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18 things Filipinos in Dubai can look forward to in 2018

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Dubai is almost an extension of the Philippines already. Sooner or later, homesickness might just be a thing of the past.

With so much Filipinism happening in the past few years in the UAE, there are still great things coming ahead. Here are 18 more to look forward to in 2018:

FOOD

1. Shakey’s

‘za and mojos anyone? One of the first pizza parlors Filipinos loved is setting foot in Dubai. Watch out for updates from the Facebook page.

2. Gerry’s Grill

Finally! After years of ‘planning,’ Gerry’s Grill will open it’s first restaurant outside Philippines and US. I wonder how our favorite sisig, crispy pata, lechon kawali will be done “Dubai style” – chicken or beef. And shall we add non-alcoholic bevs to it?

3. CRO & their live music

Chef Richelle Ortiz Restobar which officially opened its doors late this year plans to bring in bigger acts to perform at the bar. They just had Ebe Dancel for their grand launch event. More big names to come this year. Para ka lang nag-19 East or Club Dredd, or nasa Eastwood or BGC.

SRO at CRO when Ebe Dancel started to play

4. Pinoy Food Expo

The Philippine Business Council in Dubai has a Filipino food expo in the books. It aims to promote the goodness of Filipino food not only within our community but across other groups of nationalities as well. It will be participated by topnotch Filipino restaurants in the country from fine dining to street foods setup.

Shall we see manong shouting taho or balut? Or a banana Q and samalamig stands?

5. Chef Boy Logro

Paluto by Chef Boy Logro formally opened this month. He promised us that he will be flying to Dubai at least quarterly to personally see the restaurant and eventually do a live cooking from time to time. Ping ping ping!

5. Off The Hook Dubai

The only Filipino food chain shortlisted among the best seafood restaurants in Abu Dhabi at the 2017 Timeout Awards, OTH is set to capture the hearts of seafood lovers in Dubai.

BUSINESS, FINANCE & EDUCATION

6. ‎Eternitee

Filipino shirt and merchandise print brand, Eternitee is expected to revolutionize the way we do online shopping. The advocacy-driven business also aims to produce relevant campaign videos that highlights scenarios from the untapped situations of OFWs and how wisdom and an active spiritual walk can transform lives.

One of the many t-shirts you can buy at weareternitee.com

7. Money Talks 2018

Randell Tiongson, together with Money Talks UAE group is bringing the best financial event for OFWs back in Dubai. This time, they’ll be also featuring, Marvin Germo, Toby Herbosa, and ANC’s resident financial adviser, Salve Duplito.

8. ICE Summit 2018

ICE Summit can be likened to TED Talks, focusing on stories and humble beginnings of Filipino achievers in the UAE. With the success of its first edition, a second staging is already in the works (at least, the last time I checked).

9. Ateneo – LSE

Ateneo is set to continue its popular enrichment program and advocacy for OFWs – the Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship short course. Yearly, it sees business projects from its students growing and going to the next level.

10. La Salle – Philippine Business School

Philippine Business School had a great first year in Dubai, and it promises to continue providing quality short courses in the coming year – even financial and business programs for kids.

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

11. ‎Ely Buendia with Up Dharma Down

The postponed concert this year was announced to push through in 2018. We are waiting for further updates from the Voice International Events page.

12. ‎Tag Fest 2018

How would you like to hear LAKLAK live in Dubai? Teeth will have a reunion along with Moonstar 88, 6 Cycle Mind, and the returning Kamikazee as they are set to rock the 2018 edition of Tag Fest.

13. ‎Kamikazee Reunion Comeback

Dubai will be the first overseas venue of the much anticipated comeback of future hall of famers Kamikazee. The band will surely highlight Tagfest with their frolics and wacky acts as they showcase once again their energetic flare at the stage.

14. Filipino full-length film

With the success of Lamentasyon, the production team is already cooking something new for the coming year. It may not be a sequel of the hit movie, but definitely another masterpiece worthy of the Pinoy pride.


