The death of Julia Campbell in the hands of a Pinoy made me shudder. After all, here was a foreigner who left the comfort of her First World country to become a Peace Corps volunteer in our own land and made it her own. She learned how to speak Tagalog and Bicolano (in fact in a recent TV video clip of her in the aftermath of Typhoon Reming last year, she chose to speak in Filipino rather than in English). She was well-loved by the people of Bicol as well as her foster family and many more whose lives she touched over the last 2 years. For such a young life to end this way is not just a tragedy for her family but for our whole nation as well.
I found Julia’s blog via another blogger’s. How ironic that her last entry, dated Jan. 13, 2007, was entitled “Buhay Pa Tayo”. If you see many of her recent posts, they are mostly titled in Filipino (with English translations!). That is how much she shows her love for her adopted country. It makes me think how many of our kababayans are just itching to be given the chance to fly off and migrate to another country and here is this 38-year old (at the time she left the US) coming to live here. When many of us were caught in Manila during Typhoon Reming we heaved a sigh of relief that its center did not hit us. Julia meanwhile was in Bicol feeling its fury and fearing the possibility of drowning in the muddy flood waters rushing through her apartment. We donated food, clothing and money so good-hearted souls could bring these to Bicol. Julia stood amidst the Bicolanos after the typhoon passed — giving of herself, playing with the children, helping in whatever way possible, reaching out through her blog for more donations.
I feel a great “connect” to Julia (maybe because I discovered to my delight that like me, she loved yoga). But most of all, I really admire her spunk and overwhelming desire to put her God-given talents to most use.
I really hope her blog does not get taken down ever as I want to read her entries time and again to remind myself of the many things Pinoy that Julia fell in love with. For me, Julia deserves to be an honorary Pinay because in her heart, she was one of us. When the phrase “The Filipino is worth dying for” was coined by Ninoy Aquino, he was held in the highest esteem by Filipinos. But Julia Campbell (a foreigner, a woman, a young woman at that, who had no Filipino blood running through her veins) lived this phrase and it cost her her life.
Mabuhay ka, Julia. Talagang isa kang tunay na Pinoy.
It is really a sad incident for someone who loved the Filipino so much. What is appalling is how Raul Gonzalez can be insensitive and callous to put the blame on Julia.
Julia is more Filipino than this guy. Julia had given so much to our people, unlike this bozo who has yet to serve the people. I do not know what he has against women. He also blamed Nicole for getting raped by Smith.
I’m a father and you a mother, with people like Gonzalez, who needs criminals?
At least while you are a guy, you understand exactly how women like us feel when we hear Gonzales talk. My hair stands on end to hear him speak as though he never left the generation of my lolo and lola. A guy who claims that a woman raped asked for it does not deserve my respect.
Yes, Julia may have been a bit too sure of her safety to have gone travelling by herself but that was because she saw the good in Pinoys that she personally experienced in her 2-year stay here. It was just unfortunate she met the wrong person.