In keeping with Positively Filipino’s goal of celebrating the 13-million-strong (and counting) Filipino diaspora, we are launching a new series titled Overseas Filipino Achievers. The series recognizes outstanding Filipinos making their mark in various countries around the world. It builds on our popular and long-running feature, “FilAms Among the Remarkable and Famous.”

But we need your help. If you know Filipinos outside the Philippines and the United States who are doing exceptional work in their adopted countries, please send their names, supporting documents or links, and photos to pfpublisher@yahoo.com.

UNITED KINGDOM

Reynaldo Z. Lachica, Chemist and Engineer

In 2002, Lachica joined Robertson Research International Ltd in the United Kingdom as a Senior Inorganics Chemist. Over the years he worked on power plant projects across the globe. His expertise in commissioning newly-built power plants along with his comprehensive knowledge of industrial water treatment, has been instrumental in ensuring the successful start-up and operation of these energy infrastructure projects. With over 18 years of experience in various plant chemistry processes and the utilization of modern analytical laboratory instrumentations and online analyzers, Lachica possesses a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies involved in optimizing power plant operations. His current project involves the start-up of the 660MW Coal-Fired Power Plant in Ptolemais, Greece.

Edison David, Educator

David, a London‑based Filipino educator, has been named Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2025 New Year Honours List for his outstanding contribution to education in the United Kingdom. He received the honor from Prince William on behalf of King Charles III at a royal investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on 13 May 2026, wearing a bespoke barong from Lumban, Laguna.

In the honors list published in The Gazette, David was recognized for his work as executive headteacher at Granton Primary School in Lambeth. This prestigious accolade acknowledges individuals whose sustained commitment and service have made a significant, long‑term impact on their communities and fields. David, 53, is believed to be the first Filipino British person to receive an MBE in the field of education.

Aimee Alado-Blake, Lawyer

Alado-Blake is an international lawyer, cross-border adviser, and hybrid entrepreneur specializing in sustainable infrastructure, climate transition, and cross-border investment between the United Kingdom and Southeast Asia. A part-time UK civil servant, she brings more than two decades of experience across the public, private, and third sectors, with expertise in governance, regulatory risk, and complex stakeholder environments. Her work sits at the intersection of policy, finance, and infrastructure delivery, particularly in energy, waste, and climate-resilient development.

In her private capacity, she is the Chair of the ASEAN UK Business Forum (AUBF), which advances trade and investment corridors between the UK and Southeast Asia. She is also a social and impact investor committed to the Blue Economy and circular economy models, and a Trustee of WELL Trust, which supports post-disaster rebuilding and livelihood programs in communities affected by Typhoon Haiyan in Capiz, Philippines. Based in London, she mobilizes trusted partnerships for a resilient future.

NEW ZEALAND

Jay Aranas, Director, Right Education

In 2007 together with his wife and four children, Aranas migrated to New Zealand, In 2014, they gained citizenship. As a Skilled Migrant in Auckland, he worked as a Business Development Manager for IT and Telco companies and as a Sales Consultant for service companies. Right Education provides new students hoping to study in New Zealand with guidance, assistance, and support to succeed in their chosen qualification and thrive in the new environment. Services include course selection and admission, visa application assistance, post-graduation support and pastoral care.

AUSTRALIA

Roxanne Sarthou, Community Leader

Ms. Sarthou is a respected community leader in Australia’s multicultural sector, serving as National President of the Filipino Communities Council of Australia, Inc. (FILCCA) and Chief Executive Officer of the Filipino Community Council of Victoria, Inc. (FCCVi). Under her leadership, FCCVi has grown into Australia’s largest Filipino charity and a leading ethno-specific aged care provider, expanding its impact across aged care and multicultural communities.

Roxanne leverages more than 20 years of experience across Australia’s premier financial institutions—including NAB, ANZ, and MLC. By integrating robust governance frameworks with sustainable business practices, she has consistently enhanced the fiscal health and structural stability of the organizations she serves. She brings a community-driven approach to diaspora economic engagement, promoting entrepreneurship, strategic partnerships, and pathways for long-term sustainability.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)

Pia Fajelagutan, Airline Recruiter

Pia Fajelagutan *(Source: Abu Dhabi Book Fair)*

Fajelagutan is the Lead Talent Acquisition at Riyadh Air, a Saudi airline. She is also a published poet, a former artist-in-residence at The Crypt Gallery in London, and a member of the Riyadh Writers community, where she exhibited at the group’s inaugural conference this year. She has facilitated workshops at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

Her decade-plus in aviation recruitment has taken her from Emirates, where scale and speed demanded rapid growth, to Etihad Airways, where she rose to Recruitment Manager, and to Global Aerospace Logistics, where the work carried a more precise, military-adjacent weight. Each role, she says, “taught me a different language of leadership, of solidarity, of people.” She was there for the selection of the first Emirati astronauts and she helped build the workforce behind Zayed International Airport.

