Dubai adventure from the city of the desert! Damit na gawa sa purong ginto?! Mabibili raw ‘yan sa pinakamalaking bilihan ng ginto sa Dubai… ang Gold Souq! Mga kababayan nating OFW sa Dubai, may itinuturing na home away from home?! Saan ito?
Samantala, International fashion designer sa Dubai na si Michael Cinco, muling naka-one-on-one interview ni Jessica Soho! At dating basurera, restaurant owner na ngayon sa Dubai at kumikita ngayon ng humigit-kumulang P16 million kada buwan!
Samantala, International fashion designer sa Dubai na si Michael Cinco, muling naka-one-on-one interview ni Jessica Soho! At dating basurera, restaurant owner na ngayon sa Dubai at kumikita ngayon ng humigit-kumulang P16 million kada buwan!
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FunTranscript
00:00:00Once upon a time, there was a desert in the middle of the ocean where all you can see is sand.
00:00:14Sand here, sand there, sand everywhere.
00:00:24But who would have thought that a few decades later,
00:00:28in the middle of the desert, a very rich and progressive city was formed.
00:00:36The houses here today are building and are even futuristic.
00:00:44While the way of life is very rich.
00:00:47That's why it's called the Playground of the Rich and Famous.
00:00:52What kind of car is that?
00:00:54It's a car made of amphibian.
00:00:56Wow, it's a car that can also go to the sea.
00:00:59And the connection of this country is very big with our Filipinos.
00:01:04Because this is also where our hundreds of thousands of fellow Filipinos choose to go
00:01:10in the hope that they can experience a better life here.
00:01:15Welcome to Panajero!
00:01:18Our trip today is to the highest level.
00:01:21This is really high, guys.
00:01:23In Tinaguri, the city of superlatives of the United Arab Emirates or UAE.
00:01:32Where you can see the most eye-catching.
00:01:36From the top of the Burj Khalifa here in Dubai,
00:01:42that's the KMJS!
00:01:46The most expensive.
00:01:48For each of these gold bars, the price is 4.4 million plus.
00:01:54Because there are 50, 220 to 222 million pesos.
00:02:01All of it.
00:02:02And the most luxurious!
00:02:04So I would say this is 5 million.
00:02:07More, more.
00:02:08Oh my God, we're going home.
00:02:12We will also go on wild adventures from the big city.
00:02:18To the desert!
00:02:21Oh my God!
00:02:22It doesn't have brakes!
00:02:24Oh my God!
00:02:28We want to stay alive.
00:02:29Sir Mad?
00:02:30We will be alive.
00:02:35Come on.
00:02:36Ouch!
00:02:37Oh my God, it bit me.
00:02:43I'm nervous.
00:02:44This is a bit wild for me.
00:02:46Oh yeah, it's heart shaped now.
00:02:49Yeah, your heart, Jessica Soho.
00:02:52Two hands, two hands down.
00:02:53Okay.
00:02:54And lean back.
00:03:00Now in 2024, as part of the upcoming 20th anniversary of your heart, Jessica Soho,
00:03:09our team moved to the first opportunity in the Middle East.
00:03:15And here in Hello Love, Dubai!
00:03:24A few hours from Manila,
00:03:26our team arrived at one of the cities or emirates of UAE, Dubai.
00:03:33Here, you will think that you are still in the Philippines.
00:03:36Wherever you look, there are Filipinos.
00:03:40The first stop in our Dubai adventure is considered one of its icons or symbols.
00:03:48This is the tallest building in the world,
00:03:52the unparalleled 2,717 feet Burj Khalifa.
00:03:58Burj Khalifa has 163 floors.
00:04:02With its many windows,
00:04:04it will take up to three months to clean all of this.
00:04:10To reach the top of the world's tallest building,
00:04:14we will ride the fastest elevator in the world.
00:04:1810 meters per second.
00:04:20So, we are not far from the 60s, 70s, 80s,
00:04:25So, we are not far from the 62nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th floor.
00:04:31Your ears will really pop.
00:04:33Okay, so we're on the 125th floor.
00:04:36Just like that.
00:04:37Hello everyone!
00:04:38Okay, hello!
00:04:39Here we go, we're in the highest property in the world.
00:04:43It's so high!
00:04:49It's like a miracle in the desert.
00:04:56828 meters.
00:04:59160 levels.
00:05:02This is the tallest building and tallest man-made structure in the world.
00:05:09The Empire State Building in New York has been abandoned for a long time.
00:05:15The Petronas Tower in Malaysia.
00:05:17From this vantage point,
00:05:19From this vantage point,
00:05:21you can see the white needle point that shines.
00:05:29Inside Burj Khalifa,
00:05:31there are observation decks, hotels, and residential units or condos.
00:05:37How much do we pay if we want to stay here?
00:05:39Actually, ma'am, when the Burj Khalifa opened, 48 hours.
00:05:43The Burj Khalifa residence was sold out just only in 48 hours.
00:05:47That's a lot of money.
00:05:48Exactly.
00:05:49But can you give us an idea how much?
00:05:51It's just approximately 500,000.
00:05:55U.S. Dollars?
00:05:56Dear God.
00:05:57Let's go to the lotto so we can live here.
00:06:00They started this building in 2004.
00:06:04By 2010, they officially opened it.
00:06:08There are a lot of Filipino workers who worked here.
00:06:12Hello, hello, hello, hi!
00:06:14We also met a lot of Filipinos who work here.
00:06:18Wow, you're so lucky.
00:06:20Your job is to knock on the tallest structure in the world.
00:06:25How do you feel about that?
00:06:27It's a privilege to be here and representing as a Filipino.
00:06:31And also, it feels like home because there are a lot of Filipinos here.
00:06:34Here in Burj Khalifa, you raised the status of the Philippines.
00:06:38Yes!
00:06:40It's not just an icon of Dubai.
00:06:42It's also a symbol of the high ambition of the Emirates.
00:06:47It's hard to believe that only 5 decades have passed.
00:06:51Everything you see here is pure desert.
00:06:54When Dubai started doing all of this, the Philippines was far ahead.
00:07:01It took them only about 5 decades to do all of this.
00:07:06And now, they're the first world.
00:07:08It's so enviable.
00:07:09It's so enviable, the kids said.
00:07:12Because if they could do it, I hope we can do it too.
00:07:19Next!
00:07:20And because we're in Dubai, where some of the richest people in the world live.
00:07:26Let's do what the Emirates do.
00:07:29We're going to ride a private yacht.
00:07:32Shalaa!
00:07:33Dubai has the biggest, largest, everything.
00:07:37Their Ferris wheel is bigger than the London Eye or even in Singapore.
00:07:45Ouch!
00:07:46Oh my God, I got stung.
00:07:48Hey, you Jabbar!
00:07:50I thought we're friends.
00:07:52You almost stung my finger.
00:07:56Ouch!
00:07:57Oh my God!
00:07:58It doesn't have brakes!
00:08:00Ouch!
00:08:02This is freefall!
00:08:05Ouch!
00:08:11Before the arrival of Dubai, what the state is now facing is just a small fishing village.
00:08:18Fishing or pearl fishing was their main livelihood back then.
00:08:24Their climate is hot and cool.
00:08:27It's more than 50 degrees Celsius.
00:08:30Or even more when it's hot.
00:08:32That's why the development of a futuristic city in the middle of nothingness is considered an urban miracle of modern times.
00:08:43The houses here are huge.
00:08:46There's like a giant picture frame or what they call the Dubai Frame.
00:08:52While the Museum of the Future, you'll think it's a sci-fi or science fiction film.
00:08:59Let's follow the historic Persian Gulf.
00:09:03And since we're in Dubai, where some of the richest people in the world live.
00:09:09Let's do what the Emirates do.
00:09:12We'll ride a private yacht.
00:09:16Shalala!
00:09:17Very fancy!
00:09:18The UAE or the United Arab Emirates has seven emirates.
00:09:22And one of them is Dubai.
00:09:24Oil or oil made this place rich.
00:09:28But it's about to run out.
00:09:30However, they planned this.
00:09:33That's why they gradually shifted to tourism.
00:09:36They do everything big time here.
00:09:38And in style.
00:09:40Just like what we're going to do this afternoon.
00:09:43We'll ride a yacht.
00:09:45And we'll cruise to see the other sights of Dubai.
00:09:52Our yacht's captain.
00:09:54Our countryman.
00:09:55Captain Raul.
00:09:57Tubong Sipalay.
00:09:58Negros Occidental.
00:10:00How did you end up here?
00:10:01I've been here since 1999.
00:10:03I graduated from CIMAN.
00:10:04And my uncle was the first one to come here.
00:10:06He's the one who took me here.
00:10:08He used to be the captain of a royal family yacht here.
00:10:13I've been with the sheikhs for three years.
00:10:15Our yacht is bigger.
00:10:16Maybe five times bigger than this one.
00:10:18So your first boss is the sheikh?
00:10:19Vice President of Dubai.
00:10:20How is he?
00:10:21He's super nice.
00:10:24How long have you been with yachts like this?
00:10:26I have plans to buy one.
00:10:28Of course, you can buy one.
