Home Away from Home: A Tale of a Filipino Erasmus Mundus Scholar’s Journey in Euskadi

by Gian Paulo Rotersos Paglinawan

Finally, I would be able to put my 200-day streak of learning Spanish on Duolingo into practice! On February 1st, 2023, I found myself sitting in the boarding area of Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, awaiting my flight to Bilbao. This marked the beginning of my second semester in the Euroculture Program, a new academic journey that would unfold in the Basque Country over the next five months. As I opened my phone for a last-minute Spanish lesson, my heart ached when I saw messages from my brother sharing photos of my family at the surprise party we organized for the 60th birthday and retirement of my dear Papa Loloy. Excitement gave way to a tinge of longing, knowing I would miss yet another family celebration.

Among the photos, I saw a lot of home-cooked Filipino classic delicacies on our table, such as chicken adobo, pork menudo, and the centerpiece of every Filipino celebration, the lechon, which comes from the Spanish word for a roasted suckling pig (Oh, I’ve been craving it!). I miss Filipino food. I miss home! Sitting in my assigned seat on my KLM flight, I opened the Facebook app and searched for a page or group that could connect me with the Filipino community in Bilbao. That’s essentially what I did before my flight to the Netherlands—hoping to find a Filipino community in a foreign country that would somehow shorten the gap between me and my motherland—something that would remind me of “family” and “home.” Unfortunately, there were not a lot of Filipinos in Groningen, where I finished my first semester of Euroculture. The experience there was unquestionably rewarding, having to meet some of the most amazing people from all over the world who are now my cherished friends. But it lacked the Filipino presence I hoped for.

Nevertheless, I know for a fact that Spain has always been home to a large Filipino community and has become a popular choice for many Filipinos who wish to emigrate, seeking greener pastures abroad. The latest news from The Philippine Star indicated that more Filipinos have expressed their interest in working in the EU country, citing over 1,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) deployed by the Department of Migrant Workers in 2022. This number adds to the roughly 150,000 Filipinos living in Spain, including those who have already obtained Spanish citizenship. It’s worth noting that according to Article 22(1) of the Spanish Civil Code, citizens of former Spanish colonies, including the Philippines, can acquire Spanish nationality after residing in Spain for at least two years.

According to a study by María Isabel Torres Cazorla from the Universidad de Málaga which referred to a 2015 report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), there have been 40,000 Filipino migrants in the Iberian Peninsula as of 2015. However, seven years later, the number of Filipino emigrants living in Spain has dropped significantly, with only more than 3,000 registered Filipinos in Spain from 2016 to 2021, particularly due to the travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The latest report from the Encuesta de Población Activa de España, based on the 2021 survey of the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), shows that there are currently 37,335 registered Filipinos in the country. Of those, 72% are concentrated in Madrid and Barcelona, while only 1.24% reside in the Basque Country. Bizkaia, thus, might not be a popular destination for the Filipino community, but it is undeniably heartening for me to find out. 

After all, the Spaniards had massively influenced Filipino culture. As a former Spanish colony, it wouldn’t be difficult for us Filipinos to assimilate into a country that had greatly influenced our cuisine, religion, languages, customs, traditions, and languages. The Spanish love fiestas; the Pinoys (a colloquial term for Filipino people) celebrate fiestas too, but mainly in honor of patron saints. The majority of Filipinos practice Roman Catholicism, which Spain introduced and propagated across the Philippine Islands from the 16th to the 19th centuries. There is no doubt that Filipinos may consider traveling, studying, working, or even migrating to Spain because it is culturally similar. Stories of OFWs featured in popular Pinoy movies, such as “Four Sisters and a Wedding” and “Barcelona: A Love Untold,” may also have spurred more Filipinos to visit or live in Spain. 

Moreover, the Philippines has a language called Chavacano, a Spanish-based creole widely spoken in Zamboanga City in the Zamboanga Peninsula Region. Today, only 0.5% of the total Filipino population speaks Spanish, and it is only taught as a foreign language in public high schools. Yet, the imprint of Spanish influence remains in our languages, with approximately 4,000 Spanish loanwords in Tagalog and around 6,000 Spanish words in Visayan and other Philippine languages. For instance, whereas the Spanish say cómo está, Filipinos greet kumusta. Interestingly, several Spanish loanwords in Filipino have vulgar meanings in Spanish, including conyo from the Spanish word coño, which means vagina, pan de regla, which literally translates in English as “menstrual bread,” and puto. In Spain, puto is a derogatory word, while in the Philippines, it is a Filipino traditional steamed rice cake that comes in many colors and flavors. My all-time favorite is a white puto topped with melted cheddar cheese.

