By Isaac Galang, Dee Verano, and Irene Dela Cruz
“Take your ideas to the next level” has been the program’s mantra since the beginning. Indeed, the initiative was able to live up to its promise as the Aboitiz A-Game officially took off.
The Aboitiz A-Game is a program initiated by the Transformation Team striving to unearth brilliant minds and mold them into changemakers who can help build a better future. Our humble beginnings began with a vision of extending our hand to other aspiring individuals who align with our core values of transformation. After an intensive search process, we have carefully selected eight innovators who will have the privilege of embarking on a journey through our Voyage Program.
The A-Game Journey
Before meeting the finalists and winners, it’s good to have a good grasp of what transpired during the start of this initiative until the challenge day.
Last February, Aboitiz launched this opportunity for individuals with a drive to make a difference by sharing their innovative solutions to address the pressing issues in our country. Interested applicants were required to submit their profile and a video recording that highlights their answers, in accordance with the application guidelines. This initiative offers a platform for passionate individuals to make a significant impact through their ideas.
Next, shortlisted participants were invited to an online interview conducted by different members of the transformation team to further assess and validate their desire to be part of the prestigious program. Once the final names were identified, it was then deliberated together with some of the team leaders to finalize the names of those who will be proceeding to the next round– the A-Game Challenge Day.
The Challenge Day
On April 18th, the 19 finalists were invited to the Seda Hotel in BGC to present their polished problem-solution pairs. These pitches were to be the final assessment for their entry in the voyage program, judged by an esteemed panel. Each candidate was allotted a total of 10 minutes to showcase their aligned solutions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Aspiring participants were expected to bring their A-Game and display their passion and expertise during their presentations.
During the event, the participants were evaluated by three panelists: Dea Csuba, VP for Transformation and Voyage Head Coach, Emilie Sydney-Smith, Chief Transformation Officer, and David Rafael, President and CEO of Aboitiz Land.
The finalists were scored based on the following:
- understanding the problem
- knowing the customer and solution
- future-proofing the idea
- storytelling skills
Meet the Finalists and Winners
From hundreds of applicants all over the Philippines, 19 finalists managed to impress the interviewers and leaders with their innovative ideas. Their pitches covered a wide range of solutions, including waste management, education system enhancement, food safety assurance, support for agriculture and construction, and improvement of transportation for Filipino commuters. It would be exciting to see how these ideas can create positive changes in the world.
Excited to meet them? Keep scrolling through this article to meet our finalists and winners:
EUNICE ISON
Eunice is a product design specialist that has been recognized by the International Quality & Productivity Convention for her work in product development. She’s also a coach and pioneer of applying the design thinking process to problem solving in the teams that she manages.
HURIEL ALEJANDRO
Huriel has over 19 years of combined experience in the operations management in healthcare, manufacturing, research and development, and management consulting industries. He had previously built start-up teams from the ground up, and was a successful hospital administrator, especially during the height of the pandemic.
KIYOKO FRANCISCO
Kiyoko is a seasoned recruitment professional, with a background in psychology. She’s worked on a worldwide scale managing tech talent pipelines in the United States and Latin America, that specialize in machine learning, software engineering, and data science.
JEMIMAH VILLEGAS
Jemimah is an experienced HR consultant, whose work involves making continent-wide improvements in employee compensation, performance, and experience. She has become a passionate mentor and team player to her colleagues.
CHRISTINE CAGARA
Christine has been mastering her leadership skills in her role as a Senior Technical and Operations Engineer. As a manager involved in both project implementation and in closing deals, she is an emerging talent recognized as a strategist and problem-solver.
ALDRIC SUAN
A seasoned operations & strategy manager in the field of agriculture, Aldric recently graduated from the Asian Institute of Management’s Executive MBA program. He has led numerous projects tackling the optimization operational process that led to increases in annual revenues.
EJ VALGUNA
EJ is an expert in growing the reach of tech solutions. His achievements in this space include establishing a retail partnership pipeline for a LinkedIn Top Startup, and achieving 150% of projected new store partners in a fintech company.
BRYAN CASTRO
Bryan is a senior designer proficient in layouts, video editing, and motion graphics. He is passionate about exercising his skills, leading him to participate in expansion programs such as the KAPATID Mentor Me Program for Entrepreneurship, The Changemakers Design Sprint Session, and Process Improvement programs.
BERNADETTE OGOT
Bernadette is the co-founder & Chief Business Development Officer of Dewaste solutions, a social enterprise that changes waste collection and moves materials out of landfills. She’s involved in the entire journey of her startup, from development strategies to sales execution.
JV ZOLETA
JV is a business management professional w/ leadership experience in marketing & operation in the supply chain industry. Throughout his career, JV has empowered MSMEs through adaptive logistics services, lead sustainable warehousing initiatives & kick-off projects to address the challenges of the agriculture industry through cold storage.
DIVINE BENDICION
Divine is a seasoned Information Technology professional that has experience in both traditional and fully digital banks. In her over 10 years of experience, she has been responsible for bridging the gap between technical and non-technical perspectives to lead tech innovation successfully within her projects.
JUVIEN GALANO
Juvien is the other founder of Dewaste solutions, and was working with Bernadette Ogot, one of our A-Game finalists in this initiative. He is also a pioneer of digital transformations, previously working as a Senior Trainer for Go Digital ASEAN lectures, and a Marketing Consultant for the e-Estonia Briefing center.
JOSHUA TOLEDO
Joshua is a freelance finance manager and transformation lead, managing over 40 clients in various industries. He audits company processes, initiates process improvements and reports on their progress. He was also the founder of a top performing startup called ChaseSol at the BeChangemaker Accelerator program in 2020.
MARK BANTUGON
Mark is the inventor of PiliSeal, a sustainable aircraft sealant made with waste Pili Tree resin. His discovery has been internationally recognized as a 2021 James Dyson Awardee, and the 1st prize Winner of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines – Socially Relevant Technology Contest 2021.
ROS LANTIN
Ros is constantly immersing himself in start-up culture, having found one himself in 2021. He has also participated in and organized various start-up events such as Startup Weekend Global and the Founder’s Institute. Ros works as a Data Analyst, mainly extracting data from social media statistics.
JUAN MIGUEL ARANETA
Mikey previously worked with us as a Business Development Specialist in Aseagas, an AboitizPower company. Since then, he has been involved in innovation engineering– that includes him spearheading the R&D, design, and manufacturing of prototype E-jeepneys, and is currently leading the design of flywheel energy storage products.
JOSHUA HECHANOVA
Joshua is founder and CEO of Innovation Technologies, a tech company aimed at harnessing the potential of the Internet of Things to achieve innovations in transportation, telecommunication, construction, and more.
RICHARD ESTANISLAO
Richard has more than 17 years in client relationship management across research, retail and telecommunications industry. Today, their mission includes constantly looking for ways to elevate their work by conducting market analysis for adjacent opportunities, and providing leadership programs to his organization.
LITO VILLAR
Lito is an accomplished doctor of engineering, whose experience ranges from being an academic researcher to being an onsite engineer. He has been all over the world in his pursuit to become an expert in energy.
Watch the reels to know more about what our finalists have to say about A-Game:
Upon the completion of the deliberations, eight of the finalists will have an opportunity to join the Aboitiz Voyage Program in May 2023.
Relive the exciting moments during the challenge day! Watch the video highlights below:
