Molded by our past… nurtured by the present… heroes of tomorrow.
For Manizah M. Arlie, the best measure of nursing is a patient’s smile. A pediatric homecare nurse in Al Ain City, Abu Dhabi, she has spent 18 years in the profession, a journey that began in Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay, where she was a scholar and a working student. Today she carries a long list of credentials, but she sums up her calling in three simple words: a heart, a hand and a hope.
C.P.D., her way
To most nurses, CPD means Continuing Professional Development. Manizah reads it differently: Compassion, life Preservation and Dedication. That is what keeps her committed after nearly two decades.
She hears it from the lives she has touched. Patients see her smile as she cares for them, and she believes it helps them trust that the heart behind the work is real.
“A heart that works within is reflected in a hand full of hope, and a smile to see a new sunrise.”
The three Hs of Filipino care
Asked what the Filipino touch, or malasakit, brings to the bedside, Manizah answers with her own formula. “We work with three Hs: a heart, a hand, and a hope that tomorrow is another day worth living for.”
Scholar and working student
Manizah’s preparation for nursing started long before her first shift. As a scholar and a working student in the Philippines, she learned to survive, to fight for her future, and to stay driven towards the dreams she lives today.
“Quality education is our weapon in this battle called reality. Critical thinking and proper intervention are life-saving indeed.”
At home in the Emirates
Many nurses describe a culture shock when they arrive in the UAE. Manizah describes a blessing. Because she practises the same faith and shares many of the same ways as the culture around her, she says she felt grateful from the start. “Alhamdulillah.”
Calm under pressure
When a crisis comes, Manizah’s first tool is her own composure. “I always believe that when you are at peace and calm, you can really have a good outcome,” she says. From there, planning and proper communication are the key, with clear prioritisation and a systematic approach.
“Our line and nature of work can be exhausting, and being far from our families makes it harder. But it is worth it when we work willingly and wholeheartedly. The load is lighter when we look forward to the reasons behind it: our dreams, our oath, and the lives that lie in our hands as instruments of our God in extending life in this world.
Let us start each day with a prayer for guidance and wisdom, a smile ready to be shared with our colleagues, and the energy to make it real. After all, we may never know what others are going through.”
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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