By Excel Dyqiangco

With the COVID-19 pandemic severely hurting many companies worldwide, small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), are among the worst hit.  While governments tackle the complicated job of re-opening the markets while cases still continue unabated, the question remains: how can small businesses with limited resources recover? The answer is critical as small businesses account for two-thirds of the globe’s jobs and half of its GDP. In the UAE, this translates to more than 98 percent of the total number of companies operating in the country, with SMEs contributing 52 percent of the non-oil GDP.

“When this crisis hit, the majority of businesses were concerned about keeping their employees healthy and secure, which means providing them their daily needs,” says corporate law expert Atty. Barney Almazar. “The government has made a directive showing what we can do and what we cannot do, but of course, this is within the prerogative of the employer.”

So, during this time of crisis, how are SMEs coping in the UAE, and what can entrepreneurs do to rise above the challenges? Illustrado hosted a livestream discussion amongst entrepreneurs and business leaders from a variety of sectors to get valuable insights that SMEs can learn from, and here are the main points.

Watch the full livestream here: 

1. PROTECT YOUR PEOPLE AND KEEP IN TOUCH WITH PARTNERS

a. Take care of the health and welfare of your workforce.

“We want to make sure that they are safe and well taken care of,” says Ishwar Chugani, CEO and Managing Director of Giordano Middle East, which operates over 200 stores in 23 countries from their headquarters in Dubai. “At this point in time, I communicate with them, and I have to make sure that everyone is okay. Although expenses continue, we are looking at paid salaries this April – the important thing is we have to make sure that they have enough to live and survive.”

“I am where I am today because of my people,” says Chugani.  He also cautions entrepreneurs from making drastic decisions in laying off staff, mindful that the markets and businesses are set to eventually re-open. “To get new people and to restart would be more expensive. We just need to focus on getting things done and then restart.”

Mary Jane Alvero, Group CEO of Prime Group, leading quality and compliance solutions provider in Asia, Middle East, and North Africa, meanwhile, admits that they weren’t affected much in this pandemic because they are into the construction business and laboratory services. However, Alvero says that they have created a centralized emergency response team related to the outbreak. “We believe that in this way, we could protect our customers and at the same time, we could protect our people,” She adds that part of their business continuity plan is to minimize the visitors, test consultants, suppliers, and customers.

b. Reskill your employees or reassign and redistribute tasks in response to the current market situation.

Adopting to the current situation in some cases requires teaching your staff new skills, or reassigning them to handle other functions.  According to Iman Suguitan, Founder and Managing Director of Ahsant Premium Hotel Supplies and Co-Chocolat, “Those people who used to deal with sourcing leather, for example, are now re-deployed to deliver chocolates,” says social entrepreneur Iman Suguitan. “We focus now on enhancing the customer journey, the customer experience like re-skilling. This is important even when the pandemic first blew up in China, So what we did was to keep everyone busy, and I think we are adapting.

c. Allow your employees to work from home.

Atty. Barney Almazar, a partner at Gulf Law, says that for both parties to make this current situation work, employers can just make their employees work from home. This is a win-win situation since the businesses would still be earning money while at the same time, providing salaries to their employees.  At the time of writing, in Dubai, private sector companies are allowed to have only 30% of their workforce in offices, the rest have to work from home.

d. If salary cuts or unpaid leave is unavoidable, do it lawfully.

Atty. Almazar says that if paying full salaries for employers is not possible, employees may be asked to go on unpaid leave, or given salary cuts.  He explains, however, that this should be mutually agreed upon.  “The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) has given a form which they could easily download and have to sign – together with their employer – if they agree on unpaid leave or a temporary reduction of salary,” he says. “In this way, parties are both protected. We also try to advise our clients to have an amicable settlement, but if they can’t agree, then the company has two options: to keep them under the payroll and pay them under the contract without reduction, or they can just let them go. For the employee who has been let go, think of options. If they are let go, they could look for another job when the lockdown is lifted.”

e. Communicate openly with your staff and partners and share challenges.

“I do believe they are their heart and soul of the company,” says Albert Tranquilino, the Managing Director of Darcey Flowers. “I secure their future. Although we stopped operations, we use this time to be calm and to add some best value to our company. We try to be more creative and innovative, and productive too. I was also able to use this time to speak with my business networks and suppliers just to send my greetings, especially during these trying times.”

What Can Small Business Do to Cope with Covid-19?

2. MITIGATE LOSSES AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AVAILABLE RELIEF

a. Take advantage of whatever relief packages are available to help liquidity. Talk to your bank.

The UAE Central Bank has recently announced a Dh256 billion Targeted Economic Support Scheme (TESS) to equip banks to extend support to private sector companies and individuals affected by the crisis.  Entrepreneurs are advised to talk to their banks to see how they can benefit from the initiative, whether in the form of loans, deferment of payments, or other support.

