Illustrado Magazine – Filipino Abroad

Tag: filipino diaspora

  • Art and Rachel Los Baños – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Art and Rachel Los Baños – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Thoughtleaders – Art and Rachel Los Banos 

    Communication Experts & Humanitarians 

    Art and Rachel Los Baños - Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf
    Photo by: Donell Gumiran

    Talented PR Man Art Los Banos and broadcast journalist Rachel Los Banos continue to use their God-given talents doing social development work with the CFC community in the UAE and beyond. In 2019, along with other volunteers, they had conducted seminars on value formation, mental health and depression, as well creative arts, extending their support and guidance to community members from Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, even as far as Mozambique.

    Well-known in the community for their initiatives with FEME (Filipino Excellence in the Middle East), Art and Rachel published the FEME Connect Directory project in 2016; have hosted a radio programme with Dubai Eye 103.8 for 3 years, and also facilitated FEME Forum hosting talks on topic of benefit to entrepreneurs and community leaders.

    Art and Rachel Los Baños - Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf
    Photo by: Chris Calumberan

    Art, who has lent his know-how on a variety of other projects shares what drives him to strive for the community, “I hope to further raise our public image as an enterprising, professionally-oriented, highly qualified and socially aware ethnic group in the global city of Dubai in particular and in the UAE in general.”

    For Rachel, whose stories through the ABS-CBN network has moved government agencies, Filipino organizations and private individuals to take action and provide assistance to distressed kababayans in the country, on the other hand shares, “I wish to collaborate even more with other like-minded Filipinos whose goal is to promote and protect the good reputation of Filipinos while living and working overseas.”

    (more…)

  • Rozen Antonio – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Rozen Antonio – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Rozen Antonio

    Fashion Photographer & Entrepreneur

    Photo by: Rozen Antonio

    Rozen Antonio’s combination of photography mastery as well as a natural flair for entrepreneurship has allowed him to gain a most fulfilling career.  As a fashion photographer trusted by Dubai’s couture industry elite including Michael Cinco among others, and the owner of Houz of Zen, a boutique Events Management Company specializing in creative, bespoke flower designs catering to luxury hotels and brands, Rozen’s days are filled with beauty and the presentation of it.

    What he likes most about his job, he shares, is seeing the joy of his clients.  Commenting on his rise from modest roots, he says, “I feel great enjoyment in seeing the progression of my career and take pride in knowing that my achievements stemmed entirely from my own efforts. For many, carving a place in the profession requires being your own boss, and with it, your own motivator.”

    In an era where a sense of entitlement is the order of the day, Rozen knows that success should always come with being grounded and grateful.  He says, “Yes, you may have worked very hard and intelligently to get to where you are, but everything is still a blessing. It could all be gone tomorrow; it could all be gone today.”

    (more…)

  • Ateneo LSE – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Ateneo LSE – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Trailblazers – Ateneo LSE

    Social Entrepreneurship Program

    Over the years, the Ateneo LSE (Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship) program has transformed the lives of many overseas Filipinos across 27 countries, empowering them with the knowledge to become the next wave of entrepreneurs who have an advocacy in helping their community. The largest organization of its kind, their accredited programs have provided entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and leadership skills to thousands of Filipinos worldwide.

    Aside from the training and lessons, Ateneo LSE in the UAE is also helping the Ateneo School for Government to expand its reach across the Middle East, with their sights set on Oman and Bahrain. The organization has also helped students in Qatar begin their entrepreneurial education journey. Through their many deeds and accomplishments, the UAE Ateneo LSE has been selected to host the upcoming 2020 Global Ateneo LSE Homecoming summit in Dubai.

    Founding President JR Papel shares his thoughts, which align with the organization’s values and aspirations, “Filipinos should find their passion or interest that they think can add value to their community. They should consistently hone, push and develop themselves to be able to push this passion that it eventually becomes their identity and life’s mission. This gives us a deeper reason to wake up every single day.”

    (more…)

  • Rosemarie Tacorda – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Rosemarie Tacorda – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Thoughtleaders – Rosemarie Tacorda

    Marketing Professional

    Photo by Jef Anog

    Marketing maven Rosemarie Tacorda has led the communications initiatives of some of the most impressive world-renowned hotel brands in the emirates including the Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah, The Address Hotel, Intercon Hotel Group, Jumeirah Creekside, and the Palazzo Versace – undeniably raising the bar for marketing in the luxury hospitality industry in the region.   A professional who “walks the talk”, she is a proponent of the mindset that in order to elevate Filipino branding, we must think and act as world-class citizens.