 SPORTS

15. San Beda Basketball

The newly crowned NCAA champion, San Beda Red Lions lead by Finals MVP Robert Bolick will represent the Philippines in the annual Dubai Invitational Basketball Tournament in January.

16. Official PBA game

An official PBA game in Commisioner’s Cup or season-ending Governor’s Cup is in the pipeline.

FESTIVALS

17. ‎Sinulog & Bayanihan

If you had fun in Sinulog and Bayanihan 2017, watch out for more colorful fiestas prepared for 2018.

AND POSSIBLY

18. President Rodrigo Duterte (could be) visiting Dubai

He has planned to visit at the beginning of 2017, but it was pushed until it became indefinite. Again internal reports say it is planned next year, but still unconfirmed, that our beloved president will finally be visiting Dubai next year.

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Top photo is Gerry’s Grill Tagbilaran, photo courtesy of Bohol Guide. Other photos are sourced via Google image search.

How the idea of Eternitee started – an inspiring t-shirt business in Dubai

Ion
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It’s my dream to become an entrepreneur. Even before I set foot in Dubai, I was already doing some sort of small business in the online industry.  After all, I’ve experienced being a sampaguita street vendor in the province.

AVERAGE READING TIME: 5 min 52 seconds | 1,888 words

I tried several business ideas with different people but failed. Maybe the focus was wrong. Maybe we were looking more on the self-centered gains and only on the money. I took short courses about business but done nothing really afterwards.

Then this happened…

Goal Setting Principles

As I was working on my faith and developing a more profound spiritual relationship with our Creator, I stumbled upon the 3 key principles in setting up goals that would be pleasing to God:
  1. It should be motivated by love
  2. It should be dependent on God’s love
  3. It should honor and glorify Him
I told myself, whatever business I’d do – whether a restaurant, a laundry shop, an events company or a service-oriented business, I should have these 3 principles on my checklist.

“Any goal that causes you to love God more brings glory to God. Any goal you set that causes you to trust God more, brings glory to God. Any goal you set that causes to you obey God, to love God, to serve God, any goal that causes you to want to brag on God and tell unbelievers, ‘Look what he did for me’ — that’s the goal that brings glory to God.” – Rick Warren | Daily Hope

I heard the message by heart. Realizing I may have worldly ambitions, I asked God to reset my plans and all things in my head that may not be aligned to his purpose. Every single day I prayed that he fill me up with thoughts on what he wants me to do according to his will.
Truly indeed, “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” 
Psalm 33:10-11
For more than 6 months, I have no plans, I emptied my mind and submitted everything to him. 

2:30AM

It was 2:30 in the morning, 1st of March 2017, when I received God’s answer. I woke up and was lead to reading a featured story on my 2017 planner. It was about an entrepreneur in the Philippines who put up stores to sell t-shirts and other merchandises with printed words from the bible.

Use Me

For years, I’ve been persistent on my prayer for God to use me in any way he wants me to bring him honor and glory. When I read about the entrepreneur’s story, I realized God brought me to where I am right now – the kind of work I do, the things I’m passionate about, the technology, the influence, the place I am right now.

The revelation allows me to figure out how I can be used by God. I understood how I can live a more purposeful life.
Right at that moment, before 3am, I was able to conceptualize a similar business with a little twist. I thought of bringing God’s words of comfort, love, hope, mercy and his promises closer to the people. I can use my skills in design to create t-shirts that will not only express one’s faith, but will also bring inspiration and encouragement more importantly. I can use my currently developing journey with God to share with others what I learn.
Right at that moment, I visualized that it would be more of an advocacy than business. The priority is to make God’s goodness and kindness known to many. The business aspect comes secondary.
Right at that moment, I was defining quick strategies.
Right at that moment, I was scribbling SWOT analysis. I was able to identify key strengths and opportunities. I was able to list down my weaknesses and the threats.
Right at that moment, I was sketching t-shirt designs.
Right at that moment, I was researching intently how similar businesses operate.
Right at that moment, I was drafting a business plan.
Right at that moment, the energy was at the highest. Ideas are overflowing.
Right at that moment, I was listening to God talking to me – that it’s all his plans to put me in the internet industry, to grow a passion in design, to somehow have an influence online, and to give me a place in the community.
Right at that moment, I also had a dilemma…

Dilemma

Sort of. I was asking for a business idea, and God gave me a “spiritual” thing to do. Will it work? There’s not too many Christians in Dubai; and we are in an Islamic nation.

