For most Filipinos, going abroad means providing a better life for their family. But it was a different story for Michael Manlogon, an overseas Filipino who worked for 17 years in Abu Dhabi. He tells The Filipino Times how his journey in the UAE not only changed his perspective in life, but has touched the lives of a few Filipino schoolchildren in some remote islands in Quezon province and Camarines Norte.
Words by Niña Venus, contributing story of Michael Manlogon
No familiar faces and no long tailbacks on the road. That’s the Abu Dhabi skyline. It was a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Manila.
I went there almost empty handed, and without connections or friends, too. It was a life exploring the unknown.
It all started in the year 2000, I flew from the Philippines to the UAE to work as a sales executive. At first, the corporate world seemed out of my grasp, but I neither falter nor back down. Instead of letting it intimidate me, I used it as a motivation to stay for seventeen years in my company.
However, as time passed by, building a life for myself abroad didn’t feel enough. Somehow, I was settled but not content. I knew I had to give back. That was when I decided to establish Michael’s Charity. It felt good being able to help Filipinos even though I work far from them. The charity helped put some less-privileged children in the Philippines to school. I also organized a can collection drive in Abu Dhabi to raise funds. My team and I talked to restaurants and encouraged them to collect their drinking cans and donate them to us.
With the help of World Vision Philippines, I was able to collect Dh500 per month and provide school supplies to the students in Perez Central School in Quezon Province. Just a pad paper, notebook, and pencils put so much happiness in the lives of the impoverished children. Who knew that tin cans can make hundreds of students smile?
Volunteers flocked in and made my network even bigger. I gained so much respect despite being an ordinary OFW. It made more motivated to do extraordinary things that would make a difference for Filipinos.
Most people do not know how much this means to those children. They live in an island reachable only by boat. I know that for some, recycling is only an idea but that idea. But once it is put into action, it can help put underprivileged kids on track to be successful and productive Filipinos someday.
(Details of an upcycled bag made from the tab of the tin cans)
Being featured in a book titled, 67 Inspiring Stories in the UAE, was a recognition I did not expect. I only hoped to inspire others to do good, but I received so much more. I was blessed with appreciative people and a family who serves as my rock.
Above everything, my family played a vital part in making me feel inspired. Now, I am back in the Philippines. After 17 years of working in the UAE, I did not expect that the hardest part I would have to face is going home. Close to two decades, I had been attached to my friends and co-workers who became my go-to-persons whenever loneliness strikes me.
I felt like I was leaving a sandcastle that I have built at the shore, and just let waves wash it over. That aspect made it more difficult for me to return home.
But as they say, being an OFW is not forever. There really is a time to go home; that being said is easier than done. We all have to face it. I got used to a comfortable life in the UAE and I did not know where to begin in the Philippines. It dawned on me that the most important thing any OFW needs to prepare himself for is coming home.
