Pinoy PRO: Celebrating the Professional Pinoy

PERLA DULAY-ALVER

Warehouse Manager – DANZAS AEI

Dubai, UAE

At one point in her life, Perla Dulay Alver’s job involved working around machines much bigger than her and being surrounded by men.

“I was a full time Marine Machinery Mechanic apprentice at the Subic Naval Base. I was trying to learn how to do a man’s work around several US warships, and at times inside the submarines.”

Simultaneously, she was working on her Accounting degree, which was a good thing because as she explains it, “When the US bases were closed down, apprentices were the first to be laid off.”

Her Accounting degree served her better when she first came to Dubai in 1992, as a 21 year old newlywed where she first worked as Receptionist then eventually grew to Customer Service Manager in Smith & Nephew FZE, a global leader in medical devices for healthcare.

After 15 years in the company, Alver moved into the Life Science Division of Danzas AEI in 2007 as a Warehouse Manager.

“I manage day to day operations within the distribution centre which handles the warehousing needs of our healthcare customers. What we do in distribution is a very important part of the chain. We ensure that healthcare and medical devices/products reach the users in a timely manner and in good condition. There is no margin for error when it comes to serving an industry on which people’s lives depend on.”

ALDO AGUILAR

Production & Logistics Manager – Red Middle East

Dubai, UAE

Architecture graduate Aldo Aguilar wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Dubai.

In fact, he was expecting quite the opposite.

“I was working as a freelance artist in the Philippines when my mother asked me to join her in Dubai. I hesitated because I did not want to live in an even hotter place, but then I decided to give in to my mom. I came to Dubai in the summer of 1993 and I immediately fell in love with the place. It was such a beautiful place without much pollution and traffic. And the desert is fun, too!” shared Aguilar.

Aguilar has been living and working in Dubai since and has spent most of his years as a Production Manager at Leo Burnett, handling the production of point of sale materials.  Recently, he has transferred to Red Middle East to take on the post of Production & Logistics Manager.

“I think I have already achieved my goal in life but I am still working on spending my quality time with my family.” Thinking of his family, Aguilar reminisces about how another summer proved to be a new beginning for him. Aguilar recalled, “It was also summer here in Dubai when I met a beautiful girl in a church gathering. That girl gave me the honor of being her husband. We are blessed with two amazing children, Ego, 14 and Angel, 4.”

Despite having both children born and raised in Dubai, Aguilar and his wife make sure that they the value of being a Filipino. “They have to embrace it because here in Dubai we are all surrounded by all kind of beliefs and religions. My parents’ legacy to me was my strong identity as a Filipino and I want to pass that on to my children.”
MARIA CRISTINA ROSALES-ZUNIGA

Business Development Manager – Middle East & Africa

Terumo Corporation

Dubai, UAE

Maria Cristina Rosales-Zuniga was working as a senior staff nurse in Neuroscience Unit of the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Manila before she moved to Dubai.

It was both a geogrpahical and career shift for Rosales-Zuniga who now works as a Business Development Manager for the Middle East and African Region for the Terumo Corporation Dubai Branch.

Her days remain to be hectic, though for different reason. “I have to sort through hundreds of emails of all sorts: product inquiries, customer complaints, shipment-related matters, new product development,” Rosales-Zuniga enumerated. “Then there are phone calls and internal/external meetings to attend to.”

Nonetheless, Rosales-Zuniga finds immense joy in her work. “My greatest achievement is having reached where I am now through good old-fashioned hard work, perseverance, self-reliance, dedication and commitment. There is no substitute for patience and hard work,” she stressed.

“I never gave up despite of uncertainties, job pressures, challenges and trials but instead, I remained loyal, honest, trustworthy and most all, firm in my commitment to even work harder and do the best I can. I did all these for the love my work, inspired by family and friends, and most of all, faith in God,” Rosales – Zuniga said.

The mother of four children between the ages of 11 and one, says she sets aside her leisure time for her kids and husband who works as an Emergency Medical Technician for the Abu Dhabi Ambulance Police, Ministry of Interior. Specifically, she loves to cook and bake for them.

“Those are some of the simple pleasures of life, right? To go for a stroll at the park, watch TV with your family and dine in our favorite restaurants on special occasions and when I don’t cook for them,” laughed Rosales-Zuniga who ended by sharing that when she does watch TV, it’s mostly to get culinary tips and recipes.

MO PURPLE JUACHON

Philippines Corridor-in-Charge – Dubai

UAE Exchange Center LLC

UAE

Mo Purple Juachon had worked in Business Process Outsourcing and events management before.  When he moved to Dubai, he combined those two areas of expertise. “I was an e-Rep for People Support and before that, I was an events management staff for Couples for Christ before moving to Dubai,” said Juachon.

Now, working as the Philippine Coordinator in charge of Dubai for the UAE Exchange Center LLC, Juachon described his responsibilities to include all marketing activities in relation to the Philippine business of UAE Exchange.

“The thing that I really like most about my job is that it’s a mix of a lot of things. It’s never routine work except for a couple of reports. Being in the Marketing Department, the job calls for a bit of creativity, being on the move to see places, meet people and even attend events and concerts.”

In keeping with what kept him busy before moving to Dubai, Juachon still regularly attends activities of the CFC, and every now and then finds the time to play his guitar and immerse himself in writing poetry  and articles.