    With her definitive contributions as the Director of PR and Marketing at Palazzo Versace Dubai’s since its opening, paying off – now the hotel ranks as number two, behind the illustrious Burj Al Arab, on the Best Hotels in the Middle East list published by leading luxury and lifestyle travel magazine, Condé Nast Traveler – Rosemarie just recently moved on, leaving the brilliant team that she has built, to her next adventure.  She joined the Park Hyatt as Director of Marketing and PR, in late 2019, and is looking forward to taking part in the hotel’s future growth.

    On how Filipinos can excel in their chosen sector, Rosemarie advises, “I believe that we should just live authentically, free of pretensions. It is also important to always be a good person, free of judgments.  Be someone who strives to give the best always, and leave mediocrity behind.”

    (more…)

  • Danelle Ruth Palang – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Danelle Ruth Palang – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Thoughtleader – Danelle Ruth Palang

    Marketing Professional

    A Filipina at the forefront of marketing communications efforts at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Dubai, Danelle Ruth Palang has been championing the brand’s sustained success in the last decade.  As Director of Marketing Communications, she has been the backbone of the hotel’s launch projects as well as campaigns through the years.

    In 2019, Danelle proudly notes that she has brought three of their F&B outlets to TripAdvisor’s top 50 and 100 restaurants in Dubai out of over 10,000 competitors. She has also launched two more outlets in 2018 and 2019.

    An innovator within her field, she works in order to inspire her peers, as well as contribute to the progressive representation of Filipinos in the region.  She shares, “I sincerely believe that if we remind ourselves that we are only as good as our last performance, and aim to outclass our most recent one, then our achievements would be boundless, competition will be healthier because there is no person greater than the other – only one’s self becoming better and better each time.”

    (more…)

  • Chris Calumberan – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Chris Calumberan – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Chris Calumberan

    Photographer & Entrepreneur

    Photo by: Donell Gumiran

    One of the Filipino pioneers in the photography industry, Chris Calumberan has earned respect in the field, not only for the quality of his work but also his level of professionalism and his long-standing good reputation in the market.

    Providing stills and film production for a variety of clients from various industries including automotive, industrial, beauty, retail, corporate and food and beverage, he has worked for many prestigious brands including Audi, Saks Fifth Avenue, Philips, McDonalds, Hermes, Homes R Us, Paul, Bateel, Wafi Mall, Fifa, including designers Michael Cinco, Souhad Acouri, Adam Couture and many others.

    A well-known advocate for the community for many years, Chris has always shared his art, not only to teach other aspiring photographers but also to utilize it in pursuit of advocacies he is passionate about.  He has facilitated photography workshops and courses and he has also been a featured speaker in several photography events including the Phototalks ExeLens event held at Queen Elizabeth 2 by Toshiba. He has mounted a solo exhibition – “Kumer Solo” the first photo/art exhibition held at the Philippine Consulate General – Dubai and the Northern Emirates – kicking off a series of creative events.  In recent years, he has also participated in an Alzheimer’s Awareness project and has initiated his own single plastic awareness initiative, utilizing his photography skills for even greater causes.

    (more…)

  • Milo Torres – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Milo Torres – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Milo Torres

    Photographer, Entrepreneur

    Photo by: Donell Gumiran

    Industry pioneer Milo Torres has undeniably consolidated his presence in the UAE’s highly competitive market for commercial photography. Dubai Duty Free, Air France, Emaar, Yamaha ME, and Patchi are among the many prestigious brands he has worked for in the last 15 years since he established his company in TECOM/Dubai Media City. As a Filipino who has established himself firmly within the field, he affirms that his fellow Filipinos can also achieve a high level of success through forming mutually beneficial connections with one another: “We should collaborate, even beyond the media production industry so we can achieve oneness in our goals.”

    An engineer by trade, but a creative at heart who puts importance in helping other Filipinos, Milo, has been an active volunteer in the Filipino community through the years. Apart from providing his photo and video coverage services at community events – including the Palarong Pinoy in Dubai and Umm Al Quwain, the Pinoy Spring Festival, Pinoy Winter Festival 2018, Wet Olympics (Dubai and UAQ) – and serving as a Contributor and Art Director for many Philippine Independence Day celebrations,  Milo for the past decade has also conducted free training sessions in photography, website development, programming, and computer assembly/networking for kababayans.

