“Daddy, I wanna ride THAT COOL THING again!!!”
On our first day, we took the tricycle and she screamed her lungs out saying, “This is sooooo cool! Whooooo! I want this thing in Dubai daddy!”
And she added, “Daddy can you give our car to someone else and let’s use this cool thing na lan(g) in Dubai.”
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Photo source
Starting the business took us more than just a leap of faith. Here’s the full story.
But before all the accolades, not everyone know I also had a share of tears and struggles of a typical OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker). I was locked in a room by my boss for apparently working with a visit visa. I was sent to Kish Island 7 times, the horrific Qeshm 2 times, and once in Oman for visa runs – having to sleep in the beach shores during summer and in flea-infected carpets of so-called hotels. I had terrible bosses. Some jobs I had were not paying me salary up to 3 months. I jumped one low-paying job after another for 4 years until finally landing a decent role in one of the best airline companies in the world, and apparently now working in one of the leading digital agencies in MENA.
The determination to make a difference in the OFW community enables me to pursue something that majority of the Filipinos abroad might not consider doing – to start a business in the foreign land.
As I was enriching my personal relationship with the Lord, taking steps to grow deeper in faith, I intimately seek for answers of what business would God want me to do. One very early morning, I received the answer to my prayer through an article about an entrepreneur in the Philippines doing the same kind of business. Being a web designer and an e-commerce enthusiast by profession, a blogger and social media influence as well, I instantly felt the affirmation on that revelation.
ETERNITEE LLC – we are an officially registered e-commerce company in the UAE. We opened our online store last month where people can find motivational t-shirts and other items to buy. We pride ourselves of giving customers the opportunity to give hope and encouragement to people by wearing the TEE-shirts creatively printed with words of wisdom, inspired by the bible.
The purpose of the business is to remind the world of the importance of having true wisdom in our way of life. Especially for OFWs who are dealing with homesickness, often times, what we really need are words of encouragement to lift our spirits up, more than anything else. And what better way to start reviving wisdom-filled lifestyle by way of wearing simple, yet stylish t-shirts.
We are living in a fast-moving knowledge-driven society, yet the world remains broken and dysfunctional. It’s about time to reconnect to what really fuels us best, and to who really created us for a purpose.
Most of us believe in God and it stops there. We recognize God’s presence, we pray, but we lack one essential thing – a real, personal and practical relationship with Him. We may know how to talk to Him, but most of us don’t know how to listen to what He says. Eternitee is here as a channel to remind us that God speaks through His written words.
Before every other motivational words were spoken by famous philosophers, the bible had them written already in one way or another.
Our t-shirts will never get obsolete – because the word of God endures forever.
Being bold and confident, the team was given permission to do this kind of business in this very rich Islamic nation. We will always be thankful for the support of the UAE leadership, for always acknowledging the faith of everybody living in this beautiful country. We may have differences in faith, but we surely have alignment in terms of the righteous principles to live by.
As part of the company’s “selfless” principle, 5% of every sold item will go fund the our advocacy to Clothe The “Naked in spirit,” or CTN. We aim to produce campaign videos or short films, among others, that shed light to both the common and the untapped situations in the society today. We also plan to organize series of talks that will further advance the word of God and help others build their own spiritual relations.
Another purpose of Eternitee is to enlighten our fellow expats that being away from home does not hinder us from dreaming and making those dreams come true. Employment is not the only way to survive, starting a business is always a good alternative.
With me doing this is my wife, Raquel, a mom-preneur; Gus Erni and Gwyn Sanchez Erni, my fellow graduates at the first ever Ateneo Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship program in Dubai, and also very active choir members; and Matilyn Bagunu, an incumbent leader of the Filipino Community and one of the pillars of St. Mary’s Church choir.
The team believes that people can live a wisdom-filled life while still enjoying and having fun the right way.
If you are looking for something that will encourage one another and build each other up, Eternitee has the best items.
Our t-shirts are eco-friendly. We are proud to be providing organic cotton t-shirts, printed with eco-friendly inks and packaging.
Customers can visit weareternitee.com to buy shirts for personal or for groups. We also accept customized orders.
Many people are asking us what made us do the business, I simply say, It’s not just about what we want to do, it’s really about what God wants us to do, how we submit ourselves to be used as His messengers of His wisdom in the world today.
