Illustrado Magazine – Filipino Abroad

Tag: Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

  • Shareefa Al Bloushi – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Shareefa Al Bloushi – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Gamechanger – Shareefa Al Bloushi

    Pilot

    Originally a banker by profession, Emirati-Filipina pilot Shareefa Al Bloushi made the career shift to one 40,000 feet up in the air, after a need arose to reach her fullest potential. Initially joining Etihad Airways as one of the only Emirati female cadets in 2009, Sharifa now pilots her dream plane, a Boeing 777. After many years of relentless persistence in a majorly male-dominated field, her journey of shattering the glass ceiling is a true testament of how one can succeed and later thrive despite the odds that may be stacked against you. “My greatest achievement is having the courage to do what I love,” Shareefa attests.

    Wearing both of her nationalities with utmost pride, Shareefa shares that knowing one’s roots is integral to the future successes of any endeavor one undertakes. She expresses that the greatest facet of being Arab is the camaraderie felt and upheld by her countrymen, as well as how the UAE feels like one big family that works to keep HH Sheikh Zayed’s vision alive. Furthermore, she attributes her values of humility and love to her Filipina side, as well as the importance of being hardworking. The culmination of both cultural experiences have molded Shareefa into who she is today.

    “As a woman, I see no difference between my work and my fellow male peers’ work. There will always be some who look at your gender as a weakness. If they see weakness, I see the fear in them.” While many may be easily fazed and intimidated by the challenges, and even contemporaries, associated with one’s line of work, Shareefa remains steadfast in her pursuit to strive for excellence and help women ascend to higher heights in every field.

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  • Atty. Barney Almazar – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Atty. Barney Almazar – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Gamechanger – Atty. Barney Almazar

    Lawyer

    Atty. Barney Almazar - Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf
    Photo by: Jef Anog

     Atty. Barney Almazar is a high calibre international corporate lawyer and a passionate campaigner for the improvement of the lives of Overseas Filipinos.

    A recipient of a TOYM (Ten Outstanding Young Men) award in 2015, and the Asian Legal Business Young Lawyer of the Year for the Philippines award in 2016, and in South East Asia in 2017, his accolades speak louder than words. Recently, he facilitated the USD 125 million acquisition of a UAE-based fintech company by a Philippine investment group.  He also represents a syndicate of investors in the negotiation of founder shares in a retail strategic planning firm, operating in New York, London, Sao Paulo, Dubai and Berlin. Last year, he opened an office in Lisbon catering to European venture, while his offices in the UAE and Philippines continue to facilitate trade deals across the Middle East and South East Asia.

    Moreover, he has been providing legal assistance to Philippine missions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, assisting distressed Filipinos for the last six years, and his book, “The Essential OFW Guide to the UAE” has become a valuable resource for the community.

    Atty. Barney shares, “In our country, human labor is considered an ‘export commodity’, a means to an end for the Filipinos around the world. This is why for the past 7 years, I have devoted my practice to bringing foreign investments to the Philippines, promoting our brands in the Middle East, creating more jobs back home.”  He adds, “My ultimate wish is for us to be competitive with the rest of the world, so that our government need not restrict the mobility of OFs.  Leaving the Philippines to work abroad is a personal choice, not a necessity.”

     

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  • Rowena Niduaza – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Rowena Niduaza – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Rowena Niduaza

    Public Speaker

    Photo by: Chris Calumberan

    Rowena Niduaza discovered the beauty and power of public speaking when she joined Toastmasters International in 2004, and through this group, she was able to bring out her other strengths and provide a voice to the Filipino community in the speaker’s circuit. This led to a slew of titles she has won for the country: the Division (UAE) championship and the District Championship (Middle East). In 2013, she won the Middle East Championship, becoming the first regional representative to reach the semi-finals of the Toastmasters International World Championship in Public Speaking in Canada.

    Rowena also utilized her communication prowess and unique brand of humor and charisma to speak on female empowerment at conferences such as the Dubai Women’s Summit in 2017 and 2018, sharing the stage with other women leaders from the UK, France, Canada, etc. – inspiring audiences to bring out the best in themselves.

    Originally from a creative background, heading the design department of a regional furniture retailer, she is currently looking to return back to fashion – her original calling.  She is set to launch her fashion line in the Philippines this 2020 and focus the project until she eventually retires from the emirates.