    (more…)

  • Filipinos in Romania: My Pinoy Life in Bucharest

    Filipinos in Romania: My Pinoy Life in Bucharest

    Filipinos in Romania : My Pinoy Life in Bucharest

    Donnie Ray Del Rosario

    Filipino in Romania

    When and why did you move to Romania?

    I started travelling to Romania in January of 2014, as part of my job back in Dubai. I attended some meetings, did some training for the local employees and led program implementations.

    Then, the company offered me a temporary job for three months in October 2014. In January of 2015, I was told that they will give me a work permit and hire me as their permanent employee here in Romania. So happy!

    Tell us something about your place in Romania.

    Pinoy in Romania

    Because I have visited Bucharest several times in the past, I already had an idea on what it would be like to live in the city – i.e. how bad the traffic could get, how it gets too crowded, and noisy. So, I chose to stay in an area called Bulevardul Apicultorilor which is in the outskirts of Bucharest.

    I have a small furnished apartment in a quiet area. I like the area since it is in the middle of the old city (where all the fun stuff happens) and my office (where all the work serious stuff happens).

    Palace of the Parliament

    Castle of Dracula

    Romania can be a great tourist spot in the Eastern Europe region. It is the mini Paris. The world’s 2nd largest building is here: the Palace of the Parliament, also known as the House of the People. They have the Black Sea that is a perfect destination during summer. They have the mountains that are ideal for off-road ATV, hiking and skiing during winter. And of course, one’s experience of Romania wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the different castles that the country is famous for, like the Castle of Dracula.

    The people are friendly and can speak English. With a bit more advertising from the government, Romania can be one of the world’s top tourist destinations.

    What do you do for a living in Romania?

    I am an M3 Coordinator for a Power Generation Company. We rent out big machines to different companies. Our biggest customer is from the largest Oil and Gas Company here in Romania.

    I am responsible for reviewing contracts, purchasing, and supervising the stocks and logistics area of the business. I do training for the office employees and technicians as well.

    It sounds complicated and seems that I have a lot of responsibilities, but it is what it is. I need to work hard to establish a good career.

    Is there a community of Filipinos  in Romania?

    teppanyaki at Benihana Restaurant

    When I stayed at the Howard Johnson Hotel in the city, I found out that there was a Benihana Restaurant inside the hotel. I was craving for teppanyaki at the time, and had heard of the lively shows they had there, so I went in to check it out. I was surprised to discover that some of the chefs were Pinoy. There is also one Pinoy Sushi Chef at a Japanese Restaurant in the old city itself. For sure, the people working in the Phil. Consulate are Filipinos too. I’ve been told that there is a Filipino community here, but I’ve yet to meet them. There aren’t as many Filipinos here as there are in the UAE.

    Tell us about your life there in Romania?

    Pinoy Life in Romania

    My life here is simple. If I am not at work, I’m just at home, cooking and surfing the net. When friends invite me to go out, that’s the chance for me to try the different restaurants and clubs in the area.

    Week nights here in Bucharest are like the weekends also – the old city gets just as crowded. At first, I wondered if all the week-nighters have work the following day. Apparently, they do!

    What cultural practices/behaviors have you acquired from your host country?

    Art Display in Romania

    I haven’t been here long enough to be able to say that I’ve fully adopted any of the Romanians’ unique cultural traits, apart from partying until 3am on a week night. What I really appreciate is how accommodating and hospitable they are. They are very interested to meet and learn new things from us Asians. Like Filipinos, they like karaoke as well. You can’t imagine how many karaoke pubs and events they have.

    They like rice too, so it was not hard for me to look for Jasmine Rice.

    Your greeting to Filipino across the globe?

    Bucharet City

    Keep on smiling!

    Just remember that even if we are in a different country, we shouldn’t forget where we came from. We can enjoy the new stuff and maybe acquire some traits from the country we live in, but we must not forget that we have our own unique traits that we can be proud of – like constantly having a positive outlook in life. Filipinos, no matter what happens, good or bad, still manage to smile and put smiles in the faces of others.

     

    Related articles:

    My Pinoy Life in Sweden

    My Pinoy Life in Japan

    See how Filipinos are living in other countries across the globe.

     

  • The Annie B. Chronicles: “Pitness Preak”

    “Pitness Preak”

    The Annie B. (Batobalani) Chronicles

    The adventures and misadventures of a ‘not so average’ Pinay trying to make it in the cosmopolitan city of Dubai

     

    The Annie B. Chronicles Summer is here na talaga! Time to put my purr coat and velvet knee high boots to rest and increase my lotion’s SPF – 15 may not be enough for my bukid-bred skin – so the higher the fairier! But since I got here in Dubai, I noticed that I’ve added a lot of pounds already. Now how do I fit again into my summer skinny clothes without looking like a suman? This dilemma is the reason I decided to sign up and join the popular gym – Pitness Pirst.

