In January 2001, I received a letter informing me that my application for a scholarship to study in Japan had been accepted. Surprised and speechless, I just stared at the letter for a long while even as a lot of things came into my mind. With that single piece of paper, my life was being altered. I would never have thought of studying abroad, except that everywhere I looked it seemed that I was seeing ?global Filipinos.? And so I was lured to follow in their footsteps. I confirmed my desire to study there, and two months later I was off to Japan.

Before I left, I made a lot of preparations both physical and mental. Many of my professors who had educational stints abroad offered me their advice on how to survive culture shock and deal with negative stereotypes and discrimination. It only made me a bit more anxious about what might happen to me away from home. I never thought that going abroad could be so stressful.

But contrary to what my friends had told me about the travails of Filipinos abroad, my experience was completely pleasant and memorable. At the university where I went to, there were 20 Filipino students enrolled. We really enjoyed much respect and appreciation not just from our Japanese professors and classmates but from their foreign counterparts as well. Whenever our professors told us to make group presentations, many of our Japanese and foreign classmates would rush to join our group because it was almost an assurance that they would get a high mark. Filipinos in the university were known for being intelligent, diligent and cheerful. (I hope I do not sound boastful here, but that was how things really were.)

The trust and confidence we gained from our professors and classmates gave us an edge in terms of getting more scholarships and counting more A?s and A-pluses in our report cards. In fact, a Japanese professor had the habit of automatically giving a grade of A+ when he knew that his student was a Filipino. ?Sugoi? (Japanese for excellent) was a remark we often heard after we did our presentations or submitted our projects and assignments.

We Filipinos were like trendsetters. When we did our presentations, our classmates paid close attention, as if we were their professors. The next time they were asked to make a presentation, they imitated our style.

The respect I enjoyed at the university inspired me to excel and to be more proud of being Filipino. It made me realize that there was something special about being Filipino. My exposure in an international university with students from over 60 countries taught me that Filipinos can always excel amid fierce competition on a global scale. I thought that if we just worked hard, Filipinos would always shine anywhere.

While in Japan, I never experienced discrimination. This is something I am thankful for, because a number of overseas Filipinos elsewhere have experienced various forms of discrimination. My experience in Japan was the complete opposite. In the city where I lived, the Japanese people were warm and respectful.

A Japanese woman in her late 60s surprised me by giving me a monthly allowance equivalent to P5,000. The first time she handed me some money, I asked her what it was for. I barely knew her as my neighbor and yet she was curiously being generous to me. She told me she only wanted to help me because I was a foreigner and living in Japan was expensive. I accepted the money reluctantly, thinking that she might take it as an insult if I refused. She asked me where I came from, and when I told her, she immediately recounted what she knew of history, especially World War II, and said she was sorry for the painful ordeal our country went through.

The last time I met her, I asked her why she was giving me so much money. She burst into tears and told me, ?When you return home and if ever you become president of your country, remember that there was this old woman who gave you something.? Then she handed me an envelope and left.

When I opened the envelope, I was surprised to see 60,000 yen. I still do not know how I will be able to thank this kind woman. Perhaps she had big dreams for me. But even if I won?t fulfill her dreams for me, I will always remember her kindness no matter what I will become in the future.

My own story may be different from those of others who have gone abroad for study or for work. But one thing is certain: it is so nice to think that I was made in the Philippines. As a Filipino overseas, I always consider it to be my responsibility to carry the name of my country with pride, excellence and dignity.

After living in Japan for three years, I realized that being a Filipino or being a foreigner in another country doesn?t necessarily lead to discrimination. Regardless of one?s race or color, a foreigner will always be respected so long as he does the right things and conforms to local laws and customs. And if he excels in any field of endeavor, people will always look up to him with high regard.

On March 27, 2004, I came back to the Philippines. I stayed for three years to work and share what I had learned in Japan. Three years later, I find myself immersing again in another country, China. I want to impress the people here about the beauty of our country and what it means to be a Filipino.

Melvin Allena Jabar, 29, holds a master?s degree in Health Social Science from De La Salle University, Manila, and a bachelor?s degree in Social Science from the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan. He is currently based in China.