Photo 1: Mr. Daing Syawal, Venetian Macao Director of Housekeeping; Ms. Edna Dioses, PAL Macau Station Supervisor; Ms. Lilybeth R. Deapera, Consul General at the Philippine Consulate General in Macau; Mrs. Jhunnafe Mijares; Mr. Loreto Mijares, awardee; Mr. Pedro de Oliveira Gomes, Venetian Macao Assistant Vice President of Human Resources and Legal Labor Affairs; Mr. Paolo Martel, Managing Director of Ikon Solutions Asia Inc.; Labor Attaché II Vivian F. Tornea

“Bayanihan” (pronounced as buy-un-nee-hun) is a Filipino concept started in a town or community which refers to a spirit of communal unity, work and cooperation to achieve one goal. It has been part of the Filipino tradition wherein people lend a hand to help another or family in the community whether it’s moving a house or any personal needs, which eventually became a notable Filipino trait “being a bayani or hero”.

This spirit of Bayanihan was very much alive in Mr. Loreto Mijares, an Overseas Filipino Worker, deployed through the POEA’s leading licensed recruitment agency Ikon Solutions Asia Inc. to work as a Housekeeping Attendant at the Parisian Macau.  Despite the furious winds and floodwaters, Loreto stood on a roof of a car to rescue and save the lives of an elderly Chinese couple during the recent typhoon “Hato” in Macau on August 23, 2017.  Risking his own life for complete strangers, this heroic act is commendable and needs to be recognized.

Ikon Solutions Asia Inc. is currently working with Bagong Bayani Foundation, Inc. (BBFI) in recognizing and nominating, Loreto Mijares as a new hero of today and the overseas Filipino worker.

“The Bagong Bayani Awards (BBA) is a worldwide search for the country’s outstanding and exemplary Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). The BBA seeks to recognize and pay tribute to OFWs for their significant efforts in fostering goodwill among peoples of the world, enhancing and promoting the image of the Filipino as a competent, responsible and dignified worker, and for greatly contributing to the socio-economic development of their communities and the country as a whole.”

Loreto Mijares was given a certificate of appreciation by Ikon.  In addition, Philippine Airlines will present a roundtrip Macau – Manila- Macau ticket to Mijares, as a token of appreciation for his “Kabayanihan.”  Philippine Airlines, the national carrier of the Philippines, supports this move to recognize outstanding and exemplary Overseas Filipino Workers.    

Photo 2: Mrs. Jhunnafe Mijares; Mr. Loreto Mijares, awardee; Mr. Paolo Martel, Managing Director of Ikon Solutions Asia Inc.

The Parisian Macao where Loreto Mijares is employed is a multi-awarded luxury hotel in Macau, this integrated resort is inspired by the magic and wonder of the famed “City of Light” – Paris and features a half-scale authentic recreation of the Eiffel Tower and has become the ‘must-see destination’ in Macau. The Parisian Macao includes approximately 3,000 guestrooms, 150 luxury and lifestyle duty-free retail shops, international restaurants and a pool deck with a themed water park.  This resort is also linked to The Venetian Macao and the Shoppes at Four Seasons allowing guests and visitors to enjoy the full Sands Resorts Cotai Strip experience with an additional 650 retail shops, 150 restaurants and luxury hotels.

Ikon Solutions is a full service licensed recruitment agency with offices in Manila, Cebu, Davao, Macau and Hong Kong. Ikon specializes in recruiting personnel from all corners of the Philippines and concentrates on providing staff of all levels for the Hospitality, Healthcare, Technical and other industries.

Ikon is currently recruiting and manpower pooling for several properties in Macau and is looking for qualified candidates in the areas of Food and Beverage, Front Office, Housekeeping, Security and more. For further inquiries, please visit www.ikonlink.com or email contact@ikonlink.com.