From hauling copra, this OFW now manages a restaurant in Dubai 5-star hotel

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – From hauling copra and working in a fastfood restaurant back home, this restaurant manager at a posh hotel here has certainly gone a long way.

Manny Esquivel, 42, shone in his career in the restaurant industry despite encountering some difficulties early on in his life back in the Philippines.

This overseas Filipino worker (OFW) used to carry copra to earn extra pocket money for school and even worked as a service crew at a popular fastfood chain while he was applying for jobs abroad.

Esquivel, now a restaurant manager at a five-star hotel at the Jaddaf Waterfront, initially studied to become a seafarer.

Back then, however, he made it clear to himself that he will have a back-up plan if he does not make it as a seaman – and this is by working abroad as a waiter in a hotel or a cruise ship.

“I’m a hospitality person by heart,” he said, adding that his first love was indeed working in the restaurant industry.

A native of Legazpi City, Albay and the eldest of five siblings, Esquivel arrived in Manila in 2001, where he was initially awed by the cityscape.

“I was stunned. I cannot forget the sight of skyscrapers in Makati City and I told myself that one day, I will be working in beautiful hotels,” he recalled.

He first worked as a part-time service crew at a Jollibee branch while studying marine transportation. It was while working at Jollibee that his love for customer services and making guests happy began.

In the Philippines, he worked on inter-island ships for one year but also worked in a couple of restaurants in Manila to improve his resume and make his profile competitive.

While working in restaurants, he also tried his luck by applying to several manpower agencies in the hopes of getting recruited for a job abroad.

Esquivel added: “Living in Manila wasn’t easy, I rented in a small room with only door screens and curtains. Sometimes it was uncomfortable.”

He eventually landed his first overseas job in a restaurant in Beijing, China in 2006. His stint in China was full of firsts – such as the experience of working abroad, connecting with different cultures, learning basic Mandarin, and cementing his career path in the hospitality industry.

A year later, Esquivel transferred to Dubai where he first worked as a waiter at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, a five-star hotel beside the iconic Burj Al Arab.

“It was great exposure. I had various exposure to work in award-winning restaurants, cross exposure in the seven-star Burj Al Arab and established regular guests and great connections in the industry,” he said.

Esquivel was soon promoted to assistant outlet manager, attending to one of the busiest buffet restaurants and working with 100 nationalities every day.

He said the experience “didn’t feel like work” at all to him.

“I learned about their cultures, way of life, cuisines, and being able to craft their experiences was what made my job so special to me,” Esquivel recalled.

He then joined the Palazzo Versace Hotel Dubai, a five-star hotel at the Jaddaf Waterfront in 2015 initially as an assistant restaurant manager. He still works at the same hotel as a restaurant manager handling award-winning outlets.

“As years went by, the job taught me to understand the real definition of professionalism, a great mindset and believing in myself. Indeed, a new version of me,” he said.

Esquivel added that getting recognized for one’s great work is one, but staying with a luxury hotel for a very long time is another.

“In Dubai, life is very fast-paced. You either make it, or you don’t. I’d like to think that I have made it. Being recognized numerous times, and handling an international team of co-workers for a long period means a lot over here because people tend to change jobs frequently,” he said.

A long but worthwhile journey indeed for this restaurant professional who first learned about “how important discipline is in life” while hauling copra and hustling in fastfood restaurants. — JMA, GMA Integrated News