Many people know her now because of the estafa case filed against her by a popular businessman, and because of local celebrities accusing her of scamming them. Yet, in spite of this misfortune, Kathelyn Dupaya still considers herself “lucky.”
“Suwerte pa din ako kasi hindi ako iniiwan ng family at staff ko. I admit I am undergoing depression, but I have to stand up and fight,” says the woman who is known for bringing Filipino artists to Brunei.
Luck has always been on Kathy’s side – an article said she “may have an unlimited supply of four-leaf clovers.” The first time Kathy joined the lottery in Malaysia, she used the numbers from the plate of a vehicle that her child pointed to and won P1 million. Many of the appliance in her home were prize items from raffles. When she was down to her last 50 ringgit, she again joined the lucky draw and won P3 million. She joined once more and won P10 million.
Her lucky streak seems to have rubbed off on her children, who played the winning numbers in Malaysia’s lottery in 2010, winning P33 million. With their lucky money, the family was able to put up businesses both in Brunei and the Philippines. Kathy owns a beauty salon, spa, boutique, bakery, restaurants, an apartelle, UV Express units and a grocery store. She has seven companies in Brunei with 51 Filipino and 10 Indonesian workers.
But Kathy’s successes are only made sweeter because of the difficulties and challenges she has experienced in life.
Kathy was allegedly thrown into a garbage site in Iligan City at three months old. She was told her mother died giving birth to her and her father was too busy with his other women to care about his daughters. She and her older sister grew up under the care of their grandparents in Jolo, Sulu. At 9, Kathy sold banana que so she could have money for her baon and to buy materials for her school projects.
Kathy would not give up. Despite everything, she graduated cum laude with an office management degree. After graduation, at 17, her uncle and aunt brought her to Manila. A Chinese couple helped her, and in only two weeks, she was already flying to Brunei.
Her first work in Brunei was as a waitress at Prisma Restaurant. During her free time, Kathy would wash the dirty clothes of the restaurant’s cooks who paid her monthly. On her three-hour breaks, she would clean the house of her boss for extra income. After a while, her employers noticed that she was good in accounting so she was transferred to the office to do accounts. On her 18th birthday, it was the first time Kathy experienced having a birthday cake, care of her boss and co-workers. This is where she met Mariano, a Filipino working for the royal family’s electrical company.
“My first dance on my 18th birthday was my husband pero hindi ko siya kilala noon kaya nagtaka ako bakit nandoon siya sa party. Doon nag-start ang panliligaw. He was my only boyfriend,” says Kathy. They have seven children.
Kathy never forgot the people who loved her and raised her well: her grandparents.
“Ang wish ng lolo ko noon, magkaroon ng TV at ng lola ko, magkaroon ng refrigerator,” Kathy recalls. “Lahat ng pangarap ng grandparents ko, tinupad ko. Full salary at extra income ko pinadala ko sa kanila lahat,” shares Kathy.
In 1999, Kathy started a small business–lending money to OFWs and foreign workers in Brunei so they can put up small enterprises like phone recharging, prepaid cards, home appliance, and loans.
In 2010, Kathy built a company in the Philippines and rented out rooms in an apartelle and started her UV Express and grocery business. In Brunei, she opened a salon in 2010, a boutique in 2011, a restaurant in 2014, a bakery in 2015, and a spa in 2017.
She invited Filipino celebrities to come to Brunei to grace the opening of her businesses, attend her company’s annual dinner and the birthday parties of her children, and do meet-and-greet sessions for Filipino fans. In 2015, Kathelyn’s life was featured in GMA’s Magpakailanman. Many other celebrities knew her, and she kept inviting them to visit Brunei.
Some of these celebrities have become her close friends. She even considers one of them her “BFF,” so she was truly heartbroken when this same celebrity started accusing her of business scams. Kathy also figured in a social media heated post about a beauty queen.
With the cases she is facing, Kathy has remained strong and determined. After all, it was her grit that brought her to where she is now. Bravely, she accepts these challenges head-on.
She thanks her supporters, many of whom she does not even know personally. As for her haters, Kathy has this to say: “Sa mga haters, salamat din sa inyo. Hindi ko kayo masisisi kasi mga idol ninyo ang kalaban ko at kung sa tingin ninyo tama sila, wala ako magagawa.”
Kathy adds, “Itong laban na ito, hindi ko susukuan. I promise to myself and to my family na papatunayan ko at lilinisin ko ang pangalan ko. Mahirap kasi mag-isa ako sa laban na ito at sila ay mabibigat na kalaban. Pero pinanghahawakan ko lang para malinis ang pangalan ko ay ang katibayan na binayad ko sa kanila lahat at sana sa laban na ito ay manaig ang katotohan,” Kathy says.
Through it all, Kathy sees this as a learning experience that will help build her character.
“Hindi ako mayaman, nakaahon lang ako sa kahirapan at kung ano ang mayroon ako ngayon ay dahil sa suwerte at sipag. Hindi ako perfect pero marami ako nagawang mabuti sa kapwa ko,” ends Kathy.