00:10:30Almost 20 million.
00:10:32Dirhams.
00:10:33Times 15.
00:10:35So about 300 million.
00:10:37Wow.
00:10:38Let's go to the sights.
00:10:41It's a car.
00:10:42Correct.
00:10:43What kind of car is that?
00:10:44It's a car.
00:10:45It's a Pibian.
00:10:46Wow.
00:10:47It's a car that can go to the sea.
00:10:49Yes.
00:10:50It makes a lot of money.
00:10:52Correct.
00:10:53They're having a party.
00:10:55It's so nice to have this kind of life.
00:11:00Yo!
00:11:01Wrapping.
00:11:02Oh, really.
00:11:03It's really beautiful.
00:11:05From Philippines.
00:11:07It's beautiful.
00:11:09It's beautiful.
00:11:10They know how to do it.
00:11:14Hakuna Matata.
00:11:16That's the only African word I know.
00:11:20From the yachts, look at the other iconic structures and buildings of Dubai.
00:11:25Like Dubai Eye, the biggest Ferris wheel in the world.
00:11:30Dubai has the biggest, largest, everything.
00:11:34Even their Ferris wheel.
00:11:36Bigger than the London Eye or even in Singapore.
00:11:40Here you can see there's a building that's a twin.
00:11:43There's a building with a hole in the middle.
00:11:45All the designs, they're playing with their creativity.
00:11:50Because most of what you can see here in Dubai is deserted, unlike in the Philippines,
00:11:55Emiratis are passionate about extending and beautifying coastlines.
00:12:02Their solution is to make islands.
00:12:08Man-made.
00:12:11And the most popular of these is the Palm Jumeirah.
00:12:22We're going inside the Palm Jumeirah.
00:12:30That's the most expensive piece of real estate here in Dubai.
00:12:34It was built to attract Hollywood celebrities, sports superstars.
00:12:44Big time, all the time.
00:12:46There's no small time here.
00:12:51Here in Dubai, you can find the one and only 7-star hotel in the world,
00:12:58Burj Al Arab.
00:13:00That's the Burj Al Arab.
00:13:04How much does it cost per night?
00:13:06It starts at 1,000 dirhams, the cheapest one.
00:13:1015,000 a night.
00:13:12There are rooms that cost 50,000 dirhams.
00:13:16The design of Burj Al Arab looks like a boat.
00:13:22The previous ancestors of Dubai started as pearl divers.
00:13:26It's like a tribute to their past.
00:13:30Maybe this is Dubai's lesson for all of us, for the world,
00:13:35that even if you look at how modern they are now,
00:13:39how magnificent their houses are, their city, their emirate,
00:13:45they haven't forgotten their past.
00:13:49Hello, love, Dubai!
00:13:52Habibi!
00:13:53In this part of Dubai, Old Dubai,
00:13:56you can see how the Emirates lived back then.
00:14:00There's New Dubai, where there are modern and magnificent buildings.
00:14:05There's also Old Dubai.
00:14:08They retained it as a reminder of their past.
00:14:13And to reach that, we need to ride what they call a water taxi.
00:14:20This is what their traditional boats looked like back then.
00:14:25Now, they're being retained for their water taxis.
00:14:30We're now here in what they call Old Dubai.
00:14:34This is where the souks are.
00:14:37You can see where they bought their goods.
00:14:40This is where they bought their goods.
00:14:43This is where they bought their goods.
00:14:46This is the souk.
00:14:47You can see where they bought their textiles, spices,
00:14:52and of course, what the Filipinos wanted to bring home from Dubai.
00:14:57Gold.
00:14:59The Arabs, since ancient times,
00:15:02were known as traders.
00:15:04We're now here at Old Baladea Street.
00:15:08This is where you can have fun.
00:15:12You can see mountains of spices here in the spice souk.
00:15:18One of the most expensive spices in the world, saffron.
00:15:23For those who love paella,
00:15:26this is what gives it its color.
00:15:29It's expensive because they can only get a little for every hectare.
00:15:34Oh, that's the flour.
00:15:35How many flours is that?
00:15:36More than a thousand flours.
00:15:38That's why it's expensive, because a handful of flours is equivalent to 1,000 flours
00:15:45and 1 hectare of their plantation for saffron.
00:15:54You can drink this.
00:15:55Very expensive water.
00:15:56Good for the memory.
00:15:57Oh, really?
00:15:58Yes.
00:15:59If you drink that, you'll never forget me and my shop
00:16:01because you have a nice memory with my saffron.
00:16:03Okay.
00:16:06But it's okay.
00:16:08Pour it.
00:16:12Very mild.
00:16:13And I give you as well present in the morning.
00:16:15Chocolate dates and almonds.
00:16:16Okay.
00:16:17Oh, my God.
00:16:19You are such a bad person.
00:16:20You're offering me calories very early in the morning.
00:16:23How much is it?
00:16:25About 7 US dollars per gram.
00:16:277 US dollars.
00:16:28Okay, can I just buy a little?
00:16:305 grams.
00:16:31How much?
00:16:3235 US dollars.
00:16:3335 in US dollars?
00:16:35Okay.
00:16:36I give you 30 US dollars because you are first in the morning.
00:16:39Oh, thank you very much.
00:16:41Thank you very much.
00:16:44Of course, our Dubai adventure will not be complete
00:16:48if we are not able to walk in the desert
00:16:51and be with the camels.
00:16:55We are in the countryside of Dubai
00:16:58and we are here in one of their camel farms.
00:17:06Wow, you have a nice place.
00:17:08This is really wonderful.
00:17:10You have 18 camels?
00:17:11Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:17:12It's not for racing.
00:17:13It's not for eating.
00:17:14Oh.
00:17:15It's not just for petting.
00:17:17All our camels are very calm.
00:17:19They like people.
00:17:20In 2016, this farm was built to serve the camels.
00:17:26Two years after it was established,
00:17:28it was opened to the public.
00:17:30The owner is an Italian named Luca.
00:17:33What is an Italian doing in Dubai racing camels?
00:17:37I moved here 10 years ago as a photographer,
00:17:39but with my girlfriend two years ago,
00:17:41we took this place.
00:17:43It was a farm that was already existing before.
00:17:45We decided to make it more beautiful
00:17:48and to create a real Emirati and Bedouin experience for tourists.
00:17:52Wow, I was given a chance.
00:17:54One of the camels here was named.
00:17:57What is his name?
00:17:59I don't know.
00:18:00You don't know?
00:18:01If he doesn't have a name, you can give it a name.
00:18:03Okay, now you are now Jesse, okay?
00:18:05Because you don't have a name yet,
00:18:07so I will give you a name.
00:18:09Jesse.
00:18:10You're Jesse from here on.
00:18:12Okay.
00:18:13Oh, I already have a camel here.
00:18:15Hello.
00:18:16He's eating my blouse.
00:18:18Okay, hi.
00:18:19Sorry, I didn't bring any food.
00:18:21Oh, oh, oh.
00:18:26Ah, you can kiss them.
00:18:28How kind.
00:18:29Wow.
00:18:30On the nose also.
00:18:31On the nose.
00:18:33Also the kisses on the nose.
00:18:34Yeah, of course.
00:18:35Come on, come on.
00:18:36He'll kiss you.
00:18:39They don't smell.
00:18:40She wants more.
00:18:41Oh, you want more.
00:18:44Oh, you're so sweet.
00:18:48Camels are considered a cultural heritage of the UAE.
00:18:53They are also a status symbol.
00:18:55If a family owns more camels,
00:18:58it means they are richer.
00:19:02But do you know what's inside the camel's hump?
00:19:07They don't feed it with water,
00:19:09but with fat.
00:19:12So even if they travel a long distance in the desert,
00:19:16they can still do it.
00:19:17If they go in the desert for 2-3 weeks without food or water,
00:19:20they can still take the nutrition from the hump.
00:19:22Here, they don't have big humps because we feed them every day,
00:19:24so they don't really need to accumulate fat.
00:19:26Oh, so that's how it goes.
00:19:28If you feed them enough, they will not grow their hump so big.
00:19:33Yes, because for them, it's excessive weight.
00:19:35It's like a runner.
00:19:36It doesn't have many muscles because it needs to be light.
00:19:38You hold this, yeah?
00:19:39Here on the farm, you can experience feeding camels.
00:19:43More and more and more.
00:19:52They're strong.
00:19:53Okay, here.
00:19:54Yes, the small ones are strong.
00:20:01Is this edible for humans too or just for animals?
00:20:04It's not poisonous?
00:20:05No, no, no.
00:20:06Let me taste one leaf.
00:20:08Let's taste it.
00:20:13Very mild tasting.
00:20:15I thought it's the taste of malunggay, but it's not.
00:20:18Sorry, I tasted your food, okay?
00:20:20It's edible for humans, right?
00:20:25Yeah, for sure.
00:20:26For sure.
00:20:27If it is something dangerous, we cannot give it to the animals.
00:20:30I'm still alive.
00:20:31I was just curious, that's why I tasted it.
00:20:33Here you go.
00:20:36And look, he's still hungry, yeah?
00:20:38Oh, yeah.