It is common for Filipino families to eat pan de sal paired with kape in a tasa with or without asukal bought from a nearby merkado. We cut meat with a kutsilyo, we dine with a pair of kutsara and tinidor, and we drink water or serbesa with a baso.

Here are some examples of Spanish words in Philippine languages:

Apart from that, many Filipinos have Spanish last names, such as de la Cruz, Garcia, and Gonzales. My maternal grandmother’s maiden surname was Mosquera, a Spanish surname that originated in Galicia. Spanish cities are also common family names in the Philippines; I have friends whose last names are Sevilla, Valencia, and Bilbao, and there’s a popular singer named Jessa Zaragoza. Two of the most influential Filipino families, the Aranetas and Ayalas, have roots in the Basque Country, and the CEO of one of the country’s leading power generation companies, Erramon “Montxu” Aboitiz, also traced his ancestry to the Basque region in southern France and northern Spain. 

The most surprising thing I learned was that the Philippines and the Basque Country in particular have a common past! I learned from my history class in primary school that the Nueva Vizcaya Province in the Philippines was named in honor of the Basque province of Biscay by the governor-general of the Philippine Islands from 1838 to 1841. However, I didn’t know much about the Basque people’s contributions to the Philippines or the Basque immigration to the archipelago. In 2012, Filipino diplomat Marciano R. De Borja published a book titled “Basques in the Philippines,” which explores the influential role of the Basque people in the Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines.

As my fingers continued to scroll on the screen, I stumbled upon a Facebook page called “Filipino Community of Bilbao”—that’s it, I had found my soon-to-be community. The profile picture showed the logo of the “Filipino Catholic Community of Bilbao,” featuring human vectors in Philippine flag colors, a cross at the center, a silhouette of the Virgin Mary, and a Bible. Nothing could be more Filipino than that imagery. From that moment, I knew that the sign of the cross (pun intended) in the logo meant that my second semester in Bilbao would not only be about studying, partying, eating pintxos, or drinking kalimotxo in Casco Viejo but also a quest to reconnect with my faith, my community, and my cultural identity.

Memories of my family and me hearing mass together during my childhood until my teenage years flooded my thoughts. I listened to the sermon attentively, reminiscing about how my mother used to hush me whenever I talked inside the church. The ambiance was comforting and familiar. However, this time, there was one stark difference—I was alone. I occupied one of the wooden pew chairs with no familiar faces beside me.

Yet my loneliness was short-lived. After the mass, I stayed for a while, hoping to connect with new friends in Gran Bilbao. Some of my fellow Pinoys were curious about a newcomer—me. They asked about my place of origin in the Philippines, and others started scouting me to join the choir or the dance practices for the upcoming Independence Day celebration. When they learned that I was from Tagum City in the Davao Region and a proud Bisdak (a colloquial term for people from the Visayas and Visayan speakers in Mindanao), I was warmly introduced to this group of Bisaya people, who were as enthusiastic as me to meet another Bisdak in town. They invited me to a nearby café and restaurant called Krunch. From what I observed, they were regulars at that establishment, as the baristas already knew what they would order—ColaCao, a popular Spanish hot chocolate, perfect for the cold winter breeze in Euskadi. I also ordered it, and it soon became my go-to drink whenever I would go there with the Bisdaks after the Sunday mass. They were eating siopao, the Filipino version of Chinese steamed pork buns. One of them asked if I would like to order, and without a second thought, I ordered five pieces, which I later shared with my Turkish and German flatmates. 
From that moment on, I forged a close-knit bond with the Bisdaks, gradually feeling less alone in a foreign land. Spending more time with them, I got to know each one of them individually. Their personal stories of how they came to Bilbao, the jobs they had taken, and the struggles they faced as breadwinners resonated within me, drawing on my own experiences as a former OFW in Thailand for more than three years. Our shared experiences brought us closer together, and I couldn’t be more grateful to them for making me part of their lives. They also introduced me to other young Filipinos in their circle of friends, who were also friendly and welcoming. I got invited to various celebrations, including birthdays and Easter gatherings, as well as karaoke and inuman (drinking) sessions. These events not only allowed me to indulge my cravings for homemade Filipino food but also created moments filled with laughter over beer or tequila with my newfound friends! The spirit of Filipino Bayanihan (willingness to help others without expecting anything in return) was very alive among them, extending any kind of help I needed during my stay in Bilbao, such as offering their place for me to crash at each time we finished late from weekend hangouts when the Metro was already closed.

