May 26, 2024

Elizabeth Silvestre is one of the almost 23,000 Filipinos who call Brunei Darussalam their second home, residing in the country for 31 years now.

From being a seamstress, she pursued her passion and love for cooking, enduring challenges and sacrifices for many years before establishing her own café in Brunei. Both the local people and Filipinos alike have become patrons of her halo-halo, palabok and other Filipino food offerings, even going viral in social media.

Elizabeth shares the values of hard work, perseverance and faith as key ingredients to attaining one’s goals in life.

Meanwhile, Maria Luisa ‘Malou’ Wong is the current President of the Filipino Association of Brunei, the oldest organization in the country founded in 1982, even before formal diplomatic relations was established between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam. It has 17 sub-organizations under its umbrella comprising both professional and socio-civic organizations.

Malou says that Brunei employers prefer Filipino workers due to their strong work ethic, adaptability, resilience, dedication, proficiency both in the English and local language, amongst other positive work qualities.

She echoes the excitement and great anticipation of the Filipino community in Brunei Darussalam on the upcoming state visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., saying that his presence will give them immense pride in being Filipinos and provide inspiration upon hearing his keynote message.

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