I had this question because I was also thinking about the sustainability of the idea. In one way or another, this has to have a market. It has to be marketable. I have to be a good steward of what God has given me.

Instant Affirmation

That very morning of March 1, driving to work, I tuned in to a podcast of Rick Warren, “How to make the most of every opportunity (God is giving you).” In just less than a minute, Rick talks about the population of Christians in the world:

“There are 2.3 billion Christians in the world… bigger than America and China combined.”

And what was I thinking to do again? An online store! That means the reach won’t be limited to the country I’m currently living in.

So that was a loud affirmation. Even if we only look at the 1% of it, we are still talking about 23,000,000. Even the 1% of 1%, we still got 230,000 people – not bad at all! Confirmed and composed, I spent the following days planning, preparing and praying about it.

I am not a saint. I’m a sinner. I’ve done silly things and I was stupid. I’m broke and I live in a dysfunctional world. I’m not perfect and at times I feel not deserving to be carrying out a solemn mission. But with God’s unconditional love and unending grace, he has made me WORTHY to carry on.

Philippians 2:13 says, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”


Wow lang! Ang daming encouragement and affirmations!

Challenges

As a visionary, I was able to foresee what the road ahead could look like. It’s busy and it’s fun. Running a business while working pose some serious challenges. Time is number one. Customer relations should be good at all times. Doing these without affecting our daytime jobs and our family time is on top of our checklist.

As few other roadblocks started to show up, I was reminded to carry on when I read this message from Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
So off we go. I shared the idea with my wife and since then, we’ve been talking about it day in and day out.

One good thing about this kind of business is that priorities are always on check. To this date, time with family is never compromised. Our 5-year old daughter is “involved” in what we do – in fact, we are already seeing signs that she absorbs some good business principles at a very young age.  And she understand that we are “spreading God’s words though our t-shirt business.” Raqz and I have also had deeper conversations since we started.

We talked about the need of doing this business with a partner. For some time, we pondered who could we possibly invite. Who would share the same vision and principles with us. Who else could be willing to be used by God?

The Birth of Eternitee 

We spent about 4 weeks to find the right name for the business. Wear the Word, Faith & Fab, and Faith Essentials are only few among the hundreds of names we enlisted.
After “deliberations” Eternitee emerged as the best choice for reasons we all agreed on. The world knows the most popular bible verse, “For God so loved the world, he gave us his only begotten son.” For many, it stops there. Eternitee will be the avenue to remind people of the complete message of the verse, “…that whosoever believes in him will have eternal life.“
We at Eternitee will just be messengers to remind the world about the premises to receive God’s promises.

Getting Licensed 

Raqz reminded us that the first thing we need to do is to have the business registered.  We cannot proceed doing something for the Lord that is not abiding by the rules. So we registered.
It wasn’t that quick, because we had to find the most affordable license out there – given that we have a very limited capital.
Good thing about doing business with the Lord is you seek his leading all the time. Thankfully he lead us to finding the most suitable e-commerce license for us – and the most affordable one.

The Road Ahead

It’s been a month since we launched Eternitee Online Store to the public and it has been good so far.  The reception we got from the crowd, from the business and cultural community are so overwhelming. The sincere support we receive from the consulate office and the leaders in the community and the church are very humbling.
“Doing business with God” does not entitle us of a smooth sail. As they say, it’s tough to live a real Christian life, albeit it’s doable. Striving to live a righteous life is an everyday agenda. It’s a joy to use our God-given rationale to discern things accordingly. While we are not spared from challenges and struggles, we allow ourselves to be lead by God so we would be equipped with the right principles and right perspective in facing the tough road ahead.
At Eternitee, we will continue to witness for the goodness and kindness of the Lord in our own challenge-filled lives. All glory and honor always belong to God.

