Innholdsfortegnelse for TGFM Issue 11 - March 2021 i The Global Filipino Magazine

Despite having no plans to work abroad more than a decade ago, Dubai-based overseas Filipino worker Eduardo Viray found himself today playing a huge role in the international shoe manufacturer C&J Clark International Limited as the Director of Buying and Merchandizing for Middle East & Africa. The multi-company that he belongs has over a thousand branded stores and franchises across the world and has over 200 years of history in footwear, operating in almost 81 countries. In his two decades of career, he has been exposed to numerous tasks and projects that range from simple reporting and research to a full-blown feasibility study to product development and design. But for him, the one project he is most proud of and has given him the fire to continue his career in…

While the majority of companies across the world resume their operations since the onset of the pandemic, Dubai-based Florencio Viñegas is still fighting and enduring the effect of it. Currently, he works as a 3D visualizer/graphic designer for an engineering consultant company. He, along with his colleagues at work, is advised to work when they are only needed. Surviving the pandemic, he is thankful that he is connected with the educational training centre Filipino Institute. “Aside from giving opportunities for Filipinos to grow personally and professionally, they are also providing trainers with this kind of opportunity,” he said. Viñegas teaches 3D Max and graphic design, and for him, earning respect from students is one of the most rewarding experiences as a trainer. Prior to venturing an overseas career, he worked…

Some thirty-five years ago, Ronin Ronald Endozo vividly recalled how he, a simple boy back then, was full of dreams, studying in a remote public school in the Philippines, faced with perennial problems like shortage of textbooks and facilities, enduring long distances on foot for 20 minutes to get to and from school daily sweltering in the heat and pounding rain. Being patient and diligent, Endozo managed to graduate as the class Valedictorian in elementary. Several years after, he found himself working as a director of operations for the Fraser Suites Dubai, a hotel chain under the prestigious Singapore-based Fraser Hospitality, looking after the overall operations and administration of 265 key Fraiser Suites Dubai, working with about a hundred team members. Endozo is a dynamic hospitality professional with more than…

As the co-owner and the acting manager for Kabayan Brewers in Qatar, Brandon A. Wabe does not only represent the quality of coffee beans from the Philippines but also support the local farmers there to have a chance and showcase the potential of their coffee which he thinks is more competitive as compared to other coffee origins. A former band vocalist during his college days, the 32-year-old entrepreneur started to work in Qatar in 2018 as a barista and did specialty coffee. “The coffee industry here is good that’s why I decided to work here as a coffee professional,” he, who is a Hotel and Restaurant Management graduate, said. The former waiter who turned co-owner and acting manager of Kabayan Brewer added that the best part about his current venture…

For Abelynn M. Tayag, one should never give up as there is no such thing as an ending but just a new beginning. An overseas Filipino worker for nine years now, Tayag is currently working as an insurance specialist for a pediatric therapy center in the UAE. For the last five years, she has been working in the same company. A registered nurse in the Philippines, she landed her first job in Dubai in 2012 and worked as a ward secretary for an orthopedic and spine hospital. During her stay in the hospital, she said she learned so much about medical insurance companies--including how pre-approval works--and this paved the way for her to land a job in her current employer. Tayag revealed that she initially worked as a receptionist and…

ALVIN CHRISTOPHER T DUGURAN CAREGIVER AMALIA ALVEZ OMEGA CAREGIVER ARCHIE DAVID EBANOS CAREGIVER LOLITA CURITAO MEBRANO CAREGIVER LORAINNE JANE BUGARING CAREGIVER MARIA ESTELLA MORALES PONSECA CAREGIVER PACITA REY CAREGIVER CRICHELLE C. PALO CAREGIVER 1.1 HELEN VERGONIO CAREGIVER 1.1 MARIEFE CAMPOS MENDOZA CAREGIVER 1.1 ANGELITA PAYAWAL CAREGIVER 2.1 CATHERINE TAGARDA CAREGIVER 2.1 CHARLENE M. DESEMBRANA CAREGIVER 2.1 JASMIN DJOANNA ABAYA CAREGIVER 2.1 JERAMINE GAERLAN CAREGIVER 2.1 JIA PADUA CAREGIVER 2.1 JOAN SALTORIO CAREGIVER 2.1 JULIETA D. JANAO CAREGIVER 2.1 LOVELY PONGHON CAREGIVER 2.1 MALLEN BUAT CAREGIVER 2.1 MARIAM FENIOLA CAREGIVER 2.1 RIZA SAMORTIN CAREGIVER 2.1 SALMAN MAPURO CAREGIVER 2.1 SHEANY PHIL CABIGAS CAREGIVER 2.1 VENUS BUNDA CAREGIVER 2.1 VINA MENDOZA CAREGIVER 2.1 AILYN BINOS CAREGIVER 2.2 ARLENE CABILDO CAREGIVER 2.2 BROWN CORTEZ CAREGIVER 2.2 BUTCH EVA QUERAL CAREGIVER 2.2 DAISY BELI-OT…

