Another Dabawenyo put the region on the global map with his sheer grit, talent, and skills. This time around, a 31-year-old native of Monkayo, Davao de Oro, became the pride of his roots as he was named Best Young Professional of the Year 2025 at the Global Awards in Berlin, Germany.
The story of Jaymark Fernan was not unusual for any struggling Filipino who dreams of a stable and comfortable life for themselves and their family. There is always the endeavor, the hardship, and the sacrifice.
But what makes it extraordinary is his pursuit to turn his dreams into reality, his persistence, and his resilience. When for some, surrendering may be the easiest way out of life’s struggles, this Ateneo de Davao University accounting graduate has kept moving forward, despite the uncertainties of what lies ahead.
Fernan, an alumnus of Monkayo National High School, credited his former teacher at the school for her inspiration that motivated him to become who he is now. He shared that it was in that school where his dreams first took root.
Fernan moved to Malaysia after being hired as an accountant there. He shared that this was not his initial plan; it was a decision influenced by a colleague who encouraged him to explore the life of an overseas worker.
He shared that his journey as an overseas Filipino worker was far from easy. He hopped from one job to another, struggling to find the right fit. At one point, he was juggling three jobs just to meet the cost of living.
Like many OFWs, he even took on part-time house-cleaning jobs to support both himself and his family in the Philippines.
Eventually, due to mounting difficulties, Fernan returned to Davao City.
“The life overseas is very hard gyud so then niuli ko then mao na ni tong time nga feel nako failure kaayo ko at some time (Life overseas was really very hard, so I returned home. That was the time I felt I was a failure),” he said.
The experience left him feeling down and financially unstable.
However, with the support of his parents, he was able to return to Malaysia and rebuild himself from the ground up.
Today, Fernan works for an international telecommunications company based in Malaysia. He started as a sales manager and, in just three years, rose to the position of account director. He now handles the company’s entire international business operations.
Despite his rapid rise, Fernan admitted he had moments of doubt, especially given his background in accounting. Working in a telecommunications company in an engineering-driven field made him question whether he truly belonged.
But instead of giving up, Fernan chose to believe in himself. That confidence paid off.
On June 17, 2025, he was honored with the international award in Berlin, Germany.
He admitted he expected the nomination, but never thought he would be chosen since the award is typically dominated by Americans and Britons.
The selection process took six months with rigorous screening and interviews.
“Wala gyud ko nag-expect na mudaog kay syempre akoang mga kalaban kay at a very young age they are CEOs, CFOs, and me myself I’m still a director so wala gyud koy pambato ato (I really didn’t expect to win because, of course, my competitors were already chief executive officers and chief financial officers at a very young age, while I’m still just a director so I felt like I didn’t stand a chance),” he said.
Aside from his teacher, Fernan credited his parents for helping him push through adversity.
Recently, he was invited as a guest speaker at Monkayo National High School’s anniversary celebration. There, he was able to personally thank the teachers who had inspired him.
He expressed deep gratitude to his former campus journalism teacher, who had recently passed away.
“I hope she heard how thankful I am for inspiring me to achieve greater things,” he said.
While saddened by her passing, he felt comforted knowing she witnessed his recent recognition.
Over the course of his journey, Fernan has learned three lessons. “First, always believe in yourself, since people fail and succeed all the time. If you fail, learn from your failure, assess yourself, and do better. Second, be kind and humble. You must always keep your feet on the ground no matter how successful you have become, and always be thankful to the people who help you in your journey. Third and last, education is the best tool you can have, especially if you are working overseas and competing with others. People can enhance their learning by pursuing a master's degree or any technical-related study to further improve their skill set.”
Fernan acknowledged that some people doubt his capabilities because of his age. But he remains confident that he deserves the position he holds.
In the future, he hopes to help improve the Philippines by contributing to better internet infrastructure and gaining more expertise in the field of teleperformance.
He advised all young professionals who feel like they are failures to learn from his experience. He said he waited 10 years to get to where he is today and that there is no such thing as a shortcut in life. He encouraged them to be patient, as their time will come.
“Ang daming sakripisyo, daming times na gusto ko na lang sumuko and muuli sa Davao. Pero I kept going. I kept believing. And little by little, dumating rin ang time na na-recognize ang tanan nakong effort,” he said.
(There were so many sacrifices, so many times I just wanted to give up and return to Davao. But I kept going. I kept believing. And little by little, the time came when all my efforts were finally recognized.)
He said that when you begin to doubt yourself, always remember that many people believe in you, so you should believe in yourself, too. RGP