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For more information, follow Eternitee on social media:
Facebook (https://facebook.com/weareternitee )
Instagram (@weareternitee)
Twitter (@weareternitee)
Here’s our conversation about the gig, his music, roots, purpose and God’s leading:
PROUD MOMENT – This movie, Lamentasyon, deserves a place in your calendar – not only because you’re a Filipino supporting Filipino, but because you deserve to witness excellence.
For the first time ever, a full-length OFW-made film will make its way into a Dubai cinema. On December 6 – 8 (three days only), Lamentasyon will have a special public screening at VOX Cinemas in City Centre Deira.
Written, produced, directed, starred, promoted by humble OFWS (who all have their daytime jobs), this is one true #ProudToBePinoy moment we all deserve to see.
As I’ve said in my quick review, the trailer is already great, but boy, the full movie is out of this world!
If you think you’ve seen all the twists in the world, think again! Watch out for Lamentasyon to give you something that you probably have not seen elsewhere. If thrills give you chills this film will give you the drills.
I’m not the one who usually promotes a movie, but I can’t help but highly recommend you to check this out.
Surely there are few nitty gritties that we might say could’ve been done in a better way, but boy, they are too little that it did not impact the overall highly impressive value of the movie. Think about a Cinemalaya indie film grade A quality – that’s how I’d rate this movie.
For tickets, please send a message to Lamentasyon Facebook page as they are only exclusively distributed.
Here’s the trailer once again:
Magkita-kita uli tayo sa darating na December 8 – 6 ha?
The trailer wouldn’t have you guessing that this is created by newbies in full-length film production, yet it speaks so much of a profound, untapped and non-traditional story line that is very much relevant to most OFWs worldwide.
Definitely another feather in the Filipino’s cap. I had a chat with one of the actors and he shared the following:
“Lamentasyon was inspired by OFW’s working collection of conflicts and situations of a typical Filipino to give the best to their family. Other than misfortunes and unfortunate events our countrymen suffer while working abroad, the film approaches the psychological impact of working miles away from your loved ones.”
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| The cast and crew at the Bloggers Meetup Day at Max’s Restaurant Al Ghurair |
What lies ahead on this character-driven drama set in the formidable risky dilemma of a modern day in Dubai, is what we all have to find out.
In the bloggers meetup, Direk Archie ended our conversation by saying, “Mabubuhay and lungkot. There are many extreme and unexpected turns. Walang uuwi ng hindi iiyak…”
Banderitas, lechon, sayawan, tawanan. It was a colorful and festive luncheon at Boracay Club yesterday, as the Philippine Department of Tourism launches “Bring Home a Friend” program in the Middle East.
The campaign encourages all Filipino expats in the Middle East to be brand ambassadors for Philippine tourism and encourage their family, colleagues and friends to visit the Philippines as their next holiday destination.
The event was attended by Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Constancio Vingno Jr., Consul General Paul Raymond Cortes, campaign partners such as Philippine Airlines and Megaworld, Airline and Hospitality professionals, Top Filipino executives, Travel Trade Industry partners, Influential media, bloggers and social media personalities, Filipino Community leaders from Dubai and internationally-acclaimed fashion designer to the stars and royalties Furne One AMATO.
The program will run for six months starting from October 15, 2017 up to April 15, 2018.
“We would like to close the year strongly for the tourism industry in terms of visitor arrivals and carry the momentum into the coming year.” DOT Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo
Teo decided to revive the BHAF program implemented in 1994 by DOT under former Secretary Mina Gabor to encourage Filipinos to invite their foreign friends to come and visit the Philippines.
The Filipino sponsors, who either reside in the country or overseas, stand to win an array of prizes.
“This shall be a thrilling experience for us Filipinos, who are known for our genuine hospitality and for celebrating Christmas for the longest time,” said Teo.
Major prizes awaiting the sponsors include a condominium from Megaworld Corporation, a brand new Toyota Vios, and a PHP200,000 gift certificate at Duty-Free Philippines while their foreign guests can win round-trip international flight tickets and tour packages to Palawan, Cebu, and Davao.
To join, the sponsor must duly register via the Bring Home a Friend website: www.bringhomeafriend.online. Registration may also be accomplished at BHAF booths soon to be set up at selected international airports in the Philippines.
The number of eligible entries will also depend on the points they earn corresponding to the guest’s country of origin: Asia and Oceania/Australia: 2; Africa, Middle East, Europe, and America: 3.
