Dubai: Vagelyn Tumbaga-Federico remembers the conversation vividly. It was 2016 and she was on the phone with a distraught Filipina in Dubai after a common friend brought the woman's plight to her attention.
"I will jump off this building," Tumbaga-Federico recalls the sobbing woman telling her. The jobless Filipina said only Tumbaga-Federico could talk her out of her plans of suicide.
"Just wait for me. I am coming to meet you right now," Tumbaga-Federico told her with urgency in her voice.
The self-confessed farm girl turned multi-awarded HR director in Dubai had been thrust into the limelight as an inspirational Filipina after her life's story was featured in Maalalaa Mo Kaya, the Philippines' longest-running and popular drama anthology. After the TV feature came out in 2015, throngs of fans wanted to meet her at Dusit Thani Dubai where she works as director of human resources. Watch her top HR tips
"I rushed to Deira and met her. She said she wanted to jump off a building because she hasn't been able to get a job in months and she was desperate," Tumbaga-Federico told Gulf News #Pinoy.
"I told her not to worry and that I'm going to help her," she said, adding that she spoke with people in the industry to get the woman a job as laundry assistant for a Dubai hotel that was hiring staff.
"I'm happy to say she is now a supervisor there," Tumbaga-Federico said, beaming. She has since helped countless expatriates inspired by her life's story.
36 days of hell
It was a 360-degree turn for Tumbaga-Federico, who more than a decade ago struggled to find a job in the UAE herself. A single parent to three children, she was forced to leave her home province of La Union in the Philippines to find her luck in Dubai and help her family.
Alone in the city, Tumbaga-Federico struggled to survive with limited funds and at first lived in a room that she shared with ten other people. She went out every day, for two months, to apply for jobs until her visa expired and she had to fly to Kish Island where she spent "36 days of hell".
There, she "begged for food and washed dishes for scraps to eat". "I did odd jobs and I borrowed money from a lot of people there," she said, adding that some people she met on Kish Island were on the same boat. One day, she arrived at the decrepit hotel room that she called home to find that her close friend had committed suicide. It was a big eye opener for her. She vowed to never give up no matter what life threw at her.
From farm girl to award winner
She eventually found her way back to the UAE where she was first hired as a secretary for a hotel's HR department. "I guess they saw my persistence and dedication even though I had no previous experience as a hotelier," she said, adding that she got the job during Ramadan. "I guess everyone thought it was impossible to find work at this time and decided to stay home, but I went out and applied, so I got the job!"
She worked her way up to become the youngest hotel general manager at the age of 28. The Filipina's resilience and hardwork earned her the respect of her peers. But there were detractors, too. She remembers being called a "Philippine monkey" by a European staff member who didn't want to work for her and who eventually got fired for his racist attitude.
"But I much prefer a post in human resources as I really want to deal with people," she said, adding that she later negotiated for the job where her heart is: human resource management.
It worked out well for her, giving her freedom to "give others a chance" and share her time with the Filipino community in the UAE. "At one point, I travelled to at least four emirates in one day just to give inspirational talks," she said.
Read more #Pinoy stories in UAE
There was a whirlwind of community work to do: she was elected as president of the FilHR club in the UAE, invited to give talks at the Philippine Consulate and Embassy, and was a special guest in various events. She also won numerous accolades and awards, incuding Most Influential Filipino in the Gulf, Hotel Personality of the Year, 100 Most Influential Global HR Leader, and just last year The People Builder Award where she bested HR directors around the world.
"My mother told me, 'Anak (daughter), we probably need to keep one room for all your awards'," she said, with a laugh.
She still gets hundreds of friend requests and messages on Facebook and LinkedIn. "They're from random people who want to connect with me and I try to read them all," she says.
The most memorable comment she has received?
"That I have touched and changed their lives, and they did not give up because of my story. That's why I am not ashamed to share my story and where I came from," she said.
And it appears Maalaala Mo Kaya's celebrity media executive, Charo Santos, is interested in re-telling Tumbaga-Federico's story.
"She was in Dubai last December and asked me if I had found a significant other so she could do a part two of my story," she said with a wry smile. "I'm happy where I am right now and I'm just looking forward to seeing my investments blossom," she said, adding that she has dabbled in several businesses.
Job hunting tips
Now that she's on the other side of the employment spectrum, Tumbaga-Federico is happy to share tips to jobseekers. When it comes to hiring someone, the job seeker's attitude is very important, she said.
"Our hiring philosophy is this: We hire for attitude, we train for skills," she said.
"When you have the willingness to learn, you are more open to improvement because you can take suggestions and ideas," she explained, adding that skills can be acquired but attitude is "something you can't develop overnight".
Her tip to jobseekers? Find time to submit applications personally.
"It shows your persistence. It is easy to send a CV online, but to find your way to the HR's office is a feat in itself. I consider it a plus point," she said.
"I also look out for indicators during the conversation. If they say they went door to door to look for a job, I'd be impressed because that's also how I got my job," she said.
