When I decided to take up my MBA, I didn’t think so much about where to enroll or what I should consider in looking for a graduate school. I chose De La Salle University because it’s closer to my work given the prior COVID set-up of face-to-face classes. Still, its prestigious name is an enticing consideration for me to enroll. However, during my time in La Salle, I learned how unique it was, especially for the business school, and what sets it apart from other schools. You would have thought that a Master’s in Business Administration would teach you to run a business, earn profit and be successful, but the Lasallian way teaches you all that and how to do it right.
Several trimesters ago, I also had Lasallian Business Leadership, Ethics and CSR. Lasallian business leaders do not solely focus on profit but on how to apply ethics to every decision made for their company or business.
I also learned about CSR, or Corporate Social Responsibility, and how companies give back to the community. Most companies have a CSR program to help the environment and the communities by building schools, making campaigns, etc. It gave me a new definition of how I should be once I become a leader. Other subjects also trained us to use our sound judgement in decision-making by applying the Lasallian Reflection Framework.
In my Integral Human Development class, I got familiarized with a social enterprise. Investopedia defines a social enterprise or social business as “a business with specific social objectives that serve its primary purpose. Social enterprises seek to maximize profits while maximizing benefits to society and the environment, and the profits are principally used to fund social programs.” We were tasked to find a local social enterprise business so we could share their noble stories through the Aim2Flourish website.
That’s what I discovered about the EcoBoom diapers. These diapers are made of bamboo and decompose faster as compared to regular diapers. These bamboo diapers decompose in 147 days compared to regular diapers, which take 400-500 days to decompose, and sit still in the landfills. But what I liked the most about the experience of doing the project is I got to know the person behind this social enterprise and why she chose sustainable products for her business.
I met Ms. Valerie Pineda, the owner of EcoBoom Diapers, and she shared and somehow taught me how to live an almost zero-plastic life. She shared that her love for the environment made her start to live with fewer plastics and eventually shared with and encouraged her friends to do the same. Some of her ways include using a menstrual cup, shampoo bars and reusable bags.
With her eagerness to lessen waste, she is continuously researching sustainable alternative products that she can offer in the Philippines. Ms. Valerie inspires me because of her mindset on doing business. Her company name is NewEarth Ph. Aside from diapers, she also has baby wipes and compostable face masks. She is dedicated to providing eco-friendly products for Filipinos to lessen waste. Her devotion inspired me because not all business people value our environment more than profit.
Now that I am almost at the finish line of my MBA journey, with few terms left, I am delighted that I chose this school. Lasallian MBA values and principles are the best foundation for a successful business leader. There is a vast difference between a leader and an ethical leader, and the latter is how a Lasallian business leader should be.
The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, DLSU. She can be reached at [email protected].
The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.