    Based on experience, I learned that to be able to stand out, you must be surrounded by oldies and the fatties.  That way, litaw ka sa iilan lang na bata and obese. Most of the people who visit the gym during the mornings are the wranglers (gu-wrang) and the fatness firsts – those who are serious about fitness, since they really dedicate time and effort into being healthy. While around 10am upto 3pm, the treadmills and aero classes because of their free time and boredom.

    During the night, after office hours beginning at 5:30pm, the cute and physically fit guys start to arrive and display their hardworked bodies while flirting with girls of their same types. It is a big mistake to work out during this time if you don’t posses a Jennifer Lopez figure because all the guys around you already have their six-pack abs winking at all the sexy girls inside the gym.  You wouldn’t want to be seen sweating like a pig with your tongue out while gasping for your last breath among gorgeous guys habang nakikipag-patintero ka sa treadmill, div ah?

    Therefore my Pitness Pirst schedule will be like this: super work out in the morning before coming to the office. This way I can take my shower at the gym – tipid sa tubig from my flat, wala pang pila-pila for my turn, di vah? And after office hours, go back to the gym para dumispley at mag-pa-cute sa mga boys –ahihihihihihihihi!

    The Annie B ChroniclesSo dizzizit!!! To my spaghetti strapped tops, tube and mini skirt – see you in a few weeks as Annie B. goes back to the fashion scene with her summer outfits. May my fairy gadmadir help me in this battle of divulge – I hope that my workouts be fun-filled and pain-free. Not to worry though, as my other friends, Salonpas and Alaxan, are always on standby. And sana may bonus na one cute guy with this battle of divuldge. Pang-consuelo de bobo man lang – pero sana naman smart, funny and witty sya.  Please fairy gadmadir help me and I will do the rest.  As they say, “No fain, No Glory.”

    So watch out Dubai, I’m bringing sexy (not siksik) baaaacckk!!!

    Save

    Save

    Save

  • POWER TO THE PINOY: Tapping Into Your Inner Crazy

    POWER TO THE PINOY: Tapping Into Your Inner Crazy

    Tapping into Your Inner Crazy

    By Lalaine Chu-Benitez

     

     

    Admit it.

    A lot of us Pinoys are guilty of looking at artists in a very biased way, especially at the budding ones who are within our midst.  To us, they exist in a strange world all their own; they talk in what seems like alien language, sometimes gibberish; they are very absorbed, or even tortured, with their ideas and concepts. Most of the time, we don’t understand or don’t see the value in what they are doing; we find their ideas weird, unthinkable, highfalutin, unbelievable – in a nutshell, we think of them as crazy.

    Well, that is until they become famous for creating something spectacular that will earn them some recognition.  And then, we eventually nod our heads to feign understanding.

    The fact is, these people are the most gifted in the world.  To be able to think freely, unfettered by the constraints of conventions, established limits, or popular thinking, is an amazing ability that is the precursor to making great things happen.  

    Imagination and creativity are responsible for man’s best inventions, most significant works of art, and greatest feats on earth and beyond.  It is how we went to the moon, how we do air and space travel, how we can have the world’s tallest building, why we have awe inspiring paintings on the fresco of the Sistine Chapel, it is why we sing and dance in thousands of different languages and music forms around the world today, and why each country has a unique culture made rich by arts and crafts punctuated by ethnic colors, textures, sounds and images.

    Imagination is the stuff that keeps us evolving, growing intellectually and pushing the boundaries of our existence. Without which, man would probably still be living in caves, surviving a life of hunting and gathering, just because that’s how it was always done.

    Contrary to what most of us think, imagination comes first before know-how, skill, passion and ambition.  Because what would be the use of the latter if we can’t even begin to consider potential and possibilities? Albert Einstein once said – “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

    So the next time you feel the urge of dismissing an artist as strange just because he doesn’t fit into a square peg, think of what makes him special. Better yet, ‘get with the program’ and tap into your own brand of crazy.  Unleash your own imagination and innate creativity.  It’s just in there and it comes so naturally for Filipinos like us.

    Who knows?  You just might discover your best contribution to the world yet.

    This issue is dedicated to all the Filipino artists out there.

    Taas Noo, Filipino!

     

    _______________________________________________________________________________________

    Read more Pinoy Progressive on Illustrado Life.