“I want to leave every space, however briefly I pass through it, a little more human than I found it,” she says.

Ezra Santos, Fashion Designer

Santos arrived in Dubai in 1993 and by 2004 he established Ezra Couture, a label that has dressed Arab royalty, Hollywood A-listers like Lady Gaga, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Scherzinger, and beauty queens from across the globe. Growing up in Pasay City, he would come home at 3 p.m. and lose himself in black-and-white films from the 1940s and 1950s. The leading ladies. The way the fabric moved. The silhouettes that made women look both powerful and effortless. Those images never left him. “The glamour and fashion of the ’40s and ’50s will always be part of my design aesthetics,” he says. “It is always a fashion inspiration to many.” That cinematic foundation is visible in every Ezra Couture piece and its unapologetic Filipinoness. He will weave indigenous Philippine materials and design traditions into his international collections like abaca, piña, traditional weaves—fabrics that many global designers would overlook. His best experience was creating the wedding gown of Sheikha Mahra, daughter of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

Albert Tranquilino, Owner of Darcy Flowers

Tranquilino is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Darcy Flowers, a luxury floral brand based in the United Arab Emirates known for its bespoke floral arrangements, creative design concepts, and signature philosophy of “Joy Beyond Flowers.” Under his leadership, Darcy Flowers has grown into a recognized name in Dubai’s premium floral and events industry, serving high-end events, corporate clients, and private celebrations.

His journey began in the Philippines, where he was first introduced to floristry at the age of 12 while working in a local flower and funeral shop. This early exposure sparked a lifelong passion that eventually led him to establish Darcy Flowers in 2018. Through years of dedication, creativity, and perseverance, he built the brand into a successful business in the UAE. Today, he continues to lead its vision and creative direction, driven by innovation, teamwork, and a commitment to delivering meaningful floral experiences that connect people beyond flowers.

Lyndon Magsino, Finance Executive

Magsino is a seasoned finance executive and global advisor, currently serving as Chief Financial Officer of VisionX International. With a strong background in audit, risk, and financial advisory, he has worked with big four consulting firm, providing strategic guidance to central banks, as well as global and regional financial institutions across the Middle East.

He earned his Executive MBA from Hult International Business School in Boston, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and further strengthened his leadership credentials through the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School. Previously, he served as Chief Audit Officer of the Maharlika Investment Corporation, leading audit functions for the Philippines’ sovereign wealth fund. Beyond his corporate achievements, Magsino is an active leader in the Filipino community and currently serves as Chairman of the Philippine Professional Organization in the UAE.

Dr. Rex Bacarra, Educator

Bacarra is an academic and educator currently serving as Assistant Professor at Rabdan Academy (Zayed Military University) in the UAE where he teaches ethics to future military leaders. Prior to this, he held academic and administrative positions at Curtin University Dubai, Dean of General education at the American College of Dubai, and Director for Administrative Services at San Besa College-Alabang in the Philippines. Bacarra has been granted the UAE Golden Visa, reflecting the high level of trust and recognition from the UAE government.

Jeni Kar Linao and Aldrin Joseph Linao, Owners of Maria Paz Pastry and Café

Jeni Kar Linao and Aldrin Joseph Linao *(Source: Facebook)*

Jeni was a nurse in the Philippines who moved to Abu Dhabi where she met Joseph, who moved there when he was 19 years old. They have two children. To earn additional income, they opened a Maria Paz Pastry and Café franchise. They have two branches now in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and hope to open more branches and even a restaurant in the near future.

SINGAPORE

Edmon Alvarea Zaraspe, Engineer

Edmon Alvarea Zaraspe *(Source: Instagram)*

Zaraspe, 48, began his career as an entry-level technician in the Philippines before building more than two decades of experience across over 20 countries. He made history as the first Filipino and first Southeast Asian appointed as Regional Director of the American Welding Society, one of the world's leading welding organizations. Now based in Singapore, he leads regional initiatives covering nine countries across Southeast Asia.

Generoso “Jun” Ferrer, Jr., Nurse and Entrepreneur

Generoso “Jun” Ferrer, Jr. *(Source: Global Filipino Magazine/Facebook)*

Ferrer, who once worked as a nurse in Qatar, has built a health technology business in Singapore centered on the belief that most chronic illnesses begin not in hospitals, but in the home kitchen. He now leads SASO Health Technology Solutions, serving as an authorized dealer of a premium American cookware brand while training fellow Filipinos to build their own businesses.

The Magazine

Overseas Filipino Achievers, Part 7