when she was in HS, there was a Misc and 2 separate charges that were called something else, but were also misc. Then they do field trips that also must be paid that aren't listed. They love to spring all this stuff suddenly, I feel sorry for Filipino families... I of course paid.

So she missed a year of school and when we returned to the USA my wife switched her to business and is paying for that. Education is improving over there, but there are too many extracurricular activities and not enough academics. Really for those planning on working abroad, the school is a waste of time. When living there I met a HS math teacher, he didn't know Middle School math. I asked him what 6 squared was, deer in headlights look, then I asked him what 5 cubed is, deer in headlights look again.

The thing is, people who are intelligent and motivated can teach themselves regardless of the school system. I dropped out at the start of 9th grade, but passed the GED without studying when I was 26, completed a 3-semester vocational electronics course in 2 semesters, and had a 2+2 Honors scholarship, full ride. I didn't complete, I didn't want honors classes, but the school doesn't get the money if they don't have a student who qualifies. I have always hated English, but I can do a bit better than my education has taught me.

Bing Bing the other niece... Before my wife and I met, my wife was sponsoring her for school. Then she got pregnant. Her son was a 6 month old baby when we got married. My wife always displayed anger when talking to me about it. I told Nanay (My wife's mother) who raised the niece to just come to Jek (one of my wife's nicknames) with the baby in arms and it would be alright, it was.

The father of the baby is a seaman working on Cargo ships (he was in school for that at the time) and the Shipping company sends a portion of the salaries home to the wife, or if not married, to the mother. So his Nanay would not let them get married. Bing Bing lived with his family. then about 8 years later had another baby. When that child was almost a year old Bing Bing returned to our province and home. The son went back to his father's family for HS.

The new child, I got to see her take her first steps, and that was so special for me as I have no children. She is the sweetest little girl I have ever seen, I never saw her pitch a fit ever! She is almost 5. Bing Bing ran into a HS classmate at their reunion and got pregnant. Zia was born this past June.

Bing Bing sounds like a slut but she isn't, she has only slept with the 2 fathers of her children. This new baby? Well I'm sure living alone gets lonely. Bing Bing lives in our house with the 2 girls. The seaman sends money for the first girl sometimes. My wife wants money from the father of the second, but he is dirt poor and married with kids. I send Bing Bing a little now and then, but my wife provides for many.

Its heartbreaking how many Filipinas go abroad leaving their children behind in order to put bread on the table. Often Filipino men are raised to be lazy, while the girls are raised to be responsible. My wife's first husband never worked and got shot in front of their son when he was 8. My wife worked in Singapore then Hong Kong as a domestic when her son was 4. After her husband got shot she returned to the Philippines and got a 2 year midwife degree. She was working in Saudi Arabia as a medical nanny when we met online. She worked as a CNA in Fla for 5 years then we moved to the Philippines. Now back in the USA she is working as an EKG tech. making decent money, and working her butt off taking all the overtime she can get to provide for the family back home. Spoiling our granddaughter and the 2 nieces, and a little bit other children in the family.

So Cnit, and Bing Bing would love to come here, but will go anywhere they can earn a living and take my wife's place as provider, I hope. My wife is 55 now and needs to slow down. Her job is all 12 hour shifts. She is upset when she only gets 4 shifts a week.