“When it comes to renegotiating with the banks, we are classifying the situation of the client,” says Atty. Almazar. “There are those without any default, and that means they have higher chances of having favorable restructuring terms and conditions. However, those who have issues with the banks can also renegotiate. There will just be additional things that we will have to do to prove to the bank that they can cope, considering the situation.”

b. Check out government stimulus measures that can help reduce the cost of doing business and also simplify processes.

Among many other measures to ease business in the emirates, the government has also suspended the collection of administrative fines, and for companies with up to 6 employees, there is a reduction of work permit fees. Foreign companies, moreover, can apply a refund up to 50% of the bank guarantees they have paid for each of their employees, so that will be a big help on their cash flows. Those who are in trading have a 20% refund on customs duty paid for goods being sold in the UAE, according to Atty. Almazar.

The government is also giving extensions in renewing licenses, fines, and penalties, depending on which free zone the company is registered. Sharjah is offering an extension of up to 3 months for fees, and also condone fines at the start of the year. Dubai has several free zones that give a form of discount when license fees are paid in advance, so somehow this will also be beneficial to the cash flow. Other emirates are providing an extension, and the accumulation of fines has also been suspended.

“SMEs can also pay their license fees on installment,” says Atty. Almazar. “The surcharge per installment payment has been waived so this would be very helpful for businesses. They can make a staggered payment.”

Edwin Duria, Managing Director of Play Middle East Business Consultancy and Ambassador of Business Network International (BNI), adds that despite the lockdown, authorities are working online. “Businesses can renew their license online and work on different structures and promotions,” he says. “All they need to know is to check it. The discount depends on the structure and the activity and that the options depend upon the structure.”

c. Raise money by selling off non-core assets.

For companies under tremendous financial pressure, especially those faced with having to lay off employees, Atty. Almazar suggests looking at non-core assets that they have, which they can use to augment their cash flow. He said, “Just last week, we did some asset swap where we sold some of the assets of the companies so that they would be free of debt, and that they would be in a better position.”

d. Negotiate with landlords and suppliers to get more convenient payment terms/relief provisions.

At a time when most businesses are under tremendous pressure, it pays to talk candidly with your landlord and suppliers to strike a deal that will allow for business continuity and would help out both parties.  “If you have a difficult time paying, the court can mitigate the situation, lessen the rent or impose that the tenant pays the rent,” says Atty. Almazar. “But that has to be in court.”  He emphasizes that it’s in the best interest of both parties to negotiate and have a mutual agreement that will help and benefit one another.

With the imminent opening of shops around the emirates, Ishwar Chugani says part of their priorities is to discuss with the shopping malls and various retailers on what they can do for the tenants and what options they can offer, considering that it will take time for consumers to feel comfortable again to go shopping – even if businesses open tomorrow.

3. PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE AND KEEP AN EYE FOR OPPORTUNITIES

a. Use this time to learn and plan for recovery – how you will operate when the lockdown is done.

Mary Jane Alvero, shares, “We have established a business continuity plan that has given us the vision for the next six months. Every week, we regularly review this and see if it needs changes since there are new regulations every day. Even if we already have a short-term plan, we make it a point to update what we are going to do since our projects are related to the government.”

b. Covid-19 will not go away overnight, and as a result, consumer attitudes and preferences, as well as new consumption models are on the rise.

Even after the lifting of lockdowns, and as markets reopen slowly, it is understandable that people will be uncomfortable to go out of their homes for fear of getting the virus. Businesses need to learn and adjust to these new circumstances.   As an off-shoot of the crisis, there will be a growing preference for contactless operations, home services, work-from-home, as well as the continued rise in e-commerce.

“The situation post-COVID will be very different,” says Chugani. “We have to be ready for it. It’s going to be a bit contactless; people will still have a lot of fear going out. People will have a lot of fear about meeting other people. But we are also looking at new business opportunities. We need to have a very different mindset. We have to start and reset based on the new economy.”

Joan Tuaño, Culinary Head at their family enterprise La Carne Premium Meat, says business is doing well, with people staying at home and opting for home-cooked meals.  She shares, “We transformed to a delivery-only shop,” she says. “Lucky enough, we have already set up our online store way in advance. We just had to tune out the physical aspect of our store, and we had to just focus on the delivery. Now we deliver across the emirates. Interestingly, we have turned into something beautiful, and now we are managing customer expectations.”

Iman Suguitan, also emphasizes on the importance of enhancing online channels, “It’s good that we have our online shop for Co Chocolat and that we are also active in our Instagram accounts.”

c. Keep an eye for new opportunities resulting from the new reality.

