PASA PINOY OCTOBER 2014

PLANET PHILIPPINES
8
PASA PINOY
columns
Minerva Chesser
From the Birthplace of William Shakespeare
Warwickshire, United Kingdom
I
n 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 in
the 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 and
where 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
ex per i ences,
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-writer based 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 official 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 with
their boys: William and Edward.
Just lounging when at home.
Minnie with her two boys:
William and Edward. Enjoying
family time.