2 minute read
Single mom, breadwinner shares journey as a laser technician in Abu Dhabi - Angelica Camille P. Ordonez
Angelica Camille P. Ordonez
Single mom, breadwinner shares journey as a laser technician in Abu Dhabi
Advertisement
A2017 survey revealed that around 19,000 nurses leave the Philippines abroad every year. Angelica Camille P. Ordonez, who is also a registered nurse in the Philippines, said that ‘everyone knows the situation of a nurse’ in the country so she had to jump out of the boiling water to survive. The single mother and the breadwinner of the family embarked on an overseas journey in 2016. She said that being an OFW runs in their blood: they have relatives in the US and most of their family members are either working or living in the Middle East.
“They are all now successful and I’m wondering how to become one,” the 30-year-old Abu Dhabi-based laser technician said.
Ordonez thought that having her cousins around was already enough. She, however, still longs for her son and mother. “They are the main reasons why I go abroad. So, I have to set aside my loneliness and be strong since I’m already stepping into this country. There’s no more turning back,” she said.
She recalled her first few months in the country. The time when she was seeking a decent job that would pay her bills. Ordonez compared seeking a job to betting a game. “There are so many things to risk. At first, I didn’t get my dream job,” she said, adding that she was still able to be a first aid trainer in Abu Dhabi.
“There, I gradually adapted to the environment of UAE. I met different people. I learned different languages, including Arabic and Hindi. My company sends me to different emirates to conduct first aid training,” she added.
In the meantime, even though Ordonez is not fully practicing the things she learned as a nurse, she is still grateful that her current work is somehow related to the medical field. She said that working in the derma field is far different from what she experienced in the Philippines. However, she easily adjusted because she works with her fellow Filipinos who thoroughly guided her. “Later on, I found myself falling in love with this field. It became my passion and I’m enjoying what I’m doing. To the extent that I want to get ahead of my current job position,” she further added.
The Filipina laser technician took a laser technician course in Dubai and attained the title Laster Hair Removal Specialist. “I started to embrace my career because this is where I got everything for a living and it made me realized that I chose the right path. It’s like a roller coaster ride. Nothing is easy. But everything is worth risking for,” she said.
