Innholdsfortegnelse for TGFM Issue 21 - January 2022 i The Global Filipino Magazine

One trait that best describes Filipinos is being ‘madiskarte’. Amidst multiple challenges, they are creative in finding opportunities to learn new skills, survive, and improve their lives. Singapore-based Filipina Connie Villaviray’s top priority in life is to support her family’s financial needs. When she was young, she promised to give back to her family to secure a stable job. As the youngest among the siblings, she witnessed how her parents struggled. Her father was an ice cream vendor, while her mother was a simple housewife. Despite the hindrances in life, she graduated, from high school to college, with flying colors. After taking the Mass Communication Major in Broadcasting course, she immediately worked for her college dean’s office as a secretary. There, she provided administrative support and managed students and faculty…

It was January 25, 2021, when Hazelwin Gabriel visited Abu Dhabi to be with her husband, sister, and brother-in-law. She was not planning to work in the UAE as she had already thought of returning to the Philippines for good; however, the National Sterilization Programme happened, which restricted public movement. Working overseas was not new to her. In 2006, Hazelwin embarked on her first overseas journey in Saudi Arabia. She worked as a staff nurse in an Armed Forces Hospital’s emergency department until she was promoted to head nurse. There, she did some hospitality supervisory duties and concurrently acted as the quality nurse and then quality facilitator. In the same hospital, she experienced a once in a lifetime moment when it declared Code Black due to the war from the…

The road of life takes an unexpected turn, and one has no choice but to follow it--and end up in the place they’re supposed to be. This was the case with Dr. Alzacar T. Jadjuli several years ago when he did not intend to work overseas. For him, his overseas Filipino worker journey just ‘kind of fell on my lap.’ He recalled when one of his close friends worked as a nurse in a hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, who informed him about a job post and eventually became the bridge of his application as an ophthalmology registrar for a huge university hospital. “Like many OFWs we opted to work abroad in search for a greener pasture. But it always comes with a heavy price…being very far away from your…

An animal rescuer in Abu Dhabi for eight years now, Jonathan Corporal Sibol has become the voice of the voiceless animals. The Filipino animal advocate rescued some 400 felines in the city of Abu Dhabi and distributed them in animal shelters where they would be properly taken care of. Jonathan’s daily routine includes feeding and checking stray cats, and if the animal needs medical attention, he would bring them to the nearest vet clinic. The animal lover currently works as a freelance animal trainer. But before finding his role as a ‘cat rescue hero’, he has already been attending to the needs of patients at a mental hospital and sanctuary centre in the Philippines as an assistant psychologist. “I help them understand their situation and dedicate my time to them,”…

For years now, Justine Lynn C. Limocon has been helping local farmers in the Philippines become ‘agripreneurs’ or farmers who are not just experts in production but also business skills. Through the Lamac Multipurpose Cooperative (LMPC), the Filipina business development centre department head manages to help improve small enterprise performance among coop membership to achieve high economic growth and employment, reduce poverty, and meet social objectives. The farming industry in the Philippines is considered to be the poorest sector in the country. According to Justine, the direction of the cooperative with the collaboration and convergence of the private organizations and government agencies is the reduction of poverty and wealth creation by providing the farmers a series of training towards sustainable production, supervised financing, and facilitating market linkage to institutional buyers…

Angelina Santos knew that she would excel in the field of sales as she had sold products and services from credit cards, portable cabins, and many more. From then, she was consistently generating revenues and smashing targets. While in the Philippines, Angelina worked as a secretary and sales agent for insurance at Insular Life. She excelled in her chosen field as she loves selling and helping people by providing them with the right insurance coverage. Her husband was given the opportunity to work in the UAE as a project manager in a manufacturing company, and they decided to move to the country as a family. She launched her career in the country as a simple secretary for a private company in early 2000 while juggling being a mom to three…