Despite the current crisis and uncertainty in the markets, these entrepreneurs are positive that there are still opportunities for SMEs. Duria, whose company helps in the establishment of businesses in the emirates, shares, “There have been a lot of licenses, especially in the freelance businesses, as well as new companies related to IT, web designing and e-commerce. This is the trending activity because of the lockdown. Visa-wise, we are gathering a lot of info, collaborating with lawyers, monitoring news from the government, and gathering a lot of deep info so that we can spread information not only to my clients but to the community. We are very busy right now doing some collaboration, preparing our relaunching after all the COVID situation is over. We are learning a lot online, and we are using this opportunity to learn, strategize, and collaborate with our network.”

Alvero, meanwhile, plans to expand her business moving forward.  She adds, “I am positive that whatever is happening now, there will be a lot of opportunities that will come up in the future. More entrepreneurs will come in the future because of this crisis. For our discovery plan, we are also coming up with a new business expansion that will be under the group. We will go to the manufacturing side.”

4. DETERMINE THE “NEW NORMAL” AND HOW YOUR COMPANY WILL ADAPT OR PIVOT.

With this current situation, how do SMEs expect to operate in the near future? According to Duria, people will continue to use online technology for even more extensive communication seven after Covid-19. “We have never used Zoom before, but now we are using a lot of that. I believe that we will use this and other methods of online communication regularly for our businesses,” he says. “Transaction-wise, however, I think everything will go back to normal once the government goes back to normal work.”

For Tuaño, what is happening is a very humbling experience for everyone and has changed a lot of people. She adds that with this crisis, businesses should think more about how to become more sustainable. “Is your business environmentally and socially sustainable?” she asks. “Is what you are doing something that people need for basic living? Are you able to adapt to the needs of the people? We need to go back to the basics. This is the time that creative modeling starts to happen. You can have the time to sell your unique proposition. I think it is going to be about simplicity and quality – less is more.”

“We have learned a lot from this crisis,” says Alvero. “After analyzing the impact of this crisis, I believe that it is high time that we diversify our businesses. The most important thing about this crisis is that you learn how to give importance to every detail that happens in our personal life, in the business, in our careers, and in the community. In the end, we all have to give back.”

Atty. Almazar says after the COVID-19 crisis, they still see a lot of remote work, which would stay for around 4 to 7 months after the government has relaxed the measures. According to him, there will be a lot of government spending, and that banks, meanwhile, will be working on helping to restructure industries like the tourism sector, helping it to adjust according to the new needs of the customers.

“The new norm that we will be seeing is that people will still continue to work on their businesses, but in different ways,” he says. “There will be improvements. For example, now you can notarize your documents through video conferencing. These changes can also be carried on after we have normalized. We get the best things out of this situation, use them and move forward.”

Suguitan adds, “If you can’t go outside, go inside. This situation is a good time to be quiet and reflect. This is not to create fear but to create a sense of calm that there are more important things than what we used to take pride in before.”

Watch the full livestream here: 

The post SMEs: What Can Small Business Do to Cope with Covid-19 appeared first on Illustrado Magazine - Filipino Abroad.

www.denarii.cash

Established Since: 2017

Founder: Jon Edward Santillan

A money transfer application based in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Denarii Cash enables overseas workers to send money home with absolutely zero fees, and the best exchange rates. Starting with the OFW community in the Gulf, Denarii will soon be providing their services to Indians, Pakistanis, and other nationalities. As an overseas worker, you can download the app and buy credits through ATMs, vouchers, or kiosks. Once the credits are in your account, one can select where to send it to from Denarii’s 10,000 cashpoint partners and major banks in the Philippines and other countries. Upon transfer, both the sender and receiver will receive an SMS once the money is ready for collection.

As a migrant worker, Jon recognizes the importance of every cent that one earns – and it was from this reality that Denarii was born: “The money we earn is the money that eventually ends up sustaining our relatives back home. Since there are limited remittance options for migrant workers, I felt there was a strong need to help overseas workers send their hard-earned money home with zero fees. Given my expertise in the tech and FinTech industry, I think my ultimate aspiration for founding Denarii Cash is to help them do just that.”

Since completing the MISK 500 program in Riyadh (a startup accelerator), in 2018, Denarii Cash remitted over 500K USD, and the company is growing by 400% on a month over month basis. Besides also being backed by prominent FinTech investors from the US, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, Denarii has gained even more distinction after taking home first place at the 4^th Dubai Smartpreneur Competition (organized by the Dubai Chamber where more than 1000+ applications were screened).  The startup was also accepted at the Muhammad Bin Rashid Initiative Fund in the UAE, organized by the Ministry of Finance in Dubai.