    Nevertheless, even with her mic parked, for now, she will always be one of those rare people who successfully promoted the Filipino voice and wit, out there into the world, providing exceptional representation of our people on the global stage.

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  • Leo Barrameda – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Leo Barrameda – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Leo Barrameda

    Philanthropist

    Photo by: Donell Gumiran

    A philanthropist and a community volunteer, Leo Barrameda has found his purpose in giving back to the community. For the past four years, he has supported the Blaan indigenous community of Sitio Kanibong, Tulunan, with the Adopt-a-School project, sending children to school for free. To date, Leo and his team have provided scholarships to 150 students under the Alternative Learning System of the Department of Education.

    Leo is also head of several initiatives. He is the program head for the Philippine Business Council Fellowship, an 8-month program for Overseas Filipinos seeking to start businesses in the UAE, as well as for Gawad Kasambahay, the CSR initiative of the CMG Group, which honors outstanding and exemplary Filipino household workers in the emirates. For the first quarter of 2020, Leo is heading one of the biggest and most ambitious community projects in the country, Arte Pilipinas, the first festival of Philippine arts and culture, which will be presented to the multicultural audiences of the emirates.

    Leo proves how the power of one man alone can influence many. As the key figure in worthwhile endeavors, he works tirelessly to share and inspire. “I want to be someone who volunteers and supports,” Leo says. “Capitalizing in the development of one community at a time.”

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  • Alpha Media Productions – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Alpha Media Productions – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Alpha Media

    Audio Visual Production Agency

    Photo by: Donell Gumiran

    Alpha Media’s exceptionally-produced content has left a strong impact on the Filipino community and the corporate sector. Owned by Ernesto Flores and Oliver Serrano, seasoned-creatives with over 15 years of experience in the industry, the company has become the go-to brand in the production scene.

    Among its many significant partnerships are longstanding engagements with the Dubai World Trade Center as one of its major clients.  Alpha Media also acts as the solid production arm of GMA Pinoy TV International in the UAE.

    Taking on the venture of event management, the company had also organized the “Kapuso Trending Pinoy All-Star Basketball” tournament in September 2019. This year, Alpha Media also leads major events for GMA’s long-running documentary program I-Witness.

    Ernesto and Oliver, who emphasize the value of “quality over quantity” say that their goal is to be a partner for every Filipino in UAE, producing high-quality and world-class media services while giving entertainment and public service to each and every Filipino in the Middles East, and in the future, the world.  The also put importance on giving back to the community, sharing, “When people choose to give, they unite different sectors and communities in the name of a common cause.”

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  • Brusko Barbers – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Brusko Barbers – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Tastemakers: Brusko Barbers

    Men’s Grooming

    Photo by: Alex Callueng

    Brusko Barbers takes a different approach in business from the usual barbershop of old, providing some of the country’s best male-grooming services to a multicultural customer base in the UAE, which includes personalities, artists, and influencers in the country.

    A hip and chilled out hub for the modern-day man, Brusko Barbers’ quirky aesthetics combined with a modern barbershop experience has garnered respect in the sector and even earned the brand the “Best in Grooming” honors at the Men’s Health & Women’s Health Middle East awards.

    Founded by Roy Cruz, Abi Gaddi Cruz, Algene Suria, and Malu Gallardo, who’ve been in the industry for more than a decade, Brusko’s mission is to connect and take care of their clients, providing high-quality grooming services to generate loyalty in the long run. The brand wants to be known as an enterprise that exudes the courage to excel in whatever they put their mind into and to prove that innovation indeed can make a mark, even in a business that’s seemingly as mundane as grooming. (more…)

  • Cristina Magallon – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Cristina Magallon – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Thoughtleader: Cristina Magallon

    Writer

    Photo by: Jef Anog

    Riding on the crest of the online communications and social media surge in the Middle East, Cristina Magallon has made a name for herself as the woman behind the influential UAE DNA, a prominent business blog in the region which features entrepreneurship stories as well as other valuable information.  She is also a content creator and a public speaker who had the opportunity to speak at the Mother of the Nation Festival and in front of H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development.

    Moments like these, she says, are ‘surreal.’   “I can say that it was a career highlight for me as a speaker,” she says. “I was so proud to be on deck as a Filipino and talk about digital influence in the biggest annual event in UAE, where we have very little representation. This was not only a career highlight – but this also opened so many doors for me.”