Saudi Reyes vividly recalled when she went to UAE to work as a receptionist in Abu Dhabi Golf Club by Sheraton. Although she was only 21 when she arrived in the Gulf country, new culture and language barriers were only her issues. While she was starting her career, she was assigned to meet their VIP members, wherein she developed self-confidence and business communication. Soon after finishing the employment contract she signed, she decided to go back to the Philippines to pursue her newly acquired career, knowledge, and experience. There, she was hired in an insurance firm as a sales and business development manager in a manufacturing and stock brokerage firm. During that time, Saudie developed a strong background in corporate sales and business development. Coming back In 2013, the Filipina…

While enjoying her work as a regional bid and management specialist in an American multinational engineering firm in the UAE, Flory Maganda Macaso also leads a very active life. After her work, she trains Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) at night, which she feels very rewarding. Her passion for Brazilian martial art and combat sport led her to win multiple awards. Born in Manila and spent most of her childhood between Caloocan City and Quezon City, Flory was brought by her parents to the UAE along with her son and now ex-husband in 2022. Dubai, since then, became their home. When she moved to the emirate, she planned to work, save up for her son’s educational plan, and expand the buy-and-sell business entrusted to her by her very supportive ex-parents-in-law. In the…

A person with a genuine heart to give back to the community, Rosanna M. Najal, an OFW-turned-business-owner in the UAE, has been donating a percentage of her profit to feed homeless families in her hometown Zamboanga, Philippines. The generous and thoughtful Filipina who has been living and working in the UAE for 13 years now loves doing small charity drives. She said that her customers might not know her scheme, but a small portion of it will be donated to her program for hungry families for every purchase made at her store. “If you buy from my store, you have contributed to the feeding program I religiously do every month. Small of big sales, this has already become a tradition,” she said. Her initiative started in March 2020 when they…

The journey for an artist can be challenging, much like for an overseas Filipino worker (OFW). Both challenges have been suffered by the Dubai-based creative leader Eljhon Sanchez. Every time he’s tested by fate, he looks up to God and his sister, who has defied all the odds to guide him, to get through it. In the Philippines, Eljhon tried different types of work before landing a proper job. During his high school senior years, he started working as a draftsman in their drafting department, where he learned to create custom typography for stage setups to be used on school events. He also tried working as a ‘used oil collector’ when helping his classmate’s father, who also helped him land a job in a fast-food chain in Quezon City. “This…

Many of us would like to start up a business with someone we can trust fully in terms of our assets. In the same way, people also tend to look for a partner who can bring spark in every plan and decision. The situation happened to Filipino-sibling entrepreneurs like Mardolf and Marcel Velez Oyson, raised in a business-minded clan in the Philippines. Currently, they are managing their growing company in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Mardolf and Marcel were both raised in Makati, Philippines, with their mother, who is also into business. Marcel stated that their family in the Philippines is heavily involved in the real estate business; both Marcel and his brother participated in it at some point in their lives. The start-up stories It all began with a positive…

Girlie A. Bitanga is described by her friends as someone who is very determined and a strong believer that God makes everything beautiful in His time. A hotelier by profession, Girlie said she loved the Philippines; however, she handed her fortune card so she could help her family and other Filipino hoteliers. She flew to Jordan and started working as a waitress. Pressed with responsibilities in life, she managed to work harder and gain her employer and colleagues’ trust. Girlie said she enjoyed dealing with people from different races and cultures, and for her, it’s very fulfilling to delight each guest after a long and busy day. “It’s the most challengingly yet rewarding job ever,” Girlie, who has been working in Jordan for 12 years now, said. Due to her…

If there’s one person that inspires Kriscell Masancay, that would be her mother. She is an example of resilience and determination, something which she wishes to embody throughout her life. Kriscell may have fought battles while working overseas, but she trusted the process and believed all the challenges she faced were only part of her journey towards success. Her journey started in 2012 when she was directly hired from the Philippines to work in a medical clinic where she thought she could use her knowledge and skills as a nursing graduate. To her surprise, instead of filling in a nursing position, she was given a secretarial job. “At first, I saw this as a setback, but, with all the fears and anxiety, I have decided to focus on the future…