It’s What I Do – Gavier Carpio & Ian Borromeo

Gavier Carpio

New Business Adviser (Banking)

Dubai

I work as a new business adviser in an international financial institution.  I assist customers with setting up their account both locally and offshore and provide them with appropriate advice about different banking products based on their needs.

The job may sound simple but it entails a lot of responsibilities in terms of managing customer expectations and ensuring their satisfaction, winning customer’s loyalty. At the same time, everything is in line with regulatory policies set forth by UAE Central Bank and other international bodies.

I’ve had this job for over four years and it has given me the chance to showcase both to customers and colleagues that Filipinos are trustworthy and very reliable.  By doing my job properly in an organized manner and by being polite and professional, I have somehow contributed to my employer by growing their network of customers.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that you should never underestimate the fruit of hard work. There was a time when my job was in peril due to a new company strategy to minimize our international presence.  This was been made known publicly and most of the customers asked how it would affect the existing staff members.  I was humbled and truly overwhelmed with the support I received not just from my colleagues but also from very kindhearted, concerned and sincere customers.  I received recommendations from them to get interviews at different companies.

Although I was still able to keep my job, the support, assistance and just the mere offer of their help assured me that I was doing something right. Their support really touched my heart and made me gain more friends who I know are truly respectful of what I do and of who I am.

All of us can be successful in any little given way.  Success has many definitions based on what an individual aims for.  Always aim for something within reach and once achieved, aim for something higher. With all our inherent politeness, professionalism, resourcefulness and love for everything we do, there’s no denying that Filipinos can always shine bright, if not the brightest, in whatever they choose to do.  It’s just always a matter of pouring our heart out and doing the best that we can.  All the best to all the Filipinos in UAE and may God bless us all always.

Ian Borromeo

PR & Marketing Executive

Aviareps – Dubai, UAE

I work for one of the most illustrious tourism agencies, not only here in the Middle East but across the globe. I’m the youngest member of this humongous conglomerate in the Middle East; in many ways, this job is like a dream come true and a badge of honor for me.

Indisputably, being a PR Practitioner is not an easy job. It requires a lot of patience, determination and passion for you to succeed, which I am proud to have. Nevertheless, it is also a very rewarding job as it gives me a lot of travel opportunities and the chance to meet high-profile people and media personalities.

The clients I handle on my own as their exclusive publicist in the Middle East include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Onyx Hospitality Group. I also coordinate with media to discuss tie-ups and features and coordinate press trips.

Last year, Dubai won the Office of the Year Award from 38 international offices from different countries. I was awarded the “Employee of the Year” and as the only Filipino in our company at that time, I was proud to embody the hard work, commitment and zeal of every Filipino worker all over the world. Our General Manager who is Australian even commended me for my dedication, saying that Filipinos are the best employees he has ever had in his company.

I think my philosophy is based on something my grandmother once said. “If you are not willing to risk for the usual, you have to settle for the ordinary”, she would say and I somehow never forgot that.

Being a Filipino, who are known to many as domestic aids, I am one of the “kabayans” who wants to strive hard to change what others has stereotyped us to be. There is actually nothing wrong about being a household helper, but I believe that everyone can rise up from the sands because even skyscrapers came from gravel and dust. In this life wherein change is the only constant thing, I believe that there is a thin line between dreams and success and the only message that I hope I can send to all our “kabayans” is you can break that line, cross it.