00:20:40The technique for feeding camels
00:20:43is to hold the grass tightly at the end.
00:20:49But it was too late when I found out
00:20:51Ouch!
00:20:52Oh my God, I got bit.
00:20:54They're trying to grab their food, you know?
00:20:56Yeah.
00:20:57Their teeth are not sharp, yeah?
00:20:58No, no.
00:20:59Camels don't easily harm people with their teeth
00:21:00because they don't have complete teeth.
00:21:02Hey, you jabberer.
00:21:04I thought we're friends.
00:21:06You almost bit my finger, okay?
00:21:08You hurt me.
00:21:11I think they're having a nice time with you, you know?
00:21:13Ouch!
00:21:14Oh my God, I got bit.
00:21:17What's his name?
00:21:18His name is Hua.
00:21:19Hua.
00:21:20Hua, hello Hua.
00:21:22Hua, let's be good, okay?
00:21:24Be good, Hua.
00:21:26Be nice.
00:21:27Always lean back now, because maybe they can go down once more.
00:21:31Oh my God, I got bit.
00:21:33Ouch!
00:21:34Ouch!
00:21:35Ouch!
00:21:36Ouch!
00:21:37Ouch!
00:21:38Ouch!
00:21:39Ouch!
00:21:40Ouch!
00:21:41Ouch!
00:21:42Ouch!
00:21:43Ouch!
00:21:44Ouch!
00:21:45Oh my God, I'm nervous.
00:21:47Just lean back, because maybe they can go down.
00:21:52I think this is a bit wild for me.
00:21:56You're a nice camel, Hua.
00:21:59Now I will try how to travel in the desert behind them.
00:22:10Our guide, Omar, is down.
00:22:12It's like an exhibition.
00:22:27Camels are called boats of the desert.
00:22:31They can travel long distances.
00:22:33They can travel far.
00:22:37Even if there's no water or food, they can still survive.
00:22:42Camels are very important in the desert.
00:22:46They live and find food.
00:22:48Maybe human civilization, as we know it,
00:22:52didn't come here because of these animals.
00:23:02My lower back hurts.
00:23:05For a first-timer, it's not easy to ride.
00:23:08It's also a different kind of descent.
00:23:19I almost fell.
00:23:21Luckily, Samson helped me.
00:23:31Thank you, Samson.
00:23:32You're my angel.
00:23:33Thank you, Samson.
00:23:35I need to hurry.
00:23:36I might change my mind.
00:23:39You're really my angel.
00:23:42Today, you're my clown and my angel, Samson.
00:23:50Are you ready?
00:23:51Let's go to the exciting part.
00:23:54In Dubai, you can fly.
00:23:57Skydiving.
00:23:59We are in Skydive Dubai.
00:24:02We are going to jump off a plane.
00:24:06And the winner of Hamon is Miss Universe 2015, Pia Wurtzbach.
00:24:13How are you feeling right now?
00:24:15I hope my heart will reach you.
00:24:17Warm us up first.
00:24:18Anna, smile all the way.
00:24:20Not once, but twice, she did this.
00:24:33I have a fear of flying.
00:24:34I have a fear of heights.
00:24:35But with family here, you can conquer your fears.
00:24:38I'm really happy to be doing this with them.
00:24:40What an experience.
00:24:45For those who are still looking for physical pain,
00:24:48this is for you.
00:24:50Desert Safari.
00:24:53Ride a 4x4.
00:24:59Please make it fast.
00:25:01Don't kill us slowly, okay?
00:25:14Oh my God!
00:25:16I'm scared.
00:25:18I'm scared.
00:25:19I'm scared.
00:25:20Oh my God!
00:25:29This is a free fall.
00:25:31It doesn't have brakes.
00:25:33It's still spinning.
00:25:35Oh my God!
00:25:36Ah!
00:25:45After almost an hour of travel in the desert,
00:25:49the sun is about to set.
00:25:53But the night is just starting.
00:25:57Imagine, in the middle of the desert,
00:26:00there are party parties.
00:26:07Yay!
00:26:11Can I join you?
00:26:12Yes!
00:26:13Okay!
00:26:17We're from the Philippines.
00:26:24They're challenging me.
00:26:29I don't think I can do this.
00:26:31They're on a different level.
00:26:37Oh my God!
00:26:40I've seen some deserts,
00:26:42but in the distance,
00:26:44this desert of Dubai is the first desert
00:26:47that I've stepped on,
00:26:49experienced what it's like to be on the sand.
00:26:53What I've read,
00:26:55what I've said,
00:26:56what I've told,
00:26:57is that the desert is beautiful.
00:26:59And when you see this,
00:27:02you know that God has risen.
00:27:06Because even though it's a desert,
00:27:08it's still beautiful.
00:27:10From this desert here in Dubai,
00:27:13there's a paradise like Dubai.
00:27:17It's like a miracle in the desert.
00:27:32They say,
00:27:33not all that glitters is gold.
00:27:38But here in Dubai,
00:27:40everyone is looking for real gold.
00:27:45The truth is,
00:27:46in the biggest shop of gold here,
00:27:49the gold souk,
00:27:50not only in Alahas,
00:27:52but in the whole world.
00:27:54Only in Dubai,
00:27:55the biggest and the heaviest gold ring
00:27:58in the whole world.
00:28:00And also,
00:28:02clothes.
00:28:0312 kilos of gold dress.
00:28:05Like covering all your body.
00:28:07Oh wow.
00:28:08Do you have something here that I can...
00:28:10Yes, okay.
00:28:11Eh, HM,
00:28:12how much is this?
00:28:15In dollars,
00:28:16it's 32,786.
00:28:19So let's see how much in pesos.
00:28:22It's equivalent to a house and lot.
00:28:25In the city of gold,
00:28:27let's go shop for go-go gold.
00:28:31We're here in their gold souk.
00:28:35Because there's a lot of gold jewelry to buy here.
00:28:38Tip, you can have fun here.
00:28:41Let's go.
00:28:45The main export, of course,
00:28:47of the United Arab Emirates,
00:28:49is oil.
00:28:50Their second export,
00:28:52gold.
00:28:53They're also fond of bling bling.
00:28:57Here in the gold souk,
00:28:59there are almost 400 stores
00:29:02that sell gold jewelry.
00:29:08They have a huge gold ring here
00:29:11that weighs 64 kilos.
00:29:14It's covered with crystals.
00:29:16Only in Dubai,
00:29:18the biggest and the heaviest gold ring
00:29:21in the whole world.
00:29:22Its price is estimated at 3 million dollars
00:29:26or more than P175 million pesos.
00:29:30The gold industry in Dubai
00:29:33started flourishing in the 18th century
00:29:36when Dubai became a major trading port
00:29:39for gold and jewelry
00:29:41from India, Africa, Europe,
00:29:44and other countries of the Middle East.
00:29:48That's why Dubai
00:29:50is known as the City of Gold.
00:29:54OMG.
00:29:55It's true.
00:29:56There are clothes made of gold.
00:29:58Who would wear this?
00:30:01How much is it?
00:30:02How heavy is it?
00:30:05Wow, Muhammad.
00:30:06This place is dripping with gold.
00:30:08How much do you think is the entire shop worth?
00:30:10It's not worth it.
00:30:11I cannot say.
00:30:12Confidential.
00:30:13Safe to say maybe billions
00:30:15or millions of dollars.
00:30:16It's around this.
00:30:17What are some of the more interesting things
00:30:19that we should know?
00:30:21For example, we have one of the,
00:30:22like I can accept in a Ramazan,
00:30:24it's like more than 12 kilos.
00:30:2512 kilos of gold dress?
00:30:27Like a big shield.
00:30:29Oh, wow.
00:30:30Do you have something here
00:30:31that I can put on?
00:30:32The weight of the necklace,
00:30:33around 400 grams.
00:30:37What kind of women would wear
00:30:39such heavy and...
00:30:41Women who have a lot of money.
00:30:43Do they actually wear this thing?
00:30:45Usually they wear it for a special occasion
00:30:47like a wedding.
00:30:48You cannot wear this one as a daily use.
00:30:50Some of the people,
00:30:51they like to buy this as an investment.
00:30:53They also have this kind of belt.
00:30:56How many kilos is it, do you think?
00:30:58The belt alone is around 1 kilo.
00:31:00And the blouse?
00:31:01This is around 3.5 kilos.
00:31:02Wow.
00:31:03So 3.5,
00:31:04that's all you need to wear.
00:31:06You have to be insured to wear this, yeah?
00:31:09You have to buy insurance.
00:31:10This is the safest thing in the world.
00:31:12You don't have any security guard?
00:31:14There's no need for security.
00:31:15You are safe here.
00:31:16I have to remove this
00:31:17because I don't think I can afford this.
00:31:20But in case, how much is this?
00:31:22Around $32,000.
00:31:24So let's see how much in pesos.
00:31:27It's 1.8 million pesos.
00:31:29It's equivalent to a house and lot.
00:31:32Okay, I can't afford this, Muhammad.
00:31:33So I have to take it off.
00:31:35And because Gintorito is not just cheaper
00:31:38compared to the Philippines,
00:31:39and it's tax-free,
00:31:41I will look for a place in my budget
00:31:44for a souvenir.