ACUDEEN

www.acudeen.com

Established Since: 2017

Founder: Magellan Fetalino 

For the longest time, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been facing financial issues without many options to turn to for support. Besides being a secondary priority for many financial institutions, SMEs are often left waiting indefinitely for receivables – and this immensely hinders what they can do to move forward as a company. Dedicating all their efforts to support SMEs, Acudeen has developed technology that renders the financing of alternative assets like receivables more accessible to businesses that need it: “Through us, SMEs no longer need to wait 30-150 days for their receivables to mature before they get paid. They can liquidate these receivables within 3-5 days. What the technology brings to the table is the speed of delivery (of funds) and bridging of trust (automated backroom for risk assessment) with formal funders,” says Founder and CEO Magellan Fetalino.

Magellan took up a B.S. in Entrepreneurship at the University of Santo Tomas, and Digital Public Relations under Ateneo De Manila University’s PRSP IIDM Program.  He is a graduate founder of Founder Institute and is currently taking up his Masters at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.  Magellan also completed a business program at the Alibaba Business School.  As a founder, he brings a lot of technical expertise to the table – evident from the projects he has been a part of. He is a partner of Original Pitch Venture Capital, a member of the Board of Trustees of Fintech Alliance Philippines, a Board Director of the Philippine Association for Digital Commerce and Decentralized Industries, a Board Director of Kyopay Technologies in Myanmar, and President of The Global Filipino Investors.

Understanding and acknowledging the financial struggles SMEs frequently encounter, Magellan ultimately aspires to help fellow business owners feel more secure concerning the future of their companies: “When it comes to access to finance, financial institutions are very liquid – there’s a lot of money to lend. But with years of bad experiences with small and medium enterprises, it became challenging for banks to trust SMEs. This is the reality that our SMEs are facing today. Fortunately, with the new laws, the new initiatives, and the innovations that we have today, one can only wish to finally give an ordinary entrepreneur or proprietor an alternative and more accessible financing to look forward to in the years to come.”

Acudeen has been providing services since 2017. In their first year of operation, the business closed 100M PHP worth of invoices, and then 500M PHP the following year in 2018. Of this, Magellan attests: “This year, we believe that our ambition of Project 5B PHP of SME invoices can be achieved.  Today, the market has been primed on how receivable discounting works, and easily understands how to utilize us for their businesses. From a push strategy in 2017, we are now reaping the pull effects.” To date, Acudeen is serving more than 1400 SMEs that have registered to sell receivables.

BEAMANDGO

www.beamandgo.com

Established Since: 2015

Founders: Mariliese Tan, Jonathan E. Chua, and Albert Christian Go

BeamAndGo is a payment and digital marketplace that provides OFWs with an alternative form of remittance that is convenient, transparent, and sustainable. Usually, money sent back home is used to fund the costs for food, bills, education, or medicine. However, an unfortunate reality is that the OFW’s beneficiaries can sometimes misuse it. For instance, since remittances mainly come in the form of cash, people can take advantage of this by not spending it wisely. With BeamAndGo, all of this is prevented.  An OFW, for example, can purchase a digital supermarket gift certificate that will then be sent to loved ones back home. These digital gift certificates can then be availed of immediately at participating stores. One can even pay for insurance, healthcare, airtime load, and other utilities and useful services via the platform.

The startup was co-founded by CEO Jonathan E. Chua, Senior VP Albert Christian GO, and Mariliese Tan. Back in 2013, acquainted with the issues OFWs collectively face with remittances, Mariliese came up with the idea for BeamAndGo. Coming from the corporate world, she partnered with Jonathan and Albert to help solve this issue that plagues many households across the Philippines. Jonathan has over twenty-five years of experience as a business leader, technologist, and investor and has been involved in the architecting of next-generation software solutions for a diverse range of companies. Albert brings 12 years of experience in the line of financial technology, corporate communications, and consumer marketing to the table. Together, they have built a successful business that has gained recognition from the likes of Forbes Asia, Bloomberg Asia TV, The Straits Times, CNN Philippines, and Bloomberg Philippines.

As of today, BeamAndGo has over 180,000 registered users internationally – primarily in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and the Middle East – and partners with numerous brands in the Philippines that all implement their services – 800 supermarket branches, 800 pharmacy branches, 2000 petrol stations, and 2500 convenience stores. The platform even offers door-to-door packages, Jollibee packages, home appliances, and mobile load, and has affiliations with digital wallets, cash pickups, and payment kiosks around the world.

BeamAndGo’s ultimate aspiration lies in helping OFWs support their families wherever they may be in the world. They too aim to reduce the number of years a migrant worker needs to be away from their home. “This can be achieved by providing migrant workers with the tools to control their remittances, access to ethical loans, and a way to save money and earn interest. Basically, move them from being unbanked to being banked,” the founders share.

Read the full edition of Illustrado Work & Play on www.issuu.com

The post Filipino – Founded Startups: Denarii Cash, Acudeen and Beamandgo appeared first on Illustrado Magazine - Filipino Abroad.

Product Marketing Specialist at Clarins Dubai

I am the Product Marketing Specialist for Clarins Dubai and have been a Makeup Artist for more than 10 years. I handle the Clarins shop in Sephora, Dubai Marina Mall, where I do sales and makeup demos. My job also involves moving from one shop to another especially if there are new products.

Upon arriving at the shop in the morning, I check the displayed products, make changes (if necessary) and entertain customers. Coffee breaks are spent for meals, coffee and a quick browse of my phone for messages. The mid-afternoon is usually the busiest time as many customers arrive then. After driving home, I deliberate on the day’s occurrences after a few minutes of rest, and I ask myself if I did things right, and how I can improve what I do.

My job may seem glamorous, but it is also rigorous. I frequently shuttle from one Clarins shop to another to do demos for new products; fashion shows, photo shoots for popular fashion magazines. The job requires flexibility as I regularly have to adjust my timings in a day’s routine. 

As the current Product Marketing Specialist, my functions also extend to Skincare Consultation and Product Responsiveness. I get to express myself and educate an audience on new products being released. As a typically shy person, this became an opportunity to improve my public speaking skills. Being in different situations, I learned how to think fast and think out of the box (especially when doing avant garde makeup). One of the perks of my job is that I always meet different people from different nations, even celebrities. The typical fan in me always gets starstruck, and I end up taking photographs with them if given the chance.

One of the most remarkable experiences I had was when a photograph I did the make-up for won several international including the: Egypt International Biennale for Photographic Art, 2013; Photograph of the Year-Silver Award (Emotive Portrait Category); The Al-Thani Award for photography, Doha Qatar-2013(Gold medal); 2013 Trierenberg Super Circuit-Austria 2013 (Gold medal – Portrait category). The photographer was Mario Cardenas, with Rocky Gathercole as the concept artist. 

In addition to that, one of my collaborations with Chris Calumberan, ‘Code Blue World Oceans’, won in the Tokyo International Foto Awards 2017 in Tokyo, Japan (Bronze winner). Photographs of  the make-up I did on models were also featured in the severals magazines: Pose, Mondanite and Audi here in Middle East, Extravagant Magazine in United Kingdom and in the Fashion Look-book for Jahaanara Collection and Nona Hekmat Creation. I also participated in various fashion show collaborations held by the Association of Designers in Dubai (2008), Galleries La Fayette Fashion 2011 for Autumn/Winter Collection (featuring the designs of Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera and Marc Jacob to name a few) and Dubai Fashion Biggest Cosmetic Make-over 2012.

While the awards gave me many reasons to improve my craft, the words of appreciation I receive from clients are equally uplifting. After looking back at my career and achievement, I realize that I shouldn’t rest on my laurels. I believe that there are many things to learn from and many more opportunities to seize ahead of me. My years here in Dubai are ruled with patience, seeded with hard work and sacrifice, and sealed with faith to keep me going. Without these, I will not be where I am today. As cliche as it sounds, life goes on, hence we should never cease to be.

“Patience is necessary, and one cannot reap immediately where one has sown.”

-Soren Kierkegaard

Ruby Cabrera

Sponsorship and Sales Manager at Bride Dubai

As an Exhibitions Sales Manager for Informa Exhibitions handing the BRIDE shows Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I deal mostly with fashion companies both Arabic and Bridal. My job also takes me around the world to see other shows of the same profile and find opportunities to partner with the shows and of course, do prospecting. With BRIDE it’s pretty exciting dealing with different profiles from Arabic fashions, Jewellery, Beauty and Wellness, and Bridal where I deal a lot with Filipino designers. On my part I make sure I give them extra love and open up opportunities for them such as fashion shows and participate in competitions as well.

My typical day varies depending on the season. Closer to the show dates it’s very hectic and stressful, trying to get close to targets while dealing with 1001 exhibitor requests and qualms. When the show is over I work on rebooking them for the next year’s editions. It’s more relaxed but I want to get things done early and get achieve my goals early on so there will only be a small portion to work on closer to the show. It’s a never ending challenge and continuous learning process. Even after handing the show for 8 years there will always be new things to learn in the industry as well as the people.  

BRIDE show deal a lot with home based businesses, and our clients are mostly locals who have Abaya businesses. I am proud to say that my account retention is at 75% and that I have clients who have been with me since I started handling BRIDE shows. I have overseas clients too who would call me and tell me they met someone in Paris fashion week or Milan Fashion week who equates BRIDE to Ruby (that’s me). That is really humbling. I also got a new name “Ruba” as my local clients call me this instead of Ruby.

Hard work pays off although I know we Filipinos by nature are hard workers. Sometimes, we just need to find the right opportunity and when we find it excel in it and show them what we can do. At the end of the day we have to be honest with ourselves that we are here to make money and in the process of doing that we have the opportunity to hone our skills and come back to Philippines better and wiser with a wealth of knowledge and experience.  

