A Filipina’s Journey: Starting Anew Twice, Building a Career, and Helping Kababayans in Australia

It was August 2008 when Florence Roque packed her bags and followed her husband, Edmund, to start a new life in New Zealand. Thankfully, the adjustment was smooth as her main focus was ensuring her children had a bright future ahead of them. ‘I am grateful New Zealand was a new beginning for us, but I still yearned for more. Even with all our savings, we still weren’t able to buy a house over there, which is why we decided to move across to Australia as soon as we could.’ 

That day was in December 2017. After nine years in their second home, Florence and her family moved to Melbourne, Australia. The transition the second time around had its own share of struggles. It was starting from scratch all over again, finding your feet and putting down new roots. This meant starting from an entry-level position and working her way up the chain. ‘I wasn’t scared to work hard. I knew I needed to prove myself all over again. This was the way to have a more secure future for us to have our own home.’ April 2018 was when she secured a role in banquets and events for a luxury hotel located in the CBD. Her willingness to learn, and take on additional tasks, as well as her ability to get along with others, were immediately noticed by her bosses. Over the years, she has steadily moved up the ranks and eventually landed the role of being appointed the food and beverage manager when her line manager had to be away for urgent business. 

‘I was surprised by the trust being given to me. I used this as an opportunity to help out fellow kababayans (countrymen) who were also new to Australia and were looking for work. Posting on social media, particularly Pinoys in Melbourne, was a way for me to reach out and fill our available position. Through this, I was able to create a team of Filipinos who provided the best customer experience.’ When asked what prompted her to move in this direction, Florence candidly stated, ‘ I want to share the opportunity. I see it as a great blessing to help others as I was once in their shoes. I knew what it was like to start from scratch. I had to do it twice – once when I moved to New Zealand from the Philippines and then again from New Zealand to Australia.’ 

Looking back, Florence has no regrets whatsoever. She sees moving to Australia, particularly to Melbourne a great decision. ‘Now I have my own home. As long as you have steady employment and enough savings, you can get one. This wasn’t possible in New Zealand. I also have a career I love with the people I work with as my second family. I am grateful for all the blessings.’