Mother Was Gone
It was 1985 when 5-year-old Joel woke up in his home in Manila, The Philippines, only to find that his single mom had already left. She had already left for work at a sowing factory earlier that day and had left his boy in charge of one of her flat mates.
"She didn’t want to wake me so she just went off to work and left me at home. It wasn’t like she left me at home by myself. I was in a five of like five occupants", Joel explained. However, the kid was just too anxious to wait for her mom to be back.
Hit The Road, Joel
Joel impulsively decided to set out on the bustling streets of Manila to find his mother on his own. "I remember waking up and she wasn’t there, and a first child’s instinct is to look for their mother", he recalled.
It wasn't long before Joel reached the chaotic food market located just a few blocks from his home. Given its sheer size, it's easy to see how a kid that age could get lost in such a maze! How would he ever find his way through the market?
A Little Help From His Friend
Joel was terrified, not only because he didn't know where he was, but because he couldn't keep his eyes off the giant kitchen knives and pig heads lying on the wooden stools. Luckily for him, a good-hearted taxi driver named José Manselo realized he was lost and helped him out.
The cab driver alerted the police and was soon sent to one of the nearest orphanages. "I was so lucky that a decent man saw that this boy was lost. He had a choice where to take advantage or do the right thing. Without him, who knows where I could have ended up", Joel said. But then what happened?
Life At The Orphanage
The local police searched for Joel's mother for a few weeks, but without success. It wasn't long before Joel was assigned to a social worker, who appeared in court on his behalf to try and make him eligible for international adoption.
Meanwhile, Joel remained at the orphanage. "It was 18 months I lived in the orphanage. Being there for so long, you think that that’s your life now. It’s just sitting and waitingand just wondering if they’re gonna come and pick me up", he recalled. But when would he leave?
Harsh, New Reality
Eventually, the 5-year-old boy understood that his mother wasn’t going to come rescue him. It finally dawned on him that living in the orphanage was something he would have to get used to. However, little did he know that his life would soon drastically change.
One day, a young couple from Melbourne, Australia, arrived at Manila, hoping to adopt a cute little boy they had seen on photograph. "He was a dear little boy. He looked beautiful and he had a lovely little nature", the boy's adoptive mother, Julie, said. You can probably guess who that young boy was!
Off To Melbourne
Joel, nearly 7 years old at that time, remembers being asked whether he would like to go live with the couple to Australia. "And I was like ‘yeay, I do, get me out of here!’", Joel recalled.
Before he knew it, Joel was flying off to Melbourne, where he would spend the next 30 years of life. But would he manage to adapt to such a different culture and family environment?
Something Was Missing
Even though Joel's adoptive parents got divorced shortly after he settled down in Australia, his new life treated him well. The young 7-year-old Filipino boy quickly adapted to suburban Melbourne. For the next 3 decades, he was raised by single mom Julie de Carteret as a happy Aussie.
In spite of this, Joel always felt as if there was something missing. Deep down, he always wondered whether he would ever see his birth mother again. In 2015, exactly 30 years after having landed on the orphanage, a now adult Joel decided he couldn't hold the pain any longer...
The Journey Begins
After talking it over with his mother Julie, Joel set out to find his Filipino birth mother. She had always figured that her son would someday want to find his birth mother, so she was fully supportive.
However, without a doubt, it was a 'needle in a haysack' sort of mission. After all, how would Joel ever manage to find his mother in a country with over 100 million people and in one of the most densely populated cities in the world?
Against All Odds
Actually, Julie thought from the start that the mission his son had embarked on was an impossible one. "I was worried about how he would be able to move on when he didn't find his mother", she later confessed.
"In my mind it wasn’t 'if he didn’t finder', it was 'when'. There was no name, no birth date, no region, there was nothing to go on", she continued. In fact, Joel himself admitted that he thought about giving up more than once. However, impossible was nothing for this young man...
The Search Begins
Aware that the odds were against him, Joel nonetheless traveled to Manila and spent nearly a month exploring the streets surrounding Muñoz Market, the exact spot where he had gotten lost. He had printed a few pictures of his younger self and he showed them to each of the shop owners.
Nearly one month later, Joel finally landed on his first clue. One of the market's storeholders happened to remember a young kid called Dante who had gone missing during the mid-80s. He reached out to Dante's parents, Vicky and Danny, and guess what?
Like Mother, Like Son
The moment Vicky saw Joel, she didn't doubt it for a second: she was sure that that grown man was her long-lost Dante. Neither of them could believe that they had reunited at last.
"I actually started showing her all the photos of me in the orphanage, and she broke down crying. She was looking at the photos and pointing, going ‘that’s Dante! That’s dante!’”, Joel said. However, their joy wouldn't last long.
