Fernando G. Ting was born and raised in the Philippines. Growing up in a tropical climate, he only saw snow in movies and tried to imagine what it would be like. Little did he know, one day he would be a world away, digging himself out of his house by the shovel load.

When Fernando’s immigrant visa came up after 19 years in May 1998, his wife and their young daughter were granted derivative status and together they arrived in Anchorage, Alaska. He can still remember his first breath of fresh Alaskan air as he stepped outside for the first time. Fernando’s first job was as a housekeeping supervisor at a local hotel. Three years later, through the Local 71 union, he got a job at the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage as an environmental journeyman. He kept the airport spotless for more than 11 years and retired in March 2013.

In June of the same year, Fernando and his wife moved home to the Philippines to enjoy the tropical climate once again. With sufficient financial resources, Fernando was able to visit his two sisters and meet their families in Hong Kong. Luckily, his nieces spoke English, making interactions possible. They enjoyed one another’s company as well as the sights and sounds of Hong Kong.

In 2016, Fernando survived a back-to-back cardiac syncope (a sudden loss of consciousness due to decreased blood flow in the brain) while aboard an international flight. The episode led to a successful cryoablation at Providence Alaska Heart Center, which would not have been possible without his AlaskaCare medical insurance coverage. Feeling revitalized, Fernando helped his daughter move from Anchorage, Alaska, to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2018. The two of them took turns driving on the Alcan Highway. In 2019, Fernando and his wife sold their property in the Philippines and officially moved back to the United States, this time to North Las Vegas, to be close to their daughter.

Now settled, Fernando began writing his memoir of six years spent in Saudi Arabia as an expatriate worker, entitled The Kingdom I Came to Love. The book was published in September of 2020 and won three awards: a finalist medal in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, an honorable mention certificate in the Author Shout Reader Ready Awards, and a finalist medal in the British Wishing Shelf Award.

The Tings’ COVID-19 experience was nearly catastrophic when Fernando’s wife almost died due to asthma complications. Worried, their daughter requested they move back to the Philippines to be close to family who could provide more help than she was currently able to. They did so in June 2022 and while Fernando’s wife was saddened to be away from their daughter, she found solace in participating in local church events and speaking engagements.

In their free time, Fernando’s wife enjoys sewing small items like placemats and table runners, which she gifts to friends, and Fernando has begun his next writing project titled Why Alaska?, which will tell tales of their adventures in the great state.

“The biggest benefit of retiring after diligently working for this awesome state and the dignity and freedom it gives us to live independently with its generous pension and sufficient medical coverage will be among the salient points of my forthcoming book, God willing.” Fernando says.

If you would like to learn more about how your State of Alaska retirement can allow you to enjoy a comfortable retirement, please contact the Division toll-free at (800) 821-2251 or at (907) 465-4460 in Juneau.

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