Iloilo, No Ifs or Buts

I was shortlisted by a couple of Pharmaceutical companies…and I had sworn off the scale to grab any initial offer (without grudge) regardless of its market standing.

When I was offered the job by an Ortigas-based company, rigid trainings followed. Since it was on the map (while staying at Mom Chit’s house in Project 3, Quezon City), the entire process was almost stress-free. I topped the batch yet the prize was somewhat unkind... “ILOILO ASSIGNMENT?...where the hell was that?”

Geography wasn’t my forte then; however, I knew Iloilo was far-off from where I used to voyage. That night after the irrevocable announcement, restlessness was felt. Finally, I grabbed the territorial assignment the following day as I believed-“nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

Moving to the Visayas region was akin to reincarnation. I was totally the lone stranger in an equally strange environment. My colleague, John Obidos, had fetched me from the airport and brought me to the dormitory that was next to his place; he did the nickel-tour as well as I knew nobody except him.

No ifs or buts, I just pulled out all the stops (marketing vaccines)…and I reaped nearly 5 years of well-baked competencies and commitment which advanced my personal and professional attributes. Through its span, I began to love everything that’s associated to Iloilo--- the people, dialect, island, delicacies, churches, talaba (oyster), old houses, downtown, beaches, jeepneys, culture, and tradition. I even thought of building my house & business there.

Seeing my family & friends only on two important occasions (Christmas & holy week) every year was, more likely, my accustomed self that left no choice but being away and productive. …my life could have never been exciting without that half-decade Iloilo journey.

Notes:

The City of Iloilo is the capital of, but independent from, the province of Iloilo. It is the economic hub of the Western Visayas region, as well as the center of the Iloilo-Guimaras Metropolitan Area. Iloilo was historically one of the major agricultural centers of the Philippines, exporting sugar, copra, bananas, mangoes and other natural resources during the Spanish and American colonial periods.

#iloilocity #panayprovince