'For me, Dubai is the best. I want to stay here until I grow old.'

Dubai: When she arrived in the UAE on October 15, 2007, finding a job was her only focus.

“My father died in 2004, after which our life became very hard," Filipina resident Joy Jocelyn told Emirates 24/7.

Back home in the Philippines, everything had fallen on her siblings. Her mother, who had lost her sight, was a housewife, her sisters were still studying, and the family had no steady income.

“I told my brother who was working in Dubai to bring me here so we can work together and give our family a better life,” she said.

Without a graduate degree or working experience, all Jocelyn had was her grit and determination. She started off as a worker in the food and beverages industry, putting in the long hours and taking on part-time jobs whenever the opportunity presented.

Remembering the initial struggle, she said: “Even if I’m tired, it’s okay… this is for my family.”

Her determination did not go unnoticed. A manager who had seen her at work offered her a better-paying role. “He told me, ‘I saw how you work, you are very focused',’” she said.

From there, things slowly began to change. “Little by little, life became better,” she said. Over time, her family’s situation stabilised. Her siblings found opportunities, and the pressure that once defined their lives eased.

“Now my family is okay… everything has improved because we kept working.”

Along the way, it wasn’t just hard work that carried her forward, but also unexpected kindness.

“Even when I had nothing, people helped me,” she said. She remembers an employer who, after an interview, handed her money and told her to keep it, after he found out she had taken a long walk to get there. Another moment that stayed with her was when her landlord allowed her to delay rent payments. “She said, ‘Pay little by little when you can.’ I will never forget that.”

“Most people I have met here are very nice,” she added. “They helped me so much.”

Nearly two decades on, Dubai is no longer just the place she came to for work. It is home.

“Dubai is my second home… I’ve stayed here longer than in the Philippines,” she said. The sense of safety and opportunity stands out most. “You are very safe here, even at 3 or 4am in the morning, you are safe. If you work properly, your life will be good.”

And that’s why, she has no plans to leave.

“I’m not going, I’m staying here in Dubai,” she said with a laugh.

“For me, Dubai is the best. I want to stay here until I grow old.”