Moving to Dubai was not Jover Nino De La Cruz’s plan. He flew to the emirate with the initial purpose of tourism; however, he saw a brighter future waiting for him, so he stayed.
It was 2016 when he embarked on his overseas journey as a sales assistant with a famous sporting brand. The job was a pretty challenging journey for him, but he was thankful for the opportunity. Jover knew in his heart that he could do more and do better.
He decided to fuel himself by studying while working overseas. He took up international courses in human resources, and luckily, everything paid off. It wasn’t a walk-in-the-park experience, but through perseverance and dedication, he was able to clinch his first HR assistant role, then officer, until he reached the HR position handling various award-winning hospitality groups.
“HR profession is really close to me because I can help in my very little way. Helping job seekers land better job opportunities is immensely rewarding. Seeing them growing professionally is one of the most priceless achievements I am very proud of,” he said.
Seeing things and appreciating the Dubai market awakened his sleeping passion for venturing his own business amid the Covid-19 pandemic. For Jover, the pandemic has taught him a lot of things.
As the world recovered from the pandemic, he was also building more profound platform to showcase Filipino professionals in all aspects of back-office consultancy job in the field of HR, accounting, marketing, PR, and many more corporate services.
In 2022, he established his company ‘Phil Pro Consultancies’ with the help of other professional business partners with the goal of elevating their fellow countrymen in the region. He named the company to give back to Filipino professionals–known to be ‘the best right hand’, ‘the best employee’, ‘the best staff’ but never been addressed to be ‘the best mind behind any concept’–which he believes best describes Filipinos.
The Filipino entrepreneur envisions Phil Pro Consultancies as the best representation and image of a Filipino professional working all over the world that ‘we are not just a Filipino’ but ‘we are a Filipino.’
Currently, they are working on different international and local projects.
Managing his consultancy firm open different doors for Jover. His scope is always unpredictable and challenging.
“Helping businessmen have the best support in any back-office field, witnessing their journey to have a dream business, being part of their growth and success is something I am always thankful for,” the nurse by profession said.
Gaining clients’ trust is their goal and will always be their priority but achieving their expectations is their motivation. Now, he is not only representing himself but also the whole team and the rest of the Filipino professional consultants out there.
For him, working overseas allows him to work with a diverse community. Learning curve is broader, and growth is faster than usual, especially for people with perseverance and commitment, he added.
When asked about his plans, Jover wanted to be part of a non-governmental organization to enhance the education system in the Philippines. Should he be given an opportunity, he wants to collaborate with training centres in the UAE where he can share his expertise and knowledge.
Jover is also gearing up to open a new business venture in the UAE that deals with modeling and scouting talents next year. He is also planning to open an HR consultancy firm back home.
Jover opened Kooya Filipino Eatery in Dubai, owned by celebrity Chef JP Anglo; and the first branch of Germany’s famous cafe Cafe buur.
He advised his fellow OFWs to take every challenge as opportunity to excel.
“Setting up a clear vision and working with your mission is the most important process. In my perspective, we should never settle for something that ‘you just have to do because it’s needed’, always strive to make yourself better and be open to trying new things,” he said.
A risk taker, Jover said he is always accompanied by a backup plan.
“Trusting someone is always a personal discretion. You can always tell and feel if the right people surround you–consult your heart and mind,” he concluded.