00:31:46I like the really modern design.
00:31:53I think I prefer this one, yeah.
00:31:55Congratulations.
00:31:56I would say in Arabic, mabro.
00:31:57He said mabro,
00:31:58but I feel like I'm in debt.
00:32:00I'm being spent.
00:32:02It's good to invest in gold
00:32:03because its value increases over time.
00:32:06If you just invest your money,
00:32:07your money is affected by what's called inflation
00:32:10or the increase in the price of goods.
00:32:12Unlike gold, its price increases over time.
00:32:15Some Gintos in the gold souk
00:32:18are directed to what they call a gold refinery
00:32:23to process and make gold bars.
00:32:29And in a rare opportunity,
00:32:31a famous gold refinery here in Dubai,
00:32:36in KMJS,
00:32:37will show us how these are made.
00:32:42Ginto is sparkling.
00:32:45This is real.
00:32:46There's no ball.
00:32:48Take a look.
00:32:49We'll be able to see and hold real gold bars.
00:32:57The one who will tour us in the refinery,
00:33:0015 kilos,
00:33:01is none other than their chief operations officer,
00:33:05a Filipino named Jamie.
00:33:08From local market to international market.
00:33:11I want to know where this is from.
00:33:13This is from the local market,
00:33:15in the gold souk.
00:33:16I read that here,
00:33:18for example, 22 carats.
00:33:20Can you increase the carats?
00:33:22Yes.
00:33:23We'll make 22 carats into 24.
00:33:25The Gintos received
00:33:27will be tested in the laboratory.
00:33:30We have a lot of countrymen here.
00:33:34I'm proud to work in an industry
00:33:36which is not common in the Philippines.
00:33:39The Gintos will melt.
00:33:43These are from the souk.
00:33:45The unsold ones will melt here.
00:33:48And then they will make it into a bar.
00:33:50They will pour it there.
00:33:53There.
00:33:56This is an interesting trivia.
00:33:58Once a year, when they have a general cleaning,
00:34:01the Gintos that fall on the floor,
00:34:04even the ones that stick to the workers' shoes,
00:34:08they collect all of them.
00:34:11That's how precious the Gintos are.
00:34:13Wow.
00:34:14And then you will make a bottle.
00:34:18So once it's like that, Jane, what's next?
00:34:21Chemical refining.
00:34:22So it will be placed in a reactor with acid.
00:34:28And the finished product
00:34:30is gold bars.
00:34:33Totoong-totoo.
00:34:35I just held a gold bar.
00:34:37I can retire if I own all of these.
00:34:41So for each gold bar,
00:34:45the price is Php 4.4 million plus.
00:34:48Because there are 50 gold bars in these two boxes,
00:34:53Php 220 to Php 222 million.
00:34:57All of them.
00:34:59I also met a Filipino
00:35:01who made her Gintong dream come true here in Dubai.
00:35:05Mary Grace.
00:35:07Yup, me too.
00:35:08She was a huge live seller back then.
00:35:11Welcome back!
00:35:12But now,
00:35:15she owns a Ginto store.
00:35:18Hi, everyone. Come inside the shop.
00:35:24These are our gold bars.
00:35:26We have chains.
00:35:28Her goods are cheap.
00:35:32We just sell them here.
00:35:34Price from the factory.
00:35:36She also sells diamonds here.
00:35:39This is our most expensive diamond.
00:35:43It's very, very rare.
00:35:46She has blue diamonds.
00:35:48Sometimes, it can reach up to Php 10 million.
00:35:52And it smells like it has Ginto.
00:35:55This is a 24-carat gold perfume.
00:35:58It has real gold.
00:36:00But before she started her business,
00:36:03she also went through trials.
00:36:07Mary Grace is from Abra.
00:36:09When I graduated from college,
00:36:11I got pregnant.
00:36:13It was a struggle.
00:36:14So that her children would have a place to call home,
00:36:18in 2009,
00:36:20she set up her business here in the Middle East.
00:36:23My first job here in Dubai was in a travel agency.
00:36:28Suddenly,
00:36:29she fell in love with a banyaga.
00:36:32And they got married.
00:36:33I was a full-time housewife.
00:36:36So I thought about how I could earn an income.
00:36:39This is large.
00:36:41Until she started live-selling ukay-ukay in 2016.
00:36:46This is just five. It's beautiful.
00:36:48I was the only one living alone in my room.
00:36:52Before I knew it,
00:36:53I had a lot of customers.
00:36:56Even if she earned her own money,
00:36:58it wasn't easy for Mary Grace to live abroad.
00:37:02Especially since she was far from her two children,
00:37:05the first one she was with.
00:37:07I regret that I didn't go home for my graduation.
00:37:15I think that's the struggle we OFWs have here.
00:37:19She has a sling.
00:37:20In order to forget the sadness,
00:37:22Mary Grace is focused on her business.
00:37:24Our customers asked if we have gold.
00:37:28So I had an idea.
00:37:29Okay, why not add gold?
00:37:32The buy and sell of this
00:37:34hit her minors.
00:37:37So from her small room,
00:37:40she opened her own gold store in 2021.
00:37:44Because of her hard work,
00:37:46her eldest son, Zyra,
00:37:48is about to become a doctor.
00:37:50I brought them here.
00:37:52I taught my son his dream course.
00:37:56Now, I'm able to help all the needs of my family.
00:38:00Before, Mary Grace was the only one selling.
00:38:03Now, she has 10 live sellers.
00:38:07Be strong and don't lose hope.
00:38:11It's not just animals that live here in Dubai.
00:38:15It's also the heart and story
00:38:18of our hardworking countrymen.
00:38:21That's Ginto.
00:38:28This is really unusual.
00:38:32There's a Pakistani
00:38:34who is fluent in Tagalog.
00:38:36And he drives a taxi.
00:38:39He calls himself Taxi Pabebe.
00:38:44This is Biradar, a Pakistani national
00:38:47who has been working as a taxi driver
00:38:49for more than two decades.
00:38:51Good morning.
00:38:53Good morning to you.
00:38:55First, I'm happy to be here in Dubai.
00:38:58You're really good at Tagalog.
00:39:01Come, let's ride.
00:39:03I'm very happy because
00:39:06I have a lot of friends here.
00:39:10So that Biradar won't get tired
00:39:13of vlogging as he travels.
00:39:16Where are you from?
00:39:20I'm from Manila.
00:39:22I'm from Palawan.
00:39:24I'm from Visayas.
00:39:29Make a video.
00:39:31Make a filter.
00:39:33How old are you?
00:39:35How do you know about filters?
00:39:39How old are you?
00:39:43But I'm very happy.
00:39:46How did you learn Tagalog?
00:39:48Because there are a lot of passengers here.
00:39:51Are you Tagalog or Visayas?
00:39:53Ilocano.
00:39:54We're three.
00:39:56Do you have Ilocano passengers?
00:39:59After one minute, I know.
00:40:01Because I'm always calling.
00:40:03It's cheap.
00:40:05Manila, Ediwau, Visayas, Matapang, Ilocano, Curipo.
00:40:09Just kidding.
00:40:11Why do you like Filipinos?
00:40:13Because Filipinos are very friendly.
00:40:15And friendly.
00:40:17Everyone is friendly.
00:40:21That's why I like Filipinos.
00:40:24How are you?
00:40:26I'm good.
00:40:28He even made a content
00:40:30about our language.
00:40:34Why do they call you Pabebe?
00:40:36One of my passengers gave me a funny word.
00:40:40Then he told me,
00:40:42when you have a female passenger,
00:40:44you tell her, Pabebe.
00:40:46If she's angry, you tell her,
00:40:48Charot Lang.
00:40:50After that,
00:40:52I like this word, Pabebe.
00:40:54I put my name, Taxi Pabebe.
00:40:56All the passengers are talking about you,
00:40:59that you're a good person.
00:41:01I met you.
00:41:03Now, I'm very happy.
00:41:05You're not fooling me?
00:41:07I'm a good person.
00:41:09I'm not lying.
00:41:11Only one person lives here in Dubai,
00:41:13Viradar.
00:41:14How many children do you have?
00:41:15Six.
00:41:16But how much do you earn?
00:41:18I don't have a salary.
00:41:20Are you okay?
00:41:22I'm okay.
00:41:23How about your family?
00:41:24Thank God.
00:41:25Because I have a job.
00:41:26Viradar doesn't apologize.
00:41:28Before he dropped me off,
00:41:30Taxi Pabebe gave me a sample
00:41:32of a Filipino song he knows.
00:41:34There are three babies
00:41:37that I've seen.
00:41:39They're thin and fat.
00:41:42But I want
00:41:44one in the back.
00:41:46Quack, quack, quack.
00:41:47Oh, no.
00:41:48I'm too slow.
00:41:49Are you a passenger?
00:41:51From here in Dubai,
00:41:52I'm with Taxi Pabebe.
00:41:54KKMJS9.
00:41:56KKMJS9.
00:41:57Follow me.
00:42:01Here in the UAE,
00:42:02it rains rarely.
