Albert Balbutin
Quezon City, Philippines
Son of my "Mother's Land."
Although I was born and raised in the US, my mom always made sure we visited the Philippines every now and then. I grew up thinking I was a Filipino until I realized that my experiences in America made me very different from my cousins and fellow "kababayan" in the Philippines. After my mom's stroke, I became more aware of what was important in life and found myself learning more about the Philippines, eventually moving there myself to be closer to my mom, and even closer to my mother's land.