In high-risk industries like oil and gas, safety isn’t a checklist—it’s a lifeline that decides whether everyone makes it home at the end of the day. At 30, Gio Jona lives that truth on every shift, and this year he secured a coveted spot at the World of Safety & Health Asia (WSHAsia) Awards, proudly representing the Philippines on a regional stage.
As an EHS Officer at Al Madeed Contracting Co. in Saudi Arabia, he has spent just over a year ensuring that safety isn’t just a rule but a daily reality in the oil and gas sector. Leading a multicultural workforce has been a challenge, but he has embraced it by promoting awareness through digital tools and social media. “My primary responsibility is to implement our company’s Occupational Safety and Health Policy,” he shares with TGFM, proud that every measure he takes helps workers return home safe at the end of the day.
The WSHAsia Awards, organized by the Singapore-based World of Safety & Health Asia, recognizes companies, organizations, and individuals who advance workplace safety and health across the region. The platform highlights innovations, industry initiatives, and practitioners who raise standards and inspire communities while promoting sustainability. From a slate of nominees spanning many nationalities, Gio stood out—“Out of four Filipino nominees, I am the only one who secured a spot, representing the Philippines.” For a young professional early in his overseas career, the recognition marks both momentum and mission.
From bagger to safety officer, by way of Makati
Gio’s path into safety wasn’t straight. After graduating from the Technological University of the Philippines–Manila in 2013, he hunted for work around Ayala Center in Makati. Construction was booming, but opportunity didn’t come immediately. “I was not familiar with Occupational Safety and Health before,” he recalls. To make ends meet, he took a job as a supermarket bagger—an unglamorous start that quickly became a turning point.
A regular customer would visit every morning wearing personal protective equipment. Curious, Gio asked about her work. She wasn’t an engineer, she told him; she was a Safety Officer. More than that, she offered a path he had never considered. “She encouraged me to take Construction Safety and Health Training so that I could become certified and enter the construction industry as a Safety Officer.” The conversation rewired his ambitions. “This conversation made me realize the importance of a Safety Officer—a role that was never discussed during my college studies.”
Armed with a new sense of direction and fresh credentials, Gio landed his first assignment at Ayala Malls Circuit in Makati, a project focused on erecting and installing steel columns and I-beams. There, a job became a calling. He learned that the best safety programs are human at their core: they anticipate how people actually work, think, and communicate. “As a Safety Officer, my duty is to ensure the safety of everyone while they are inside the workplace,” he says. “It has come to the point that I treat them as part of my family even when they are no longer at the workplace. I want them to be safe and healthy because there is a wife, children, and parents waiting for them.”
Carrying a safety mission from Manila to Saudi Arabia
When an agency found Gio’s profile on a work-abroad website, he wasn’t actively seeking overseas employment. But the offer felt like a door he was meant to open. “I believe that God’s plan often surpasses our own, and I’m excited to see where this journey will take me,” he says. In Saudi Arabia, he discovered a workplace composed of many nationalities and cultures—all of them needing a common language of safety. That required patience, empathy, and consistency. “I started my journey as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) last July 2024 and have faced numerous challenges along the way, especially the culture of different nationalities that we have in our company.”
Gio does more than enforce compliance; he builds understanding. He leads toolbox talks, conducts orientations, probes incidents, and hunts for hazards with a practitioner’s eye and a teacher’s instinct. He also taps platforms where people already are. “As a Millennial Safety Advocate growing in the Digital Age, I am actively championing the use of modern technology within my role as an EHS professional. Additionally, I use social media to promote safety and health, educating others and sharing valuable insights on these critical topics.” In settings where long memos go unread, a clear post or clip can spark the daily habits that prevent accidents.
Crucially, he credits his company for backing the work with resources and resolve. “I want to express my gratitude for my management’s unwavering support for our safety goals,” he says. “Our mission is clear: to ensure that everyone can return home safely and in good health, free from any incidents. We are committed to making this a reality.” That clarity—grounded in both faith and follow-through—has sharpened his focus. “The most rewarding aspect of my profession as a safety professional is knowing that when a day passes without an accident or incident, we all return home safe and healthy.”
Leading by example, with faith and forward plans
Working overseas tested Gio beyond technical standards and checklists. Culture and language demanded a different kind of skill: the humility to learn, the patience to adapt, and the courage to keep communicating. “The cultural adjustment and language barrier are one of my challenges that I have, and I need to have a lot of patience to understand deeply to adapt to this culture that they have,” he says. What made the difference was community. “My Filipino co-workers helped me adapt slowly and explained to me the culture of Saudi Arabia. They give me some insights and help me a lot.”
The hardships have also become the scaffolding of growth. “Working abroad as an OFW is very challenging, but I view these obstacles as stepping stones for my career growth,” he says. The global exposure keeps extending his horizons: new standards, new projects, new leadership opportunities. Through it all, he’s never been shy about where he thinks Filipino workers stand. “The global exposure, skills development, and opportunities for international leadership have reinforced my belief that Filipinos are among the best employees in the world.”
The recent recognition from WSHAsia crystallizes that feeling. “Recently, I was awarded as one of the Outstanding Safety Practitioners by World of Safety and Health Asia based in Singapore together with other nationalities around the world,” Gio shares. “I am the only Filipino who got this recognition out of 4 Filipino nominees around the world.” Securing that spot isn’t just an individual win; it’s a signal to other young Filipinos—especially those who may have started outside their ideal field—that meaningful careers can be built through curiosity, humility, and service.
Looking ahead, Gio has no plans to slow down. “I will embrace the opportunity to work abroad again while pursuing my international education and certifications in Safety and Health,” he says. He intends to keep using social media to advance his advocacy, whether in oil and gas or any other industry he joins. The goal remains constant: safer worksites, healthier people, stronger families.
For fellow OFWs navigating their own challenges—financial, emotional, or professional—his message is simple and steady. “To all OFWs, keep shining in your respective industries and maintain a positive attitude, avoiding negativity in our lives abroad. Inspire one another and keep great work as a Filipino.”
Gio’s journey began with a chance conversation in a supermarket aisle, moved through steel and schedules in Makati, and now unfolds across a complex industrial landscape in Saudi Arabia. Along the way, he has proven that influence isn’t about title or tenure; it’s about responsibility taken seriously and compassion applied consistently.
