“WHAT I WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE MY FAMILY IN THE PHILIPPINES FOR YEARS, I CAN NOW MANAGE IN AUSTRALIA IN WEEKS”
A testimonial from Filipino immigrant Wally Serrano Business Process Engineer Sanmina-SCI Perth Plant

“I never really thought that I would end up migrating to Australia. When I was young, I dreamt of being employed in a multinational corporation, buying a house, a car and raising a family. After graduating last 1997 with a degree in Engineering, I was immediately employed in a multinational firm. I said to myself, `This is it, my dreams will now turn to reality’.

“However, after 5 years of working, I only ended up with a family (a happy one though)... but no car, no house. I realized it wasn't that easy. In my experience at least, it seems that a degree from La Salle is not enough to guarantee you success in the Philippines.

“Then my sister convinced me to meet Alan Frazer in 2002 because he had handled her friend’s migration application successfully. After weeks of soul searching, I decided to set an appointment with his associate here in the Philippines; Alan's constantly travelling from country to country, making an associate necessary. It was a big gamble on my part because we neither have any relatives nor friends in Australia.

“I only met with Alan a few times because my case was very straightforward and was not subject to any technicalities. I was lucky that my career profile fit correctly with Skilled Independent Migration requirements. Although I didn't meet with Alan frequently, he always answered my queries either through e-mail or through his associate. He was very honest and flexible in his dealings with clients. (I will not elaborate on why I stated that Alan is a flexible guy because some people might take advantage of his kindness.)

“After a series of gruelling activities, I was able to submit all of the requirements needed, including completion of a Competency Demonstration Report for an accreditation with the Institute of Engineers Australia.

“Well, with Alan's help, I passed (or else I wouldn't be doing this testimonial he-he). The whole process took 1 year and 6 months to complete. I thought it was the hardest stage of my journey but I now realize that it was the easy part.

“I had my visa but the problem was that I didn’t know where to go in Australia. Plus, I didn't have much money to support myself and my family there. Again, I didn’t have any relatives or friends in Australia so the prospect of immigrating was very scary.

“After a lot of research and help from the Lord, I was able to find a place to stay. Plus I was also able to scrape up enough money to finance my trip. A kind-hearted Filipino family agreed to take me in and I will forever be grateful for their goodwill. I left my wife and daughter because the money we had was not enough to support the three of us.

“I arrived in Sydney, Australia last November 14, 2004. After two days, an electronics company located in Perth called me up and interviewed me by phone. After two weeks of waiting, God answered my prayers. They called me up and I was hired. I flew to Perth and started after a week.

“I am now currently working as Business Process Engineer for Sanmina-SCI and my family will arrive here in Australia after a few weeks. I don't plan to let my wife work for a while; we both agreed that we should make sure that our child receives the best care and attention during her formative years.

“At the time that I'm writing this testimonial, I've only been working here for three weeks but I already know that I can easily achieve my dreams here. I worked in the Philippines for a total of seven years and yet I was unable to provide my family with what I believe they deserved. But here in Australia, I can give them that in less than a year.

“Many thanks to Alan for his excellent service, and I also thank the Lord for giving me this opportunity to provide a better life to my family.”