We are a force of nature and we are strong and that strength helps us cope and endure all the challenges of being away from our family. 

Proud to be Filipino!

The post It’s What I Do: Erwin Wine Flores and Ruby Cabrera appeared first on Illustrado Magazine - Filipino Abroad.

Entrepreneur

I’m a full time entrepreneur who started my own boutique marketing agency since 2015. Like any filipino expats who want to make it big abroad, I have a dream and a passion to build a media company that aims to inspire, educate and make an impact on other people’s lives, especially for those who are stuck in their career, lost and don’t know where to start, and for aspiring entrepreneurs who are still on the fence deciding if they should start their own business or quit their own job right away.

Through my platform, “The Drive to Succeed Podcast“, I interview some of the most inspiring entrepreneurs, thought leaders, life coaches to public figures in the middle east. And soon, I will turn it into a live event format where my audience can directly interact with and ask questions to my amazing guests.

My typical working day isn’t glamorous as most people think, although some people think that my life is easy because I own my time and have a set of clients that helps pays the bills. But it’s actually the opposite. Most of the time, I’m just in-front of my computer and mobile reaching out to and meeting companies or brands for sponsorships and any other media & marketing related work.

One of the interesting things that happened to me was in early 2014 and also probably my turning point. I got laid off from my previous employer and I didn’t know where to go. All I knew is that I wanted to start my own business. And for this to happen I needed to work for a great boss and enter an industry where I could learn new skills and extract as much value as I could. It was a Thursday morning, almost a week before Ramadan when I was sending my CV’s to potential leads,  surprisingly after an hour I got a call saying “Danielle can you come for an interview in 2hours? I’m travelling for a month and I want to meet you before I leave.” I didn’t know what the position was or what the work is. Just by judging the sound of his voice on the other end, I knew this was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss. And I said Yes. Two interviews later after meeting both founders of the company. I got accepted and that’s how I got started in publishing and content marketing. I was like a sponge absorbing skills, feedback and criticism. Also, I was harnessing my skills and developing courage to pitch C-levels to go in our publication.

Philip Vasquez

Operations Head of Kasmar Holdings

I am the Operations Head of Kasamar Holdings with a diverse investment portfolio. Specifically, I handle the F&B Division which currently holds franchise rights for Teriyaki Boy, Sizzlin’ Steak, Dencio’s and Henlin. The job entails the dynamic process of site identification, acquisition, execution and operation. I travel across the GCC apart from being active in the UAE market because we also hold the right for Saudi Arabia and some GCC countries. While growth is the prime priority, I also take care of existing business through potent marketing strategy, product development and new product offering.

My typical day starts at 4AM checking emails and responding to some. Business analytics of each restaurant are also available at this time. I read online news and proceeds to my prepared work schedule. Typically, the day revolves around visiting stores, meeting stakeholders to present business expansion plans, meeting suppliers to manage costs, coach managers for better performance. It usually ends at around 8PM.

Since childhood, I always felt that going abroad was my destiny. Having  two aunts working in the US and KSA, I was always encouraged that indeed an overseas job was a greener pasture. After working for three years in the Philippines after graduation, I decided to pursue a job in Qatar just to suffice that personal yearning to work abroad. I left Qatar after 10 months – heartbroken. I went back to Philippines and started my career building again. Having been able to acquire properties in the Philippines, I thought I have left  also my dream of overseas job. Until I felt I have reached a peak of my career and the only way to go was to be promoted to the next position. I was afraid that at age 37 leaving my job would be career suicide. Year after year, I have been assessed and failed in getting the promotion. John Maxwell was right when he said Fail young. Fail often. Fail forward”, except that I was not young anymore. That feeling of career fatigue with age insecurity gave me poor vision of overseas job. Until I stumbled upon a quote which says: “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.” At age 37 with secured job and status, I finally decided to leave my job and work abroad. After 2 years with my job I was promoted to a higher position where I handled all 21 restaurants of our company across UAE and Oman. Two years ago, I decided to leave this company again to join Kasamar Holdings. Indeed, with good timing and firm spirit, coupled with strength of character and hardwork, one will not fail – and if so, must fail forward.

Ryan Banks

Senior Architect at Action Impact

I work as a Senior Architect in Action Impact, it is one of the leading Brand Experience firm in the UAE and UK. I am part of a diverse and an amazing creative team that caters to massive design projects like Interiors, Chalets, Pavilions, Themed Environments, etc. My job function is basically doing the design stage of designated projects and do constant site supervision. I focus on the entire design phase, from digesting project briefs and providing designs concepts, to making certain of the quality of projects we are delivering.

I was only 21 when an Architecture Firm here in Dubai offered me a job and I was really excited to take the challenge. Twelve years have already gone by, but my passion and dedication to what I do still remains strong. Back then, I never imagined myself to be designing for massive brands as I do now, renowned brands like Google, Mubadala, Meydan, Lexus, European Union, DAFZA, Four Seasons, etc.

