Like many OFW stories, Arvin Santos came to Dubai to seek a better opportunity to secure his family’s future. However, it was also his way of exploring things out of his comfort zone.
Fondly called ‘Yhan’ by his loved ones and friends, he used to work as a teacher in the Philippines.
The 31-year-old ‘proud PWD’ has been working in Dubai for six years in an insurance broker company as an admin executive. He is the general support to the life department of the company, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations. Their team applies and issues life policies and provides client support throughout the process.
Through his full-time work, he gets to meet new people and learn from them, especially from successful individuals.
“Hearing how they built their empire from scratch and how they want to shape their future through investments is truly inspiring,” he said.
Aside from excelling in his full-time work, he also shines in the content creation business as a social media influencer. The photography enthusiast gets to work with various brands and create content to promote them.
Apart from enjoying his daytime job, one of the highlights of his career is when he started gaining a presence on social media, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It gave me the opportunity to explore my creative side while promoting brands,” Yhan said.
As a content creator, he is also able to express his creativity and reach out to a lot of people. Initially, he just enjoyed what he did, but he didn’t realize the impact of his action on his followers. As of this writing, he has nearly 25,000 followers on Instagram, 11,000 followers on Facebook, and almost 23,000 followers on TikTok.
“I didn’t know I could also inspire by simply doing what I love. Not only my fellow PWD but regular followers telling me they love my work, and I inspire them to embrace their imperfections. There is something special when you know you made an impact on people’s lives,” Yhan added.
The Filipino employee recalled when he struggled to land an overseas job as the competition was tight. He got rejected multiple times, felt hopeless, and almost gave up.
“Homesickness was really a great factor back then. It was trying times, too, during the pandemic. It was an emotional rollercoaster being isolated and hearing all the sad stories around. But God is good all the time. I survived, we survived,” he further added.
When asked about his plans, Yhan said he wants to continue doing what he loves and improve his craft so he can share more of himself. When the time comes to settle back home, he hopes to be with his family and return to the academe and focus on a business.
Yhan would always say that champions are not those who never fail but never quit. He advised his fellow Filipinos abroad to be strong.
“Walang bagay na permanente. Even our struggles are not permanent. Kung ano man yung mga natutunan mo during these difficult times, embrace them and learn from them. Walang permanente, even the good times. Matuto tayo mag ipon dahil hindi habang buhay magtatrabaho tayo dito sa ibang bansa.”
“Make sure while you are saying yes to people, you are not saying no to yourself. Surround yourself with positive people. The ones that truly support and uplift you. People that inspire you to be a better version of yourself and inspire you,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Filipino content creator advises his fellow PWDs: “Nobody knows your true worth but you. You just need find it within you. You are worthy of everything you aspire. If you can think of it, you can do it.”