8/11/2019 Pasa Pinoy Feature October 2014

1/1

PASA PINOYOCTOBER2014 PLANET PHILIPPINES8PASA PINOY

columns

Minerva ChesserFrom the Birthplace of William Shakespeare

Warwickshire, United Kingdom

In the late 1990s, it was just so hard being a nurse in

the Philippines. First of all, there was not whole lot

of choices on working in the hospitals. At that time,

it was too competitive to land a hospital job. Minerva

or Minnie to her friends said that she had to explore

working as an overseas contract worker in the Middle

East. She said that she was successful in getting

employers from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was a tough life

decision that she had to make, but she had to do it.

She recalled her feeling of being unappreciated at

her workplace in the Middle East. She said that the

working environment was really tight and was not the

greatest.

In 2000, after spending a lot of time finding her

spot under the sun, she decided to come to the United

Kingdom. This opportunity came to her as a blessing

in disguise. Minnie said that the working conditions in

the Middle East could be overwhelming, and so she

asked her brother, who at that time was working inthe United States as a Telecommunications Engineer

for Nokia, for help. Her brother has sent out emails to

numerous agencies that are hiring nurses worldwide. In fact, after sending

out Minnies resume to prospective employers, he received over a hundred

and eighty replies from hiring agencies in Australia, USA, Hawaii, Canada and

other parts of Middle East. Unfortunately for Minnie, she said that she did

not have the money to take the CGFNS when she was still in Philippines,

therefore, she was not qualified to apply to US employers. On the other

hand, the recruitment agencies in the United Kingdom were hiring nurses

from overseas without the requirement an examination. Instead, applicants

were hired based on their work experiences. Minnie remembered how she

got hired after her interviews done over the phone. She added, I was one

of the few batches of Filipino nurses who came to work to the UK, and I

honestly believe that the hiring facilities were not yet sure on how to assess

our qualifications, and this was in 1999. Right now, Minnie said that UK

agencies hire nurses based on criteria that include passing a comprehensive

examination for nurses, similar to the CGFNS of the US.

When she first came to the UK, Minnie worked in hospital medicine. She

said that she was placed under supervision for six months, while working

in cardiology, before she got transferred to the emergency department.

Presently, she works as one of the staff nurses in a relatively busy Doctors

General Practice. She specializes in providing care for patients with diabetes.

Her current job could sometimes be overwhelming. She said that she also

looks after cases of chronic diseases such as asthma, hypertension and

heart disease, and childhood immunisations, travel clinics, wound care, and

family planning.

Minnie has settled comfortably in the UK. She said that she has well-

adjusted with her lifestyle in her newfound home. She highly gives credit

to the British peoples belief that everyone is equal and should have equal

opportunities. Many times, Minnie had witnessed how Filipinos have been

treated fairly and with respect at the work places. She strongly believes that

the British people have supported and helped Filipino co-workers achieve

their work goals and improve their skills. Minnie thinks that the UK offers a

great working and living environment for Filipinos who wish to live abroad.

The UK is rich in culture and history. It is the seat of the

Renaissance. Minnie suggests two places to visit if you are new in the

UK. These places are within the area where she lives: the Warwick

Castle, because of its historical significance, and I believe that

history is a very important part of our lives, and the Stratford-

Upon-Avon, where Shakespeare was born. She stresses the

century-aged tourist spots and the romantic ambience that

these two places offer.

Minnie expressed that I really miss the food in

Philippines, the beautiful blue seas and the very green

countryside. She added, Living abroad is a necessary evil.

I still think that theres no place like home, I know most

of us would rather live back in the Philippines

and its only for the need for a better life

that we left home. My message to my fellow

Filipinos is to be who we are - we are

hard-working, dedicated and reliable

individuals. Lets keep it that way, and

lets stay proud of who we are andwhere we have come from.

Minnie is thankful about this

opportunity to speak to other

Filipinos overseas. She said, I

feel privileged to be featured

in this column, because we

can be a positive influence on

all the other Filipinos who are

working abroad by

talking about

our positive

e x p e r i e n c e s ,

r e s p e c t i n g

other peoples

cultures and

by dedicating

our time to focus

on hardwork to

better ourselves

and help our

families back

home. Whether a

cleaner, a nurse

aid or bar tender,

it doesnt matter

how high or low

our position is as

long as we are

proud, honest

and hard-working,

we will always be

remembered and

appreciated by the

people we worked

with abroad.

Spotted on the

FILIPINO

MAP

Ryan Tejero*

About the Columnist: Ryan Tejero is a newspaper columnist-wr iter b ased in Chicago, Illinois -

USA. He has been writing for a Filipino-American newsmagazine, Via Times (www.viatimes.

com), for over ten years now. His monthly column, Club President, features leaders of the

Filipino American communities in Chicago and the Midwest, USA. Via Times is Chicagos oldest,widely-read and circulated Filipino-American newsmagazine. Ryan is also the current editor of

NaFFAANational(http://naffaa-national.org), which is the of ficial monthly newsletter of the National

Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA). NaFFAA National is circulated in 51 states

of the United States. For comments, please send email to ryantejero@yahoo.com.

Minnies husband, Sam withtheir boys: William and Edward.Just lounging when at home.

Minnie with her two boys:

William and Edward. Enjoying

family time.