Rodel had always been good with his hands. Growing up in Bicol, he would help his father in construction work, carrying bags of cement, mixing mortar, and slowly learning the craft of masonry. By the time he was in his twenties, he had become a skilled tile setter, known in their barangay for his precision and eye for detail. But no matter how hard he worked, the money he earned was never enough to support his growing family.
With three young children and a wife who worked as a seamstress, Rodel dreamed of giving them a better life. When his cousin, an Overseas Filipino Worker in the Middle East, told him about opportunities abroad for skilled tile setters, Rodel thought it was the chance he had been waiting for. The application process was long medical exams, trade tests, and endless paperwork but eventually, he was hired for a large construction project in Qatar.
Leaving home for the first time was both exciting and heartbreaking. At the airport, his children clung to his legs, not fully understanding why their father had to leave. His wife, holding back tears, whispered, Kaya mo yan, Del. Para sa pamilya natin. (You can do this, Del. For our family.) Those words stayed in his heart throughout the journey.
Life in Qatar was far from easy. The workdays were long, often under the scorching desert sun. As a tile setter, Rodel was responsible for measuring spaces, cutting tiles with precision, and laying them in perfect alignment. Mistakes were costly, so every movement had to be exact. The pressure was high, but Rodel’s dedication and craftsmanship quickly earned him the respect of his supervisors. They noticed his ability to make even the most complex patterns look seamless, and soon he was entrusted with more important projects.
Still, the loneliness was overwhelming. In the workers accommodation, he shared a cramped room with other laborers from different countries. At night, he would video call his family, hiding his exhaustion and smiling as he listened to his children’s stories. Sometimes, when the calls ended, he would sit silently, staring at the pictures of his family taped above his bunk bed, reminding himself why he endured the distance.
Despite the challenges, Rodel found pride in his work. Each building he helped complete stood as a silent testament to his sacrifice and skill. From luxury hotels to residential towers, his tiles became part of structures that people admired. He thought about how his own children might one day walk into a grand lobby somewhere in the Middle East, not knowing their father’s hand had helped shape it.
After several years, Rodel was able to send his eldest to college, something he once thought impossible. His wife no longer had to overwork herself with sewing jobs, and their small house back home was renovated with sturdier walls and tiled floors his own handiwork when he returned for vacation.
One afternoon, as he sat with his family on their newly tiled porch, his youngest daughter asked, Papa, bakit mo pinili maging tile setter? (Papa, why did you choose to be a tile setter?) Rodel smiled and replied, Anak, kasi bawat tile na inilalagay ko, parang hakbang papunta sa pangarap natin. (Because every tile I lay is like a step toward our dreams.)
Rodel’s story is proof that no job is too small when done with love and purpose. For him, being a tile setter wasn’t just about fixing floors or walls it was about building a strong foundation, not just for buildings, but for his family’s future.
