Filipino hospitality downunder!

IN 1983, Janet del Rosario Martin was a simple lass from San Jose town in Zamboanga when she ventured to Manila to work as a waitress in a restaurant in Malate. Her desire was to work in Saudi Arabia. She never realized that something better was in store for her – the possibility of migrating to the land downunder, Australia!

When an Australian couple in her restaurant requested her to exchange 300 hundred Australian Dollars to pesos and gave her their wallet, Janet was astounded to see several thousand dollars not three hundred! But as requested she dutifully exchanged A$300 and returned the wallet with the remaining cash in it. The couple was so happy to see that the money was intact and asked Janet if she would want to work with them in Austarlia…the rest as the cliche goes is history.

But it was not smooth sailing for Janet. She was denied three times by the embassy! Alas, the couple decided to get involved and finally in 1985 the embassy granted her a one-year business visa which she was later on able to convert to a working visa and finally after a couple of more years to permanent residency.

After Janet first landed in Australia and having worked for the couple, she was able gain other employment in the hotel industry starting with the Hilton East Melbourne, then with the Windsor on Parliament Street and finally with her current employer of 18 years, the Crown Casino by the Yarra River. Janet has remained very passionate with her role as a Food & Beverage Attendant until this day. She has been honored by the Windsor as ‘Service Leader for the Year’ and has also received a ‘Service Leader for the Month’ recognition from the Crown Casino. Janet has served very famous personalities like Bill Gates, Elle Macpherson, Michael Schumacher and Formula One champion Fernando Alonzo.

In 1988, after only three years from Janet’s arrival in Melbourne, she met Tim Martin who would eventually court her and propose marriage, and this year they are happily celebrating 28 years! Tim and Janet have a wonderful family of five (3 children and 2 grand-children), eachone with his own talent. Suffice it to say that theirs is an ideal mixed-marriage family happily living in the land downunder!

(Vic Alcuaz is a Hospitality Headhunter, Trainer & Consul- tant: www.vicalcuaz.com)