Innholdsfortegnelse for TGFM Issue 27 - July 2022 i The Global Filipino Magazine

Doctors are known to make the world a better place, one smile at a time. This is the profession of Abu Dhabi-based Dr. Catherine Bañas, a general practice dentist at Ahalia’s Kabayan Clinic. A University of the Philippines graduate, Dr. Catherine has above ten years of clinical experience in dentistry. For many years, she has been putting on her clients’ best smiles every day. It was 2018 when a UAE-based company directly hired her. She went through the right channel to employ Filipinos from the Philippines in the UAE, so when she arrived, she was already on her working visa. But when she started to carve her overseas journey, the clinic where she worked was poorly managed, as she described it. “It was here for a very long time. But…

Dubai-based Filipino entrepreneur Malou Prado believes that self-belief and hard work will always earn one’s success. Growing up in the town of Cavite in the Philippines, her parents would always tell her that education is the only ticket to stay away from poverty. In an effort to surpass financial constraints, she assisted her mother in selling ‘tinapa’ in the local market. With her determination and gusto to end the cycle of poverty, Malou was able to finish a Baccalaureate course in Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at the prestigious Lyceum University Manila. To pursue a career, she opted to work in Taiwan where she met her lifetime partner, Robert Prado, and got married afterward when they went back home to the Philippines. Just like any typical Filipino dreamer, she…

Coming to Dubai, according to Michael Amazona Del Mar, was just an accident. Some 18 years ago, he happened to tag along with a friend who went to a local job fair in Dubai. He took the same interview and got the position to work at the front office of the four-star Millennium Airport Hotel. Little did he know that his accidental visit to the region would change his life forever. Michael recalled the reason why he opted to work overseas. “I came here to escape the island life in Cebu City and to seek new opportunities in a country that has always been a champion for supporting expatriate careers,” he said. As envisioned, he realized his dreams using the right formula in life to be a successful person. Throughout…

His family members and friends close to him always describe him as someone who always goes the extra mile. This was tested when he was asked by one of his aunts if he was willing to work overseas, particularly in the UAE. Being adventurous that he is, Jefrey Cafe took the golden opportunity despite being a fresh graduate and 21 years old at that time. Without anything else but his visit visa, he tried his luck and applied for various companies in the country. A month after searching for the perfect job, he was tapped by the leading retail store ZARA. For eight years, he consistently climbed up the ladder of corporate success. Today, he now works as a senior sales assistant. “I love my job, and I chose to…

As the family’s breadwinner, Gladys P. Ong decided to work overseas. With this title, she was tasked to send her siblings to school and support her mother financially. Gladys completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing at the Centro Escolar University in Manila with flying colors. She finished with a 1.82 general weighted average. She then became part of various leading hospitals in the Philippines. In 2015, Gladys finished her Masters of Science in Nursing Major in Adult Health at the prestigious St. Paul University Philippines. This paved the way for her to be a clinical instructor at the Manila Tytana College of Nursing, where she taught first-year students the fundamentals of nursing. She embarked on her OFW journey in Oman, wherein she worked as an OR nurse for two years…

Much has been said about following dreams. But for Rhona May Nollan Reyes, dreams can be challenging. Nine years ago, she decided to pursue her dreams in Malaysia as a band vocalist. She traveled to various places in the country. After building her professional profile, she traveled to many countries she had never been to before, like Cambodia, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Myanmar. In 2018, her band went to Abu Dhabi to work on Raskery Bar; however, it was just a short stay as they flew back to Malaysia the next year and stayed there for three months. She then moved back to Abu Dhabi and signed a contract to perform in Cheers Bar in Al Ain Place Hotel before the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic, which had disrupted businesses across the…

Climbing the F&B industry ladder starts with being more charismatic. UAE-based Filipino John Carlo M. Biteng has this quality, which makes him more confident and influential. From starting to work as a server for a restaurant in the UAE, John Carlo demonstrated the qualities of being an efficient leader, which paved the way for him to be promoted to assistant manager. One of the reasons why he opted to work overseas is his family. He also wanted to find his purpose and build a professional career. To realize these dreams, he followed his mother to Dubai and carved his fate. The 23-year-old newbie in Dubai said he likes the idea of meeting different kinds of people of different nationalities. As a person who chose the F&B career, he also likes…