Innholdsfortegnelse for TGFM Issue 22 - February 2022 i The Global Filipino Magazine

Talking, showing creativity, and entertaining people are Shayne Marie Monasterio’s forte. A graduate of Organizational Communication and Advertising from De La Salle University-Manila, Shayne is described as a charismatic individual, intelligent, creative with grit, and holds a whole lot of confidence. She had on-the-job training in one of the top PR agencies in the Philippines. After graduating, she was offered a job as a PR consultant that would handle accounts in FMCG, airline, and pharmaceutical industries. From then, she left the client servicing career and chose to be the client. She moved to retail and had an opportunity to work for Ayala and SM Corporation. In the midst of working at SM Corporation, Shayne received a call from a headhunter in Doha, Qatar, offering her a job in the hospitality…

To empower the community of women in the Philippines is Mark Anthony Palabrica’s top priority. As he becomes his boss, the owner of Aton Ini Iloilo, his vision is to have his brand be renowned that transcends style and culture through their eco friendly products. Mark Anthony is committed to promoting sustainable products through women’s empowerment. Their products are carefully sourced and entirely handmade by a local community of weavers that the company has supported. As the founder of the Aton Ini Iloilo, he regularly travels for five hours to visit his weavers in the mountains. “I usually sit and eat with them while discussing their concerns on how to make money for their living expenses,” he said. After hearing their sentiments, he wanted to help them, so he promised…

Patience is believing that everything comes to you at the right moment. This is what Jessel Gaces Coquilla, an overseas Filipino worker in Abu Dhabi for nearly a decade now, believed in. Before considering Abu Dhabi as her second home, Jessel worked in the government office in their province after acquiring a Civil Service Eligibility. She then moved to Manila and worked as an accounting staff for a distribution company. For financial reasons, she decided to work overseas for the very first time, at that time, she chose Taiwan and worked as a QC at an electronic company. After her employment contract ended, she proceeded to work in the UAE and continued her overseas journey. A graduate of Bachelor of Science in Commerce Major in Management Accounting at a university…

Gerryl Pedragosa Gaid was only 20 years old when she decided to go directly to Dubai to be an overseas Filipino worker (OFW). A fresh graduate, she started working as a marketing officer in a real estate company in Business Bay. Although it was not in line with what she had studied, she pursued it because, like many OFWs, she was afraid not to get any good job offer back then other than what’s served on the table. She may consider herself a risk-taker, but working overseas is a whole different arena—the competition is stiff. Admittedly, during that time, she didn’t have any job experiences that she could share with her employer except for her scholastic achievements. The real estate company trusted her potential. She was trained and exposed to…

Financial literacy equips us with the knowledge and skills we need to manage money effectively. For quite some time now, Lenn Borja advocates financial literacy among Filipino families in the UAE through her work as a financial advisor. She prepares them to be financially equipped to thrive under uncertainty. Before helping her fellow Filipinos in the country with financial concerns, Lenn has gone through ups and downs, much like other expatriates. When she arrived in the UAE seven years ago, she traveled with baggage filled with hope—hope to succeed in her chosen career. A mechanical engineering graduate, inexperienced and 20 years old at that time, the Filipina whose visa at that time was about to expire, accepted a cashiering job in Ajman. Since it was not her dream job, she…

Living abroad is a continuous learning experience as one gets to mingle with people of different nationalities and learn about their culture. H.E Dr. Edna Joyce Santos, a seasoned ophthalmologist who has been living in the UAE for more than two decades now, said that living overseas taught her to be independent and at the same time she learned how to be more tolerant and understanding of people from different races, cultures, and religious backgrounds. Dr. Edna holds several positions of responsibility by virtue of her work as an ophthalmologist. Presently, she is the Ambassador Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary and Special Advisor to the Holy Royal Crown Council of the Antiquities Imperial Kingdom of the Nation of YMWH, tribe of YHDHYCQN. She is also the head of the department of ophthalmology…

Hitting rock bottom is scary. You realize that you are going down and never getting up again. Arfil Tubio Alama felt this when he arrived in the UAE in 2019. He said that life abroad isn’t easy, especially when he struggled to look for a job. He came on the month when preparation for Ramadan was at its peak, so securing one was slim. He recalled going to areas like Mussaffa just to send his CVs, and when he didn’t know where the bus station was, he had to walk for two hours under the heat of the Arabian sun. When his visit visa was about to expire, he had to come up with another plan to have his visa renewed and pay for his exit expenses to Oman. “I…

Life is harsh, so you should be firm; otherwise, it will crush you. This is what Jherson Francisco Cajelo, a Dubai-based general assistant for one of the leading hospitals in the country. It took quite a lot of courage to depart from his family and friends in the Philippines, as he would miss the homey smell, the predictable days, and familiar faces. However, nine years ago, Jherson took a leap of faith and ventured into an OFW journey wherein he experienced a new way of living. He fell in love, embraced new traditions, made new friends, and soon called UAE home. To secure a job overseas, he worked as a housekeeper. However, he realized that his salary wasn’t sufficient to support him and his family in the Philippines, so he…

