Overseas Filipinos Achievers, Part 3

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.

GREENLAND
Danielli Rubias-Henriksen

Danielli Rubias-Henriksen has been living in Nuuk, Greenland, since 2008. She is known for her blog “From Ibajay to Nuuk” and was featured in the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq for her insights on integration and life in the world’s second northernmost capital. She advocates for proactive, personal efforts for immigrants to integrate into Greenlandic society. In her blog, Henriksen describes how the responsibility to integrate often falls on the immigrant rather than the government. She says, “Being fully aware that an ‘integration program’ for someone like me is non-existent in this country, I had come to a point of self-realization that here in Greenland, it is rather a personal choice if someone wants to be integrated. And that means it’s more of me who will do the work to make it happen and simply not just wait for Kalalliit Nunaat to make me feel I belong.”

QATAR
Dr. Rosanna Millar Barrera

Dr. Rosanna Millar Barrera (Source: Facebook)

Dr. Rosanna Millar Barrera is a dentist and educator based in Qatar. She graduated from Centro Escolar University-Manila, undertook advanced orthodontic training, and is completing an MBA in Healthcare Management in England. She previously served as president of the Filipino Dentist Organization Qatar and currently leads Pilipino Sa Qatar as its president. Her contributions to both healthcare and the arts have earned international recognition.

Engineer Liza Lorena Abinal

Liza Lorena Abinal (Source: LinkedIn)

Engineer Liza Lorena Abinal is a licensed civil engineer, Associate ASEAN Engineer, PMP-certified, and an MME-registered professional in Qatar. She is currently a Technical Engineer at Innospace Contracting in Qatar.

Michael Conjusta

Michael Conjusta (Source: Instagram)

Michael Conjusta is an artist who has been living in Doha, Qatar, since 1998. He received the 2025 New Hero Award, 2025 Bagong Bayani Award, and the 2026 Filipino Global Icon Award. He is known in the Qatar art scene not only for his vibrant murals and award-winning exhibitions but also for his deep admiration for Argentina’s football superstar, Lionel Messi. He was hired by Qatari authorities to paint graffiti murals during the 2022 World Cup. His move to Qatar was primarily to support his family of seven in the Philippines. His work also includes decorating homes, malls, and government properties.

OMAN
Emalyn Famolis

Emalyn Famolis (Source: Facebook)

Emalyn Famolis is the president of SAMAKO (Samahan ng mga Kasambahay sa Oman), a community organization supporting household service workers in Oman. It focuses on providing a platform for mutual support, empowerment, and skills training for Filipino workers in Oman.

UAE, DUBAI
Jane Cabusas Espante

Jane Cabusas Espante (Source: Instagram)

A proud daughter of Compostela, Cebu, Jane Cabusas Espante claimed the 2026 Cezve/Ibrik World Championship while officially representing the United Arab Emirates. The Cezve/Ibrik Championship brought together specialists of one of coffee’s oldest brewing traditions. Over three days, competitors from around the world were judged on technical precision, sensory excellence, and cultural expression. Cezve—or ibrik—brewing is not about speed; it demands control, patience, and intuition cultivated only through time and practice. Using a small pot with a long handle and flared brim—traditionally crafted from copper, brass, or ceramic—every movement is deliberate, every second crucial. The method has been practiced for centuries across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Before the global stage, Espante experienced long shifts and steady work in hospitality and food service in the Philippines. She brought that work ethic with her to the Middle East, where Dubai’s competitive coffee scene refined her skills. Over time, she rose through the ranks to become a Barista Training Manager, shaping standards not only for herself but for others as well.

PORTUGAL
Antoni Mendezona

Antoni Mendezona (Source: Facebook)

Cebuana Antoni Mendezona, based in Lisbon, is an opera singer (coloratura) recognized internationally as a soprano with “dazzling high notes.” She has performed in New York and Manila. She is also the co-founder of Digitelle, a social media agency that “empowers artists, cultural institutions, and nonprofits to craft authentic digital presences that align with their artistry and mission.” With a background spanning branding, copywriting, content strategy, and art direction, she has worked across the classical music, design, and wellness industries, helping creatives and organizations connect meaningfully with their audiences. She balances the precision of an operatic career with the ever-evolving landscape of digital storytelling.

MEXICO
Miguel Alejandro Reina Gomez Maganda

Miguel Alejandro Reina Gomez Maganda (Source: LinkedIn)

Miguel Alejandro Reina Gomez Maganda is a filmmaker, screenwriter, and film producer. Born in Acapulco City, he studied Mass Communication at the Universidad del Nuevo Mundo and filmmaking at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2008, Reina released his first short film Mi Vida en Frenesi, a biopic based on Josefina Gomez Maganda, his grandmother, that won an award for Best Short Film at the Perdidas Film Festival. He is recognized within the context of Filipino immigration to Mexico and is listed among notable Mexicans with Filipino heritage.

THAILAND
Christina Aquilar

Christina Aguilar (Source: Wikipedia)

Christina Aquilar, known as the Thai Queen of Dance, has sold one million copies of her debut album, Ninja, the first for a Thai female singer. Her eight solo albums have sold over 10.5 million copies. Aguilar was born in Bangkok to Filipino musician Tony Aguilar and French-Vietnamese mother Margaret. She studied at the French Institute, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business management. After graduating, she was recruited by a French advertising agency, where she worked as an assistant account executive. When she returned to Thailand, she met Rewat Bhuddhinan, then the chief producer of GMM Grammy, who enticed her into the music industry.

FIJI
Dr. Virgilio De Asa

Dr. Virgilio De Asa (Source: Noel Novicio/Facebook)

Dr. Virgilio De Asa, owner and director of Nasese Private Hospital, opened a second hospital in 2021 with a 42-bed capacity. At the opening, De Asa said how proud he was that his private family practice had come so far since arriving in Fiji from the Philippines as an expatriate doctor in 1976. “Today is a historic day for me and my family, particularly as it took us four years for this hospital to become a reality. With all the planning and struggles we faced, I’m just so happy it is now a reality,” he said. The hospital provides admission (in-patient) services, including 24-hour emergency consultations, minor and major surgeries, pharmacy services, a birthing and maternity unit, as well as a women’s center offering mammograms, breast ultrasound, pap smears, congenital screening, and joint replacement surgery.

Ariel De Asa

Ariel De Asa (Source; Facebook)

Ariel De Asa, son of Dr. Virgilio De Asa, is the honorary consul general for the Philippines in Suva, Fiji. A prominent businessman, he is known for owning the largest coffee café franchise in Fiji. He opened several Gloria Jean's locations in Fiji and has been involved in community initiatives for Filipinos in the region.

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