I heard about this news a day before The Freelancer Fair last November 19.
This news is about the passing of Ron Cirujano, country manager of Upwork. First off, I would like to express my deepest and sincerest condolences to Ron ‘s family. Ron was such an inspiring person who was also very passionate about uplifting the life of the Filipino through freelancing. He will be missed.
I remember Ron was the very person first person representing a company (which was Elance at that time) to approach me as the founder of Freelance Blend, so I was really nervous, I didn’t know what he wanted to talk about with me.
It turns out, he just wanted to learn more about what I do at Freelance Blend and was suggesting ways for us to work together.
Then after that, he invited me to an event for freelancers where I met Genesis Reonico of Online Jobs University, who I interviewed for the show (Episode 11) and now one of my friends in the industry. I also met a number of interesting people through Ron and I thank him for that.
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After I heard about Ron’s passing, I listened again to our interview which was recorded sometime in May of 2014 and I became very emotional.
Actually, I also felt happy while listening again to the interview because I can hear Ron laughing at my jokes. I rarely get laughs from my jokes (kasi corny ako). Either I was really funny or Ron was just being so polite not to laugh at my jokes (thanks Ron!). But apart from the making Ron laugh, he shared really great insights about freelancing, the industry and how you can be successful at it using Elance (now Upwork) that will still be applicable today.
And so to celebrate his life and his passion for our community, I am giving you a chance to listen again to our interview with Mr. Ron Cirujano. (I hope you can hear this from up there, Ron! Say hi to my Lolo for me.)
Just click the play button above or go to: www.freelanceblend.com/120
Visiting Ron’s Facebook profile, I found this message from Upwork:
It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Ron Cirujano, Upwork’s Country Manager for the Philippines, has passed away. Ron believed wholeheartedly in a world of work without limits and travelled the Philippines and beyond to help Filipinos discover, understand, and take advantage of the opportunities freelancing offers. He was instrumental in fostering a strong community through his passion, dedication, and tremendous spirit. Ron will be dearly missed.
For those of you interested in making a contribution to honor Ron’s legacy and help his family at this difficult time, please visit his memorial fund:
www.gogetfunding.com/help-us-give-ron-cirujano-a-fitting-memorial
Let us all help our friend, Ron Cirujano, and his young family by contributing to his fund. The minimum amount to donate is just P50. Thank you.
Final Note from Marv: After listening to this episode, let’s all please say a little prayer for Ron and his family. God bless!
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Photo Credit: Camille Ocumen’s Fund Raising Campaign at GoGetFunding