JP Adena helps you come HOME

JP Adena helps overseas Filipinos come home: A recent balikbayan (former OFW--Overseas Filipino Worker), former performing artist (dance) in Hong Kong for 11 years and most importantly, JP is a family man.

Now, he manages "JP Adena" (jpadena.com), one of the fastest growing personal brand and media platform which promotes entrepreneurship amongst OFWs to help them come HOME--for good.

JP is also the host of a progressive OFWpreneurs Podcast which is about Overseas Filipino Entrepreneurs with Big Ideas. This podcast is a collection of inspiring individuals who went with the OFW fastlane of being an entrepreneur.

JP is a volunteer Financial Literacy Speaker for OWWA-POLO Hong Kong under the tutelage of Floi Wycoco, founder of the The Global Filipino Investors in which JP is the country community head for Hong Kong.

Finally, the Office of the Vice President Leni Robredo featured some of the extraordinary stories of hope of our kababayans living and working in Hong Kong. Joining her are three of #IstoryaNgPagasa champions, John Paul “JP” Adena, Emmanuel “Manny” Portugal, and Daddy Leo Selomenio. JP performs at Hong Kong Disneyland and is the co-owner of GoGoBaon, a food delivery service specializing in affordable Taste of Home--Filipino food.

JP is an OFWpreneur himself and currently a video podcaster with 10 shows and counting and now he also helps aspiring or seasoned video podcasters to develop, design & deliver 90 or more video content PER MONTH to help start, grow or establish their personal or business brand.

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JP grew up poor, bounced from house to house, lived day by day and is very thankful of it. These circumstances created in him a resilient attitude and a drive to get out of poverty. Like everyone else.

Uncomfortable beds of friends and couches of family members where he used to sleep frequently is not really a problem because he is used to sleeping on old cardboard boxes on the floor. JP often credits being able to sleep soundly anywhere and anytime without the feeling of uneasiness.

Sleeping soundly with the sound of our own concrete jungle, Manila, with ten wheeler trucks at 2am, making the floor shake, is his own version of soothing spa music on a massage bed.

JP Adena has always been an entrepreneur. He was just not led to it in the beginning. But destiny created all these super powers so he can survive and be persistent in handling mishaps and tragedies thrown at him when the time comes. Business is hard. It eats you up and spits you out all slimy and dirty. JP firmly believes that being poor and barely surviving made him what he is today--still poor (but not for long) and still barely surviving (but happy).

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TGFI & Spearhead Mission

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The Recipe for Happiness

One evening in 2015, I asked my wife a life-changing question: "If all our expenses were covered and you didn't have to work for money, what would you do every day? "Without missing a beat, she replied: "First, I'd cook for you. Second, I'd taste dishes from around the world—then recreate my favorites... for you." Her answer was so her. My wife has always put love into every meal, turning simple dinners into cherished moments.

But I hadn't expected that response—even though I'd asked out of genuine curiosity.

The Missing Piece

As Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong for over a decade, we had stability. We worked hard, earned well, and even performed at the happiest place on Earth—Hong Kong Disneyland. Yet, something felt incomplete. We were stuck in the "rat race." That question wasn't random. It came from my journey as a financial literacy advocate.

For years, we'd been financially unaware—until we learned better. Suddenly, questions like these haunted us: "What are we really working for?" At the time, I didn't have an answer.

But my wife did.

The Dream We Pursued

Inspired by her words, we saw a path: Start a business. Go home for good. And so, GoGoBaon was born—"Your Virtual Canteen for Filipino Home Cooking." The idea was simple: Bring a taste of HOME to fellow OFWs. Our workplace canteen didn't serve Filipino food, and cravings were real. My wife, the heart of our home kitchen, would be the heart of this venture. We registered the business, set up a small kitchen, and did everything—from recipe testing to dishwashing. But life had other plans. The business struggled before it could take off.

Then, just as rumors of a "mysterious virus" began spreading, we made a choice: We returned to the Philippines.

The Unexpected Gift

By sheer timing, we were already home when the world shut down. And in that stillness, magic happened. I launched a video podcast (which I still host today). My wife finally cooked all those recipes she'd saved over the years. Then, an unexpected opportunity: A Hong Kong-based OFW platform reached out. They wanted us to create video recipes—step-by-step guides for homesick Filipinos longing for the flavors of home.

Sound familiar? It was GoGoBaon, reimagined.

848 Recipes Later…

From December 2020 to December 2023, my wife filmed 848 unique recipes—no repeats. She got paid to cook, we got to eat, and thousands of OFWs reconnected with the tastes they missed.Then, in 2024, life came full circle: My wife was rehired by Hong Kong Disneyland.But here's the beautiful part—she still cooks.On her days off, after long shifts, she's in the kitchen, crafting meals not just for us, but for others who've heard of "the woman behind 848 recipes."

The Real Secret

That question from 2015?She never waited for "someday."She didn't need financial freedom to start doing what she loved. She made time. She cooked with 100% love—not for money, but because this was her "happy."And the future?The same passion burns brighter. The fire that fueled her when we were dating now lights up every dish. She's found her Ikigai—where:What she loves (cooking),What she's great at (a rare match!),What the world needs (comfort food for OFWs),What people pay for (happily and repeatedly)...All align.

Why This Matters

Chase money, and you'll get money. Chase "happy," and you'll wake up fulfilled. The money? It follows. My wife didn't just find a hobby. She found the recipe for a life well-lived. And the secret ingredient?

Love.

(Just like her cooking.)

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