FROM MASAGANA TELAMART TO FUJITSU TEN, JAPAN: A Samurai performance in the Japanese workplace
Alitaptap
29/05/2009 | 
Arlene Almacen began her career as an administration assistant in Masagana Telamart Incorporated in Taft Avenue, Manila.Later, her hardwork paid off and she was able to pursue her dream to be a programmer. She started from the lowest position as a programmer in Fujitsu Ten Solutions Philippines, Incorporated, until she was sent to the Fujitsu Ten office in Kobe to support a project in January 2008. On her first trip, she was a project leader. Her excellent performance brought her back to Japan. This time, she became part of a more difficult project in an all male, all Japanese, all Nihongo speaking cut-throat workplace. Below is a brief account of how she raised the bar in the difficult Japanese setting—a Filipino everyone can emulate and be proud of.
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My second business trip was a great privilege. I was sent back to Japan to study the new project. I felt excited and at the same time nervous because I know that this trip was going to be much more difficult and more challenging than the first one. I don’t know much about this new project. Our Japanese counterpart doesn’t speak English unlike in the previous project.
All Japanese, all male, all Nihongo speaking On my first day in Japan, I had a meeting with our Japanese group. They were 4, all males. They said that I need to submit documents in Nihongo, communicate with them in Nihongo. I felt pressure that time knowing that it’s a make or break for our team and that our project will depend on my performance. They asked if I developed similar projects but I told them, no. I know that I’m not the right person to be there if skills would be the basis. |
| Excellence without excuses
Basically, it was self study and it’s really difficult because I don’t only need to study the new platform but I have to study the Nihongo terms that they are using. They speak fast and there are times that I don’t know the terms they are using. After a month, they gave me an assignment to evaluate my learning. I was able to submit it on time and explained to them what I did. We were able to understand one another despite the language barrier. I was the only female po in the group and the only Filipino. Magisa po kasi akong nageexplain with our Japanese counterpart. |
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| Then in one of our meetings, they laid down the plans for our group – 1 week trial project, 2 weeks preparation then the actual project. That plan was changed. I did the trial project for 4 days. Then they gave me another activity of doing program design for 1 week and then to develop 3 screens for 1 week. After that, I learned that the design and screens that I was doing was a real project and no longer a trial. It was so fast. The project development is fast paced that everyday our group has to do overtime to meet our deadlines. They told me gusto po nila ako magexplain sa kanila ng lahat ng revision even if hindi po ako yung gumawa. |  |
| Raising the standard
When our Japanese counterpart learned that I will be back in the Philippines, he asked our coordinator, who will be sent to Japan after the summer break. When our coordinator told them that it was not me, they worried. They even requested to have a meeting with our manager to talk about the issue. When I told our Japanese counterpart that I will be sent back to Japan after all, the project leader thanked me while my Technical Reviewer said that he was glad to hear that. I was really surprised about their reaction because I know that I have my own share of failures but they still want me back. |
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According to their team leader yung gusto po nila yung ipapalit daw po sa akin at least kung hindi po kapantay ng level ko yung mas mataas pa daw po yung level sa akin. Sabi nga po ng coordinator namin, teasingly, paano daw po yun eh kung mas mataas na level daw po papalit sa akin yung Manager na daw po namin yun. Then sabi po nya sa tingin nya kahit magaling mag Nihongo mukhang mahihirapan pa din daw po. Na-experience nya po kasi na makipag-communicate doon at nahihirapan po sya to the extent na sabi nga po nya pinagpapawisan sya everytime na sinasama sya sa meeting. |
| After I came back to the Philippines, I was still the one who answered all the queries of the Japanese. Whenever they had questions or problems, they sent email to me. | |
From: Arlene Almacen , 28 years old, Software Engineer, Quezon City, Philippines
29/05/2009 at 20:30
This is one of those stories that simply tells us that Dreams can come true even for a Pilipino who thinks he/she can’t be on top.
I should learn from her..Learn to quit complaining and start doing something
30/05/2009 at 00:45
wow! a great PINAY you make the PHILIPPINES FLY =)
A great honor. keep it up make our country proud..