    Cristina has also written four books and is currently working on her new project ‘Descendants of the Dirham,” which is slated to be released in time for Expo 2020. She is also the lead writer for Emirates Genetics (under Emirates Healthcare), and a consultant for business development with Pixonal, an interactive solution that transforms data into stories. An advocate for social media usage, she uses her LinkedIn and Twitter platforms extensively to connect people across the region and across sectors in view to collaborate. (more…)

  • Maria Josephine Abina – Most influential Filipinos in the Gulf 2018

    Maria Josephine Abina – Most influential Filipinos in the Gulf 2018

    Maria Josephine Abina

    Entrepreneur & Community Champion 

    Photo by: Michael Tino

    Entrepreneur Maria Josephine Abina is one of the strongest proponents of Filipino business in Oman.  She has given opportunities to many entrepreneurial kababayans, and also used her vast network to connect people, and foster stronger ties between the Philippines and the Sultanate.

    Founder of Fashion House Oman, and partner for the first international center of Vantage International – a Kamiseta Company from the Philippines, Josephine has seen her business reach a new peak recently, gaining over 1000 registered members and resellers under HBT Business Center Muscat.  They currently have five Omani affiliated partners acting as a marketing arm; and three Philippine partner brands – namely Vantage International (Kamiseta Company), Mama Sita’s and Natasha Philippines.

    Beyond her many initiatives to help the business and Filipino community, in early 2019, Josephine was also appointed as Ambassador for the Muscat InterNations, the largest global platform for expats. Here, she has organized 12 events and hosted more than 100 activities in the last two years, bringing people together under various regional networking groups.

    She is also looking forward to the launch of her first book “The Gospel of Business Networking,” in April 2020.  She shares, “I want Filipino expats to understand that we have serious business to do in this world. Each time we use the resources available around us, we support other people’s businesses. So, let’s be serious because we have accountability here. No matter what, we need to think big and contribute our share.”

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  • Agness Stott Briggs – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Agness Stott Briggs – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Thoughtleader – Agness Stott Briggs

    Real Estate Expert & Image Consultant

    Photo by: Ace Reyes

    Agnes Stott Briggs is one lady who’s totally sharp – both in her acumen for business, as well as her professional sense of style and image branding.

    This former Chairman of the Philippine Business Council in Abu Dhabi who has been an active proponent of the Filipino business community in the capital, has a successful career in real estate, and is also a renowned personal styling and corporate image consultant.  She has been empowering women, not only in the UAE, but also in the Philippines and beyond, with knowledge on how to better present themselves for confidence and self-fulfillment.  Aside from this, she also launched the Philippine Women’s International Network, a platform that connects and supports Filipina professionals across countries in their respective fields, because for Agnes, “Filipina should uplift, inspire, and support one another.”

    Beyond her business life, Agnes is wife to Trevor Stott-Briggs, one of the founding members of the Philippine Rugby Football Union and respected advocate of the sport in the UAE and Asia, and mother to three talented boys, one of whom – Kyle, has played for the Philippine Volcanoes (under 19s).

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  • Alberto Opena – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Alberto Opena – Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf

    Tastemaker – Alberto Opena

    Mixologist and Entrepreneur 

    Photo by: Bethoven Filomeno

    One of these days, distinctly Filipino cocktails will be part of mainstream beverage favorites in the region, and we won’t be surprised that it will be due to the efforts of Albert Opena. Award-winning mixologist and entrepreneur Alberto believes that when you dream, you have to make it big. A name that rings a bell for many in the region’s food and beverage industry, Albert is the man behind Ounce, a leading facilities management service provider for bars, clubs, and restaurants.

    Combining mixology and entrepreneurship, Albert has inspired Filipinos to step up and raise the bar in showcasing our talent for the world to see. This year, he has introduced a unique Filipino product ‘Tagai Cocktails,’ a collection of Filipino-inspired drinks. Its launch was welcomed not only by Filipinos in the region; it even captured the attention of esteemed culinary organizations such as Emirates Culinary Guild and Filfood UAE. Albert’s aim is to make every client not only remember his satisfying signature presentations but to look forward to what the Filipino market has to offer.

    “Share your knowledge and experience to a greater audience,” Alberto says. “Encourage others to invest in themselves, work hard and stay focused. Only then would you know that you have been truly successful – it is when people begin to listen and learn from you.”

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