Conversely, the more foreign friends the sponsors invite, the more entries they can submit.
The Philippines has seen the consistent growth in tourist arrivals from the Middle East. In 2016, the Philippines received a total of 83,546 tourists from the region, growing by 9.69% over 2015. Tourist arrivals from Saudi Arabia and UAE, the two largest markets out of the region for the Philippines, reached 50,884 and 16,881 respectively.
The PDOT aims to achieve 7 million tourists by the end of 2017 and proactively developing strategic partnerships with key stakeholders in the Middle East to capture a sizeable percentage of its high-yield tourist market.
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| Piolo Pascual sings the theme song |
Definitely a great campaign. Thank you DOT reps in Dubai for having us at the launch.
We were out and about this weekend and wherever we go, on the road, in the room, at the park or in the pool, we chat. We chat untiringly. We chat day and night. This reminds me of our #relationshipgoal around C.H.A.T.
C – CONSISTENCY
Being consistent. Never change the attitude towards each other. Continue doing the things that are “nakakakilig” like during our first days together. Be consistent… BUT ADD TWISTS.
H – HUMOR
For me, humor is the highest form of maintenance in a relationship. If you always find humor in everything you do, anything feels lighter. We always feel young at heart. It’s easy to laugh at the same things. TAWA TALAGA! We’re always clowning at each other, we play pranks. I’m happy I married somebody with a natural sense of humor. Humor is healthy. The absence of it is fatal.
A – APPRECIATION
Appreciation is our universal language. We appreciate every big or little things the other does. A little bit of appreciation is enough to meed the effort of the other. Appreciation encourages consistency.
T – TRUTH
We are committed to being truthful. Transparent. Nothing hidden. Past forgiven. THE TRUTH reigns in the relationship. And who is the truth – Christ. Having Jesus in the center of this relationship enables us to handle every problem or argument with a wiser approach. Seeing things in a real Godly perspective brings a lot of positives, albeit a very challenging one.
Here you go… I hope we influence you to keep on C.H.A.T.-ting. Keep the conversation flowing.
I experienced selling sampaguita when I was a preschooler. I go with my grandparents every time they sell outside school gates and at a public market in Laguna. I pick flower buds with my cousins very early in the morning, climbed huge Ilang-ilang trees to find the most fragrant flowers. We sew the flowers in a string and bring them to the streets.
When I was in grade school, I sell homemade donuts and Filipino delicacies on the streets of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. My mom bakes the cakes, we sell on the road. Sometimes we use a tri-bike (you know, the bike with a sidecar), but most of the time, we walk and shout, “Eeeehhhh donut, pisooooo!”
On weekdays, aside from my school bag, I carry 2 huge plastic bags with mamon and brownies to be delivered in our school canteen at Divine Word College.
My parents taught me the value of “marangal na trabaho” and I honor them for that.
There are also times when I would collect used glass bottles and newspapers and sell them to the junk shops for mere coins.
During elections, I get paid to distribute voter’s guide flyers.
I love the thought of getting something in return for the effort I was “hired” to do.
Back in high school in Las Pinas, after classes, I help in our little sari-sari store. We also had an “ice candy” and “ice for sale” ad in the gate. It took me ages to learn how to properly tie an ice bag.
In college, I posted a “karatula” in front of our house for personalized music CDs. CD-burning was a hit then – I was a suki of CDR King. I travel by bus from Pacita to Ayala just to buy bulks of CDs. I had a long list of songs where my customers select up to 16 mp3s. For 80 pesos, they’ll get the songs with a personalized CD cover which I also designed. I know, I know… sorry na!
We also sell street foods in the garage – fishballs, kwek-kwek, kikiam. That has also become my way to connect to people in the community. I didn’t only sell, I also gained friends and, uhhmm, met my crush while she’s buying squid balls -she kept coming back, apparently because we had the best fishball sauce pala, akala ko…
There was also a time I got paid some good bucks for helping in cleaning the neighbor’s backyard and garage. That includes heavyweight lifting.
Before graduating from university, I started a web hosting business. I buy high-scale web hosting server packages and resell some spaces. My first customer was the Computer Science department of my university.
I did a lot of websites in Manila as a freelancer. I was a racketeer.
My young mind then has always been wanting to create a business – even before setting foot here in Dubai.