Heartbreaking Results
Joel asked her alleged mom if she minded if he took a DNA test, which she didn't. However, the test results were deceiving for Joel and heartbreaking for Vicky.
The results showed that Joel and Vicky weren't related at all. This left Joel back in square one, but giving up was never an option for him. Despite this big blow, he carried on with his long and tedious search mission.
A Brilliant Plan
Joel's disappointment then transformed into a fierce determination. However, it also dawned on him that if he were to find his mother, he would need to spread his message to thousands more people.
That's when Joel came up with a witty idea: he contacted Jessica Soho's production crew, who happens to be the "Filipina Oprah Winfrey", and asked them if he could make a public plea for help in looking for his mother.
The Key Picture
Before he knew it, Joel's message had featured in one of The Philippines' most popular TV shows, and he also spread the word in some of the country's most famous radio stations. And guess what?
A few days later, someone sent the TV network an old family photo of a young kid hugging her mother who eerily resembled Joel. While he didn't want to get his hopes up, the resemblance was uncanny. Never would've he imagined that the mysterious picture would soon solve the whole puzzle...
The Woman From The Picture
With the help of the audience, the show's crew soon found out that the mother portrayed in the picture was Herminia Rio. It turned out that the woman was still living near the Muñoz Market, so they were able to locate her easily.
After having found her, Herminia was asked whether she was willing to meet up with Joel. Fortunately, she agreed, and the following day, the unimaginable happened.
The Long-Awaited Moment
When Joel met with Herminia, they immediately felt an intense bond. They also compared Joel's childhood pictures with the very few that Herminia still treasured, and they both concluded that it was the same kid.
While the moment was a bit awkward at first, it quickly became an emotional moment for both of them. "She just started sobbing and hugged me. After about 5 or 10 minutes I started to feel it… this is my mum. This is who I’ve been looking for for two and a half months", said Joel.
Mother And Son
For the first time, Joel had the chance of talking to his birth mother. He asked her about his childhood and also found out that his father, Carding Culadilla, was still alive and had migrated to the US.
Later that week, a DNA test confirmed that Joel was, in fact, Herminia's son. However, just a few days after their touching reunion, it was time for Joel to go back to Australia. But the story doesn't end here!
Mixed Feelings
Joel simply couldn't wait to go back home and tell his Australian mom about his long-awaited reunion with Herminia. Julie was thrilled, but at the same time had mixed feelings.
"I always knew there was another woman out there who loved him. I’m lucky to have him but I’m really sorry that she hasn’t been a part of his life", Julie said. Joel, meanwhile, decided to take things one step further and started organizing yet another family reunion!
Back To Manila
Joel contacted the popular show 60 Minutes, and together with the production crew, they agreed he would travel to Manila together with his Australian mom, hoping his two mothers would finally meet.
Julie was up for it, but once again, she had mixed feelings. "I am excited, but I’m very nervous. I often think that my happiness has been at the expense of another woman losing her child. And that’s really hard to process", she confessed.
The Two Moms Meet
In what was one of the most heartbreaking moments ever seen, and after 30 years, Joel's two moms finally met. "I can’t believe it, I am seeing my two mothers together, I never thought this day would happen", Joel said.
Herminia had finally found joy after 30 years of heart-wrenching pain. As for Julie, she finally felt relieved. Bonded by the love they felt for their child, both women got along great. However, another greater surprise awaited Joel.
Here Comes The Hero
Herminia took them to her current home, which happened to be located just a few kilometers away from Joel's former orphanage. When they arrived to her home, Joel was awestruck.
To his disbelief, the whole neighborhood had gathered to watch his heroic home-coming. "I feel like Lancelot coming back to the castle", Joel jokingly said. "We felt like the queens, shaking hands", Julie added. However, there would still be one last chapter in Joel's movie-like story.
Third Reunion
Now that Julie had visited Joel's birth town, it was now time for Herminia to visit the home where Joel had grown up in. 60 Minutes reporter Allison Langdon joined Joal and Julie at the Sydney Airport as Herminia arrived.
"It's surreal, it's really surreal. You know, six months ago, I never would have thought that my biological mum would be sitting next to me and we'd get to hang out", Joel said in tears.
Happy Ending
Both Julie and Herminia felt blissed at the thought of getting to spend time with each other. "'It's incredible to find somebody among all those people. It's wonderful. It's a happy ending. Everybody loves a happy ending", Julie said.
Joel now calls his birth mother “Ma” and his Australian mother “Mum”. Currently, a documentary featuring his life story is being made, and to be honest, I can't wait for it to hit the theaters!