Every overseas Filipino worker leaves home with a plan, and almost none of those plans include a runway. The plan is usually simpler and heavier than that: send money, stay steady, build something back home. That was the plan for John Mar Sinilong when he boarded a flight to Saudi Arabia in January 2021, a first-time migrant worker carrying the weight of being his family’s breadwinner. Five years later, he is still doing exactly what he came to do. He just did not expect to fall in love with fashion along the way.
The breadwinner’s arithmetic
John Mar’s story starts where most OFW stories start, with a decision made out of responsibility rather than adventure. He describes himself as introverted and creative, but those traits took a back seat when he weighed his options at home. “I decided to work abroad to seek better opportunities, support my family, and build a more stable future,” he shares with TGFM. “As the breadwinner of my family, working overseas became a responsibility and a motivation to grow professionally.”
His first job abroad was in the Supply Chain Department of Danube Supermarket, a fast-moving environment that taught him the fundamentals of organization and coordination. It was not glamorous work, but it built the muscles he would rely on later. The former supermarket supply staffer now works an office-based role as a project coordinator at Al Moallim United, supporting a project manager with maintenance follow-ups, contractor communication, permit processing, documentation, and scheduling.
He is genuinely good at it, and he does not pretend otherwise. “I appreciate my current work because it continuously challenges me to improve my communication, organization, and problem-solving skills,” he says. But listen closely and you can hear a “however” coming.
The passion he did not plan for
That “however” turned out to be a sewing needle. Somewhere between contractor calls and permit paperwork, the 30-year-old enrolled in a dressmaking course at Permanent Solutions Training Center, studying under fashion designer Jace Ramos Domingo. What began as a creative outlet became something closer to a calling.
“My greatest passion remains fashion design,” he says. “Creating designs allows me to express my imagination, emotions, and personal vision. For me, fashion is not only about clothing but also about storytelling, identity, and art.”
The payoff came when he showcased his first collection at Domingo’s fashion show, “The Art of Becoming” — a title that reads almost too neatly against his own trajectory. He counts it as his proudest achievement, and it is easy to understand why. A man who came abroad to balance a family’s books found himself standing beside a runway, watching an idea from his imagination walk past as a finished garment. “The most satisfying moment is seeing an idea from my imagination become a finished creation that can inspire others,” he says.
Living overseas fed that creativity in ways he had not anticipated. Different cultures, architecture, and lifestyles became raw material. “Living overseas also gave me inspiration from different environments, architecture, people, and lifestyles, which I can incorporate into my fashion concepts,” the aspiring designer explains.
What the sacrifice is for
None of it came without cost. Settling into a new country meant distance from family, an unfamiliar culture, and stretches of uncertainty. John Mar is candid about the pressure. “There were moments of uncertainty and pressure, but I overcame them through determination, patience, and continuous self-improvement.” His family remained his anchor, and fashion became his release valve. Designing, he says, was his way of expressing himself and staying motivated when things felt heavy.
Ask him about the future and the two halves of his life finally converge. He wants to keep building his career in fashion design and, eventually, establish his own fashion identity rooted in Filipino creativity and craftsmanship. Just as important, he wants to make room for others coming up behind him. “I believe that talent should be nurtured, and opportunities should be shared with others who have the same dreams.”
His advice to fellow Filipinos abroad carries the authority of someone who has lived both the responsibility and the reinvention. Remember your purpose, he tells them, manage your money wisely, choose your relationships carefully, and never stop developing yourself.
He offers his own life as proof that the two are not mutually exclusive. “I started as an overseas worker with the goal of supporting my family, but along the way, I discovered and pursued my passion for fashion design,” he says. “Our background does not limit our dreams.” For a breadwinner who found a runway he never planned for, that is not a slogan. It is a résumé.
