Amidst all the horror stories out there, there are inspiring stories of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) that deems as fuel to success for many. Maria Victoria Concepcion known as BING CONCEPCION by many of her families and friends, works as a housekeeper in Western Budget Hotel in Edmonton, Alberta Canada in 2010.
She was directly hired from the Philippines after she had been a contract worker in Thailand for the past years. Her employer discovered her potential after 9 months of being a housekeeper and she was promoted as a FRONT DESK of the said hotel. She continued to work for two years for the same position. Before her contract ended, she found another company that provided her the opportunity to continue her legal status – a fast food chain BURGER KING CANADA.
In 2013, Bing’s new chapter started as crew in the said food chain business, then after a year she got promoted as a MANAGER SUPERVISOR. Here are some of Bing’s jobs and responsibilities in the said company; she prepares and interprets business reports and schedules, analyzes data and develops solutions to ensure operating goals are achieved. She assists the General Manager by overseeing assigned shifts, monitoring brand standards execution and adherence, and directs hourly staff to achieve guest service standards in a clean and pleasant environment. She helps to develop and coach hourly employees on brand standards, corporate policies and procedures, and other guest focused programs/activities to meet or exceed guest service standards. She brings employee relations issues, deviations from brand standards, and other guest issues to the attention of the General Manager and recommended and participated in the execution of corrective action.
She ensures proper security procedures are in place to protect employees, guests and company assets. Enforces sanitary practices for food handling, general cleanliness and maintenance of kitchen and dining areas as part of her job responsibility, she works to create and maintain an enjoyable and respectful environment for their guests and employees.
Bing is part of the team who addresses and resolves customer complaints and requests promptly and in a courteous manner. Her employer discovered her potential of owning a food business way back home. It was, later on, materialized through the help of her employer, they started the application for her Permanent Residency (PR). However, according to Bing, her journey to being a housekeeper was always smooth. She was very thankful to her first employer and she appreciated all the good things that was happening to her during her tenure in the said company.
In the Philippines, she owned and managed a food business who supplies sweet delicacies from Bulacan to NCCC Mall Palawan. The knowledge about food business was the key for her to be promoted as a Manager of Burger King CANADA because before you become a manager you need to have 2-3 years worked experience in the food business either in Canada or in the Philippines. Her proof was her business permit as a food concessionaire in our country.
Bing’s advice is to strive harder and find other means of living other than being focused on your main job only because you need to help your family in the Philippines. She got her permanent residency on February 2016 together with her sons Ervhick Meircel Sy currently working in the flight center in Edmonton International airport as a Ramp Agent while his other son Ervhic Patrick Sy, is a registered nurse at Culion Sanitarium Hospital and prefers to serve his countrymen.
AFTER that she got a lot of savings and she realized she needs to start her own business. In 2017 her first business venture was opened and it was named MAVICONS LAUNDRY SHOP and it is located at MANALO EXT., in Puerto Princesa City. Then after 2 years MAVICONS LAUNDRY SHOP Branch in New Buncag was opened to serve the residents of Barangay Mandaragat.
Her MOTHER Nita Concepcion was the caretaker of her business while she’s working abroad. The two businesses are still open now to serve the public.
MARIA VICTORIA was a Tourism graduate at PALAWAN TECHNOLIGICAL INSTITUTE, INC. She finished her degree while both of her children are in College by then at the same time with her. This year despite of the pandemic she got lucky, her mortgage application together with her son was approved and got a new house of her own.