Highlights
- The work of many nurses and other frontliners became more difficult when the pandemic struck.
- Magiting Ciria-Cruz's wife, who is a nurse, has been doing more overtime work. It is more important now more than ever that he takes care of their children.
- Marco Antonio Tamayo will do everything, even give up his own career, to support his wife's career as a nurse.
“As I promised to her when we started our family, I will support her all the way through in her career,” shares Davaoeno and fitness trainer Marco Antonio Tamayo.
From giving up working in Dubai to starting a family in New Zealand to settling in Australia, the former Philippine pageant king has been supporting his wife in her various career moves.
Former Mister Philippines World 2003 Marco Antonio Tamayo and frontliner wife, Bubbles with their two kids. Source: Supplied by Marco Tamayo
Being a frontliner's partner
Marco’s wife Bubblez now works as a Nurse Manager at an aged care in the Gold Coast.
“When we moved from New Zealand to Orange, NSW, we were really planning to transfer to Queensland so we can be closer to my wife's brother."
"There was an opportunity for my wife in Gold Coast, so she grabbed that opportunity in the middle of the pandemic in October last year," he shares.
Even before moving from Orange to the Gold Coast, Tamayo has always given way for his wife to pursue her profession as a nurse.
"I was doing good in Orange, having started my work as a Personal Trainer, one day she phoned me and says we are moving to Gold Coast after 3 weeks."
The Ciria-Cruz family: 'Ang importante malapit ka sa pamilya mo, naasikaso mo sila.' Source: Magiting Ciria-Cruz
Sacrifices
"What I do, every day, before I go out and drive [for Uber and Menulog], I would wake up very early because I know that my wife is usually tired from work as she does afternoon shift and finishes late at night," narrates Magiting 'Magz' Ciria-Cruz.
“I wake up early, cook their food and have everything ready for them before I do my food delivery work,” says the father from Central Coast.
Aside from the household chores, the Manila-born husband, Magz, also seems to be a personal driver for his wife.
"They are always busy at work, sometimes when I pick her up at 10:30 pm, I would wait there sometimes for 30 minutes or an hour. Even her roster is already finished, she (my wife) still has reported doing or sometimes there are unexpected accidents so she has to extend her time. "
Before coming to Australia, Magz worked in the Middle East for seven years and went home to the Philippines prior to following his wife, Cherry Rose, to Sydney in 2017.
“I worked in the Middle East before as a housekeeper. I was scouted by one manager in a hospital in Saudi, to play and be a member of their company basketball team,” tells Ciria-Cruz.
“After that, I went home to the Philippines and worked as a cook in a well-known hotel before going back to Saudi again and play basketball for another company there where I also was employed as a security officer.”
In Sydney, he worked various jobs - from being a kitchen hand, assistant cook to cleaning and eventually landing full-time work in a warehouse in northern Sydney.
But when the pandemic struck, he thought of switching jobs and he is now focused on food deliveries.
“The income [in Uber at Menulog] is okay, it's as if you're also doing full-time work. The most important thing for me is being always there for my family when they need me. I can come home any time I want. I manage my own time. I don't have a boss."
“Any time while I'm doing Uber [or Menulog] if my wife asks me to do something, I can easily leave work and do the task. Best of all, I am able to look after my kids too.”
'Any time kung may ipapagawa ang asawa ko, nagagawa ko agad kasi hawak ko ang oras ko. Nababantayan ko pa ang mga bata.' Source: Magiting Ciria-Cruz
Family always comes first
For Magz Ciria-Cruz, the biggest challenge during the pandemic is his wife doing night shifts and having to work longer hours and not having enough time to spend together. But he knew how vital his support for his wife is.
“With the current pandemic, it is important to care and do sacrifices for the family. For me, with my wife being a nurse, I know that frontliners have a lot on their hands. It is not only physically exhausting but mentally draining too."
As the family of a frontliner worker, the Ciria-Cruz family is very cautious when it comes to health, "sanitisers are everywhere at home and my wife, being a nurse, is also very strict when it comes to health - she goes straight to bath whenever she comes home from work and we would actually always wash our hands ”.
In raising a family during the pandemic, it is important to "be hardworking, do not choose jobs and whatever is available just take it," stresses Ciria-Cruz.
Former Mister Philippines World, Marco Tamayo has the same sentiments.
“I spare my wife of other household pressures. Every morning I would prepare for the kids' necessities, take them to school and pick them up too and bring them to their extra-curricular activities."
“Not just physically and emotionally, but spiritually too, I pray for my wife and all the frontliners that they would not easily get sick.”
Marco Tamayo feels lucky he is still able to be a fitness and personal development trainer and martial arts instructor at the same time while caring for his family.
Marco Tamayo (in blue top) with Martial Arts maestro Rolly Tandang (left photo); Mr Tamayo with his two children. Source: Marco Antonio Tamayo
"Every Saturday and Sunday, I can do my face-to-face training and I also have my online classes.”
He stresses that it is important for any couple to know how to manage their own time for their respective careers and family.
"It's hard but when you work together with your partner and understand each other, nothing is impossible."
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