Pro Gelladuga examines struggles of OFWs
Nothing is as symbolic to Filipinos leaving to work overseas than the image of a suitcase. The quintessential maleta signifies the hope of a brighter tomorrow, even if that tomorrow lies in other shores. It is a familiar feeling for artist Proceso “Pro” Gelladuga, who left the Philippines in search of a better life for himself and his family.
“I began my journey as an OFW in the year 2006,” he recalls. “I auditioned for Hong Kong Disneyland because I was looking for a stable job unlike the situation I was in back then. Like most dancers we lived on ‘ rackets’ and the occasional theater performances, which did not pay much.” One of the estimated 2.4 million documented Filipinos working abroad, Gelladuga has for the past 10 years been living in Hong Kong.
“So many things have changed for me,” he says of the experience. “I’ve learned to adjust to a very different culture and a very different language. When you live abroad as a Filipino worker (not an expat, sadly we are not considered expats but migrant workers) you have to accept the situation that most people will look down on you, that you need to work harder than the rest to gain respect and trust.”
This experience is the subject of Gelladuga’s exhibition at Galerie Stephanie. “Maleta” is a chronicle of OFWs as they struggle with the complexities and nuances of life abroad to sustain their families back home. The image of the maleta is used as a metaphor that is easily relatable to many who have experienced the joy and pains of being a (or knowing) OFWs, standing in as a symbol for people who use them and of the challenges they face.
Gelladuga’s second solo exhibit opens tomorrow and runs until Aug. 9 at Galerie Stephanie, Unit 1B Parc Plaza Bldg., 183 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Libis, Quezon City. For information, call 709-1488 or email inquiry.galeriestephanie@gmail.com.