Taking The Road Less Travelled, Enrico Chooses To Live By Design, Not Destiny

After a successful stint as a radio broadcast specialist in the Philippines I chose to retire early and worked as a Promotions Manager & DJ in a discotheque. Soon I found myself at a crossroad in my life where uncertainty took centre-stage. With my early retirement in an economy battling severe recession, providing for my family proved quite challenging. I drew strength from my never-say-die-attitude and shifted base to the UAE in February 2008 to rebuild my life. Tough luck never seemed to leave my side as the UAE was hit by recession soon after I landed in February 2008. I searched frantically for jobs in the UAE for almost 7 months but found no success. In order to provide for my family back home in the Philippines and to make ends meet I took up different part-time jobs. I grabbed every opportunity that came my way to emcee events, organize singing competitions and freelance with magazines.

During the graduation event of a safety training course, I heard a mobile repair mechanic working at a meagre salary talk about landing a well-paying job after completing the Diploma course in Fire, Health and Safety. Money was the need of the hour, so I enrolled for the safety training and landed a job. I soon realised that certifications were the only way forward to develop my career. These certifications cost money that I could not afford to pay. I made a smart move and bartered hosting/ emceeing of safety training events for free certifications. Eventually my hard work bore fruit and I was hired as a Safety Training Manager. While working as a safety industry professional, I always knew that my true calling was the colourful world of media, entertainment and events.

It was while pursuing a part time opportunity with the Filipino Expat Magazine that I was asked to create advertising copy for Day to Day, one of the UAE's largest convenience stores. Not only did I script the advertising copy but I featured in the commercial and it was a huge hit among Filipinos in the UAE and Philippines. Soon I became the face of the brand and went on to create 3 more ad campaigns for Day to Day while pursuing my job as a Safety Training Manager. As luck would have it, a few months later I was appointed to manage advertising and promotions for Day to Day.

After years of endless struggles, I was finally gaining foothold of my life. I found immense creative satisfaction in ideating commercials, hosting various events for the Filipino community, organising music competitions and endorsing Filipino brands in the UAE. The world of media entertainment and events had once again gained precedence in my life, just the way I had imagined it to be. In 2016 I founded the Facebook page 'Tatak Pinoy Loud & Proud' to provide Filipino expats in the UAE a platform to connect with other 'Kabayan' and plug their business ventures.

I believe that destiny has a limitation; it is up to each person to design the life of their dreams. My stint as a radio professional blessed me with the gift of the gab and motivational speaking seemed like the logical way forward. As a constant seeker of growth and learning, I wrote my first book 'THE 12 HABITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL OFWS'. Fuelled by self-belief, I am confident that my book will be my big ticket into the world of motivational speaking. Today I wear many hats as an emcee, brand ambassador, organiser of musical events, judge of a musical reality show and brand influencer. None of this was achieved overnight. Years of burning the midnight oil and juggling various responsibilities have led me to do what I love and love what I do. Life is not a bed of roses. There were more downs than ups but my passion persisted and I persevered to be where I am today. Looking back, that is all that really matters.