My reason for wanting to take up Management Engineering back in college was to boost my own pride. At that time, I wanted to graduate from a course that by its mere name would already tell people what I am capable of. But after 4 years of college, I know that I would still take ME if I were to study college all over again. This time around, it would not be because of ego, but because of how much this course has taught me—critical thinking to challenge the things I know, resilience to bounce back when things do not go as planned, and humility through openness to learn from the people around me.
Group projects were some of the difficult and most memorable experiences I had as a student. One of my favorite ME memories was working on LBC Padalaan Express, our Marketing project, which was a service concept focused on helping OFWs and domestic migrants in gaining financial security by allocating their remittances according to every expense (rent, utility, groceries, education). I remember having to wait outside the airport in December to survey OFWs and their families on the viability of our product. All those all-nighters paid off when my group and I won first place at the Marketing Competition. It was so memorable because, with a lot of other strong contenders in our batch, we did not think it was possible. Looking back, what helped our group was our clear understanding of the target market, and identifying and addressing their needs by being relevant and convenient.
Fast forward to today, I am handling the sales and marketing team of All Year Home Products, the tissue manufacturer of Bataan 2020, which is the largest tissue paper mill in the Philippines. When I joined in 2016, All Year wanted to create brands that intentionally “improves the lives of people.” One particular pain point the team wanted to address was the growing need to become more environmentally-conscious and economically-accessible. We noticed that majority of tissue products in the market were made of virgin pulp and that the few eco-friendly alternatives were of lower quality. We also wanted to change the notion that sustainability comes at a premium. From here, we created Evergreen—a premium, sustainable tissue line designed to care for nature as it saves trees, water, and energy by eliminating pulp production entirely, while also caring for you with its gentle-on-skin texture and price accessibility.
More than technical capabilities, Ateneo and ME taught me to use what I am capable of for the greater good. Being in sales and marketing, I have to understand what my company wants to do to address consumer needs, what it may do in terms of picking up market trends and opportunities, and what it can do based on its capabilities as an organization. Then, my company and I can combine all three components to create a positive impact for the consumer, as well as the greater community.
----
Maybelle Huang (BSME 2013) is currently the sales and marketing manager of All Year Home Products. Please like and follow them on Facebook (All Year Home Products) and on Instagram (allyear_ph).
