Full text of Irma's speech at the Stichting Bayanihan's International Women's Day held in Utrecht last March 10.

IWD's celebration theme was "Be Visible in the Netherlands".

We all have our reasons why we're here in the Netherlands. When I first came here in November 1967, little did I know that I would be making Holland my second home, let alone become a Dutch national. I came with a group of 59 Filipinas with a 3-year work contract with Berghaus, a factory making coats and suits. You might wonder why a Music graduate would want to work in a factory. Well, I was asked precisely that question by the Personnel Manager who came to the Philippines to recruit girls to work in the factory. I said I was doing it purely for adventure and the chance to go to Europe.

I was young and I've always loved to travel. Surprisingly, I passed the skill test given to us and so I was accepted albeit reluctantly. A very good and childhood friend who in fact was the one who told me about this job opportunity also passed the test. We were excited about the trip and decided we would be room-mates in Holland. We arrived here on a cold autumn evening after almost 24 hours of traveling on a chartered plane. Housing accommodations were arranged beforehand and we had a Filipina Social Worker to attend to our needs. Our group lived in Wehl, a small village in the east of the country, the Achterhoek, where one of the factories of Berghaus was located. Several Filipina groups came to work for Berghaus in the Achterhoek and in the main office in Amsterdam.

At that time, I did not realize that I would be away from my family and country for three years. The important thing was - I was in Holland, a country I had only seen pictures of and read about in books. Of course, I got homesick every now and then, especially during Christmas, but I was glad I had my friend and the group to boost my spirit. One of the store-rooms at the back of our house was converted into a social hall and we had a piano. I was able to give piano lessons on week-ends and augment my meager earnings. I also played during Mass and social occasions. During the holidays we traveled and visited many European countries which I had only dreamed about. Those times were the highlights of my stay giving excitement to the drudgery and boredom of work.

Sometime in the Spring of 1969 I met met a nice Dutch boy who later would become my husband.

After my contract in 1970, I went back to the Philippines with a smaller group. The majority of the girls migrated to Canada and some girls got married and stayed behind. My Dutch boyfriend came to visit me in the Summer of 1971 to meet my family and see a bit of my country. I went back to Holland on my own in October 1971.

For a short while, I worked at the Philippine Embassy as a temporary worker with the Consular Department. I heard via the grapevine that the Liberian Embassy was looking for a Secretary to the Ambassador and I applied for the position. To my surprise, I got hired.

I got married in November 1972. At that time, it was easy to become a Dutch citizen by marriage to a Dutch national. On the day of your marriage you would sign an application for Dutch citizenship and within a week you get your Dutch passport. With a Dutch passport, it was easier for us to go to the Philippines which was then under martial law and there was a travel ban for Filipinos. We had our church wedding in December 1972.

In April 1973, I started work as a Junior Secretary with Canon Amsterdam, then located at Schiphol East, until the birth of our daughter in 1974. I saw an advertisement in a newspaper and I applied for the job sending them my resume. I was invited for an interview, happily conducted in English as my Dutch then was not yet up to par.

At this point I was also trying to speak Dutch specially since my inlaws hardly spoke English. It also annoyed me when we were in a party with Dutch people and I could not follow their conversation most of the time. So, I listened a lot when Dutch people talked. Especially listened to their pronunciation. I practiced with my husband, read Dutch newspapers, magazines and children's books, always with a Dutch dictionary beside me. Whenever I had the chance I practiced talking in Dutch in my then crooked way and with a Filipino accent. Slowly, I was feeling more comfortable speaking the language Unfortunately when people started

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