00:00A simple dream can become a reality.
00:06Just like an OFW in Dubai who wanted to have a baby.
00:13His children's education is just a dream.
00:17Our countrymen in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates or UAE,
00:25There's a queen, Reina.
00:27But she doesn't sit on a throne, but on a bed of kubetas.
00:33She does everything in her power
00:37without being bothered by the snoring of her children.
00:44This is Helen, the so-called Kuskus Kubeta Queen of Dubai.
00:50Although my clothes are nice on my day off,
00:53I'm just a Kuskus Kubeta.
00:56But don't be fooled by her snoring.
01:03She just built her dream house in the Philippines.
01:08She founded a farm and raised her children,
01:13both of whom are now professionals.
01:17When I found out that I have a lawyer,
01:20a Kuskus Kubeta,
01:22how did she manage to use all of these Kuskus Kubetas?
01:31Helen has been a domestic helper in Dubai for more than a decade.
01:36Her employers are from India.
01:39Within two weeks of being observed by my employer's mother,
01:43I was chosen.
01:46After she cleaned the kitchen,
01:50Helen followed her to the backyard.
01:55It's not easy, especially the Kuskus Kubeta that she has to clean every day.
02:00Not just one, but five.
02:02There are more toilets to clean than there are rooms.
02:20And because she often gets wet while cleaning,
02:24she changed her clothes
02:26before moving to another bathroom
02:29where she cleaned the toilet again
02:31as well as the bathtub that is here.
02:34Helen is not a choosy person at work.
02:37She is a hard-working person in the Philippines.
02:42Helen is an exemplary woman.
02:45Her dream was to become a teacher.
02:48Even though she did not graduate,
02:51she was still given the opportunity to teach
02:54in the daycare center of their barangay.
02:57Life there is hard because there are a lot of children,
03:01but the salary is low.
03:03We can't afford to raise them.
03:07Her husband's income from farming is not enough.
03:11That's why Helen
03:14became a domestic helper in Hong Kong.
03:17I did all my work there.
03:19My employer is stingy.
03:21If you know how to do it, you should do it again.
03:24But just a year later,
03:26Helen returned to the Philippines.
03:29Her four children, Aubrey, were sick.
03:32She was leading to epilepsy.
03:35She needed to be taken care of.
03:37But she had to go abroad again,
03:39so in 2010, she went to Dubai as a domestic helper.
03:43I had no choice.
03:45I had to go abroad because of my children.
03:47If they had a choice to study abroad,
03:49they wouldn't be like us.
03:51Every day she works,
03:54she takes care of the children,
03:56and even cleans the toilet.
03:58There are more toilets to clean than their rooms.
04:04But she says it's worth it
04:06that she sent her children to school.
04:11She also raised a small pig.
04:14When I was pregnant,
04:16I had four children.
04:18Even with that,
04:20I can say that I was successful.
04:23But there was a change.
04:25Helen didn't learn
04:27how to raise and teach her children.
04:30When my son called me,
04:32he said,
04:33Mom, I'm in Grade 1 next year.
04:35You haven't come home yet.
04:38It's like you don't know what to say.
04:42Especially when there's a contest
04:44and the winner is the one
04:46who's supposed to be there
04:48but you're not there.
04:50The teacher is the only one who remembers.
04:52I didn't want to leave her.
04:54I wanted to attend her graduation.
04:56But at that time, she couldn't attend it.
04:58All I know is that my mom is my grandmother.
05:01I told her,
05:02Just stay there.
05:04Take care of her.
05:06Don't come back.
05:08Then I broke my room.
05:11I threw away my books.
05:14It's sad because
05:16my mom needs to stay at home
05:18because we're still very young.
05:20There are people who supply books.
05:22My parents supply books.
05:28I don't feel like
05:30I'm dreaming.
05:34It's only every two years
05:36that she can go home to the Philippines.
05:38They said that my mom is going,
05:41but I don't know her.
05:43When your mom said that,
05:45I ran to my room.
05:47I was afraid to go near her.
05:49I didn't want to hug her.
05:55There's nothing there.
05:57I can't do anything.
05:59I was sleeping
06:01when I woke up
06:03and someone already hugged me.
06:05She's just thankful
06:07that her children are studying hard.
06:09My children excel in everything
06:11so that I can go home to them.
06:39Aubrey and Frank
06:41are now lawyers.
06:51The fruits of her sacrifices
06:53yielded good results.
06:55Helen also managed
06:57to build their dream house
07:01and bought
07:03hectares of land in Cagayan.
07:05We plan to build a resort.
07:07Even though
07:09Helen's four children
07:11have already graduated,
07:13they haven't graduated yet.
07:17She still has to
07:19take care of her youngest son,
07:21Gail.
07:23I really want to go home.
07:25He's been there for a long time
07:27and our children
07:29want to play with them.
07:31Because of Helen's hard work
07:33and dedication,
07:36for Gawad Kasambahay Season 2,
07:38goes to
07:40Helen Atungo!
07:44Congratulations!
07:46She was awarded
07:48by her fellow Filipinos
07:50of the Gawad Kasambahay Award.
07:52I didn't expect
07:54to win.
07:56All of them were there.
07:58I'm thankful to her.
08:00I'm sorry
08:02if there are times
08:04when I act like a rebel.
08:06I love her even though
08:08I'm not a showy person.
08:10That's why Gail
08:12insisted on making up
08:14for her mother's sacrifices.
08:16She's the one visiting
08:18her mother, Helen, in Dubai.
08:20It's my first time to be with her
08:22and it's her birthday.
08:24Meanwhile, because
08:26Helen's siblings have a hard time
08:28sending their children to school,
08:30her cousins
08:33are giving their family
08:35a gift.
08:37Take this gift
08:39and take good care of it.
08:41We will take care of it for our future.
08:43My dear Helen,
08:45I want to thank
08:47all my loved ones
08:49who
08:51got to know you.
08:53You became the mother of
08:55my 7 good siblings.
08:57You traveled to other countries.
08:59You became the guardian
09:01of my family.
09:05Thank you so much.
09:07Even though you're just
09:09a couscous,
09:11you taught our children
09:13to give everything they need
09:15both financially and materially.
09:19You are the heaven
09:21in our lives.
09:23Mike, Papa sent you a gift.
09:27Thank you so much!
09:29Thank you so much!
09:35Thank you so much!
09:39Thank you so much!
09:43Love you all!
09:45Thank you!
09:53The life of an OFW
09:55is far from being glamorous.
09:58But they are all ready
10:00to endure
10:02even thousands of times
10:04of couscous.
10:06So that their children
10:08won't have to experience
10:10the hardships
10:12they went through.
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