Saving life is my passion. There is no higher honor than to be given the responsibility to care for other people. And I let God take care of me.
When Carby Valero Araneta arrives at an emergency, there is no time to think about his own fear or exhaustion. There is a patient looking at him, trusting him and needing him to be strong. A nurse and emergency medical technician from Zamboanga City, Carby has spent 20 years and counting in Emergency Medical Services, and today serves in Abu Dhabi. Along the way he has responded to countless emergencies, served through the COVID-19 pandemic and worked through times of crisis and uncertainty in the UAE.
Strong for others
Carby’s calling started early: he volunteered with the Philippine Red Cross during his college years. Two decades of emergency work later, he has seen people experience some of the best and worst moments of their lives. There were times he was physically exhausted, emotionally overwhelmed and carrying the weight of what he had seen. “That sense of responsibility, and the compassion I have for people, gave me the strength to keep going.”
Over the years he learned that emergency care is about much more than clinical skills. Sometimes the most powerful thing he can give a patient is his presence: a calm voice when they are terrified, reassurance in his eyes, a hand to hold, or simply the words, “I am here with you. You are not alone.”
“In the most frightening moments of a person’s life, we do not only treat the injury or the illness. We help carry their fear.”
“I may not remember every call, every patient, or every procedure,” he says. “But I remember the moments when someone was afraid, and I was able to give them comfort. I remember the families who looked at us with hope.” For Carby, that is the true meaning of courage and compassion: to remain strong for others, even when tired, afraid or carrying unseen struggles, and never to let a person feel alone in their moment of greatest need.
From Zamboanga to the UAE
Carby graduated with a BS in Nursing from Western Mindanao State University in 2005 and arrived in the UAE in August 2006. Like many Filipinos who leave home, he came with dreams in his heart, hope for a better future and the desire to build something meaningful, not only for himself but for the people he loves back home.
His biggest culture shock was realising he was suddenly far from everything familiar: his family, his home, his culture and the people who knew him best. In time he learned that “adapting does not mean losing your identity.” He could respect and embrace the culture around him while still carrying the values that make him Filipino: respect, resilience, compassion, faith and love for family. Almost two decades on, the UAE has become a place where he has grown, served and built memories that shaped his life.
“My education gave me the tools to do the job, but my upbringing gave me the heart to serve.”
Responding humanely
Growing up Filipino, Carby was taught respect, compassion, humility and care for others, and those values became the foundation of the healthcare professional he is today. Emergency work taught him that no two patients and no two emergencies are alike. “My education prepared me to respond clinically, but my Filipino upbringing prepared me to respond humanely.”
“The Philippines taught me how to care for people. My profession taught me how to save lives. And my journey has taught me that true nursing is not only about treating illness. It is about caring for the person behind the patient.”
The calm leader
In Emergency Medical Services, a crisis cannot be scheduled. Under extreme pressure, the first thing Carby learned was to remain calm. “When the leader stays calm, the team gains confidence.” He manages a crisis by assessing the situation, prioritising what is most urgent and making the best use of the resources at hand, whether time, equipment, manpower or emotional energy, always with the patient’s safety and the team’s ability to keep functioning in mind.
To him, strong leadership is not about giving orders from a distance. It means being present with the team, understanding their strengths, listening to their concerns and knowing when to step forward and when to trust others to lead. “Leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about staying composed when others are afraid.”
“In a crisis, people do not need a perfect leader. They need a calm leader, a decisive leader, and a leader who will stand beside them when the situation becomes difficult.”
Measured by the lives we touch
Carby’s “why” has always been the wish to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. As a male Filipino nurse, he sees nursing as more than a way to provide for his family: it is a lifelong commitment to serving others with compassion, integrity, courage and dedication. Being a good nurse, he has learned, is not measured by gender, position, recognition or years of service, but by the lives we touch. True strength is having the courage to stay compassionate, patient and dependable in the hardest moments.
He hopes to be remembered as a happy, approachable and humble nurse who never lost his passion for caring, and whose legacy lives on in the nurses he mentored and the colleagues he supported.
“I want to be remembered not simply as a male nurse who succeeded in his profession, but as a Filipino nurse who helped others succeed, led with kindness, and made people feel valued, respected, and cared for.”
Carrying the heart of the Philippines
Growing up Filipino taught Carby respect, humility, resilience and genuine concern for others. He brings malasakit, pakikipagkapwa and bayanihan into his daily work, treating every patient as a human being who deserves dignity and understanding. Being a man, he says, does not make him any less nurturing: real strength shows in gentleness, patience and the willingness to care for people at their most vulnerable. Almost two decades in the UAE have deepened his respect for other cultures while keeping him rooted in the values that shaped him.
“Compassion knows no gender, kindness knows no nationality, and genuine care transcends cultural boundaries.”
“I know how it feels to be far from home. Sometimes, we become so strong for everyone else that we forget to ask ourselves if we are okay. Please remember that it is okay to be tired. It is okay to miss home. It is okay to cry. And it is okay to ask for help. We came abroad to build a better future, but we must never forget to take care of the person who is carrying that dream.
Your worth is not measured only by how much you send home, how hard you work, or how many sacrifices you make. You are valuable simply because you are you. You may have left the Philippines, but you never left behind the strength of the Filipino spirit. When life becomes difficult, take a breath. Rest if you need to. Reach out. Being strong means finding the courage to continue, and remembering that you do not have to walk the journey alone.”
Filipino Institute features Filipinos at home and abroad whose courage, sacrifice and success inspire others. Tell us your story, or nominate a kababayan whose journey deserves to be heard.
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