I don’t think I have a typical working day at work. Sometimes I just get stuck in my office chair while doing designs the entire day, or at times, I am outside for meetings, presentations, conventions, and site visits. However, I always make sure that I get to attend our team’s daily morning huddle. The entire design department has this catch-up meeting every first hour of the morning to merely update the team about the projects we are handling. Our workplace is cozy and fun, so I don’t really feel like working most of the time, especially when we have fun theme-days at work.

There is a lot to tell but…in general, the most interesting part in my job is whenever we win projects. We get to hit the “gong” in the middle of our office whenever we confirm a project. Another thing is whenever clients commend us for delivering exceptional assignments. I believe life is all about balance, so I also make sure to have fun life outside work as well. That is why I have been in a church choir for 9 years, and have been in Kiwanis organization for 7 years. It has actually been more motivating when I was elected as the Kiwanis President for 2018-2019.

Being Optimistic and Industrious, I think these are the secret of life in achieving your goal. The more you act, the more good things happen. Life is a big reflection on how you look at it. Most of us don’t realize how lucky we are to be Filipinos, when other nationalities are already openly commending us in every industry there is. Use that luck to motivate you to be more optimistic and diligent. With that, you’ll be able to enjoy whatever you do. So how do you know that you are enjoying with your work? I guess you’ll know it once you unintentionally miss your lunch breaks and you’re totally fine with it.

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But hang on! Why do you need to pay attention to this anyway?

A huge fraction of OFW’s in the U.A.E. live a sedentary lifestyle. Most residential buildings here do not have fitness gyms and enrolling at a fitness club, depending on the quality and location, could potentially cost you somewhere in the region of AED 3,500 – AED 5,000 per year. Fitness First clubs nationwide, Tribe Fit in Dubai Marina, UFC Gym in JBR are amongst a few of them. And whilst going out for a jog could have been a great alternative, due to the unbearable heat throughout over half of the calendar year, jogging outdoors even in the late evenings becomes physically impossible.

With such a wide variety of fast food chains around, cafés, juice bars, take aways and deliveries to choose from, we tend to pay lesser and lesser attention to the pivotal importance of living a healthy lifestyle. The harm that is caused by consuming food from these establishments don’t pose imminent health threats however, one way or another, they will eventually take their toll. And when things hit the fan, it raises nothing but the usual question – ARE WE PREPARED FOR IT?

Jojo Dass of The Filipino Times, on 07 July 2018 published an article about how over 1,000 out of 700,000+ Filipinos in the U.A.E. are diagnosed with cancer every year. That’s just cancer alone. Imagine, the number of other Filipino expatriates who are diagnosed with other life-threatening diseases such as diabetes, heart-related diseases, etc. Imagine what the actual figure look like. Apart from the Filipino Times, Emirates 24/7 News also wrote an article talking about Filipinos and cancer whilst the Burj Khalifa was lit in pink in October 2016 to raise breast cancer awareness.

So with the aforementioned put into account, why is protection planning still constantly being thrown into the backseat?

If we can afford to sit at Starbucks or Costa coffee a number of times per week, or go to the cinema on a weekend, or dine out with friends, or buy a number of things that may not be an urgent necessity such as the latest gadgets and gizmos, or signature hand bags, Nike trainers, etc., why can’t we spare a part of our income and put it into something that has way more value than any of that I have just mentioned? It could be one of only 2 things – it’s either that we do not have the innate sense of urgency (which is human nature) or, perhaps because we have not been exposed to a variety of protection products available in the market that actually fit our needs.

There is a number of international insurance companies where you can get a comprehensive life insurance policy with options of taking additional riders such as critical illness cover, permanent and total disability, etc. for as low as AED 80 per month – of course premiums may be higher based on the individual’s personal circumstances, i.e. age, health condition, smoking status, etc.

Protection Planning for me is one of the 2 main pillars of a successful personal financial planning – the other one being Retirement Planning. Having both provisions in place will definitely put you into a strong financial position that even when financial storms come knocking down homes, your home won’t sway, these pillars will support you through it all.

The insurance industry provides a variety of products to meet many potential scenarios allowing risks to be managed more effectively.

Don’t let the bigger earthquakes of like shake you to the point where you are down on your knees. Pave yourself a more concrete ground to stand on and make it unshakeable. Look into a wide range of insurance products available in the market today. Find out what suits you best. Speak to a qualified financial professional and LEVERAGE YOUR PERSONAL RISKS to a Life Company.

Read more on money, business and law on Illustrado life. 

