Featured Bayanis |
Since 1978, OMANFIL International Manpower Development Corporation has been sending quality Filipino workers abroad, from Oman to Palau. Each person, while all of them competent workers in their own right, have a story to tell. For every Juan de la Cruz, there is a tale of blood, sweat and tears behind him. Every tale is distinct. We hear of a person who continues to work just so his family back in the Philippines could afford the rent. Others work for their parents. Some are even forced to work abroad just so to stay alive. Then there are those that inspire each and everyone to work harder. These are the stories of Overseas Filipino Workers who have become an inspiration to their own kin to become better individuals.
One such story is that of Pedro Villanueva Jr. He is an OFW currently working in Oman. He is actually just one of the over 20,000 workers Omanfil has sent to the Sultanate of Oman. Before taking his chances in foreign waters, he worked in a cement corporation in our country from 1963-1983. He was assigned to different positions, from mill operator to assistant plant superintendent before leaving for Oman on October of 1983. He was hired by Oman Cement as kiln engineer, later he became a shift engineer during the commissioning period. The company, while being aware of his lack of specialty in the field, recognized his talent. For that, he was selected to handle refractory work with the help of other Filipinos also recruited through Omanfil. After only eight months of working, Villanueva was quickly promoted from grade 12 to grade 13, aside from other perks. Buoyed by the trust given to him, he was not going to rest on his laurels. Instead, he worked harder to help the company achieve honors as one of the top five companies in Oman. His dedication and perseverance rubbed off to his daughters. His eldest was a consistent honor student from kindergarten to high school. She then took up Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of the Philippines. After years of being part of the management of a hotel in the country, she applied for work in the Hilton hotel in Canada. Just like her father, she was promoted several times and is, in fact, being groomed to be a director in the Toronto Hilton Hotel. Meanwhile, her youngest daughter is also a consistent honor student, garnering 10 medals on her way to graduation from the secondary level. After taking up Mass Communication and further studying in Computer courses, she is currently working in Canada at Bank of Montreal as a supervisor while also receiving free education to further her studies. A lot of OFWs and their families endure lots of suffering and loneliness. But for Filipinos like Pedro Villanueva and his family, it just makes them stronger as a unit. It just solidifies their bond. They are working class heroes for all of us. |