Sometimes life forces a change long before we feel ready for it, and the direction it points to can be far from what we ever imagined. Michael John A. Bergado knows this from experience. Today, he works in Dubai as a Sales Coordinator at Fairmont The Palm while also serving as a Senior Marketing Director under the International Marketing Group (IMG), but that shift didn’t come easily—or quickly.
Michael has now spent a decade overseas, building a career that blends hospitality and financial education. In his role at Fairmont The Palm, he handles administrative support for the Sales department, including invoices, expense forms, and financial accruals. His day-to-day work is a mixture of client interactions, coordination with internal teams, and ensuring communication flows smoothly. He explains, “I manage key administrative functions for the Sales team, including invoices, expense forms, financial accruals.”
His responsibilities also involve handling hotel reservations, organizing site inspections, preparing sales reports, and supporting promotional campaigns. The work is varied and constantly evolving, something he appreciates about the job. “I organize site inspections, handle events and assist with VIP reservations,” he shares, noting how the exposure to different segments keeps him learning.
Before arriving in Dubai, his life was nowhere near the world of luxury hotels. He was a high school teacher with a passion for education and community activities. But struggling with mounting debt, he found himself left with just a fraction of his salary each month after deductions. “My monthly take-home pay was reduced to only ₱1,000 after deductions,” he recalls. It became clear that staying in the same situation would only make things harder.
A financial crisis that transformed him
Michael’s financial challenges became the push that sent him abroad. At one point, he owed nearly half a million pesos. “It became one of the most challenging seasons of my life,” he admits. Supporting his family while helping his brother finish college felt impossible, and he feared how he could ever build a secure future. Leaving the Philippines was not a dream—it was a necessity.
Even after making it to Dubai, the journey didn’t smooth out instantly. He was offloaded three times at the airport before finally securing a job. “Before coming to Dubai, I was offloaded 3 times,” he says, recalling those stressful moments. During the unstable months of job hunting, his wife and church community became his lifeline. He says he always looked up to Jesus for strength, believing that every setback was preparing him for something bigger.
That belief proved true when he discovered IMG, a community dedicated to financial education. What started as a desperate attempt to fix his personal finances soon became his mission. “Through IMG’s training on debt management, money management, investing, and developing a growth mindset, I was able to break free from debt,” he explains. The experience led him toward advocacy work focused on helping Filipino families build financial sustainability. “Because the mission transformed my life, I committed myself to it,” he says, adding that he now pushes the vision of “No Family Left Behind.”
Building purpose beyond a paycheck
Today, Michael continues to balance hotel sales work with financial education—a combination that allows him to sharpen practical skills while sharing knowledge that he knows can change lives. He sees a bigger purpose behind what he does, especially for the Filipino community abroad. “I am creating an impact to the Filipino community by helping them become Financial Smart,” he says, adding that his dream is for Filipinos to retire as “winners and financially sustainable.”
Living abroad has opened doors he never thought possible. When asked what he enjoys most about working overseas, his answer is simple and hopeful: “A world full of opportunities.”
Looking ahead with intention
Michael plans to eventually focus on financial education full-time and build more passive income. His goals are clear—help more families, continue growing his mission, and secure a stable future for his own family. He encourages Filipinos abroad to be intentional about the future. “Start preparing now for the future because time is literally flying so fast,” he advises, urging them to continue learning and investing.
For those who want to build meaningful relationships, he says these should be grounded in faith, and when it comes to employment, he believes Filipinos should “do your best to fund your dream business or venture and do not stop learning.”
Michael’s journey—from debt-strapped teacher to a professional juggling sales work and financial advocacy—shows how a difficult chapter can turn into a life-changing mission. And as he often reminds others, transformation starts with a single decision: “It’s my pleasure to be of service and provide Personal Financial Needs Analysis” to anyone ready to take that first step.
For those interested in personal financial guidance, he may be reached at 056 374 4406 or via email at mj_bergado@yahoo.com.
