Hailing from Malayan Colleges Laguna’s (MCL) E.T. Yuchengco College of Business (ETYCB), B.S. Entrepreneurship student Christelle Eve F. Taclas, together with her groupmates from Group 26, Patricia Ella F. Gubatan from Mapua University and Melanie Zandra Mondejar Olazo from Malayan Colleges Mindanao, bagged First Place in the International Business Sustainability Initiative – International Student Mobility (IBSI-ISM) Business Plan Competition 2021.
International Student Mobility 2021 is a collaborative event hosted by the Faculty of Business and Economics of Universitas Islam Indonesia and co-hosted by Mapua University. The program aims to introduce the International Business Sustainability Initiative wherein activities revolve around general concern for the environmental, social, and governance (ESG).
The business plan competition focused on the theme “Gaining Profit with Considering ESG Aspects.” With the aim to develop and explore the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity of students, the business plan competition challenged students to craft original business ideas that can help create job opportunities while understanding the importance of building a friendly business with the environment.
A total of 84 participants were grouped randomly into 28 teams with three members each. Rifqi Muhammad, SC., SH., M.Sc., PhD., SAS., the Secretary of Accounting Study of Faculty of Business and Economics in Universitas Islam Indonesia, and Evangeline A. Balboa, CPA, MBA, Associate Dean of the E.T. Yuchengco School of Business in Mapua University, served as the judges of the competition.
Of the 28 teams, Christelle’s team emerged victorious with their business plan titled “Ani-Hatid-Hain Mobile Market.”
“I was honored when Sir Donn Moreno trusted me to be part of the ISM Business Plan Competition. However, I was also nervous since it was my first time competing outside the college campus, let alone participating in an international event,” shared Christelle. “It was a challenging journey for all of us. Fortunately, our hard work and sleepless nights were rewarded when we won first place in the business plan competition.”
“I am very grateful to Patricia and Melanie for the bond we had, from exchanging ideas to relating our personal stories. I am thankful to Sir Donn Enrique Moreno and Dean Rhoda Austria for their unwavering support and guidance,” she added. “This overwhelming experience will be truly cherished.”
Besides Christelle, two other B.S. Entrepreneurship students, Charles Angelo B. Posmasdero and Celine Grace M. Elepaño, together with Marc Luigi A. Sy of Mapua University, also made it to the Top 5 of the business plan competition with “Pots & Co.: Innovating Plant Pots,” the project they conceptualized as part of Group 27.