My Journey Begins in Dubai
In October 2014, I arrived in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with a very heavy heart.
It was my first time being away from my family, and honestly, I was terrified. There were even moments when I wanted to turn around and go home.
But I was already at the airport.
Getting a job abroad wasn’t easy. Finding a legitimate agency that could help someone work overseas was already a challenge, and once I finally had the opportunity to leave, I knew I had to be brave and take the chance.
With nothing but my prayers and courage, I started my journey as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW).
My First Job: Working as a Housekeeper
Here’s something you might find surprising.
I am a licensed nurse by profession, but when I arrived in Dubai, I worked as a Room Attendant/Housekeeping Assistant in a hotel.
Why?
Because I wanted to get abroad as quickly as possible.
Looking back, it may not have been the best decision, but at that time, I wanted to step outside my comfort zone and experience life beyond the Philippines.
And believe me, housekeeping was not an easy job.
I have so much respect for everyone working in hotels and housekeeping departments. The job can be physically demanding, and there are times when you have to work overnight shifts while completing a long list of tasks during your working hours.
At that time, I earned AED 900 per month, approximately PHP 12,600 or USD 245. Thankfully, food and accommodation were provided.
My daily tasks included vacuuming entire hallways, cleaning hotel rooms, changing bedsheets and pillowcases, replacing heavy duvet covers, scrubbing bathrooms, replacing room amenities, cleaning window panels, and doing so much more.
It was exhausting.
The salary was small, and the work was physically demanding.
To all housekeeping staff working in hotels and other organizations:
I salute you!
There Were Days When I Cried at Work
The job became so physically and emotionally exhausting that I found myself crying almost every day.
I would sometimes ask God:
“Lord, what have I gotten myself into?”
“Did I make a mistake by coming here?”
“Did I make the wrong decision by accepting this job?”
“Lord, I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t think I can handle it.”
My body hurt, and my heart was heavy.
After three months, I finally decided to leave the job because I was becoming physically exhausted and was experiencing constant body pain.
But even during that difficult season, God did not abandon me.
In fact, He was preparing something better.
A New Opportunity: Becoming a Medical Center Receptionist
In March 2015, I was hired as a receptionist at a medical center in Dubai.
My salary increased to AED 3,000 per month, approximately PHP 42,000 or USD 815.
It was a huge improvement from my first job.
I felt more comfortable and secure, and I was also able to use some of my knowledge and experience from my nursing background.
I was blessed to work with kind people from different nationalities, including fellow Filipinos who made the workplace feel a little more like home.
However, there was one challenging part of the job:
the split shift.
For those who aren’t familiar with it, many clinics and medical centers in Dubai operate with a break between their morning and evening hours.
My schedule was from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, followed by a four-hour break, and then I would return to work from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
It wasn’t exactly an easy schedule, but compared to my first job, I felt incredibly grateful.
Dubai, My Beloved Second Home and Life Coach
“God is going to give you more than what you have asked for.”
I didn’t know it at the time, but my life in Dubai was about to change again.
After about three months as a receptionist, I was given the opportunity to temporarily work as a Purchasing Officer at our head office because the regular staff was going on a one-month vacation.
With the help of my colleague, I slowly learned the ins and outs of the job.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I could handle it.
But little by little, I gained confidence.
I started thinking:
Maybe I can actually do this.
An Unexpected Promotion
After one month, the staff I had been covering for returned from vacation.
I thought I would return to my receptionist position.
But something unexpected happened.
When she came back, she announced that she was leaving the company.
Instead of sending me back to my previous position, our company president decided that I would remain as the Purchasing Officer and take over the position permanently.
I couldn’t believe it.
And there was even more good news.
My salary increased from AED 3,000 to AED 4,000 per month, approximately PHP 56,000 or USD 1,080.
God, I was so thankful!
I never imagined that I would receive such an opportunity.
It was a major blessing in my life, one that I would never forget.
Learning to Become an Office Girl
Suddenly, I found myself in a completely different working environment.
I had to attend meetings, communicate with management, prepare reports, and deal with people in higher positions within the company.
And yes…
Office na office ang lola ninyo! 😂
Coat, blouse, skirt, heels, makeup… the whole package!
But jokes aside, the experience taught me so much.
I learned how to communicate professionally, how to report to senior management, how to deal with different personalities and nationalities, and how to become more patient with both my foreign colleagues and fellow Filipinos.
Most importantly, I learned the responsibilities of being a Purchasing Officer.
What Does a Purchasing Officer Do?
To put it simply, my job involved purchasing equipment and supplies for hospitals and medical centers.
I purchased everything from relatively small items such as:
- Medicines
- Gloves
- Syringes
- Medical consumables
to much larger and more expensive equipment such as:
- Ultrasound machines
- CT scanners
- Laser machines
- X-ray machines
- Other medical equipment
Our company handled more than ten hospitals and medical centers, so my responsibilities covered a wide range of purchasing needs.