Moreover, I also met other Filipinos based in Gran Bilbao, including two to three generations of family living in one household. Some have already acquired Spanish citizenship. Many of them speak Spanish, especially the first-generation Filipino immigrants and their children born in Spain. I remember when I joined the Filipino Catholic community for an Easter Sunday pilgrimage in Lourdes, France, many of the senior members of the church community spoke Spanish fluently. When talking to each other, they would sometimes mix Filipino or their mother tongues with Spanish, such as tomar algo (to have something to eat or drink) or para quedar (to meet). Before the torchlight procession, I attended the holy mass with a few Filipinos, and then, at dinner, we shared our home-cooked meals. They gave me chicken adobo, and I let them try my spicy Korean pork bulgogi. Someone’s birthday was coming up soon, and they bought each one of us a can of Coke. As breadwinners of their families back home, Filipinos naturally and generously share anything they have with their fellow kababayans (countrymen).

Ultimately, Filipinos are not only known for their hospitality and generosity. They also like sharing their talents with other people. On June 12th, 2023, the Philippines celebrated its 125^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from Spain. To my surprise, the Filipino community in Euskadi organized a fiesta-themed event for the annual commemoration of our country’s independence from the Spanish regime. They staged various cultural performances, including traditional Filipino folk dances such as tinikling, pandango sa ilaw, sayaw sa bangko, cariñosa, Sinulog, and singkil. The cultural presentation involved participants ranging from small kids to kids-at-heart, wearing colorful costumes and traditional Filipino ensembles. There were also dance presentations from other Latin American countries, such as Bolivia and Venezuela. As a former member of the University of the Philippines Mindanao Dance Ensemble, I could not describe how proud and thrilled I was to attest to the energy, creativity, resourcefulness, and excellence of Filipinos in performing. The showcasing of talent was a great platform for appreciating the shared culture and history of the Philippines, Spain, and the Basque Country and an immense opportunity for cultural exchange between the Filipinos, Spanish, Latin Americans, and the Basques in Euskadi. 

Throughout my experience as a Filipino Erasmus Mundus scholar living in Euskadi, I have come to appreciate the kindness and generosity of a welcoming and friendly Filipino community, the delight of experiencing a shared language, culture, and history, and the opportunity to form a genuine bond with individuals from diverse backgrounds. While I may have begun this adventure with a tinge of homesickness, it quickly transformed into a tale of new friendships and a rediscovery of history, enriching multicultural identities and  cultural appreciation. I’m truly blessed to have become part of the growing Filipino community in the Basque Country during my second semester in Bilbao. In my five months there, I indeed felt “at home” with the kind of hospitality and generosity shown to me by the Filipinos, particularly by my newfound friends whom I consider my extended family. When I left for the Intensive Programme, it was a bittersweet goodbye. Yet I know for sure that I will see them again when I go back to Spain for my fourth semester. 

To every Pinoy who welcomed me into their homes in Euskadi, daghang salamat and hasta la próxima vez! Agur! Kitakits!

References:

• ^{Himoro, Marcelo Yuji, and Antonio Pareja-Lora. “Zamboanga Chavacano: A Survey on Written Practices, Reactions and Impact of its (Standardised) Orthography.” Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación 91, no. May (2022): 245-277. https://doi.org/10.5209/clac.71831.}

• ^{Spanish Civil Code, Article 22(1), 2016.}

• ^{Torres Cazorla, María Isabel. “Migration from the Perspective of Spain and the Philippines.” Deusto Studies 66, no. 1 (August 2018): 71. https://doi.org/10.18543/ed-66(1)-2018pp335-348.}

Photo Credit: Neil Martin