Coroflot

Resume

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

• Design professional with more than 20 years experience both national and international in scope covering product and entrepreneurship development and project management.

• Conducted design consultancy projects in twelve countries: Bangladesh, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United States of America, and Vietnam.

• International design education and exposure: Finished Advance Training Program on Product Design in Germany and attended various design and training programs in Australia, China, Germany, the Philippines, and Taiwan.


AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Design for home accessories, gifts and decors, furniture and furnishings, packaging (food and non-food), and exhibitions.

• Project management focusing on product and entrepreneurship development incorporating fair trade practices.

• Design trends and market research.

• Technology development focusing on innovative and sustainable use of natural materials and eco-friendly design.

• Design training for students, out-of-school youths, design professionals and entrepreneurs covering product development, creativity, sustainable design, technical and computer-aided drawings, visual merchandising, trend forecasting, trade fair organization, branding, productivity, pricing and costing, and professional ethics.

• Crafts-related skills training on paint finishing, handmade paper making, resin and paper pulp molding and casting, resin lamination, papiermache, and décor making.

• Networking with buyers, exporters, producers, suppliers, and other business development providers.

• Computer skills: 3D Studio Max, Corel Draw, Adobe Photoshop, and MS Office.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

01. October 2011 VICE PRESIDENT FOR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
to present Filbamboo Exponents, Inc.
Mandaluyong City, Philippines

• Filbamboo Exponents, Inc. is a social enterprise devoted to promoting bamboo in the pursuit of health, wellness, and beauty to address each individual’s needs and care for the environment. The company aims to create sustainable livelihood for rural farming communities in the Philippines.
• Filbamboo manufactures and provides high quality bamboo products (food, beverages, health supplements) through an integrated and holistic approach to propagation, processing, production, sales, and marketing of these products via traditional and non-traditional channels.
• Responsible for development of product variants, package design, and advertising campaigns.

15. Nov. 2002 LEAD DESIGN CONSULTANT
to present World Fair Trade Organization-Asia (WFTO-Asia)

• WFTO-Asia consists of 90 fair trade organizations representing thousands of producers and artisans in the craft and food sectors in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.
• Responsible for project conceptualization and management, product development, and training-related activities.
• Traveled extensively to implement programs in member countries. Programs aim to improve the livelihood of producers through fair trade and making them competitive in the world market. These are accomplished through intensive design development, better production techniques, and entrepreneurship training focusing on pricing, quality, and innovation.
• Was able to assist some companies successfully penetrate the commercial market resulting in product diversification, improved quality, and increased sales.
• Organizes seminars and exhibitions about bamboo (design and technology) participated by government and the private sector.
• Undertakes design and technology programs focusing on sustainable use of natural materials and innovative techniques.

01. March 1998 DESIGN DIRECTOR
to present 1001 Strategies Product Development
Consultancy, Mandaluyong City, Philippines

• Manages consultancy company offering services on product design, package and graphics design (food and non-food), exhibition design/visual merchandising, and study of materials and production technologies. Also offers design, production, and entrepreneurship related seminars and skills training/upgrading. Focus is in making products competitive in the local and global markets.

15. April 1995 CHIEF DESIGNER AND BUYING AGENT (Philippine-
to 01. May 1998 based)Frank and Schuster OHG, Germany

• Design consultant and buying agent for the German company Frank and Schuster, an importer of gifts, decorative accessories, house ware, tabletops, and seasonal decors.
• Responsible for the following: design development and costing, exhibition design and set-up in European fairs (Frankfurt, Cologne, Birmingham), and coordination with vendors for samples and production in the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka.
• Diversified the company’s product lines and expanded market from small decors to house ware resulting in increased sales reaching almost USD1,000,000.00 per year.
• Clientele mostly from the gifts, house ware, decors, furniture, fashion accessories, and food sectors covering 12 countries and branching out to consumer products.
• Buying agent and facilitates networking between buyers and suppliers both local and international.
• Conducts and releases design trends research twice a year as reference for manufacturers to make their products up-to-date.
• Experiments with materials and technologies such as the successful adoption of converted water hyacinth and corn husk as semi-finished materials that is now being used by manufacturers.

15. Nov. 1988 FACULTY
to 15. April 1991 Department of Industrial Design
University of Santo Tomas (UST), Manila, Philippines

15. June 1988 INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER
to 15. May 1996 Gifts and Houseware Section, Design Division
Product Development & Design Center of the
Phil. (PDDCP) Pasay City, Philippines

• Designer for gifts, house ware, furnishings, decorative accessories, holiday decors, fashion accessories, ceramics, basketry, toys, textile-based products, and leathergoods for the local and export markets. Also includes exhibition planning and design.
• Counterpart to international consultants on design projects such as the European Economic Community and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation.
• Underwent training on product design, marketing, and production in the Philippines and Europe (Germany, France, and the United Kingdom).
• Traveled extensively around the Philippines for design-related projects and successfully assisted small producers who became established exporters.

HONORS/AWARDS

01. March 2011 FINALIST: WOMEN IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
CHALLENGE 2010 (INTERNATIONAL EDITION)
Business in Development Network

Business Plan: Bamsnacks: A Community-based
Livelihood Using Bamboo Shoots as Chips and
Candies to Produce Delightful, Healthy, and Unique
Snacks

October 2010 FIRST PRIZE WINNER FOOD CATEGORY
INTERNATIONAL BAMBOO AND RATTAN PRODUCT
IDEAS COMPETITION
Entry: BAMSNACKS: Bamboo Shoot Chips and Candies
as Delightful, Healthy, and Unique Snacks
Sponsor: International Network for Bamboo and
Rattan, Shanghai World Expo, China

October 2007 BEST PRODUCT DESIGN
FOLDING LAMINATED BAMBOO EASY CHAIR SET
Canton Fair, China (Manufacturer: In-Hand Abra,
Philippines)

22. October 2007 FINALIST: BUSINESS IN DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGE
PHILIPPINES 2007
Business in Development Network
Business Plan: The Coconut as a Revitalized Source
of Raw Materials

Since 1990 KATHA (“CREATE”) AWARDEE
Manila FAME International Market Week, Philippines
BEST PRODUCT DESIGN GIFTS AND DECORS (April 2007)
BEST BOOTH DESIGN (April 2003)
BEST PRODUCT COLLECTION (Feb. 93)
BEST PRODUCT COLLECTION (Oct. 91)
BEST PRODUCT DESIGN (October 1990)

October 2000 NOMINEE FOR UNESCO EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN AWARD
Manila FAME International Market Week

EDUCATION

03. Feb. 1993 to ADVANCE TRAINING PROGRAM IN INDUSTRIAL
31.May 1994 PRODUCT DESIGN FOR DESIGNERS IN SOUTHEAST
ASIA
Carl Duisberg Society (CDG) now InWent, Germany

1984-1988 COLLEGE (CUM LAUDE)
Bachelor of Fine Arts major in Industrial Design
University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila, Philippines

LANGUAGES SPOKEN

Filipino/Tagalog (fluent), English (fluent), German (basic)

OTHER INTERESTS

Painting (pastel, watercolor, and oil)
Singing and Guitar Playing
Traveling: Visited 26 countries