Romer Jazo already had a promising career onboard, but when the management terminated his girlfriend’s contract, he lost his motivation to work and decided to follow her to New York.

A native of Bulan, Sorsogon, Romer is the son of a school teacher. Raised by God-fearing parents, he grew up in a family of seafarers, which inspired him to pursue work on a ship.

Although he and his girlfriend were reunited in New York, they were not meant to be together, eventually parting ways.

Their relationship ended because of money—his partner measured their love based on finances.

But Romer didn’t let heartbreak stop him from fighting for a better life.

To survive in New York, he juggled three jobs every day just to make ends meet—covering rent and daily expenses. He worked as a bartender and cleaned a pizza store every night.

His days would end at dawn after long shifts.

Despite his perseverance, Rommel eventually fell out of status in the U.S., which became a source of anxiety for years.

At one point, he even questioned his fate and considered returning to the Philippines after experiencing mistreatment while living in America.

“Because of New York, I truly clung to God. There was no one else to turn to but Him. You just give it all to God, because like many people say, don’t trust everyone in America—especially if you’re undocumented—because some will even drag you down. So I put all my fears and doubts in God. I just believed that the right timing would come. I did my best at work every day, saved money, and thought, ‘No matter what happens—even if I get sent home tomorrow—I’ll have something saved to bring back to the Philippines.’”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Romer had already decided to return to the Philippines—until he met a well-known immigration lawyer at a Filipino restaurant. They exchanged contact information, became friends, and eventually, the lawyer offered him a job at his law firm.

Romer started as a document shredder in the office. But through perseverance and curiosity, he learned immigration rules and laws. Eventually, he was entrusted with handling and preparing immigration cases at the firm.

“With every new case I encountered at the immigration law office, my confidence grew and my life plans changed. I wanted to stay in the U.S., especially after I was given my own department at the law office where I received proper training.”

The law firm sent him to various seminars related to immigration processes, and he also spent countless hours studying USCIS rules and regulations.

While working there, he encountered various cases involving Filipino teachers brought to America by travel agencies.

Being the son of a public school teacher, Romer understood the hardship and sacrifice of educators—especially after witnessing his own mother’s struggles as an elementary teacher in Sorsogon. This made him develop a deep compassion for these teachers, especially those abandoned by the agencies that brought them to the U.S.

This inspired him to establish his own U.S.-based company: RCC Staffing, to help Filipino teachers who wanted to work legally in America.

However, due to a conflict of interest, Romer had to leave the law firm and focus on growing the company he founded.

“Handling RCC really helped. I was raised by a teacher—I know how small the salary is, I know the struggles. I saw my mom come home hoarse from teaching all day, and still needing to prepare lesson plans. Our family lived on loans. So I think that’s where my heart for teachers really grew.”

Romer admits that his experience at the law firm played a huge role in the growth of his company. It equipped him with valuable skills and knowledge about immigration law.

Today, RCC Staffing has already helped hundreds of teachers in different parts of the U.S. Twice a year, Romer personally visits them—even in remote islands in Alaska—to check on their well-being and needs.

According to Romer, he will continue helping Filipino teachers, inspired by the sacrifices of his own mother from his childhood.

And as a way of giving back to his hometown of Bulan, Sorsogon, Rommel has already made several donations, including helping build their local church, a school building, and providing school supplies to students.