DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Her day job is about supervising money flow at a bank. On weekends, she models clothing for online platforms. And, having tried acting once, where she starred alongside a popular movie actor from the Philippines, she’s open to doing more.

Twenty-six-year-old Gerryl Gaid has indeed come a long way from being an intern and admin assistant at a small business in the city, to becoming a senior financial analyst at a Forbes-listed bank.

In fact, she even manages to find time and do the other things close to her heart: modelling and acting, where she debuted in a movie with Daniel Matsunaga, which was shot in the UAE and hit screens in Dubai and Abu Dhabi early this year.

“Love in Disguise” was a romantic comedy about a driven corporate woman, played by Gaid, who wants to help her family while working in the UAE, and also strive to grow, personally. 

“Lily” has had no boyfriend throughout her life, reason why her sister has been persuading her to find one and hopefully get married. “Lily” then meets “Alex,” played by Matsunaga, whom she asked to be her fake boyfriend.

“That’s where the love story unfolds,” said Gaid. “I really resonate with ‘Lily’ because her journey reflects a lot of what I value and strive for in my life.”

Gaid, youngest of three sisters, said she had a great time doing “Love in Disguise,” noting that she was being paired with Matsunaga “whom I only saw on TV before.”

“That’s what pushed me to do my best. The set was cool, which was why I enjoyed the shootings even when I was skipping a heartbeat performing my role,” she said.

Gaid said the “opportunity to step into different characters and stories” is what attracted her to acting.

“It’s like entering another world. And it’s a chance to explore emotions and experiences that you don’t always get in real life,” she said.

“As for pursuing an acting career, I’m open to possibilities. If more opportunities come my way, why not? I really enjoyed doing the movie, so I’d love to see where it could lead,” Gaid added.

Day job

One would think Gaid’s day job is a breeze. Not exactly. But it seems it is for her.

“As a senior financial analyst at a top banking institution here in Dubai, I oversee complicated operations – from local transactions to international money transfers. My job requires flair and a high level of precision,” said Gaid, who has a degree in managerial accounting from Bicol University’s College of Business, Economics and Management.

She was a fresh graduate when she came to Dubai in 2018.  The bank is listed in Forbes World’s Best Bank 2022.

Glamor

“After work, I don’t relax. I switch gears. My weekends and evenings are full of strutting on the runway and posing for commercial shoots,” said Gaid, who also started joining beauty pageants a few years back.

“I think I have been able to do all types of modeling while working as a fulltime banker. I do commercials, prints and even runways. What really attracts me to modeling is the creativity behind it — the ability to express different sides of yourself through fashion. It’s a mix of art and self-expression, and I find that really fulfilling,” she said.

Behind the success and the glam, Gaid makes sure she pays it forward. 

“It is important for me to help people. I support children in remote areas back home through feeding programs. Here in Dubai, I actively participate in charitable initiatives, especially during Ramadan,” she said. 

The future 

At the end of the day, it still is going to be banking for Gaid, where she hopes to advance her career further. Modelling and acting will always be there, too.

“I’m doing so many different things every day — like recently, I even started ballet classes at this age! So, I’m still figuring out what I really want,” she said.

“But in the next five to 10 years, I hope to advance in my banking career, find new opportunities in modeling and acting, and expand my philanthropic efforts. I also want to help my family more and travel to more places—so far, I’ve been to 16 countries, and I’m eager to explore even more.” —KBK, GMA Integrated News