Oman experience, part 2

08 March 2012

As mentioned in my last article, I had to wait for about four hours at the Abu Dhabi International Airport for my connecting flight to Muscat, Oman. While waiting, I met two Filipino overseas workers also headed for Oman. One of them is Arnel Siapno, who, after a three month home leave, was returning to his work as the company cook at the Belgian firm, Jan de Nul, a leading company specialized in dredging and land reclamation projects all over the world. According to Arnel, his company is in the process of finishing a project it has been working on for the last five years (since 2007) in the Port of Duqm, Oman. The project involves the construction of a new port complex, breakwaters and quay walls, including the dredging of the access channel and harbour basin. After finishing in a month or so, they’re set to move on to another big assignment in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, in the plane, I had as seatmate a 29 year old Filipino civil engineer who was also returning to his work with Parsons International, a company recognized internationally as a leader in the planning, designing and implementation of infrastructure projects. Eng’r Ronaldo “Mark” Angeles, who to his credit has attained the position as a Site Engineer at such a young age, seemed to be just too eager to engage me in conversation and share with me a lot of stories about him. He related that he is from Bulacan, and the eldest among three siblings. Being the eldest, and the first to finish college, he (just like a lot of Filipinos in a similar situation) succeeded in supporting his sister (a teacher) and his brother (an ECE) through college. Now, feeling that he has somehow complied with his responsibility to his younger siblings, he is eyeing settling down with his fiancée Ms Maria Blanche Samaco, a flight stewardess with Oman Air. It was so evident how deeply in love he is with her, in the way he fondly recalled how he won Maria, in spite of his being turned down twice. According to him he continued to pursue her because she is the realization of his dream of having a wife who is both beautiful and someone who never had a boyfriend. On my part I shared with him some advice I usually give young engineers on how they can improve their chance of succeeding in their profession, e.g., being conscious of not ending up with a “smokestack” development, but instead consciously adopting a development path similar to that of an “inverted cone”. The exchange continued pleasantly along these lines during the entire flight, with the two other “kababayans” (Arnel and Rudyrick Fernando) who were, seated not far from us, eventually joining in.

What transpired when we arrived in the Muscat Airport was to me heart-warming because without my asking, the three made it a point to stay with me and assisted me in getting through the immigration desk. This was despite the fact that they were really all in a hurry - one of them was still going to make an eight hour land trip to Duqm, while the other two were supposed to proceed directly from the airport to their work. We all took our separate ways only after they made sure I already cleared immigration and have collected my luggage.

I had three Filipino engineers who attended my lectures (together with nineteen Omani and two Indian nationals). They were Eng.’s Dominador Velasco, Brandy Guevarra (both mechanical engineers) and Ferdinand Aluning (electrical engineer). I also met and had the chance to interact with a few of what I was told were more than thirty Filipino men and women technical professionals in Haya Water - among them, Eng.’s Jerry Valente, Robin Barquez, Wilmer Gromo, Armer Samson and Gary Espinosa. Interacting with them, I sensed their self-confidence, which probably is a result of the recognition of their value in the organization by their Omani peers and superiors, some of whom I also had the opportunity to talk with. I likewise sensed this self-confidence with the two Filipina waitresses (Liezel and Liza whose family names I unfortunately failed to get) who took care of me in the hotel restaurant where I took my breakfast and dinner. I again observed this self confidence in the hundreds of Filipinos that converged in Abu Dhabi airport, including the Qatar based construction worker I sat with in the plane on my way back. If I were to hazard an explanation for such an effect, it must be the realization of a higher self-worth; brought about by the actual experiencing of achieving something that they never thought they could achieve.

When the wheels of the Etihad Airways B 777 300 touched down almost everyone in the plane clapped, and I presume it is because of happiness for being back home once more. After looking around, I also clapped, but for another reason – just like what is done after a witnessing a terrific performance, I clapped for them!