A journey through hell and music

Estabillo

THE gun was cocked a few inches from her face. Then her husband pulled the trigger.

Domestic worker Maria Theresa Estabillo has been through a lot in life—an abusive husband who was into illegal drugs; a wrong career decision that ended her first job in Hong Kong–but she has always pulled through.

And now, she is getting a shot at fulfilling her dreams by joining an international singing contest in Manila.

Estabillo, 44, will be one of two singers who will represent the Filipino community in Hong Kong in the grand finals of the DZMM World Caravan Global Pinoy Singing Idol.

“Kahit hindi ako manalo. Enjoy lang,” Estabillo told Hong Kong News in an interview.

With her bright smile and warm personality, you would never guess that Estabillo suffered one of the worst nightmares that a woman can have.

Hong Kong News first met Estabillo at her sister’s (also her employer) flat in Jardine’s Lookout on a cold Monday morning and she immediately hugged us and called us “ading” (younger sibling) when she found out that our parents grew up in the Ilocano-speaking part of Tarlac.

As we sat down, Estabillo told us how she chanced upon the announcement of the DZMM World Caravan Global Pinoy Singing Idol in July 2015 and then tried her luck to send a video of her singing.

Forty-three Hong Kong-based Filipinos sent their videos, and 10 of them were picked as finalists, including Estabillo.

The actual singing contest for the Hong Kong championship was held on August 30, 2015 at the Ap Lei Chau Community Hall in Aberdeen.

“Hindi ko talaga ini-expect na manalo ako kasi doon sa gitna ng kanta ko, naputol ang minus one ko, nasira. Tinuloy ko lang basta huwag lang akong pumiyok o pumalya,” she said, adding that she was singing “All by Myself.”

Along with another champion from Hong Kong- 32 year-old Ryan Loquinario— Estabillo was set to fly to the Philippines on January 16 to participate in the Grand Finals of the singing competition with six other contestants from the US, Australia, and Taiwan.

The grand finals will be held on January 22 at the Market! Market! Mall in- Taguig. The grand champion will receive US$2,500; second prize, US$2,000; and third prize, US$1,500.

The competition’s organizers are paying for her airfare and  hotel accommodationduring the competition.

Estabillo said she was more excited about the training that she will be getting from voice coach Annie Quintos, who is from the singing group “The Company,” and the chance to perform with 11-year-old Elha Nympha, the grand champion of the second season of “The Voice Kids” in the Philippines.

“Kahit hindi ako manalo, enjoy lang ako at saka ako ang pinakamatandang contestant. Iyong iba mga estudyante lang, nasa 20s lang. May 40 years old na from Australia. Magagaling sila,” she said with a laugh.

Growing up in a family who loved music and loved to sing, Estabillo recalled of days when her parents would ask their six children to sing and the one who sings out of tune and who forgets the lyrics would have to wash the dishes. They lived in Cagayan Valley.

In 1994, she first came to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper for a Chinese family, but stayed only six months there because the household matriarch was unkind and she and another domestic worker would only have four to five hours of sleep every night.

She broke her contract and found another employer, a Malaysian-Chinese family, who treated her kindly.

“Sila ang pangalawa kong amo, napakabait. Nakatapos ako doon ng isang kontrata at noong nag-recontract na ako sa kanila, iyong kasamahan kong musician sa simbahan (St Joseph’s in Central), mag-aasawa na at sinabihan ako ng band member na mag-audition sa Wharney Hotel sa Wan Chai,” she said.

Estabillo passed the auditions and had signed the contract to join the band as hotel performer.

“Nagsinungaling ako sa amo ko. Hindi ko kasi alam ang gagawin ko kasi andiyan na ang opportunity pero napalapit na ako sa [alagang bata ko] kasi araw-araw kami ang magkasama. Napakahirap na malaman nilang pinagpalit ko sila kaya nagsinungaling ako,” she said.

Estabillo then went back to the Philippines to wait for the processing of her visa as a band member in Hong Kong. Three weeks after, she received a phone call from the band’s manager, informing her that they are disbanding and that one of the band members had been fired.

“Bumagsak ang mundo ko, sabi ko ‘Paano naman po ako kasi nag-break ako ng kontrata doon sa amo ko na napakabait?’ Ang sabi sa akin ay wala tayong magagawa, ganyan talaga,” she said.

Even before receiving the call, she said her husband burned her travel documents because he did not want her to return to Hong Kong.

She did not know at the time that her then husband was becoming addicted to illegal drugs. They were then living at the compound of the family of her husband in Laoag City and they were often fighting.

“Tinutukan niya ako ng baril, dalawang beses. Gabi iyon. Naka-load iyong baril. Minura niya ako kasi sila pala ayaw nila ng binubungangaan. Pinutok niya yung baril sa tabi ng tenga ko pero hindi naman niya ako tinamaan,” Estabillo said.

“Iyong pangalawa, ganoon din. Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘ Iputok mo iyan. Dahil sa mga ginagawa mo, matagal na akong patay.’ Pinutok niya talaga at na-shock ako,” she said.

When her husband was imprisoned, she continued to visit him, saying that she was still hoping that they could rebuild their family.

Estabillo said she only gave up on him when he berated her once in jail for failing to visit him when she fell ill.

“Ang masakit doon ang sabi niya, kahit wala siyang pamilya, basta huwag pakialaman ang bisyo niya, kasi lulong na lulong na siya,” she said.

When she finally accepted that her marriage could not be saved, she said she went into a period of depression. She had refused to go out of her room and would mope for days.

“Pero sabi ko may anak ako. Naisip ko sinong mag-aalaga sa anak ko kaya kailangan kong lumaban. Ayun tinawagan ko ate ko dito sa Hong Kong at humingi ako ng tulong. Noong 2006, bumalik ako dito at sa kanya na ako nagtrabaho. Napakabait naman ng kapatid ko, at ng pamilya niya,” she said.

Now her son is working at the municipal government in Cagayan Valley after graduating from an IT course in college.

“Ang anak ko maipagmamalaki ko kasi napakabait. Blessing siya sa akin. Wala siyang bisyo, ang laking blessing niya sa akin,” she said.