00:42:04The lives of our countrymen abroad,
00:42:06now,
00:42:07we can easily see
00:42:09through their vlogs.
00:42:11Hello, everybody.
00:42:12This is Richelle.
00:42:13Like vlogger Richelle,
00:42:15who's been here for two years.
00:42:17Maybe if I get one like this,
00:42:19and I go home to the Philippines,
00:42:21I'll be a millionaire.
00:42:22Richelle is an Oriental Mindoro.
00:42:25A certified buccaneer.
00:42:27Read this.
00:42:28In fact,
00:42:29the wall of their house in Bungabong
00:42:32was covered with hundreds of sashes
00:42:34that she won from beauty pageants.
00:42:37Every corona,
00:42:38she gave it to her number one supporter,
00:42:42her father, Santo.
00:42:44She's so proud.
00:42:45That's why I can't forget her.
00:42:47But in 2021,
00:42:49her father, Santo,
00:42:51died of lung cancer.
00:42:53I went abroad.
00:42:54I worked as a waiter
00:42:55in a restaurant here.
00:42:57Luckily,
00:42:58they saw the potential
00:42:59that I can be a content creator.
00:43:01So guys,
00:43:02that's it for today's video.
00:43:03Thank you so much for watching.
00:43:06But not everyone who goes to Dubai
00:43:09has a good experience.
00:43:11Just like the one we met here
00:43:13that we hid under the name of Charles.
00:43:16He told me that Dubai is safe.
00:43:19It's safe.
00:43:20But there are other cases here.
00:43:22There are people being killed here.
00:43:24But it's not reported.
00:43:26Some of our fellow countrymen here,
00:43:29like Charles,
00:43:31are hot-tempered
00:43:32in the eyes of other foreigners.
00:43:34When they see that you're clean,
00:43:37you don't have a beard,
00:43:39other people chase you here.
00:43:41Not the locals?
00:43:42No.
00:43:43It's usually a catcalling here.
00:43:45And some of them
00:43:46become victims of sexual harassment.
00:43:50I'm going home.
00:43:51Someone is following me.
00:43:57When the lift closed,
00:43:58he suddenly hugged me.
00:44:01Then he forced me to kiss him on the neck.
00:44:04His hand touched me
00:44:05on some parts of my body.
00:44:07Charles was forced to fight the man.
00:44:10He pushed me hard.
00:44:12My back hit him.
00:44:13I was weak.
00:44:14He still forced me.
00:44:15He hugged me.
00:44:16When the lift opened,
00:44:17I kicked him
00:44:18and kicked him on the face.
00:44:20But because of fear,
00:44:21Charles didn't even report
00:44:24what happened to him.
00:44:27Do you know
00:44:28if what happened to you
00:44:29in Dubai
00:44:30is isolated
00:44:31or common?
00:44:33It's common.
00:44:34I have a lot of friends
00:44:36who experienced this.
00:44:38Others are just afraid to say it.
00:44:40In case this happens,
00:44:42we also have
00:44:43the Office of Migrant Workers.
00:44:45They take care of the cases
00:44:47of Filipinos who are victims.
00:44:49I'll just be careful
00:44:51for myself.
00:44:52I can't repeat
00:44:53what happened to me.
00:44:55Did you know
00:44:56that one of the first Filipinos
00:44:58who was exposed here
00:45:00five decades ago
00:45:03was not only a witness
00:45:05of how a developing country
00:45:07was slowly emerging
00:45:09in the middle of the desert.
00:45:11He is also one of the brains
00:45:14behind this success.
00:45:16He is the prominent architect
00:45:19and urban planner
00:45:21June Palafox.
00:45:23We cannot do a special on Dubai
00:45:25without featuring you
00:45:27because you helped make Dubai
00:45:29what it is today.
00:45:30Dubai was life-changing
00:45:32in my architectural journey.
00:45:34The flood relief of Dubai
00:45:35has sent me a bit of light.
00:45:37Look for me.
00:45:38December 1996,
00:45:39I got a mandate.
00:45:41In the 1970s,
00:45:42the family of Architect Palafox
00:45:44migrated to this part
00:45:46of the Middle East.
00:45:47Do you remember
00:45:48when you first arrived in Dubai?
00:45:50We were at the airport in Dubai
00:45:52for travel needs.
00:45:53Just two years
00:45:54we had our Manila International Airport.
00:45:56The instruction of the rulers
00:45:58was to make Dubai
00:45:59the number one city.
00:46:01He was chosen
00:46:02to be part of a group
00:46:04of urban planners and architects
00:46:06whose main project
00:46:08was to build a city
00:46:10in the middle of the desert
00:46:12that would later become
00:46:14the center of attention
00:46:15around the world.
00:46:17This is the standard
00:46:18of building in 1970.
00:46:19This is their master plan.
00:46:21This is the old town.
00:46:22Then these are
00:46:23major activity centers
00:46:24like Woods Caravan and D-Tour.
00:46:26Architect Palafox
00:46:28was the youngest
00:46:29in their team.
00:46:31He was also the only Filipino.
00:46:33This is Dubai then and now.
00:46:35You're really a Filipino.
00:46:37And then we encourage
00:46:38more vertical cities
00:46:40instead of urban sprawl.
00:46:42And the rest is history.
00:46:54Sir, you were doing
00:46:55very well in Dubai.
00:47:01Why are you leaving
00:47:02if there's something wrong?
00:47:03And report.
00:47:04Maybe it's about time
00:47:05I don't think.
00:47:13We can do it with success.
00:47:14For me, not for long.
00:47:16Well, we're in Dubai.
00:47:18The population of Filipinos
00:47:20here in Dubai
00:47:21is almost half a million.
00:47:23There's a place here in Dubai
00:47:25that's like the Philippines.
00:47:33From the center of Dubai,
00:47:34our team traveled
00:47:36almost 30 kilometers
00:47:38towards the so-called
00:47:41home away from home
00:47:43of many of our fellow Filipinos here,
00:47:45the Al-Satwa.
00:47:50You know?
00:47:51Manila.
00:47:54Hello, hello.
00:47:56Hello, how are you?
00:47:58It's like we're in the Philippines.
00:48:02How are you?
00:48:03Is it day off today?
00:48:04Oh, it's their day off.
00:48:06We haven't been here for five minutes.
00:48:08Our fellow Filipinos
00:48:09have already gathered here.
00:48:11There are so many of them.
00:48:13There, they're already
00:48:14trafficking because of us.
00:48:18Even if the owner
00:48:19is not Filipino,
00:48:21they put our words.
00:48:24Like this,
00:48:25Zain Ukay Ukay.
00:48:28There's a restaurant
00:48:29with the name Luneta.
00:48:33There's a restaurant
00:48:34with the name Jeepney.
00:48:36They always have a long line
00:48:39in this bakery.
00:48:40Pantikoko, Spanish bread,
00:48:43cheese spread.
00:48:44Its owner is a Filipino,
00:48:47Chyda.
00:48:48What's your bestseller?
00:48:50Pandesal.
00:48:56It's delicious.
00:48:57It's like the pandesal
00:48:58in our country.
00:49:00How much is this?
00:49:01That's 50 pesos.
00:49:028 pesos is expensive,
00:49:03but it's big.
00:49:05Chyda's employees
00:49:07are also our fellow Filipinos.
00:49:09Where are you from?
00:49:11Batangas.
00:49:12Batangas, Ilocano.
00:49:14Jkj, Ilocos.
00:49:15Isabela.
00:49:16Isabela.
00:49:17Bicolana.
00:49:18Bicolana.
00:49:19Kuya?
00:49:20Kapampangan.
00:49:21And you, Ate?
00:49:22Davao.
00:49:24In the 90s,
00:49:25when the Filipinos
00:49:26started living here
00:49:27in Alsatua,
00:49:29their apartments here,
00:49:31the former homes of the Emirates,
00:49:34chose to live
00:49:35in what they call,
00:49:36New Dubai.
00:49:38Jomar,
00:49:39a Filipino from Pangasinan,
00:49:41moved here to Alsatua
00:49:43to save money.
00:49:46How are you?
00:49:48You're handsome.
00:49:50I'm overwhelmed.
00:49:51It's my privilege.
00:49:54Jomar and I
00:49:55continued to their apartment,
00:49:56which they call,
00:49:57Partition.
00:49:58It's a one-bedroom unit.
00:50:01They divided it
00:50:02into two rooms.
00:50:04Each room
00:50:05has a divider of fabric
00:50:08and plywood
00:50:09for three to four tenants.
00:50:12So it's like a bed space.
00:50:15You sleep here
00:50:16while you're just starting out.
00:50:23Okay.
00:50:25Okay.
00:50:26Ah, okay.
00:50:27How much does it cost
00:50:28to sleep in this space?
00:50:29Upstairs?
00:50:30600.
00:50:31600 dirhams?
00:50:32Yes.
00:50:33It can reach 9,000 to 10,000.
00:50:36So each space here
00:50:38has a curtain.
00:50:39Yes.
00:50:40That gives them
00:50:41a little privacy.
00:50:44Their bathroom is neat.
00:50:47The problem is
00:50:48that their water is always hot.
00:50:52They have a balcony.