Working abroad, for Claudio Corrales, is temporary. Though it is only short-term, working in Dubai for more than four years now has molded him into the person he is today. Working initially as a commis chef at a famous hotel in downtown Dubai, Corrales had a major career change due to the pandemic. From preparing food inside the kitchen, he found himself providing financial advice and helping people to plan their future plans like education, savings, investment, and retirement. The culinary graduate said that the reason why he is working abroad and starving harder in life is his family. “I am also the breadwinner in our family. Being in Dubai also gave me the chance to earn and send my siblings to school until they graduated from college,” he said.…

It was 2014 when Towfie Villanueva stepped up his A-game by embarking on an overseas life. He said that knowing that nurses in the Philippines get neglected and exploited, he has decided to widen his horizon in Dubai. Despite being a nursing graduate, his first job in the emirate was with an international courier company. “Yes, something that was not in line with what I know and something new to what I used to do,” he said adding that he had to consider time and money at that time since extending his tourist visa way back in 2014 was not a joke considering that he only purchased it using his savings ‘so I need to be wiser and practical with my decisions.’ Villanueva said that at the end of the…

Another Filipino Institute student has successfully passed the medical coding exam through the help of extensive training in the educational institution. Marconi Franz T. Villanueva, a registered nurse, recalled her medical coding journey: “My medical coding career has started when a kabayan printed a reviewer, and I was curious at that time and I asked him out of curiosity. He said, ‘medical coding exam reviewer.’ I thought about it and I asked what was it about? He told me to check it on Google,” she said. “And I started to search for schools conducting medical coding course, and I saw a social media post from the Filipino Institute with affordable price, hence, I started to visit their office and enrol the course,” she added. Villanueva said she paid fully as…

In an effort to help those Filipinos in the UAE who have been displaced by the pandemic, Dubai-based entrepreneur Eirene Suchy has established a portal where she bridges the gap between job hunters and employers in the UAE. Through the job portal Gohuntr, which was born from just a casual chit-chat with a friend, COO and Co-founder Suchy aims to help and reach out to a wider and more diverse community and gears towards an equal employment opportunity. Months after discussions and discourse, she, along with her two other friends last February 2021, formed the Gohuntr, which is the first Filipino owned marketplace for jobs in the UAE. Originally from Cebu, the brainchild of the portal that creates job opportunities for jobless residents in the region said that having this…

Achieving one’s dreams abroad entails courage, sacrifices, and dedication. This is what Christian Jay Redual did to establish a career overseas and achieve his dreams one by one. Currently, Redual is the business development manager of NAS Chartered Accountants, a leading audit firm in the UAE. As a business development strategist, he is able to lead the business communication and strategic department of the organization. The migrant worker, who has been in the region for eight years now, is also involved in supporting and empowering the Filipino business community and aspiring entrepreneurs through the Philippine Business Council-Abu Dhabi as the corporate secretary. “The most exciting and enjoyable part of my job is that I was able to guide and support the micro, small, and medium enterprises in Abu Dhabi,” he…

For Gilbert Besario Tolentino, no matter one gets rejected and stumbled, one must always continue to plan, execute, and move forward so when the opportunity comes, one is in the right position. For the last 12 years, Tolentino has been living and working in the UAE. He recalled embarking on an overseas journey in 2009 as a storekeeper in one of the leading F&B companies in the Middle East. A year after, following his exemplary work performance, he was promoted as the warehouse supervisor. Subsequently, it opened an opportunity for him to move into another function in the supply planning department as a supply planner. A consistent team player, Tolentino was then promoted as the planning supervisor. Continuously rising through the ranks, he was then finally promoted as the S&OP…

If there is one thing that Flordeliza Santos wanted Filipinos abroad to know, it is that no matter how many hurdles they face in life, everything is possible. An elementary teacher in the Philippines, Santos encountered countless problems--her ex-husband left for another family, she was drowning in debt, and she has two children to raise. During those trying times, her firstborn was only five and her daughter was only two. Santos recalled that she was literally penniless and whenever her salary came out, it will just go directly to her lenders and be left with a small amount that would not even suffice for a week. Oftentimes, she’d borrow up to P50 so she could buy powdered milk for her daughter. With a piling debt, it was 2006 when she…