Here’s a video talking about this whole story in 3 minutes:

How kids react to tricycle when they first experience it

Ion
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“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

OFWs in Dubai launch a unique and inspiring startup business

Ion
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A clothing that won’t only make you look good, but make others feel better too.

Last month, my classmates in Ateneo LSE Gus and Gwyn Erni, joined Ate Mat, me and my wife in launching Eternitee – an online store featuring inspirational t-shirts and other merchandises.

As an expat in Dubai for 11 years, I am grateful to be surrounded by positively influential people in my communities. I was blessed to be considered influential – at least in the digital field, even if I only have a handful of followers.

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.

God gave me these set of skills, He put me in this platform not just for a career, but to be used according to His greater purpose.

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.

Why words of God? 

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.

Advocacy

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.

The Team

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.

Let’s make wisdom a way of life.

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For more information, follow Eternitee on social media:

Facebook (https://facebook.com/weareternitee )
Instagram (@weareternitee)
Twitter (@weareternitee)

Ebe Dancel talks about his music, roots and purpose

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We talked to Ebe Dancel ahead of his gig tonight at the grand opening of the cool and hip Chef Richelle Ortiz Restobar in Holiday Inn, Al Rigga.

Here’s our conversation about the gig, his music, roots, purpose and God’s leading:

Highly acclaimed, OFW-produced film, Lamentasyon, to have public screening in Dubai

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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?

Why watch Lamentasyon, the first ever full length Filipino film produced in UAE

Ion
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“Oo nga, obligasyon mo ang pamilya mo, pero siyempre di ba, obligasyon mo rin ang sarili mo…”

“…hindi porke’t andito ka sa abroad; sabihin mo sa kanila, hindi umuulan ng pera dito.”

“Ano yun tatawag lang kayo pag kailangan nyo ng pera?!”
If the words above sound familiar to you, this film is your story.

What sets this apart from other OFW-themed movies is the focus on the mental challenges, and not on the typical physical abuses. The psychological impact of the real struggles and conflicts of a typical OFW is well portrayed in this flick.
Why I am excited to watch Lamentasyon is because this is the first ever full length film produced by an all-OFW cast and crew headed by the award winning filmmaker Archie Enriquez. Not to mention, all of them have their own daytime jobs to take care of as well.

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.” 

The script written by Engelbert Chua and Director Enriquez follows the story of Samuel (played by Dexter Dalisay), a newly-hired chef in Dubai and his struggles from his avaricious mother and being away from his younger brother. While working in Dubai, he experienced strange occurrences that made him distrustful to everyone including himself. With the help of Mang Gerry (played by Emil Barcenilla), his roommate, who seems to be aware of what’s happening to Samuel. Samuel and Mang Gerry meet its end with a very peculiar revelation that makes the embodiment of “Lamentasyon”. 

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…”

“Wag mong gawing dahilan ang pagmamahal para paniwalain ang sarili mo na sayo lang umiikot ang mundo nila.“
Red carpet premiere night is scheduled on 15th November at Grand Cineplex. Regular screening will be on December 26 – 30

Watch the trailer below:

This movie is produced by Ape and Company and Animo Events. For updates on screening, please follow Lamentasyon on Facebook.

Bring home a friend to the Philippines

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Picturesque images of the beautiful beaches of Coron, Palawan and Boracay, the majestic Chocolate Hills, tranquil scenes of Batanes and other attractive images of 7,107 islands of the Philippines projected on the big screen is a moment of pride for us.

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.

Piolo Pascual sings the theme song
I don’t know about you, but with or without prizes, I would invite my friends to visit our country for their next holiday destination. From dazzling beaches and mystical mountains to terrific shopping and thrilling adventure travel, the Philippines is a big country in a small package. It’s the second largest archipelago in the world, with 7,107 islands, sixty percent of which are uninhabited and combined the total coastline measuring 58,390km.

Definitely a great campaign. Thank you DOT reps in Dubai for having us at the launch.

CHAT with the wife

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CHAT with the wife

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.

From street vendor to OFW to entrepreneur

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From street vendor to OFW to entrepreneur

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.

—

Top photo credits to hiveminer.

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