Timothy Patrick Cortez Ignacio is currently working as a freelance photographer and managing his small ML express outlet in the Philippines. Before settling in the Philippines, the 39-year-old Filipino worked in the Middle East for a short period. His very first job overseas was as executive secretary for a now-defunct pediatric association in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2004. After office hours, he would roam around the city centre with his parents to take photos using his first Kodak Z700. He realized that his passion for photography would prosper when he won first prize at a daily photography contest conducted by a daily newspaper. He won $100, and that got him more into photography. As Saudi Arabia imposed multiple restrictions, especially in photography, he decided to quit his day job and…

Since high school, Algie Marie De La Cruz knew that she would not be staying in the Philippines to work or even live for a long time. She thought there was gravity that pulled a strong desire to work abroad and live elsewhere. Although she loves her country, she had to follow her passions and goals. While getting a college degree, she had an internship in Malaysia for six months that she considered her first job. After her graduation and coming from her training overseas, she worked directly. “I didn’t want to rely on my single parent for all my needs. I wanted to spoil and get her whatever she wanted and needed the soonest I can,” she said. However, this wasn’t the case. The reality at that time was…

Johnell P. Fodra is an overseas Filipino worker based in Al Ain. Like many Filipino workers abroad, his ultimate dream is to provide his family with a better future. Ultimately, his vision is to become a top-performing barista in the UAE. Before embarking on an overseas journey, he started working as a maintenance and technician in a company in the Philippines. To lead a healthy life and expand his network, he joined basketball leagues in their area. When he arrived in the UAE in 2015, he worked as a waiter. His exposure to the F&B industry enhanced his communication skills, allowing him to express himself efficiently and effectively when dealing with their customers. When Johnell was asked about a time when he struggled abroad, he said it was during the…

For Anna Katrina Galsim Vivero, working in the hospitality industry in the UAE for nearly a decade now has allowed her to grow professionally and personally. Her expertise in the field includes sales and marketing, liaising with clients, and providing them with a variety of hotel accommodations. Her journey in her chosen field began when she arrived in the UAE nine years ago and worked as a receptionist for Ivory Hotel Apartment in Abu Dhabi. After gaining experience and skills, she was able to secure a job with Gromaxx Hotels Management, which has a long-term partnership with the largest international hotel chain Wyndham. She started working as a cluster assistant to the sales manager (corporate) in the same hotel. Due to her significant contributions to the organization, she was consistently…

One of the few words that best describe Natassia Kim Beja is ‘risk-taker’ who always wants to carpe diem or seize the day. She taught herself to take risks and boldly go while understanding that life can be a bumpy road, but at least it is leading her somewhere. In 2015, she started her overseas journey in Abu Dhabi as a travel consultant. Since then, she has been striving hard to fulfill her dreams and goals in life. In that particular work, she loved the travel industry, especially when she was able to help her fellow Filipinos travel successfully from the Philippines to the UAE and fulfilling their travel dreams. As someone who loves challenges, she embraced a new culture and work environment—she thought it was very different from what…

Completely embracing change implies that a person doesn’t see it as adversity but as an opportunity to improve oneself or try new things. This is what Rose Casia-Robinson believes in. She said she gets bored when things are stagnant, stressing that she always wants a challenge and excitement. Rose started her overseas career in 2014 when a big consultancy firm in Dubai hired her all the way from the Philippines to be one of their architects. It was a blessing that challenged her life and an opportunity she can’t just brush off. However, her parents were too keen for her to work abroad because they thought he was too young for it. She recalled her mother crying when the plane ticket was sent to her, a one way ticket. A…

Financial literacy equips us with the knowledge and skills we need to manage money effectively. For quite some time now, Lenn Borja advocates financial literacy among Filipino families in the UAE through her work as a financial advisor. She prepares them to be financially equipped to thrive under uncertainty. Before helping her fellow Filipinos in the country with financial concerns, Lenn has gone through ups and downs, much like other expatriates. When she arrived in the UAE seven years ago, she traveled with baggage filled with hope—hope to succeed in her chosen career. A mechanical engineering graduate, inexperienced and 20 years old at that time, the Filipina whose visa at that time was about to expire, accepted a cashiering job in Ajman. Since it was not her dream job, she…

Bangus a la Pobre They say that Bangus a la Pobre dishes are easy to make yet so flavorful. Kusina Natin ‘To’s version is obviously cooked delicately. Served on a sisig plate, the milkfish was fried to golden perfection and topped with a tangy and savory sauce and minced spring onions. One thing is for sure, this viand is not for pobre (pobre in Spanish means poor) in taste as it will rule the dining table. Price: AED25 Rate: Chicken Kawali Binalot How unique is it to unwrap a banana leaf and find out that your food is inside the package? Kusina Natin ‘To call this binalot and it means wrapped in Filipino. Years ago, lunches were packed in banana leaves before they were packed in styrofoams. These quintessential Filipino…