FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, together with Junior Achievement Philippines, announced the winners of the annual FedEx Express / Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge 2020. The six students who won the Philippines finals will advance to the FedEx Express/ JA ITC Regional Finals to be held in March 2021.
“While the health crisis continues to disrupt our daily way of life, it also brings out ingenuity. We laud the potential of our finalists to create a significant change for the future,” said John Peterson, managing director, FedEx Express Philippines. “For 12 years, FedEx and Junior Achievement have engaged with over 4,000 Filipino youth on the fundamentals of business, economics, and entrepreneurship on a global scale. Seeing these young students share ideas that will help build a better Philippines affirms that there’s no age requirement when it comes to making meaningful change in our local communities.”
This year’s local finals challenged the students to design a travel-related product for Cambodia. Besting more than 600 other Grade 7 to Grade 11 students, the top 10 teams presented their market entry strategies on January 12. During the activity, they presented their marketing plans, highlighting their product’s unique value proposition, pricing strategy, and sales and distribution channels to a distinguished panel of judges led by John Peterson, FedEx Express Philippines Managing Director.
In preparation for the Philippines competition, 15 FedEx Philippines team members volunteered to mentor the students about the nuances of global trade. They also discussed the importance of teamwork, risk-taking, and self-confidence.
This year’s winners who will be competing at the APAC/JA ITC on March 1-3 are:
Team Kouprey. Aljo Benedicto and Giezhia Diaz of Negros Occidental National High School, product presented: Kouprey Travel Jackpack — a dual-purpose waterproof jacket and backpack made from Hyacinth fibers.
Team Sanctuary. Emila Rebekka Yaeli Abraham and Raine Santiago Nakpil of Multiple Intelligence International School, product presented: Safety Bank – a multipurpose power bank with built-in alert, siren, SIM slot, and flashlight designed for women’s safety.
Team Safety Spot. Trebor Lacsa and Tessa Gia Lapig of Quezon City Science High School, product presented: Safety Spot – a device and mobile app designed for motorcycle riders, monitoring their helmet use and assisting them with finding parking space.
At the Asia Pacific finals, the students will be randomly grouped into new teams consisting of participants from different markets such as Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, in order to promote collaboration across cultures.
