Do Filipinos who experience success outside the Philippines feel like their return home is a sacrifice?

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Meet Dr. Reinabelle Reyes, a unique mix of brilliance – a Filipina scientist, writer, teacher, and public speaker.

Reina eagerly returned to the Philippines because she knew that she could still make a comfortable living by applying her Ph.D. in her home nation. Is this a sign of a changing mindset for Filipino balikbayans who are starting to see more opportunities for coming home?

A Vision For Nation-Building

Reina was one of three successful ladies who spoke on a panel Inspiring Women In STEAM With A SPACE Manila And BPW Makati, members of our team were there to catch some nuggets of wisdom for business motivation and lifestyle inspiration.

Hosted at A SPACE Manila, Camille Escudero, President of the Business and Professional Women Makati opened the session featuring three women in the field of STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. The speakers included Stephanie Sy as founder and CEO of Thinking Machines Data Science; Reinabelle Reyes Ph.D., our Filipina scientist, writer, teacher, and public speaker; and Sher Bautista, a freelance screenwriter and filmmaker for film and TV. The talk was moderated by BPW founding trustee, communications strategist and creative entrepreneur, Niña Terol.

Reina posed a very thought-provoking question, which clearly resonated with the audience: how can we build the ecosystem in the Philippines to make it easier and more attractive for our ‘brains’ to come back home?

As thousands of Filipino residents travel abroad for work and to seek a “better” life in Western countries, it has become fair logic that a local feels the need to weigh the pros and cons of staying in their own homeland.

Reina, Sher, and Stephanie all spoke of their experience in different industries (science, film, and tech), and each agreed that opportunities in the Philippines are on the rise, as Filipinos work together to build the potential of the nation.

During the same talk, Stephanie Sy, data scientist and founder of Makati-based startup Thinking Machines also expressed her belief that the Philippines is a country of opportunity, that has potential beyond typical BPO-based services.

Read more: Homecoming: Is The Philippines Becoming More Attractive Than Abroad For Women in STEM?

It’s More Fun In The Philippines

Reina moved from the USA back to the Philippines and did not feel it meant forfeiting a good, comfortable or successful life. She said, “I am happy to keep learning, and earn enough to feel like it’s not a sacrifice to come back to the Philippines.”

Here are some excerpts from her heartfelt and entertaining talk:

There’s always the question of “why did you come back”, diba? Parang “ba’t ka pa umuwi dito? Nasa States ka na…” But I was being practical also.

I thought, “what am I doing here, what will I be doing in five years?” I really wanted to be a scientist and, actually, when you think about it, you can be a successful scientist here.

I mean, yes, you can be a successful scientist from here but, really, I think the best answer is it’s an early mid-life crisis. [Laughs] 20 years from now, imagine myself in a university in the US, publishing etc.? And then for what?

I came back to visit, then I saw the energy here. I spoke at the Mind Museum. The museum was there, Rappler was there, all these new initiatives na parang you can do something too that will grow. So, iyon, I got suckered in, now I have no choice. [Laughs] Back for good. Very happy!

When they are doing their Ph.D.s abroad, or leaving, and the question again is … Will they come back, diba?

It’s personal to me. It’s a matter of ecosystem and opportunity. One of the things I’m keen is always thinking about what is here, or we’re building here. What can be built here? That can make it easier for our brains to bring back what they have.

We can make the pitch! We can make the pitch “it’s more fun here! [Audience laughs] It’s true!

Where else can you have these kind of energies, these kind of relationships. For me, I just feel it’s home. I don’t have to cross that barrier everyday, diba? So people ought to come back, it’s home eh.

Read more: Homecoming: Is The Philippines Becoming More Attractive Than Abroad For Women in STEM?

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