30/05/2009 at 18:28
parang Rizal…
31/05/2009 at 05:45
wow.. galing noh… sana ako din isang araw maiiangat ang bansa natin. sana tayong lahat iiangat ang Pilipinas… go movers and shakers of our nation .. galing noh darating ang araw na mangagaling sa brownraise ang movers and shakers ng ating bansa….
31/05/2009 at 13:43
yan ang tunay na pilipina, PALABAN!!
madami tayong matututunan sa kwento nya..
basta tayo mga pilipino ay wag sumuko at magreklamo sa trabaho natin.
tandaan natin na ang pag angat natin sa ating bansa,
ay ang pag-angat din sa kalagayan nating mga pilipino.
31/05/2009 at 22:45
grabe po how the japanese are trained like this. buti nalang po may pambatol po sa kanila na may mga kababayan tayo na kasing lebel nila na nagiging liwanag para sa Pilipinas para di na mababa ang tingin nila sa atin…
01/06/2009 at 05:30
wow., an galing., panalo.,
01/06/2009 at 14:04
Wow this is a very good story of one Filipina!!! Sana lahat tayo ganito, salamat sayong istorya…:)
02/06/2009 at 01:20
ASTIG tALaga… yan ang palaban !!! sa mga circumstances.
sana makapag produce/ train siya ng mga palaban din na empleyado sa office nila para dumami sya ^^
02/06/2009 at 18:33
Two thumbs up arlene!!!
04/06/2009 at 21:17
I experienced living in Japan and indeed it ain’t easy to communicate with Japanese people but then you made it po. Keep it up po and God bless you. : )
05/06/2009 at 14:03
AIM HIGH PINAY! yan ang mga Pilipina, di lang pang-beauty contest! Palaban!
08/06/2009 at 20:56
pangarap ko darating ang panahon na lahat ng pinoy ay maging katulad ni Arlene. Iangat ang dangal ng pinoy!
09/06/2009 at 23:29
eto na ang mga tunay na kabataang Brown raise, mangangarap at lalaban para sa kinabukasan ng ating bayan! makikipag sabayan sa kahit sinong lahi at hinding hindi na papayag na tawaging alipin o indio o ano mang mababang uri! itatayo ang lahing Pilipino at ilalagay ang Pilipinas sa mapa ng daigdig bilang isang dakilang bansa at ipagmamalaki ng bawat pilipino! laban tayo kabataan kabataang brownraise!
01/07/2009 at 11:42
napakagandang halimbawa ang kwento mo arlene at malaking hikayat sa lahat ng mga kabataan. hangad namin ang tagumpay mo sa lahat ng pangarap mo. God bless.
20/08/2009 at 08:34
Two thumbs up arlene!!!
29/10/2009 at 19:24
maraming salamat po!!! sana nga po ay ganito ang ating mga puso na hindi titigilan na ibahin na ang tingin sa ating ng mga taga-ibang bansa… salamat pong muli!!!
01/11/2009 at 12:56
ito po ay isang nakakatuwang mensahe para sa ating lahat. makikita natin dito na kahit nahihirapan pa rin siya hindi pa rin siya sumuko at patuloy pa ring lumalaban..sana maging ganito rin tayo!!!maraming salamat po Ate Arlene! isa po itong inspirasyon saakin.
08/12/2009 at 17:26
salamat sa inspirasyon.
28/12/2009 at 21:45
Wow! Thank you for sharing this! Mas naging pursigido pa ako ngayon sa pag-aaral at sa mga future endeavors ko. Keep up the great work!
07/07/2010 at 09:14
salamat sa inspirasyon. .
isa akong ahente ngayon sa isang call center
ang daming pahirap at kapalpakan, ngunit dahil sa landas na pinili ko. .
hindi ako susuko at itataas ko ang ating lahi
.. ang lahing kayumanggi
manapa’t paliwanagin pa ng Panginoon ang landas na dapat
lakaran ng ating lahi. .