00:50:53We have a balcony in the morning,
00:50:54ma'am.
00:50:55That's where we take a bath.
00:50:56Where is that?
00:50:57So this is where you get fresh air?
00:50:58Yes.
00:50:59Before studying in Dubai,
00:51:01Jomar studied for 11 years
00:51:03in a private high school
00:51:05in Pangasinan.
00:51:06Why did you move to Dubai?
00:51:08It's hard to make a living
00:51:10because my parents are old.
00:51:12I have to send my siblings to school.
00:51:14I need to study.
00:51:16How much is your salary here?
00:51:19My salary is 2,400 dirhams.
00:51:23And 600 is deducted
00:51:25to pay for the house.
00:51:27The remaining 1,800
00:51:29and 1,600
00:51:31will be sent to the Philippines.
00:51:33So how much do you have left?
00:51:35200 dirhams.
00:51:36In 2017,
00:51:38when Ria worked in Dubai,
00:51:40all her hard work
00:51:42was for her child.
00:51:44I've been gone for a year.
00:51:45Your child grew up without you.
00:51:48It's painful.
00:51:49Are you okay?
00:51:50Yes, but I need it
00:51:51because I'm all alone.
00:51:52Thank you for my child.
00:51:54He's still a first owner, ma'am.
00:51:56Wow.
00:51:57I'm proud.
00:51:58Mia hasn't seen her children
00:52:00for six years
00:52:02in North Cotabato.
00:52:04It's hard.
00:52:06It's budgetary.
00:52:08They don't know how hard it is.
00:52:10Now they'll see
00:52:12how hard it is to raise a child.
00:52:14The word abroad is good.
00:52:16Yes.
00:52:17But in reality,
00:52:19it's hard.
00:52:21It's hard.
00:52:22It's hard.
00:52:23It's far from home.
00:52:24The Philippines is true
00:52:26in our hearts.
00:52:28It's a friendly country.
00:52:30So wherever we go,
00:52:33we'll bring our country with us.
00:52:37For us who are in the Philippines,
00:52:45The grandeur and wealth
00:52:47of the Emirates here in Dubai
00:52:49can only be seen
00:52:51in their beauty
00:52:53and high-rise buildings.
00:52:58This is also evident
00:52:59in their clothes,
00:53:01especially for women.
00:53:05And one of the in-demand
00:53:07fashion designers here in Dubai,
00:53:10the Suki,
00:53:11comes from the royal family
00:53:13of the Middle East.
00:53:16And the famous international celebrities
00:53:19are none other than
00:53:21our countryman,
00:53:23M5,
00:53:25Michael Sinko.
00:53:27Can we see
00:53:28what you look like without glasses?
00:53:34The question is,
00:53:35how much?
00:53:38More, more.
00:53:39Oh my God.
00:53:40Come on, let's go home.
00:53:44It's nice to see his name,
00:53:46Michael Sinko,
00:53:48Hi.
00:53:51Michael Sinko.
00:53:54You're interviewing me again.
00:53:56It's an honor for me
00:53:57to be with you again.
00:54:00In this room,
00:54:01his wedding gowns
00:54:03are on display.
00:54:09This is the room for bridals.
00:54:11This is the ladies' collection.
00:54:12It's beautiful.
00:54:13It's amazing.
00:54:15As you can see,
00:54:16more on detailed embroideries,
00:54:18a lot of crystal work on it.
00:54:21I saw that skirt
00:54:23on Pia Wertz's dress
00:54:25during the Miss Universe
00:54:26pageant in Manila.
00:54:28And Marian Rivera.
00:54:30Yes.
00:54:31It's very important
00:54:32for a designer
00:54:33to have his own DNA,
00:54:35like design aesthetic.
00:54:37You must have your own look
00:54:39that people will recognize.
00:54:41The daughter of the owner
00:54:42of Swarovski,
00:54:43you made the gown.
00:54:45That's the wedding dress.
00:54:48How long does it take
00:54:50to make this, Michael?
00:54:52It takes thousands of hours
00:54:54to finish it,
00:54:56just for the embroideries.
00:54:58Sometimes,
00:54:59it takes 2 to 3 months.
00:55:01Wow.
00:55:02The question is,
00:55:03how much?
00:55:04Well,
00:55:05how much is how much?
00:55:09The minimum price
00:55:10for the wedding dress is
00:55:11Php 15,000.
00:55:13But you're still making it.
00:55:16So, I'd say
00:55:17it's around Php 5,000,000.
00:55:19More, more.
00:55:20Oh my God.
00:55:21Let's go home.
00:55:23Welcome to the couture world
00:55:25of Michael Sinco.
00:55:29Here in this room,
00:55:31are his couture pieces,
00:55:33or the clothes
00:55:34that his clients
00:55:35really put a lot of effort into.
00:55:37This is made of liquid satin.
00:55:39It's like you're wearing
00:55:40water.
00:55:41Yes.
00:55:42Wow.
00:55:43Here it is.
00:55:44Michael also showed us
00:55:46one of his biggest creations,
00:55:49this robe,
00:55:51which is over 20 meters long.
00:55:54Wow.
00:55:55It's amazing.
00:55:56So, you can see
00:55:57a lot of Egyptian symbols
00:55:59and Egyptian hieroglyphs.
00:56:01His inspiration here
00:56:03is one of the most famous
00:56:06queens of Egypt,
00:56:08Queen Nefertiti.
00:56:10When the Egyptian government
00:56:11saw this collection,
00:56:12they invited us
00:56:13to go to Cairo
00:56:14to do the exhibition.
00:56:16It's a robe,
00:56:17so you just have to pull it.
00:56:18Oh, it's just a robe.
00:56:19Yes, it's a robe.
00:56:20You're wearing it.
00:56:21Yes, I'm wearing it.
00:56:25Wow.
00:56:27It's his own trip.
00:56:28It's his own trip.
00:56:30It's beautiful.
00:56:32What an honor.
00:56:33I'm wearing the biggest,
00:56:35or one of the biggest gowns
00:56:37and heaviest
00:56:38that Michael Sinco made.
00:56:40It's just heavy,
00:56:41to be honest.
00:56:42To all of my fans,
00:56:45where are you from?
00:56:47Let's go!
00:56:53And we're just here.
00:56:55I didn't miss the chance
00:56:57to have my own
00:56:59Michael Sinco piece
00:57:00made by Michael.
00:57:02I was given an award
00:57:04here in Dubai,
00:57:05so I made a jacket
00:57:07over my dress.
00:57:09I'm going to fit it now.
00:57:11I'm just nervous
00:57:12how much it's going to be.
00:57:17Very classy.
00:57:18It's beautiful.
00:57:19The sleeves are too big.
00:57:21Maybe a little smaller.
00:57:23You look like you're wearing clothes.
00:57:26I cried when he said
00:57:27I look like Michael Sinco.
00:57:29I will take that as a
00:57:30very nice compliment.
00:57:40What are the chances
00:57:42in one frame,
00:57:44Michael Sinco and Ezra?
00:57:46What does Dubai have
00:57:47that you two are here?
00:57:49We used to work
00:57:50as an in-house designer
00:57:51before we established
00:57:52our own business.
00:57:53You can paint whatever you want,
00:57:55and there's no limit
00:57:56with the budget.
00:57:57Growing up here,
00:57:58I'm a victim of discrimination.
00:58:00But you know what's my secret?
00:58:02What?
00:58:03I kill them with my talent
00:58:04and kindness.
00:58:05Filipinos are adaptable.
00:58:07Michael has a lot of
00:58:09big names.
00:58:11I first met him
00:58:13in 2011.
00:58:15It was my first TV exposure.
00:58:17Really?
00:58:18Yes.
00:58:19What an honor
00:58:20that we introduced you
00:58:22to Philippine TV.
00:58:23No, it was my honor.
00:58:24Let's do a little throwback, Michael.
00:58:26Tell us about your stint
00:58:29or break
00:58:30that you got
00:58:31in America's Top Model.
00:58:34This was my first ever
00:58:36interview.
00:58:37And I'm so proud
00:58:39and I'm very grateful
00:58:40that it was you.
00:58:41It's my honor, Michael.
00:58:43What stayed with me
00:58:45is what you said
00:58:46when I interviewed you.
00:58:47When I was a kid,
00:58:48I was very ambitious.
00:58:50And I liked to dream
00:58:53about things when I was awake.
00:58:55I feel like that window
00:58:57is a French window.
00:58:58The sea of summer
00:58:59that I imagine
00:59:00is a French Riviera.
00:59:02You know sometimes
00:59:03when you grow up to a place
00:59:04it's not really as grand,
00:59:06as beautiful
00:59:07as I imagined.
00:59:08So your imagination
00:59:09run in wild abandon.
00:59:11You became creative
00:59:12without the resources.
00:59:14You make your own dreams.
00:59:16Here in Katbalogan, Samar,
00:59:19Michael was inspired
00:59:20by the simplicity of life.
00:59:22Fifth,
00:59:23the 8 siblings.
00:59:25When we were kids,
00:59:26we didn't have an electric fan.
00:59:27We only had electricity.
00:59:29We always walked
00:59:31when we went to school.
