They say that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. Romeo Atole, an OFW based in Abu Dhabi, believes that not getting what he intends to have does not mean he was inefficient, rather it happened because he deserved something better than that.
His first plan for why he wanted to work outside the Philippines was to have a chance to find a job on a cruise ship and UAE was his first stepping stone. He heard a lot of positive stories about working on the passenger ship and at the same time one can go around the world while working.
But before deciding to work overseas, Romeo taught in a public school as a volunteer teacher. There, he did not only teach his students textbook lessons but also impart valuable life lessons. His noble job allowed him to empower his students to be more confident. Coming from a family of educators, he was also actively participating in school organizations and even in a church group.
He arrived in Dubai in 2007 on a tourist visa, hoping to land a job that would support him and his family back home. Romeo, who stayed in a friend’s apartment while searching for a job, is a graduate of bachelor of science in secondary education major in agriculture and fishery arts at Bicol University College of Agriculture and Forestry.
The Special Professional Licensure Examination (SPLE) exam passer took three months to land a regular job. He came to Dubai with a limited budget because he was told that it was very easy to secure work, which was the opposite.
Fortunately, Romeo was hired by the company where he is currently working now, Microsoft Gulf FZ LLC, as a lobby host and admin.
“In my workplace, most are professional and treated me well, that is one of the factors I like in our company. They treated you as family and gave you a chance to grow. The distance from my house to my work is a walking distance and I do the walking as part of my exercise, that is why I always walk going to work every day,” he said.
Romeo does not only excel in his profession. He is also actively participating in and spearheading various organizations. He is a member of the Filipino International Teachers’ Society since 2016 and is the current chairman of the National Organization of Professional Teachers-Filipino International Teachers’ Society.
Romeo plays a crucial role at the Bayanihan Council Abu Dhabi which regularly organizes events that benefit the Filipino community in the locale.
He also graduated with a Masters of Arts in Education Major in Educational Leadership and Management at St. Paul University Manila in 2021.
“At my retirement age, my plan is to manage a business while teaching in a private school, I feel that the vocation for being a teacher is still there in me. I dream of having a farm and managing it. I want to travel to visit my cousins in different provinces, I want to enjoy my hard-earned savings,” he said when asked about his plans.
He advised his fellow OFWs to be wise, practical, and have a positive outlook.
“Time flies very fast here and there are a lot of temptations. If you are weak and you give in to temptations, you will fail at your goals in life. We must be wise in spending our hard-earned resources, be practical on the situation in life and career, and always be positive at all times,” he said.