Stage 4 cancer may stop a person from doing things they used to do before, much less pursue new endeavors.
But Robert "Bobby" Joseph is not one of them. Instead of resting and enjoying the luxuries he can afford in life, he chose to use his energy to help the country and his countrymen.
His advocacies in the tourism sector have enabled him to lend a helping hand to the people in need. He uses his resources to help put the Philippines on the world map.
“I started training when I was 18. I worked for an airline for free from nearly a year where I learned about ticketing, reservations, sales, and marketing strategies,” relates Joseph.
He continues, “After that I worked my way to the top until I landed on Korean Airlines where they tasked me to bid for a Philippine convention in 1982. We won the 17th Annual General Assembly of World Airlines Clubs Association in the country.”
When Ninoy Aquino died in 1983, and the country was in shambles, Joseph recalls people were then scared to come to the country.
“So I went to Europe, Florida, and Thailand to assure them that the country is safe. In 1987, the convention pushed through and I was able to get 487 delegates. I went to bid knowing that I would be retrenched. I did it with a group of colleagues who believed in me. We had no subsidies, doing it all for the country.”
If you look at him, you wouldn’t see a hint of cancer in him. He even has that youthful energy and glow.
To date, he has already came up with three books containing instructions for the people in various industries.
“In 2008, I came up with an operating manual called MICE. It is a guide for organizing meetings, symposiums, conference, seminars, and congress including the objectives, timetables, policies, and announcements. We also have a breakdown of the different committees and what they have to do, action plans, and safety and security. It also has a checklist and some practical tips for organizing events,” he shares.
His other book, Guide to Global VIPs, identifies countries and the do’s and don’ts of that nation.
“This book also contains protocol for the Philippines. The entrance of the host, the order of VIPs on the table from the President down to the other politicians, because as Filipinos, we should know all of these,” he says.
Right now, Joseph still has a lot on his plate but he is currently focused on his latest advocacy—farm tourism.
“We have a lot on farm tourism because right now our focus is to develop farms and turn it into ‘farm and tourism.’ We are currently improving destinations to encourage people to invest on our farms,” he shares.
“Hindi natatapos ang mga gagawin (there's more to be done), but I am doing this for the country and my fellow Filipinos. Private sector cannot succeed without the collaboration of the government. And we have to continue the media exposure of these projects so that we can help each other solve the different issues of our country.”