00:59:32We didn't have our own house.
00:59:34But this wasn't the only obstacle
00:59:36for Michael to realize
00:59:38his dream
00:59:39of becoming a fashion designer.
00:59:41And his first client
00:59:43was his sister, Myla.
00:59:45When we were kids,
00:59:46when Miss Universe
00:59:48would play,
00:59:49she would be the one
00:59:50who would dress me up.
00:59:51It was just blankets.
00:59:53And whenever there was no class,
00:59:54her friends would be there.
00:59:56They would cut paper dolls.
00:59:59Every time we had classes,
01:00:01we would have a contest.
01:00:02She would make our costumes.
01:00:04At an early age,
01:00:05she was very focused on her work.
01:00:06But her first client, Benito,
01:00:08was a role model for Michael's dreams.
01:00:11Of course, when you're
01:00:12LGBTQ plus community,
01:00:15you always have problems
01:00:16with your parents
01:00:17when you're growing up.
01:00:18But her mother, Restituta,
01:00:20accepted who she was.
01:00:22When she went to college,
01:00:23Michael pursued his big dream
01:00:26in the big city.
01:00:27She studied in Manila.
01:00:29She worked
01:00:30with a few of her favorite designers.
01:00:32Until 1993,
01:00:34she was in Saudi Arabia.
01:00:37I was shocked by the culture there.
01:00:39But being Filipino,
01:00:40I easily adapted to the culture.
01:00:42But her big break
01:00:44happened when she moved to Dubai
01:00:46in 1997.
01:00:48I was assistant designer
01:00:49of one of the biggest fashion houses
01:00:51here in Dubai.
01:00:53And the first client
01:00:54that they gave me at that time
01:00:56was one of the royal families.
01:00:58Luckily, they liked it.
01:01:00Because of her hard work,
01:01:02Michael's family in Samar
01:01:04no longer live in their house.
01:01:08Michael built them a mansion
01:01:11that looks like a White House
01:01:14in America.
01:01:21Not long after,
01:01:22Michael came home
01:01:23to be welcomed as a brother
01:01:25at the first festival
01:01:27in Katbalogan, Samar,
01:01:28where he presented
01:01:30some of his masterpieces.
01:01:33His support for the talent
01:01:36of his fellow Filipino designers
01:01:38was not in vain.
01:01:39In fact,
01:01:40he was even mentioned
01:01:42when he designed these.
01:01:45Beautiful things in this world
01:01:46are not free.
01:01:47In other words,
01:01:48you have to pay.
01:01:51Do you want to clarify anything?
01:01:52Yeah, I just want to clarify.
01:01:53I saw a famous influencer
01:01:55and a famous celebrity
01:01:57who bought the same clothes.
01:02:00So I said,
01:02:01why do these celebrities
01:02:03and famous influencers
01:02:05have the same popularity?
01:02:08But why do the Filipino designers
01:02:10not want to pay?
01:02:12So the point was,
01:02:13you are not annoyed
01:02:15by those who make you pay.
01:02:17Yes.
01:02:18You are annoyed
01:02:19that they flatter foreigners.
01:02:23It's okay, Libri,
01:02:24if it's the Filipino designer
01:02:25who really wants
01:02:26to dress them up.
01:02:27I think you have to value
01:02:29the craftsmanship
01:02:31and the time
01:02:32of the Filipino designers.
01:02:33I also didn't let go
01:02:35of asking
01:02:36what's in the minds
01:02:37of many of us.
01:02:38Why do you always wear shades?
01:02:40I'm a very shy person.
01:02:42When there are a lot of people,
01:02:43when they see
01:02:44how big your face is,
01:02:45they can't forgive you.
01:02:47Because when you arrive,
01:02:48there's no forgiveness here, Madam.
01:02:52So you can't apologize.
01:02:53You can't apologize.
01:02:55Actually, the real reason,
01:02:57I think 14 years ago,
01:02:59I had a very severe
01:03:00vertigo attack
01:03:01that I thought
01:03:02I was going to die.
01:03:03My doctor told me
01:03:04not to wear bright colors.
01:03:07Can we see
01:03:08what you look like
01:03:09without glasses?
01:03:12Or how much?
01:03:15I don't think we can.
01:03:17We have prepared
01:03:19a surprise for Michael
01:03:21from the Philippines
01:03:22to Dubai with love.
01:03:25Please continue
01:03:26to be an inspiration
01:03:28and blessing to others
01:03:30through your generosity,
01:03:32kindness,
01:03:33and positive outlook on life.
01:03:35This is one of my best friends.
01:03:37Thank you for everything.
01:03:39I'm always here.
01:03:40I love you.
01:03:44Michael,
01:03:46thank you
01:03:47for everything.
01:03:48I love you.
01:03:49Your mother is so generous.
01:03:50She's wearing glasses.
01:03:52She invited you.
01:03:54Give this to your mom.
01:03:55Yes.
01:03:57Thank you so much.
01:03:58You know what?
01:03:59My mother is very religious.
01:04:00She's the one who taught me
01:04:01to believe in God,
01:04:03to always have big faith.
01:04:04Oh, thank you so much.
01:04:05I cried.
01:04:08When you don't have
01:04:09really the means in life,
01:04:11what you have to do
01:04:12is to just pray.
01:04:14And I'm very glad
01:04:15my mother taught me that.
01:04:16What if in Katbalogan
01:04:18or somewhere in Samar,
01:04:20you have a child like yours,
01:04:22what do you want to tell him?
01:04:25Anything in this world is possible.
01:04:27No matter where you come from,
01:04:28if you believe that
01:04:30you can make all your dreams come true
01:04:32if you work hard,
01:04:33then dreams will happen.
01:04:35To dream your impossible dream.
01:04:37Thank you, Michael.
01:04:39Thank you so much.
01:04:40It's always a pleasure.
01:04:41It's really an honor for me
01:04:42to be interviewed again.
01:04:44And I'm so blessed
01:04:46because you're the first ever
01:04:47who trusted me.
01:04:48You're the first show
01:04:49who ever interviewed me
01:04:51when I was still unknown
01:04:52at that time.
01:04:53Because you deserve it.
01:04:54Because of you.
01:04:55You called the Philippines
01:04:56your home.
01:04:57Not just here in Dubai,
01:04:59but even in America,
01:05:00in Hollywood.
01:05:01Proud of you.
01:05:02I'm always proud to be Filipino.
01:05:03Yes.
01:05:04Ikayan Jayasaya!
01:05:06Yay!
01:05:15Here in Dubai,
01:05:16there are restaurants
01:05:17that are also familiar
01:05:19to us Filipinos.
01:05:22Korean BBQ restaurants
01:05:24or Samgyupsal.
01:05:26Wow, it's a different kind.
01:05:27It's really tasty.
01:05:29One of the dinerayos here
01:05:31is owned by a Filipino.
01:05:34Let's go inside.
01:05:35Tubong Las Piñas City,
01:05:37which is owned by Jennifer,
01:05:38is now filling up
01:05:40for the people of Dubai.
01:05:41Who would have thought
01:05:42that the restaurant owner
01:05:45who is now Jennifer,
01:05:47used to be a garbage collector.
01:05:49At the age of 5 years old,
01:05:50we used to collect garbage
01:05:51before going to school.
01:05:52That's how we made a living.
01:05:53How come after becoming
01:05:55a garbage collector,
01:05:56Jennifer now earns
01:05:58more or less
01:06:0016 million pesos
01:06:02every month?
01:06:03In the story of
01:06:04the person who used to collect garbage,
01:06:06let's find out.
01:06:15Jennifer used to live
01:06:16in a barong-barong.
01:06:18There were 6 of us siblings
01:06:20in our house.
01:06:21We slept on the floor.
01:06:23We didn't have electricity.
01:06:25Jennifer's father
01:06:26is a carpenter.
01:06:27But he got sick.
01:06:29So her mother
01:06:30only earns
01:06:31from her mother-in-law.
01:06:33She made enough
01:06:34for her siblings
01:06:36to live.
01:06:37It really hurts
01:06:38because I'm the only one
01:06:39who's looking for a job.
01:06:42I really want to eat.
01:06:43Even if it's just bread.
01:06:44But there's none.
01:06:45I experienced that
01:06:46there's no money in school.
01:06:47I see other students
01:06:49with white socks.
01:06:50While I'm already naked.
01:06:52There's envy and sadness.
01:06:55Why do they have that?
01:06:56Why don't we have that?
01:06:59Because of this,
01:07:00Jennifer
01:07:01was born early.
01:07:03At the age of 5 years old,
01:07:04we used to collect garbage
01:07:05before going to school.
01:07:10I don't look at the tiredness,
01:07:12the hardship,
01:07:13the weight,
01:07:14the days.
01:07:15What's important to me
01:07:16is that I have money
01:07:17that I didn't ask my mother for.
01:07:20She says that
01:07:21she also experiences
01:07:22a bit of laziness
01:07:23while collecting garbage.
01:07:24We were at home.
01:07:25A man came out
01:07:26and he looked drunk.
01:07:27He said to me,
01:07:28come in the room.
01:07:29I ran in.
