It’s What I Do – Pinoy Talent On-the-Job

It’s all about Filipino progress and diversity at the workplace.  Here a Chief Concierge and Le Clefs dÓr UAE President, an Occupational Therapist and an international school music and arts department Secretary share about their professional lives in the UAE.

CHARLES FERRER

Chief Concierge

The Monarch Hotel Dubai

President – Les Clefs d’Or – UAE

My Job

I am responsible for providing guests local information, restaurant recommendation, shopping options and cultural education. I train my staff on soft skills, customer care and knowledge about the UAE. On the other hand, my expertise as a Les Clefs d’Or Concierge allows me to represent my hotel and the UAE at the World Congress of Union Internationale de Concierges d’Hotels (UICH) supported by the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

A typical day for me

At 8:00am when I arrive at work, I make sure that I greet my valets and door staff and ensure the driveway is free from obstruction. Then I pass by the concierge desk to greet the bellboys and concierge. I then check last night’s report to see if there were any issues prior to attending our daily operations meeting. I always make sure that I am aware of what is happening in the hotel and around the UAE.

After our meeting I attend to emails and make follow-ups. Then I step out of my office and meet and assist guests in the lobby. I make sure they are enjoying their stay and listen to their stories.

After a quick late lunch, I meet the concierge at section briefing at 3pm and share information on guest arrivals, VIP, events, and functions of the day. After this, I walk around to check the staff and inspect the driveway, lobby and storage room to ensure everything is under control. At 5pm, I return to my desk to check on new correspondences. I arrange additional valet parkers for the next three days and look into transportation requests. I ensure that reports are all prepared for the next three days to avoid possible glitches.

Sometimes I would get outrageous requests, one of which was to pick up a guest and his girlfriend with a camel. Since it wasn’t possible, I provided the guests with a luxury pick-up upon their arrival and they were impressed.  There was also one time I had to collaborate with a fellow concierge from a resort hotel to facilitate a marriage proposal through a scuba diver inside an aquarium.  The lady was astonished and immediately said “yes” to her man.

My message to Filipinos out there

Filipinos have what it takes to be a champion. Determination, pride and resilience is what makes us different from the diverse cultures here in UAE. Despite the challenges we face, let us keep our faith alive. As we endure the pain of leaving our loved ones behind, we will be stronger and become better people. Let us not allow others to underestimate us. Instead let us be bold, innovative and proud of everything we do. Besides, that is what being a Filipino is all about!

EUNICE GRACE G. REYES

Occupational Therapist (OT)

Madinat Zayed Hospital

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Dept.

Abu Dhabi

My Job

My job entails helping patients relearn Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). These are the normal, everyday things that most people often take for granted. Things like combing your hair, buttoning your shirt, taking a bath and cooking dinner.

When a person suffers from an injury (e.g. traumatic brain injury) or a disease (e.g. stroke, developmental delay), the ability to move the hand, leg or body may be impaired, delayed or lost. The patient’s cognition may also be affected and he/she may not be able to correctly complete the sequence needed to perform an activity. That’s where we OTs step in. We help patients learn or regain their mental capacity while improving their fine motor skills and relearning daily tasks at the same time, oftentimes with the use of adaptive equipment to facilitate independent performance of tasks. It is our job to be creative and help patients become as independent as possible so that they are able to take care of themselves with minimal or no assistance at all.

A typical day for me

My typical work day starts with emails and coordinating with colleagues in Physical Therapy (PT) and nursing about any occupational therapy issues. The first hour is also spent checking patient appointment load scheduled for the day and reviewing files and paperwork. The rest of my day is mostly spent in patient care, both in the wards for in-patients and in the out-patient department.

Self-care tasks like dressing, grooming or personal hygiene are often taught in a treatment session. Therapeutic activities that address deficiencies in balance, coordination or a reaching task are also prioritized, as with therapeutic exercises for the upper extremities to improve flexibility, strength and movement of the hands and limbs. Evaluation, assessment, progress notes and documentation are all done at the end of each session.

Occupational Therapy is a relatively “NEW” service offered in the hospital I am working in. I say NEW because it is a profession that most local Arabs (the bulk of our clientele) are unaware of. They often mistake OTs as being the same as Physiotherapists. When meeting with a patient for the first time, we often have to explain to the difference between the two disciplines. It is usually after one treatment session with both a PT and an OT that a patient will realize the vast difference between the two. I guess the best way to describe the difference between a PT and an OT is aptly summed up in this quote: “A Physical Therapist will teach you how to walk. An Occupational Therapist will help you get a date and enjoy the dance.”

JEWEL ROVERA

Secretary – Music and Arts Department

GEMS World Academy

Dubai

My job

My job is all about supporting the whole operations of the school’s music and arts department. It usually starts with a cheerful “hello” and “how are you” in morning, followed by a cup coffee with the teaching team.  We go over the daily to-do list and any morning announcements, so I get the freshest updates from both elementary and secondary school principals. A bright personality is required once the morning starts! Personally, I think Filipinos should take pride that this just comes so naturally for us.

Being in one of the remarkable international schools in Dubai with a student body comprised of over 70 different nationalities, and the fact that I am part of such a talented department makes work so rewarding. Here, I get to interact daily with high profile parents and outstanding school personnel. As a Filipino on the job, I often hear how most find our command of spoken English exceptional, and how well we deal with people, at all levels.  Most importantly, people also notice how we dedicate ourselves to making sure that our work performance is as excellent as possible

Being surrounded by talent everyday is most rewarding for me. I so enjoy giving support to help the department run smoothly and assist teachers to organize what is needed for lessons or activities.

One of my most memorable experiences on-the-job was being able to meet former President Bill Clinton and former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Those ten-second moments with world leaders on two different occasions was phenomenal! I am glad I was able to remain composed!  Imagine the thrill of it! GEMS World Academy receives VIP’s regularly and working here provides me with the opportunity to them as they pass through our Music Department on tour.

As a photography enthusiast, I have also been appointed as school coordinator for the GEMS Shutter Photography competition each year. This requires me to encourage students, parents and staff to get involved with the annual contest.

I always make sure that my day is productive. Even on my days off I like to be involved in community service, or radio voice-over projects, and even hosting events. I was a radio personality in the Philippines for five years and that has kept me passionate about doing voice-overs whenever I get the opportunity.

My message to Filipinos out there

Filipinos have so much to offer.  We all need to recognize this and get out there and show others what we’ve got. I say, break free from those stereotypes that seem inhibit some of us. We can deliver just as equally great as everyone else best known in their professions.