Meet Contestant No. 12: JIMMY NAIVE JR.

Jong, or Jimmy as he is fondly known at work, hails from Mindanao, the southern island of the Philippines. He is the youngest in a family of 6. From a tender age of 8 he was trained to work around the house under the watchful eyes of his grandmother. While the rest of the family were busy tending the fields, Jong took care of the house. Cooking, doing the laundry and running errands at the market were a few of his daily routines.

Life was arduous for Jong. Due to financial constraints he went to a vocational school which offered short-time courses where he took up Computer Hardware Servicing. But then he felt that he wanted more, so he also took up Healthcare Services.

At the age of 24, he experienced his greatest hardship when his mother fell sick. Jong became the primary caregiver of his mom who was later diagnosed with kidney failure. He lost his mother 3 years ago. Instead of sulking and questioning the adversities of life, Jong applied and landed a job here in Singapore. He worked as a Healthcare Assistant in one of the disability homes. He is a hardworking and passionate worker and not long enough he was given the opportunity for a career progression. He was then offered an ITE course where he took up Basic Nursing skills, he attended for a year and successfully passed the exam with flying colours. He is now continuing his passion in taking care of the sick and needy as a Nursing Aide.

It took Jong several twists and turns in his journey of seeking his purpose in life. There were times when he had setbacks, times when he almost gave up, times when he questioned his abilities. But every time he deals with uncertainties his Filipino blood screams for him to hang on. After all Filipinos are not called “the resilient race” for nothing. So he pushed hard and is still pushing hard towards his dreams and aspirations. He is where he is today because he chose to get back up and move forward.

For Jong, his job in the disability home helps him fulfil his purpose in life. It makes him happy to see sick people get better and being able to live their lives normally again.