"I couldn't even afford ₱500 to enroll in college."
My father left when I was in my first year of college.
Overnight, it became my mother, my three younger siblings, and me. My mom had never worked outside the home, and suddenly we had no idea how we'd survive. We couldn't even come up with ₱500 for my university enrollment. I asked relatives for help, but no one came.
That was probably the lowest point of my life.
I had to stop studying for a semester. But instead of sitting with the sadness, I looked for whatever work I could find. I sold barbecue on the streets. I sold palamig. I worked as a construction worker for two months. Later, I became an attendant at a small printing and Xerox shop.
For the first time, I learned what it meant to earn money with my own hands.
I'd save whatever I could, then bring some of it home to my siblings. One memory has stayed with me all these years: buying Jollibee for the family. It wasn't a celebration. I just wanted us to smile again.
The following semester, I managed to return to school. My mom found work at my aunt's canteen, and I became a student assistant librarian so I could receive a discount on my tuition. Somehow, we kept moving forward.
After graduation, I joined a recruitment company in the Philippines. Ironically, I only applied because I overheard other job applicants talking about commissions and incentives. I thought, "Maybe this job could help me earn more."
I never imagined recruitment would eventually change my life.
When my aunt helped me secure an opportunity in the UAE, I knew I had to take it. My savings weren't enough, so I borrowed money from my grandmother just to pay for the trip. It was another gamble, but I had already learned that sometimes the only way forward is to bet on yourself.
I joined Tandem Search in Dubai as a junior recruitment researcher in 2018.
The job sounded simple enough. Find candidates. Speak with applicants. Build relationships.
The problem was that English wasn't my first language.
Every day, I spoke with people from different countries, each with a different accent. Sometimes I could barely understand them. To make things even harder, I was one of the lowest-paid employees in my batch, working in an industry dominated by Western and Arab professionals.
There were moments when I questioned if I belonged there.
But quitting was never part of the plan.
Instead, I decided that if I couldn't be the smartest person in the room, I would become the hardest-working one.
For an entire year, I stayed late even when no one asked me to. At home, I'd listen to recordings of different English accents to train my ears. I'd record myself speaking English, then play it back to hear where I could improve. I repeated that routine every single night for 12 months.
The first 15 months were painful.
I watched colleagues get promoted while I stayed where I was. Sometimes it felt like nothing was changing.
Still, I kept telling myself: I won't quit unless they tell me they don't want me anymore.
Eventually, things began to shift.
The conversations became easier. My confidence grew. The results started coming.
In 2024, I became the company's Top Biller.
In 2025, I did it again—and was named Employee of the Year, the highest individual recognition in the company that first gave me a chance years earlier.
For me, that award meant something much bigger than personal success.
It proved that a Filipino doesn't have to settle for merely surviving abroad.
We can lead.
We can compete.
We can become the very best.
Through every difficult season, my faith has been my anchor.
I always remind myself that I'm working for God, not for people. That mindset pushes me to give my best, whether someone is watching or not. And whenever work becomes difficult, I think about my family. I made myself a promise long ago:
"I will never let my family go hungry again."
One Bible verse has carried me through every chapter of my journey:
"When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen." — Isaiah 60:22
I've learned that success isn't always about moving faster than everyone else. Sometimes it's about refusing to stop when progress feels invisible.
Today, my dream is to one day become the CEO of my current company—or perhaps build my own recruitment firm. Those are my plans, but I've learned to trust God's plans even more.
If there's one thing I'd tell every Filipino dreaming of working abroad, it's this:
Don't quit.
Dream bigger than your circumstances.
When blessings come, save for the difficult seasons.
And wherever life takes you, don't aim to simply do your job well.
Aim to become the best—and someday, lead.