01:07:30I cried a lot.
01:07:32What's more painful is
01:07:33that not only
01:07:34her mother-in-law
01:07:35became cruel to her,
01:07:36but also her own father.
01:07:38She pushes us
01:07:39to be siblings
01:07:40because of a small mistake.
01:07:41Do you think
01:07:42this is love?
01:07:44To avoid
01:07:45their father's abuse,
01:07:47Jennifer
01:07:48entered the house.
01:07:50But this is not the end
01:07:51of her calvary.
01:07:52Her master
01:07:53imprisoned her.
01:07:55He forced me
01:07:56to take his money.
01:07:57I cried a lot.
01:08:00Even though we are poor,
01:08:03our mother didn't teach us
01:08:04how to steal.
01:08:05When my father died,
01:08:06I told my mother,
01:08:07I will steal.
01:08:09When she arrived in Dubai,
01:08:10Jennifer became a waitress.
01:08:12She entered
01:08:13all kinds of markets.
01:08:15She sold coins,
01:08:16rice,
01:08:17and makeup.
01:08:18Her clients
01:08:19are also our countrymen.
01:08:21I saw the opportunity
01:08:22in Dubai.
01:08:23If you are hardworking,
01:08:24you can earn a lot.
01:08:27She also became
01:08:28an encyclopedia dealer.
01:08:30Here, she became a client
01:08:31to the countryman, Rito.
01:08:33Later,
01:08:34he became a mister.
01:08:35I fell in love with him.
01:08:36We got married in Dubai
01:08:37and we lived in Dubai.
01:08:40Jennifer and Rito
01:08:41had three children.
01:08:43But their relationship
01:08:44ended when Riko
01:08:45lost his job.
01:08:47The more I work,
01:08:48the more I save,
01:08:49he is the one
01:08:50who loses.
01:08:51And it hurts me
01:08:52because it's hard
01:08:53to earn money.
01:08:55Their defeat
01:08:56led them to physicality.
01:08:58He took my wallet.
01:08:59I was so scared.
01:09:02Jennifer
01:09:03was completely separated
01:09:04by the mister
01:09:05and their children
01:09:06were left alone.
01:09:08Even until now,
01:09:09I still remember
01:09:10how hard it was.
01:09:11You know,
01:09:12why did they
01:09:13have a good life?
01:09:14Why did you
01:09:15have three jobs
01:09:16but you still couldn't
01:09:17survive?
01:09:18It's still not enough.
01:09:23But at the time,
01:09:24she was the most depressed.
01:09:26She found again
01:09:27a new companion
01:09:29in life,
01:09:30in the body
01:09:31of an American,
01:09:32Dog.
01:09:33I met Sir Dog
01:09:34with a common friend.
01:09:35It's like
01:09:36love at first sight.
01:09:38This woman is beautiful
01:09:39and I can see myself
01:09:40being with her
01:09:41for a long time.
01:09:42I can see myself
01:09:43just connecting with her.
01:09:44You know,
01:09:45how we automatically
01:09:46just clicked.
01:09:47How we had the same likes,
01:09:48how we had the same desires,
01:09:49had the same passion.
01:09:51Jennifer and Dog
01:09:52didn't just
01:09:53rely on each other
01:09:54but also
01:09:55on business.
01:09:56She worked so hard
01:09:57to support the kids
01:09:58and that's when
01:09:59we had the idea
01:10:00to come up with the restaurant.
01:10:01This was the perfect woman
01:10:02to join with.
01:10:04Their idea
01:10:05to build a business
01:10:06was a Korean BBQ restaurant
01:10:08or Samgyupsalan.
01:10:10Their Samgyupsalan
01:10:12was slowly
01:10:13being sold out.
01:10:14Our customers
01:10:15always come from
01:10:16different places
01:10:17here in Abu Dhabi.
01:10:18I can't tell you,
01:10:19Boss,
01:10:20she's just like
01:10:21a friend
01:10:22who's easy to get close to.
01:10:23In the past,
01:10:24Jennifer
01:10:25would only get
01:10:26a small amount
01:10:27of money
01:10:28for a whole day.
01:10:29Now,
01:10:30what her Samgyupsalan
01:10:31earn
01:10:32is only
01:10:33around
01:10:3416 million pesos
01:10:35per month.
01:10:36Awesome!
01:10:37It's hard
01:10:38to be poor.
01:10:39You're hungry
01:10:40but there's no food.
01:10:41Now in Dubai,
01:10:42we have four restaurants.
01:10:44She worked so hard
01:10:45to move up to where
01:10:46she is right now.
01:10:47That's why
01:10:48the former resident
01:10:49of Barong-Barong
01:10:50has now
01:10:51built
01:10:52her own house
01:10:53in Dubai.
01:10:54Jennifer
01:10:55has also built
01:10:56her own house
01:10:57in the Philippines.
01:10:58This house
01:10:59is now
01:11:00a three-story house
01:11:02in Pampanga.
01:11:03One of the secrets
01:11:05of Jennifer
01:11:06is to be
01:11:07strict
01:11:08and practical
01:11:09in life.
01:11:10We don't buy
01:11:11expensive things.
01:11:12Sometimes,
01:11:13we even fight.
01:11:14I'm proud of her.
01:11:15She's the only
01:11:16child
01:11:17that she really
01:11:18gave her life,
01:11:19her family,
01:11:20and her children.
01:11:22I'm really proud of her
01:11:23because she really
01:11:24worked hard
01:11:25from the bottom
01:11:26and now she's
01:11:27at the top.
01:11:28I feel really blessed
01:11:29to have her as my mom.
01:11:30Not long ago,
01:11:31Jennifer and Dog
01:11:32went home
01:11:33to the Philippines.
01:11:34Welcome to Philippines!
01:11:36And one of Jennifer's
01:11:37visitors
01:11:38is their former
01:11:39residence
01:11:40in Las Piñas.
01:11:41This is where I grew up.
01:11:42This area
01:11:43is full of squatters.
01:11:47I remember
01:11:50how hard it was for us.
01:11:56There were moments
01:11:57when we had to
01:11:59eat,
01:12:00but there was no food.
01:12:02It's an old
01:12:03memory
01:12:04of our
01:12:05return.
01:12:10The restaurant owner,
01:12:11Jennifer,
01:12:12Let's go inside!
01:12:13used to be
01:12:14a garbage collector.
01:12:15At the age of 5 years old,
01:12:16we used to collect garbage
01:12:17before going to school.
01:12:18That's how we lived.
01:12:19How did she become
01:12:20a garbage collector?
01:12:22Now, Jennifer
01:12:23earns
01:12:24more than
01:12:2516 million pesos
01:12:26a month
01:12:27a month!
01:12:28It's hard
01:12:29to be poor.
01:12:30You're hungry,
01:12:31but there's no food.
01:12:32Now, in Dubai,
01:12:33we have four restaurants.
01:12:35Not long ago,
01:12:36Jennifer and Dog
01:12:37went home
01:12:38to the Philippines.
01:12:39Welcome to Philippines!
01:12:41And one of
01:12:42Jennifer's visitors
01:12:43is their former
01:12:44residence
01:12:45in Las Piñas.
01:12:46This is where
01:12:47I grew up.
01:12:48This area
01:12:49is full of squatters.
01:12:50There's a banana tree
01:12:51over there.
01:12:52Our house is over there.
01:12:58I remember
01:12:59how hard it was
01:13:00back then.
01:13:04There were moments
01:13:05when we needed
01:13:06to eat,
01:13:07but there was
01:13:08no food.
01:13:12I can't even
01:13:13imagine
01:13:14that I went
01:13:15through
01:13:16that kind of life.
01:13:19I remember
01:13:20when I was
01:13:215 years old,
01:13:22I went to
01:13:23school.
01:13:24I went to
01:13:25school
01:13:26in the Philippines.
01:13:32Jennifer,
01:13:33who used to
01:13:34have no food,
01:13:35is now
01:13:36serving snacks
01:13:37to the children
01:13:38in the area.
01:13:40And because
01:13:41she values
01:13:42education,
01:13:43Jennifer also
01:13:44gave a scholarship
01:13:45program
01:13:46to the children
01:13:47who were
01:13:48with her in the church.
01:13:50Oh, my love letter.
01:13:51Thank you!
01:13:52I hope that
01:13:53this letter
01:13:54will help
01:13:55the students
01:13:56and especially
01:13:57those who
01:13:58are trying
01:13:59to study.
01:14:06Thank you very much
01:14:07because I am one
01:14:08of the students.
01:14:09I will study hard
01:14:10so that I can
01:14:11repay you
01:14:12for everything
01:14:13you've done for me.
01:14:14Thank you!
01:14:22If you are
01:14:23in pain
01:14:24but because
01:14:25you are
01:14:26full of blessing,
01:14:27I hope that
01:14:28you will
01:14:29persevere
01:14:30to reach
01:14:31your goal.
01:14:32When the time
01:14:33comes,
01:14:34you will cry
01:14:35not because
01:14:36you are in pain
01:14:37but because
01:14:38you are
01:14:39full of blessing.
01:14:54Thank you for watching!
01:14:55Mga Kapuso!
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