Financial investments: planning well and smart

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Freelance News Presenter/ Reporter –

Arabian Radio Network,

UAE Correspondent – ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel

Dubai, UAE

My job

I work as a freelance news presenter/ reporter at Arabian Radio Network where I regularly write news copies and conduct interviews in both English and Tagalog.  I also present hourly newscasts for the first and leading Filipino radio station in the UAE, Tag 91.1. I also have the opportunity of conversing with the radio jocks, when we give advice to listeners, voice our opinions on various topics, be light and funny and even sing on air!

I also report on TV as a UAE Correspondent of ABS-CBN’s The Filipino Channel, where I cover people and events in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.  The job entails shooting videos, interviewing people, writing scripts and doing voice overs.

My typical working day

My job starts when most people are still in slumber. I usually come to work around 3:30 am and start writing local and international English news copies, then discuss with fellow news presenters (of other stations under ARN such as Dubai Eye, Dubai 92, Virgin, City, etc.) which stories should be used and which ones should be highlighted as leads. I then proceed in writing my Tagalog bulletins; newscasts on the early shift run from 5am until 10am, and in between. I go down to Tag studio for my live teases and chats with the radio jocks. I also upload news stories and photos on the ARN News Centre app, which can also be accessed on the ARN News Centre Facebook page and Twitter account.

Being in my workplace every day uplifts me as writing and reporting are already in my veins. I feel more energetic and grateful for every commendation, appreciative and corrective comments from bosses, colleagues, listeners and viewers.

My message to Filipinos

Aim high but never let your ambitions ruin your character. Use your profession, whenever possible, to serve and help people in need.

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ARCH. ERNESTO R. OLIQUIANO IV, UAP, INT’L ASSOC. AIA 

Senior Interior Design Architect, U+A Architects

Dubai, UAE

My job

I work for an international design firm which offers comprehensive design solutions in architecture, interior design, engineering, planning and landscaping. I started my Middle East career in 2004 at 23 years old with Dewan Architects in Riyadh, KSA, where I worked on projects for the Saudi Royal Family, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and some hospitality brands. This allowed me to travel to countries like Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Iraq, UAE and Oman. In 2009, I moved to the UAE and started a career with LWD Architects, Clifton Interiors, DWP – Design Worldwide Partnership – JLT, Damac Properties and finally U+A Architects. I was part of numerous award winning projects and developments. Recently, my team handed over the Al Habtoor Polo Club & Resort – St. Regis Hotel in Dubailand.  Currently I am with a team tasked to deliver Deyaar Millenium Hotel in Al Barsha, Emaar South in DWC and the Swiss International Scientific School in Al Jadaf for both Architectural and Interior Design works.

My work day

My work day normally starts with a cup of coffee, a pile of shop drawings and paper works to review. After that is the routine site walk to oversee progress, anticipate and solve site issues before they escalate. During the week, I can be at two sites in a day and do the same thing. The real challenge at work is keeping an eye on the details at the execution stage. A normal person would see a wall just as it is, while I would look at a wall as blockworks and accessories, rough-ins, pre-plaster, plaster and render, final finish, skirting and cornice, which have to be inspected one by one during application.

Message to Filipinos

Filipinos are known to be hard working and for being highly talented individuals. Don’t just keep it that way. Don’t just settle for a senior position, to be the best employee or the trusted assistant. Aim for CEO position, to be the best employer and have a trusted assistant. Get rid of the idea that your career abroad is temporary, and that at the end of your contract you will come home and return. Returning as a CEO of your own business empire abroad would be better than returning as an expat. Never settle for less and always aim for the top, but don’t forget to look back.  My late father Ernesto F. Oliquiano once told me, if you want to be on top, you should aim over that top. At least when you missed, you still hit the top.

JOHN GILBERT FLORES

Head of HR – Tiberius Holding Limited

DIP, Dubai, UAE

My job

I work for a group of companies engaged in pharmaceuticals, FMCG as well as the manufacture of building materials.  I lead our organization’s Human Resources & Development teams, providing services and advice on HR development and HR transactional services. My roles are talent acquisition, learning & development, performance management, organizational development, leadership development and employee total rewards management.
I have more than 20 years of experience as an HR professional and have a strong expertise in employee development programs.  I am responsible for managing the yearly HR budget and employee development activities to maintain and improve overall staff morale. I joined the company in 2012, and established a comprehensive employee learning and development program, awards and recognition, performance management system as well as introduced several HR policies and procedures.

My work day

My typical day starts with meeting and briefing with my staff. We do this to keep track of all the activities for the week. I usually check each single thing that we need to accomplish and what is expected of me and my team. HR is a helping profession, and thus we treat each employee in our organization with utmost care and respect. From a simple salary certificate requests, to complex coordination of health insurances, I see to it that my team and I efficiently deliver. I also act as business partner to the C Levels executive in our organization. My main role is to assist them in planning and developing our existing workforce.

Message to Filipinos

Put God first in everything that you do. Secondly, continue to learn to improve your craft.

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