From the smallest supplies to major medical equipment, I was involved in making sure these facilities received what they needed.
Not Every Chapter Was Easy
After about a year and a half, I had gained considerable knowledge about purchasing and procurement.
But as we all know, no job is perfect.
The company was growing, and eventually, a Purchasing Manager was hired.
Unfortunately, our personalities did not match.
For about four months, I experienced a very difficult period at work.
It affected me physically, mentally, and emotionally.
There were days when I was asked to stay in the office until 9:00 or 10:00 PM, sometimes when I was the only person left in the office.
There were also times when I was embarrassed in front of my colleagues.
I would go to the restroom and cry.
My friends and former coworkers knew exactly what I was going through.
It was another difficult chapter.
And once again, I found myself asking God:
“Lord, how long do I have to go through this?”
A Friend’s Words I Will Never Forget
During that difficult time, one of my friends told me something that has stayed with me until today:
“Friend, no matter how difficult what you’re going through is right now, it will be nothing compared to the happiness you’ll experience after you overcome this trial.”
Those words gave me strength.
Sometimes, when we’re in the middle of a difficult situation, we cannot imagine how things could possibly get better.
But sometimes, we simply need to keep going.
Another Door Opened
Eventually, I decided it was time to look for another job.
And once again, God answered my prayer.
I went to one interview.
And I got the job.
That’s it.
One interview.
I was hired.
A New Company, A New Beginning
In April 2017, I started working for another company in the same position—as a Purchasing Officer, also known as a Buyer.
My new salary was AED 5,500 per month, approximately PHP 77,000 or USD 1,495.
My job offer also included a yearly salary increase and a yearly commission equivalent to 1% of the company’s total net profit.
I won’t mention my later salary anymore because, honestly, it wasn’t anything extraordinary. 😂
But it was enough for me to:
- Pay for my daily needs
- Help support my family in the Philippines
- Buy a few things I wanted
- Save for my future
And for that, I was grateful.
Looking Back at Five Years in Dubai
By October 2019, I had been living and working in Dubai for five years.
When I looked back at everything that had happened, I realized how much I had changed.
I started as a young woman who was afraid to leave her family.
I worked as a housekeeper.
I cried because I thought I had made the wrong decision.
Then I became a medical receptionist.
I temporarily worked as a Purchasing Officer.
I was given the opportunity to stay in that position.
I experienced success.
I experienced workplace difficulties.
I cried again.
I changed companies.
And I eventually found a better working environment.
What a journey!
There were so many ups and downs, but somehow, everything worked out.
Dubai Taught Me More Than I Expected
Dubai became more than just the country where I worked.
It became my second home and my life coach.
It taught me independence.
It taught me patience.
It taught me how to deal with different people.
It taught me how to stand on my own.
It taught me that losing one opportunity doesn’t necessarily mean losing everything.
Sometimes, one door closes because another one is about to open.
And most importantly, Dubai taught me to trust God even when I couldn’t see what was ahead.
A Message to My Fellow OFWs
I salute all the OFWs who, like me, leave their families behind to work in another country.
We don’t leave home because it is easy.
We leave because we dream of a better future for ourselves and for the people we love.
To all my fellow Filipinos here in Dubai who are experiencing difficult situations at work:
Kapit lang, kabayan.
I know it isn’t easy.
There may be days when you want to give up.
There may be days when you cry in the bathroom at work.
There may be days when you question whether coming abroad was the right decision.
I’ve been there.
But hold on.
Things can get better.
Your current situation does not necessarily define your future.
Keep doing your best, keep learning, keep praying, and don’t be afraid to look for a better opportunity when the time comes.
Five Years Later, I Can Say: It Was Worth It
My first five years in Dubai were definitely not perfect.
There were painful experiences, disappointments, exhaustion, tears, and moments when I questioned myself.
But there were also blessings, friendships, opportunities, growth, and lessons that shaped who I became.
Looking back, I wouldn’t say that everything happened exactly the way I wanted.
But I can say this:
God never stopped guiding me.
What I thought was a failure sometimes turned out to be a redirection.
What I thought was an ending became a new beginning.
And what I thought I couldn’t survive became one of the experiences that made me stronger.
Are You an OFW?
Are you also an OFW?
What is the one experience you will never forget from the country where you worked?
And if you’re not an OFW, do you have a family member working abroad?
What message would you like to send them?
I’d love to hear your stories and experiences in the comments.
Thank you for reading.
Peace! Mwah! ❤️
“Sometimes the road is rough not to stop you, but to prepare you for where God is leading you.”
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Originally written in October 2019. Updated in 2026.
(B.003)
