Dupo arrived in Oman in 2014 to work as a staff nurse and was assigned to the medical-surgical department looking after patients. Two years after working as a staff nurse, he was promoted as a Regional Nursing Research Focal Point, training nurses, Omanis, and other expatriates to write and publish nursing research papers. In the same institution, he handled almost 30 healthcare institutions and almost 800 staff nurses.
He spent exactly five years, 10 months, and 15 days in Oman. Dupo left the Philippines because of love. “I love my family and I want to give the best life for them. I want to help and support my siblings. I want to cut the poverty in my family that was existing for generations,” he said.
Born to a very poor family, Jonas Dupo, 31, forged his career overseas and put up his own company that benefits students, employees, OFWs, and aspiring authors.
The former staff nurse from Palanan, Isabela, said he witnessed poverty first hand. His parents were farmers and life was difficult for them. When they moved to Tuguegarao City, his father worked as a construction worker and his mother worked as a household service worker.
Before working overseas, he worked as a college instructor from a school that gave him a full scholarship in his nursing degree. He also made a stint in the BPO industry as a customer service representative and soon ventured in Oman.
While working overseas in the regional office as a nursing research focal point, Dupo was awarded as an outstanding nurse and Excellence in Leadership Award during the 2019 Oman OFW awards by the Philippine Embassy in Oman and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO).
Breakthroughs
In 2019, he launched his first book Overseas to Overflowing Richness: The Tale of an Overseas Filipino Worker in Oman which is an essential guidebook for overseas Filipino workers.
In the same year, he pursued his passion full-time and managed his consultancy center and publishing house. He also wrote How To Start Your Day Right, Hanggang Kailan Ka Sa Abroad, Lockdown: Making Your Days Extraordinary and Highly Productive Amid The Community Quarantine, and God Says No: Five Powerful Ways In Dealing With Closed Doors.
Currently, he manages Elevate Motivational Centre and does coach aspiring authors and help them write and launch their own dream books.
“I felt in my heart that I was called by God to write books and speak to inspire. The best feeling now is doing that I love to do. I am enjoying every single day inspiring people through my workshops and my published books. More than the revenues is the chance to be with my family now and to just to what I love to do. Before, I don’t have any choice than to work even to a job that I hate. Now, I am the happiest,” he said.
Dupo left seven pieces of advice for Filipinos who are currently abroad:
- Life overseas is temporary. Make the decision today to make your stay the best one. Happiness is a decision. Don’t park being happy. Don’t set aside being grateful. Life is not just about getting the prize at the end of your journey. It is enjoying the travel by taking the time to savor the scenery on your highway of life.
- Have a plan. Set goals. Clarity precedes success. How long will you stay? How much money will you save? If you don’t set goals, you will be swayed by the distractions around you. Many OFWs leave the country without any goal. I was like that. Until one day, I already messed up. If you don’t have goals, remember this. You can never hit a certain target that you cannot see.
- Make good at your job. Excel! Even when no one is watching do good. We live in a fair and kind universe. What you give out will bounce back to you. Happiness comes when you are giving your best even if no one sees or appreciates it.
- Develop powerful and valuable habits. The secret to a successful life is basically changing your habits. When you change your habits, you change your life. Control your day. Don’t expect a successful life when you have faulty habits. Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result.” Don’t expect that your finances will improve if you will not change your faulty financial habits. Change and experience a change in your life.
- Manage your finances well. Set discipline not only to yourself but also to your family and relatives. Start paying all your debts. Create a 6 months emergency fund. Build a passive income stream. We left our country to earn something. That is our main reason. Most OFWs are not financially literate. Worst of all, they don’t know how to listen. They listen to their broke friends. That is why many OFWs fall into investment scams because of financial illiteracy. Learn about the world of money by finding a mentor.
- Embrace personal development. I attributed my success Overseas because of personal development. I took the time to read books and attend seminars. When we rest on our laurels, that is the start of our downfall. When I was broken down defeated I invested in books, read almost every day, and applied what I’ve learned. I also believe that one book can change a person’s life. Maybe the answers to your biggest questions will be found in the next book that you will read.
- Trust God. Above all, trust God. Read the bible, pray every day, and aspire to become a good Christian. Trust that He is in control. When you have God in your life, it will make the journey lighter.
This article originally appeared on https://www.theglobalfilipinomagazine.com/2020/09/21/former-ofw-staff-nurse-now-ceo-author-and-speaker
