By Carla Adeline Via
Event goes online amid typhoon Opong
To continue its annual mission of training future marketing leaders in the country, the MarkProf Foundation Inc. made its first Negros Oriental roadshow leg at Silliman University (SU) last Sept. 27.
Former MarkProf delegates offered career coaching, inspirational talks, and tips to optimize applications for this year’s eight-day bootcamp.
The said bootcamp is a program where the top 25 applicants will undergo training in marketing and sales while being mentored by renowned marketing practitioners and industry experts.
Shai Navarro, first MarkProf alumna from SU, shared how the bootcamp helped jumpstart her career in management after graduating from its 13th batch.
“When we actually went through the bootcamp, I learned so much. What I do like about it is you get a front row seat to the top leaders who are actually running the top businesses in the Philippines,” Navarro said.
SU alumna Alexandra Kaye Tuale also talked about her success story after receiving aid from the foundation.
“Don’t look back on your college years and regret not doing more for your future self,” she said.
Other alumni who shared their MarkProf experiences were Angela Lyza Abrau, Julie Ann Velota, and Maria Fiona Labucuas from batch 21, and Jalyn Huang from batch 18, who discussed leadership, resilience, and entrepreneurial growth in the bootcamp.
Event goes online
The roadshow was supposedly held at the SU Audio-Visual Theater, however, it was moved online following the provincial-wide suspension of in-person classes due to typhoon Opong.
“We had to make the tough call to pivot completely online, losing our dream venue and many of our original plans in the process,” Labucuas stated, who is concurrently the vice-president of the SU Junior Marketing Association (SUJMA).
Despite the last-minute change, over 140 students from partnered schools and organizations such as the Asian College Dumaguete and Foundation University attended the webinar.
On choosing NegOr as its roadshow stop, Labucuas shared that it is a way of changing the narrative that opportunities “often feel reserved for the bigger cities.”
“It builds on the progress of the trailblazers before us in bringing opportunities closer, so students don’t just dream from afar, but actually have the choice to apply, to try, and to see how far their hard work can take them,” she explained.
She added that the event represents access and empowerment, showing that provincial talent is “just as capable, worthy, and ready to compete on the national stage.”
The event was organized by SUJMA in partnership with SU Operations Management Executives Society, Silliman Economics Society, Kapunungan sa mga Mass Communicators, and SU Junior Financial Executives.