Passion, determination, dedication, hard work, and perseverance--this is the formula that Dubai-based Filipina entrepreneur Maria Raymundo used for more than 18 years abroad to achieve what she has now. Currently, Raymundo is the managing director of Yensolou Laundry Service, a laundry business that provides Dubai residents with value-unique services in the Port Saeed area. She arrived in Dubai in 2002 and initially worked in the hospitality industry as a guest relations executive for a hotel. The Filipina moved to another establishment and worked as banquet coordinator for a beach resort and was promoted as a banquet sales manager before moving to IHG Group--Holiday Inn Dubai Al Barsha to work as an events manager. Exploring her career options, Raymundo was then hired as a business development manager for Lals Group and…

Marte Salagan Carlos recalled when he arrived in Dubai in March 2007 with no relatives or acquaintances. He fought alone for his destiny the way he could to survive overseas. Just like many overseas Filipino workers, Carlos opted to work abroad in the hope to lift his family out of poverty, thinking he’d reciprocate his parents’ sufferings. “Finding a job abroad has difficulties, it forces you to leave your comfort zone. There are many reasons why I work abroad that benefit my personal and professional career,” he said. He has first worked as a kitchen helper for an Italian restaurant in the emirate and as a determined individual, he was promoted as an assistant cook. Carlos, who is also a great cook, develops his talent in cooking while working in…

Saudi Arabia-based Senior Architect Eldrid B. Refil went abroad not only to provide his family a better life but to help his fellow Filipinos, particularly those architecture graduates who wish to become full-fledged architects by sharing his knowledge with them. His calling to impart knowledge to Filipinos in the Kingdom started in 2007 when he volunteered as an instructor and facilitator for aspiring architects, master plumbers, and environmental planners, among others by conducting review classes in preparation for their examination. The increased number of Filipino architects in the region resulted in the foundation of their Accredited Professional Organization (APO) the United Architects of the Philippines International Chapter in 2009 where he became the chartered president. Since then, the organization was able to produce successful architects, and up to this date,…

In the hopes to provide his family and himself a greener pasture, Dubai-based overseas Filipino worker Eric Longanilla Jr. decided to work overseas. And for four years of staying and working in the emirate, he has never regretted working abroad as he is able to achieve his dreams one by one despite the median salary that he’s getting every month from working as a captain waiter at Al Safadi Restaurant. He recalled the time when he arrived at the Dubai International Airport, he said that he was amazed by the indulgent, glamorous, and progressive city. “My goal was to seek work. After a few days, I was hired as a waiter. And until now, I am currently working as a captain waiter,” he said. Longanilla, in spite of having no…

When things go south, prayers and timings are the things that florist Zilfa L. Dinglasa holds on to. Throughout her life and work career, several challenges have come along the way that she fought alone. However, according to her, a true Filipino fighter never quits after the stumble and fall. Dinglasa has been working in UAE for the last year and nine months, and prior to starting an OFW life in the region, she spent a year in Oman as a florist. Like many Filipinos overseas, it is her dream to provide her family a greener pasture, and as a solo parent, to give her only child a better future. “Bilang isang florista, isa itong napaka-challenging na trabaho. Dito ma-express kung ano at sino ka. At dito mo makikita ang…

Darbie Kim Estrebilla is more than just a content creator behind the viral videos in the UAE that tackle relationships, self-love, and motivation. As a full-time content creator and a mentor, he helps aspiring vloggers, video content creators, and business owners who want to live a life on their own terms by generating a monetization structure around their passion or business by teaching them his proven steps of video content creation through Rtd Vlogging Academy and Rtd Creations. “I would love to think that in the current position I am in right now, I am very blessed. Blessed to excel at my chosen field, blessed that it comes with very good pay, and blessed because I am also able to reach a lot of people and help them recover from…

For Rowena Aggabao, an entrepreneur based in Dubai, the key to success is to dream big, work hard, and stay focused. Aggabao, who has been leading an overseas life for more than a decade now, has adapted this formula until she became the co-owner and managing partner of A&R Partners Ltd. Through her company, she is able to work on something that she is completely passionate about which is helping people and assisting them in building their dreams. She admitted that it has always been a dream to be her own boss, and independent, and doing what she loves to do. “Sitting down, talking to budding entrepreneurs, understanding what they want to do, and being able to advise them to the suitable structure for them to achieve their desired activity…