Ed and Nieva Escall
Navigating life's journey
together
by Heidi M. Pascual
|
after martial law was declared in 1971, the company was sequestered by the government, and Ed decided
it was better for him to leave. In addition, though apolitical, Ed and Nieva felt their family's future was at risk
considering they both worked in private corporations that could be taken over by the government at any time.
The year was 1976 when Ed and Nieva applied for immigration at the U.S. and Canadian embassies, but
their doors were closed for permanent residencies at that time. The Australian consulate, however, was
accepting immigrant applications for skilled workers and professionals. The couple quickly applied, and in
about a year, Ed and Nieva arrived in Melbourne.
Like many Filipinos who left their country to work abroad, Ed and Nieva Escall were highly educated and
skilled professionals. Though they led very different lives before they met, it was love that bound the couple
together for 40 years.
In an interview with Asian Wisconzine, Ed recalled his past which was laden with hardships. His father
died when he was six years old and he, together with two other siblings, was left in the care of his
grandparents. "We were very poor, so I helped my grandfather," Ed said. "I became a janitor in MERALCO
when I was 16. I was also the errand boy at home, and I took care of a retarded uncle (my dad's youngest
brother), which was a full-time task. I was doing that until I got married. We also had to do almost all the
household chores."
Ed juggled work in MERALCO and household chores during the day, and his collegiate course in
accounting at night. "I completed college after almost seven years, while I also worked full-time as a clerk,"
Ed continued. "It took a lot of hard work. My only regret was, I didn't take the CPA board exams because I
knew I would never pass; I had no books, no motivation, and no time to review. I had to work. In addition,
we were too many in my grandfather's house, with my cousins who were also studying in Manila. That
place was not conducive to learning. But I cannot complain!" He taught himself computer programming, a
new emerging technical skill in the '70s, which helped him get promoted at MERALCO and land good jobs
abroad.
Nieva, on the other hand, came from a family of professionals and well-placed relatives and family
friends. Her father was a city treasurer for many years, while two uncles were a city attorney and a military
general. Nieva admitted that her jobs after college were easily handed to her by them, but she stressed,
"My credentials were impressive; I was always in the honor roll!"
She met Ed at a jeepney stop where both waited for a ride to work every day. "We rode on the same
jeepney every day," Nieva recalled with a big laugh. "And Ed would always run to get a seat for me!" It was
Nieva's uncle (who worked for MERALCO like Ed) who formally introduced them to each other, though.
Nieva clearly remembered the sweet-sour lanzones fruits that Ed brought to her from Paete, Laguna,
where his aunt had a farm and a wood-carving business. "He would bike from Rizal to Laguna, and at that
time there were only dirt roads, no expressways," she said. After a few years of courtship, with regular
Sunday visits and strolls at the Luneta Park, the two got married in 1967 in Binondo, Manila Catholic
Church.
With stable jobs and supportive families, life in the Philippines was not bad at all for the couple. The
decision to leave in 1977 was, as mentioned earlier, due to their worry of losing their jobs because of
government sequestrations of private corporations. That decision was providential because it gave Ed and
Nieva new opportunities that completely erased the economic worries that threatened the future of their two
children. In addition, the couple became go-to persons for Filipino newcomers who immigrated to
Australia. They had a good life and were considered community leaders in Melbourne for more than 20
years.
After opting for some sort of an early retirement, Ed answered an ad and was surprised to be hired to do
IT work in the United States. In early 1999, Ed and Nieva landed in Milwaukee, and started another process
of adjusting and networking with the Filipino community. They moved to Madison a few years ago when Ed
was assigned to do IT work at WPS. The global company that hired him was later sold and resold, but EdÂ’
s terms of employment haven't changed. His present assignment is at US Bank, although he's not sure
how long this job will last. Nieva is working at AnchorBank. Both are considering applying for U.S.
citizenship soon.
Meanwhile, the two are very busy with their volunteer work in the Filipino-American community, both in
Milwaukee (Filipino-American Association of Wisconsin-FAAWIS) and Madison (Philippine-American
Association of Madison and Neighboring Areas-PAMANA). Organizing events, raising funds, creating
cultural committees, and entertaining friends at home are only some of the things that Ed and Nieva enjoy
doing. "With our kids both grown up and busy with their own lives in Australia, what else should we do?"
the couple said. The place is not relevant at all for Ed and Nieva. They will always be Filipinos at heart
anywhere their life's journey takes them -- together.
Edgardo "Ed" and Nieva Escall's story is not typical of migrant
workers from a Third World country in search of greener
pastures. They left their native homeland -- the Philippines --
because they were, in a way, forced out by a sudden political
change that affected the workplace of the head of the family. Ed
was a longtime employee of MERALCO, the Manila Electric
Company, which was owned by the Lopezes, one of the political
enemies of the late President Ferdinand Marcos. Shortly