Here in UAE, I still do gigs. Some brands pay for sponsored posts. I write scripts for radio commercials. I write paid articles for other websites, and so on.
Actually, in my first year here, with my dad, uncle and friends, we formed a web design company only for me to volt out after 6 months because I wasn’t really prepared to take the risks of being an entrepreneur.
Several times in my youth I failed… but forward I go.
I am still young. I keep discovering… from people’s stories, books, small groups, and seminars.
Why do I want to become an entrepreneur? Aside from not wanting to remain an expat employee forever (and being my own boss), creating a business that brings joy and adds value to people is what I’ve always wanted to do.
Today, that goal is not just empowered by passion. It is the passion and purpose that fuels me to strive to get that elusive opportunity to become one.
Thank God for putting me in this path and for building me up this way.
If I could share one piece of advice especially to my fellow Filipinos abroad – do not be scared at the thought of starting. If you think you have the calling to do something other than your work right now, listen to it – recognize the voice. We can’t be complacent working for other’s dreams only. Some of us plan to put up a business when we return to the Philippines. But, when are we going home? Why not start here? And why not now?
If you have been told that you cannot do it, it’s about time to listen to people who believe that you CAN do it. Ehem! I’m listening.
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Top photo credits to hiveminer.
One of the largest expat communities in Dubai are Filipinos. There is no place in the emirate where you cannot find them. In fact, the population of Pinoys in the UAE has already reached around 950,000 with about 500,000 living in Dubai alone – that’s 21.3% of the total population of the emirate.
If you’ve been around Dubai for quite some time now, you probably know at least one Filipino.
Many people I met in this country feels good to have Filipino friends because of their consistent happy aura. But do you know we can change your perspective if you hangout a lil longer with us?
I mean…
Pinoys eat about 5-6 times a day. Breakfast, snacks, lunch, snacks, dinner, and midnight snack. We love buffet. Our office cupboards are full of, well… snacks. Our idea of party is pigging out, and you’ll always have something to take home from it.
It is contagious. We always smile, even in low times. Filipinos are the world’s walking smileys. We sympathize during rough times but we always find ways to smile.
Because Filipinos are figure-conscious but we really don’t watch out what we eat. This consciousness won’t stop us having unlimited rice and boodle fights.
Our pride of being Pinoy can influence yours – sort of. From car stickers to Philippine flags in the office desks, to the hashtags #ProudToBePinoy, you’ll know how proud we are of our culture.
We always have a “greeting portion” every time we get a chance on air. You’ll hear your name on the radio.
We love picnics more than hotel brunches – that’s our idea of having fun with less or no cost at all.
We are proud to have friends from other nations. It’s a “one of a kind” feat.
Most of us are frugal and practical in many ways, but some of us splurge during sale seasons. Haaay…
We are festive and we celebrate everything. We’ll bring you even to kids parties and you’ll find yourself playing some funny parlor games.
You will stand out because we want you to feel special while welcoming you as part of the family.
We don’t settle for the price tag. You’ll also discover where to buy the cheapest chocolates, apparels and branded perfumes.
You will sure speak the basic Tagalog words in no time. You will be called “Kuya” (brother) or “Ate” (sister) pretty soon.
You will hear us listening to Christmas songs; you’ll see our Christmas trees out as early as September. We celebrate (somehow) Christmas from September to January.
Filipino ladies are among the most charming people in the planet. They sound sweet in any conversation – yes, even in times of trouble.
We love picture-taking with or without occasions. And we don’t settle for one shot – a wacky shot is a must. Every dine-out is a photo op.
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And that’s the Filipino perspective my friend. Even homesickness can’t stop the natural joy to show up.
Many people these days are busier than ever chasing money. For them money is happiness. But when they get the money, they make another run for more money. There’s no stopping. There’s no happiness. Zero contentment and more compromise.
Truly, “we buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t even like…” commonly, because we envy our neighbors. Having this motivation leads to burnout – and you might overlook the things that really matter.
Look at one of God’s promise. He says, “Do not love money. Be satisfied with what you have. I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5
His grace is sufficient indeed.
If we add a righteous purpose on earning and handling money, it will bring not only happiness, but joy, and a very comforting feeling of satisfaction, knowing that God will provide, even if we don’t deserve.
Let’s ask ourselves, do we have a righteous purpose? What’s our purpose with money?
