Flip Side: Recent Episodes
Jaime Mendejar & Raymond Castillo
As soon as Fonsy passed his medical board exams, he chose to pack his bags to be a primary care physician in one of the poorest communities in Northern Samar. When he moved there, he was welcomed by just 2 doctors, an ageing support staff, incomplete diagnostic equipment and a pharmacy of limited medicines. Being there meant not just supplementing manpower, but also working with stakeholders to change services and processes to make the healthcare system sustainable. Over time, Fonsy and his team made gains that minimized out of pocket for patients, and translated to saving more lives - while inspiring a younger generation in their community to want to get into the medical field. His mission eventually landed him a slot as one of the Obama Foundation Leaders in Asia Pacific. Today, Fonsy continues his advocacy after assuming a bigger role as Head of the Department of Health’s Program Implementation and Outreach Division.
We discuss:
- The challenges and limitations of the Philippine healthcare system, particularly in the provinces
- How doctors can help both as a healer, and as an administrator to improve hospital services
- How to collaborate with a community that is perceived to have been “set in their ways” and how to get them excited and more involved to fix systems
- Why it’s important to have a support system - including family and friends
- Why work for government
- Parents naming their children after Fonsy, as a sign of gratitude
- Fonsy’s favorite hospital-themed drama series and books
Social:
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/508835180375553
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/flipside_ph
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/flipside_ph/
- Substack - https://flipsideph.substack.com/
Reese is the president and co-founder of Rags2Riches, a fashion and design house empowering community artisans from the Philippines. She grew up seeing wide spread injustices first hand which compelled her to do anything that might help. Co-founding Rags2Riches after college, they work with marginalized communities across Metro Manila to develop artisans who create eco-ethical fashion and home products. They have collaborated with renowned designers such as Rajo Laurel and Amina Aranaz-Alunan, and recently announced a partnership with Ikea's first store in the Philippines. In 2010, Reese was the recipient of the Young Laureate for the Rolex Awards for Enterprise and in 2015, she made it to Forbes’ 30 Social Entrepreneurs Under 30 list.
We discuss:
- Why it takes so much for poor communities to trust enterprises
- How fashion can truly empower and bring dignity; how being called artisans and partners can uplift people
- Using your values to determine what career to pursue
- Learning how to be efficient with the use of capital to train your people and sustainably grow your business
- Making your social enterprise resilient throughout the pandemic
- How Reese is able to manage being a mother and watching 60 K-dramas in between, and her favorite series
Social:
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/508835180375553
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/flipside_ph
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/flipside_ph/
- Substack - https://flipsideph.substack.com/
David admits to being a naïve optimist. He started multiple things before knowing how much work it would really take such as becoming a writer for Inc. Magazine and Huffington Post (thanks to a cold email to Ariana Huffington herself), founding YouthHack in the Philippines and launching chapters in several countries, starting an outsourcing business in Manila while finishing his Computer Science degree at the University of Pennsylvania, and his continued exploration of the world of tech and investing.
David shows the power of starting even before you're ready and how to establish meaningful relationships that can lead to rewarding experiences.
We discuss:
- Sending cold emails and reaching out to busy people
- Developing relationships and how that leads to new opportunities
- Managing your time and priorities to avoid toxic productivity
- The start up scene in the Philippines and South East Asia
- Investments needed to improve the start up scene in the Philippines
- Why technology is such an exciting space post pandemic
Social:
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/508835180375553
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/flipside_ph/
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/flipside_ph
- Substack - https://flipsideph.substack.com/
Sab always dreamt of becoming a doctor. She took up biology as a pre-med and was about to enter medical school when an opportunity to become a teacher opened up. After much prayer and discernment, she decided to take a totally different path to become a public school teacher.
She shares the many difficult moments such as bridging the gap between her and her students, dealing with the public school system and talks openly about her mental health struggles in dealing with burn out. Through personal stories of her students overcoming impossible odds, we learn how she's able to stay motivated and continues to have hope for the future of education in the Philippines.
Listen to Sab's first and second TED talks.
We discuss:
- How to discern and find your calling
- Getting your parents’ support to pursue your alternative career
- Biases and stereotypes of Philippine public schools
- Dealing with burnout and mental health
- Unbelievable stories of her students overcoming impossible odds
- Ways we can help education in the country
Social:
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/508835180375553
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/flipside_ph
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/flipside_ph/
- Substack - https://flipsideph.substack.com/
Just three months after landing a coveted job at L'Oreal, Kirk realized it wasn’t for him. He left and decided to focus on his own company selling shirts while paying himself half the cost of minimum wage. Their shirts have since been worn by thousands of passionate UAAP fans, before deciding to take another risk in a new venture where “wearing your faith on your sleeves” became the business plan.
We discuss:
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Getting early exposure to business and selling
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Leaving a multinational corporate job after only 3 months
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Not being fashionable yet still having successful apparel business
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The realities of starting a business in your early 20s
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Creating a business based on school spirit and the Holy Spirit
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Tips on Iloilo
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And many more!
Social:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/508835180375553
Twitter - https://twitter.com/flipside_ph
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/flipside_ph/
Substack - https://flipsideph.substack.com/
Working late at night in one of the country's top law firms, Jenny randomly applied for an internship in the International Criminal Court at the Hague. This soon led her to quit her job, get a masters degree from Harvard Law, pursue a career as a human rights lawyer and, most recently, found herself in Myanmar as a military coup was sweeping across the country.
We discuss:
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Choosing an arts degree in college
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How to find a mentor
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The realities of being a law student
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Passion vs. building your career
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Experiences of practicing law abroad as a Filipina
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Dealing with a military coup as a human rights lawyer
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Book recommendations
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The wonders of monggo
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And much more
Social:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/508835180375553
Twitter - https://twitter.com/flipside_ph
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/flipside_ph/
Substack - https://flipsideph.substack.com/
It's usually not a good idea to join a start-up with only six months of runway left. But Joan did just that. Thriving in an unpredictable and volatile industry, Joan eventually found herself in Sydney, running an entire product team in one of the world's hottest start-ups, while finding time to learn breakdancing in between.
We discuss:
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Building your technical skills and earning money while still in school
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Figuring out if a company is right for you
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Finding happiness in your career
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What it's really like to work in a tech start-up
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Working effectively with other people
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How you can learn to code
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Learning break dancing
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Not caring about what other people think
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And much more
Social:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/508835180375553
Twitter - https://twitter.com/flipside_ph
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/flipside_ph/
Substack - https://flipsideph.substack.com/
We've all been told to work hard, get good grades, find a high paying job, climb the corporate ladder, get married, and start a family. Nothing wrong with that but is there another path we can take? Listen to stories of Filipinos who flipped the script and created their own definition of success.
Welcome to the Flip Side.