Amid hardships in Dubai, this OFW pays it forward through volunteerism

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Christian Belleza used to sell “sampaguita” and “ylang-ylang” flowers as a kid in Lubao, Pampanga. Growing up, he learned that there is more to life than just having a steady job to pay the bills.

Now an overseas Filipino worker (OFWs) and an assistant administrative officer of a construction company here, he has turned to volunteerism to share more of himself and to pay it forward after receiving kindness from others.

Belleza, 38, is a member and secretary of the Filipino Social Club (FilSoc), an officially recognized organization under the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai that is active in outreach and providing assistance in various ways back in the Philippines.

“I realized that when you do good without expecting anything in return, blessings will always find their way to you,” said Belleza, 38, the son of a part-time driver and the youngest of five siblings.

As a child growing up in Lubao, Belleza and his siblings lived in poverty that prevented them from finishing school.

“My mother and I picked sampaguita and ylang-ylang flowers to sell. That was our main source of income. Despite our hardships, my parents never gave up on their dream to educate us. Their sacrifices allowed us to finish elementary and high school, though none of us were able to earn a college degree,” he said.

Two of his brothers completed vocational courses. His eldest sister had to stop studying in her second year of college, while another sister never made it to college.

“I, too, had to let go of my dream of becoming an engineer after losing my scholarship,” Belleza said.

On Dec. 3, 2011, Belleza left for Dubai, where he faced many challenges familiar to OFWs: loneliness, homesickness, and financial struggles.

“Life in Dubai was far from easy. My first job paid little, and after a year, the company closed. I had to start over again. Eventually, I found another job, still modest in pay, but better in opportunity. I stayed there for seven years before finding my current work,” he said.

Despite hardships, he never forgot to take care of his parents and sent them “not a large amount, but enough to cover their needs” every month.

Everything changed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and closed off the world’s nations in 2020.

“The COVID-19 pandemic came, and with it, one of the hardest chapters of my life. I lost my job. I had no savings and no source of income. I felt helpless, not for myself, but for my parents,” Belleza recalled.

It did not take long for him to experience the kindness and warmth of others even when the future was so uncertain.

Belleza said friends and people he helped in the past reached out to him, while his parents also received help from other people.

The experience taught him a “deeper kind of gratitude” and made him realize that happiness is not defined by what one has, but what one can give and share to others.

“That’s when I began to see volunteering not just as an activity, but as a calling, a way of giving back. It became my therapy, my way to heal from homesickness, and my form of thanksgiving to God. It became a space where I could serve others, meet kind-hearted people, and discover purpose beyond myself,” Belleza said.

His volunteering journey began in 2012 at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oud Metha. He also joined volunteer and outreach activities of the Church and several Catholic communities.

Belleza later became an active volunteer through the Volunteers.ae platform, a centralized hub where individuals can find volunteering opportunities that align with their interests, skills, and availability, as well as Dubai Cares, a UAE-based global philanthropic organization where he is active in education initiatives and relief efforts for Gaza, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

He also volunteered in major events such as the Special Olympics World Games 2019 and the Expo 2020 Dubai, where he was recognized as one of the 50 Golden Heart Awardees among more than 30,000 volunteers.

He eventually became part of FilSoc, an aggrupation of more than 10 Filipino organizations here.

“I began as a regular volunteer, helping in events and outreach programs where I found a deeper sense of belonging and purpose within the group,” Belleza said.

Since June 2023, Belleza has served as secretary of FilSoc, which aims not just to bring the Filipino community closer through socio-cultural activities – but to extend educational and disaster relief aid back home.

Aside from its regular volunteer activities, FilSoc also has its annual Ramadan “Give It Forward” initiative that benefited 3,000 people, including labor camp workers, school children, and low-income families. The group also helped in the recent OFW Serbisyo Caravan held here.

“Looking back on my journey, from a flower-picking boy to a volunteer leader in Dubai, I can only say one thing: God has been good. Every struggle had a lesson, every loss had a reason, and every blessing had a purpose,” he said.

“Everything happens for a reason, and that reason, I’ve learned, is always rooted in love,” Belleza added. — JMA, GMA Integrated News