Individual winners of this year’s The Filipino Times Awards 2017, while dedicating their trophies to their loved ones, have called on the rest of the Filipino community in the UAE to follow their footsteps so that their time to shine may likewise come.
Born achievers like Mercedita Fernandez and Maria Patria Puyat, who shared the Hospitality Professional of the Year Award; and IT Professional of the Year, Efren Mendoza IV, gave some inspirational messages to their compatriots in the UAE.
“For all the Filipinos who are aiming to achieve goals in their lives, be yourself. We are Filipinos, who are known to be patriots and hardworking,” said Fernandez, director of housekeeping at the Bulgary Resorts and Residences Dubai.
Puyat, a hotel manager at Crowne Plaza – Dubai Festival City, for her part said: “The sky is your limit. Don’t stop reaching for the impossible because it can happen.”
Mendoza, on the other hand, encouraged other Filipino IT professionals “to continue dreaming and learning.”
“Push yourself. Keep chasing your dreams,” he said.
“My message for the IT professionals in the UAE: render service to the community by helping out in creating seminars in IT and cyber security and continue helping the Philippine embassy through the bayanihan spirit,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza is manager and lead of security architecture at First Abu Dhabi Bank. He helps conduct training and seminars for IT professionals in the UAE.
Meanwhile, Engineer of the Year, Jeffrey Uy and IT Professional of the Year, Ronald Precilla, both active civic leaders, put up a challenge to other Filipinos to go out of their way and share their skills and knowledge to help uplift the lives of others.
“I am very happy that at least my output is being recognized not only as a community leader but also as a professional. Hopefully, this would encourage din yung iba nating kababayan na mai-share natin ang mga skills and maipamahagi natin sa ibang Pilipino dito sa UAE,” said Uy, project manager at Jacobs International and current chairman of Bayanihan Council – Abu Dhabi.
Indeed the awards showcased the top caliber movers and shakers in the Filipino community in the UAE. Twenty-nine Filipinos were recognized for their individual achievements and exemplary service rendered to their fellow countrymen.
Although every single awardee deserved the accolade given to them at the awarding ceremonies held at JW Marriott Hotel, Dubai’s tallest hotel in the world, a few were still in disbelief that they went home as winners, like Architect of the Year Awardee, Suzette Peachie Bayonito.
“I wasn’t quite expecting to receive this award, but I’m really happy to represent Filipina architects here in the UAE. Serving others and being an inspiration to others are, I guess, what distinguished me from my competitors in this category,” said Bayonito, a project/senior architect at the National Engineering Bureau.
Louie Mel Maliksi, who was one of Engineers of the Year, likewise was not expecting to win the award as he was feted with two of the top brass in his category.
“Masayang masaya ako kasi hindi ko inaasahan na mananalo ako bilang Engineer of the Year. Thankful ako sa aking family for the support. Sana ay mas lalo po tayong lahat ng magsumikap dito sa UAE,” he told The Filipino Times.
