Ms. Jeca’s Dream House: Bringing Her Father’s Drawings to Life
Jerica ellaine roxas
Restaurant Area Manager
Long before Ms. Jeca’s dream house stood three storeys high, it existed in her father’s drawings. He would sketch the home he imagined for his family, turning their conversations about the future into plans on paper.
“He just loved to draw and to dream,” she recalls.
Today, those drawings have become a family home in the Philippines—a meaningful achievement shaped by years of work, shared responsibility, and the memory of a father whose hopes continue to guide his daughter.
Growing up, Ms. Jeca shared a modest home with her parents and two siblings. With just one bedroom for five family members, space was limited. Her parents hoped to improve the house, but their children’s education and everyday needs came first.
What she remembers most, however, is the warmth within it. Her mother made their home clean, comfortable, and welcoming. The dream of a bigger house grew alongside an appreciation for everything her parents had already given them.
When Ms. Jeca arrived in Dubai in 2016, she carried that dream with her. Like many Filipinos working overseas, she wanted to build a career, support her family, and create more opportunities for the future.
The journey brought challenges. After losing her job during the pandemic, she searched for a company where she could continue to grow. She joined Kimuraya in 2020 and, through hard work and continuous learning, developed the career that has led to her current role as an area manager.
Looking back, she describes a change in herself: from a young woman beginning life abroad to someone more determined, experienced, and grateful.
In 2021, her father passed away before the family could build the house they had discussed for so long. His loss changed the meaning of the project. Ms. Jeca wanted to preserve his plans, and she wanted her mother to experience the home they had dreamed of together.
By 2024, she was ready to take the next step.
After careful consideration, she arranged a bank loan to begin the project. She and her sister continued contributing, while their mother managed the money and helped bring the plans to life in the Philippines. Building the house became a shared family effort, with each person playing an important part.
They built on the land where their childhood home had stood, following their father’s drawings as the basis for the design.
The finished house offers five bedrooms, a spacious living room, a kitchen, bathrooms, commercial space, and terraces, including an area for the family’s pets. A glass balcony reflects a detail her mother had always wanted. These features give the family more room to live comfortably while keeping their own preferences at the centre of the home.
Seeing the result brought Ms. Jeca both pride and sadness. She was thankful for what her family had accomplished, yet wished her father could have seen it. His photograph now has a place in the living room, and his ideas remain present throughout the house.
Her mother and younger brother live there today.
For Ms. Jeca, the experience has reinforced the values she learned from her parents: kindness, perseverance, optimism, and care for family. She remembers her father’s belief in finding solutions even when problems arise, and she describes her mother as the strongest woman she knows.
Her journey has also shaped the way she understands dreams.
“I believe a dream should never remain just a dream. No matter how difficult or impossible it may seem, there is always a way to make it real when you have the determination to work for it, the faith to keep believing, and the courage to take risks.
Sometimes, we have to take that first step even when we are afraid, because we will never know what is possible until we try. I learned that good intentions should never be held back by fear or doubt. If your heart is in the right place, do what you can, give your best, and trust the journey.
My father’s dream began with a simple drawing on paper. Although he was no longer here to see it, I chose to continue what he started.
For me, this house is more than a home. It is proof that dreams can outlive the people who dreamed them—and that with love, hard work, faith, and courage, even a dream that once seemed far away can finally become a reality.”
Her story offers a personal reminder to the TKI community that the ambitions people bring to work often reach far beyond their careers. For Ms. Jeca, years of effort helped turn her father’s drawings and a family’s long-held conversations into a place they can finally call home.
And when asked what her dream home means to her, her answer is simple: