A Test of Character: MGAC According to Two of the Philippines’ Global Finalists

Curious about the Maybank GO Ahead. Challenge? Hear about it straight from Jedd Ong and Angela Rayos del Sol, two of the Philippines’ representatives to the Global Finals.

We’re told to make the most of our college lives. What better way to do that than joining competitions? Our interviewees took a step further and participated in an international event. The Maybank GO Ahead. Challenge (MGAC) is an international case competition that challenges your intellect, stretches your creativity and tests your endurance. For Angela and Jedd, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they weren’t going to let pass.

• In your own perspective, what is MGAC?

Angela: It felt like a reality show wherein you are tested in terms of what you can do and not in terms of strict knowledge.

It’s not all about how skilled you are in financials, but also about how you are as a person and how you carry yourself, even when put in some of the worst situations.

Jedd: Simply put, it’s like PBB, but instead of winning cash, you get a job.

• Why did you participate in MGAC?

Angela: Frankly, I blindly joined. A friend of mine, George Tan, went last year and got to Globals and she told me to participate. Though, you do get to meet the 60 best people from 16 countries and spend 10 whole days with them, which was pretty appealing. When we got into Globals, we met up with the past finalists and they warned us about how difficult it was going to be, so I just went into it hoping to learn what I still haven’t and to find out how I can apply what I already know.

Jedd: Trip lang. My friend asked me if I was free one Saturday so I went. Plus, I heard from JFA that it has a big cash prize. Besides that, it is a good way to learn finance from different people of various cultures with amazing stories. I’m only a sophomore and I heard of all these people that did these value-adding competitions. I wanted to experience that for the first time.

• Describe your experience.

Angela: It’s not just a mental challenge. It was mentally, physically, and emotionally challenging. On average, we had two hours of sleep every day.

Jedd: When we got to finals, my expectations changed. I stopped checking the date in the middle of the competition because you lose track of time. If you can survive, think about winning.

It wasn’t just about gaining experience anymore. It became a matter of survival.

• What sort of situations were you placed in?

Angela: You don’t really know what’s going to happen. They’d ask us to do staple tasks with a twist. For example, there was a time when we had to fire someone from our own group. There was even a time we were working on a report at 1AM, which was due at 8AM, then everyone’s laptop crashed at 4AM. We couldn’t open anything, so we had to redo all our work on our iPad. We then got a phone call that there was a “printing center” downstairs. And to our surprise – as if we haven’t had enough stress yet that night – instead of printers, there were typewriters for each group. Imagine making Excel columns on a typewriter.

Jedd: With zero sleep, we had to present to distinguished Maybank officials, such as the chief data scientist. (Angela: The panel was never nice.) Also, we had to complete an amazing race in suits.

Angela: Heels were required for girls for the amazing race day and we weren’t allowed to take off our blazers. Plus, we could only take the train, bus, or hitchhike. We mostly hitchhiked and walked approximately 20,000 steps that day.

Jedd: I remember they launched the amazing race on the 46th floor and our first task was to run down the stairs since the elevators didn’t work. We rappelled down a cliff, figured out how to pitch a tent, and other physically draining tasks. However, it wasn’t over. After pitching a tent in the middle of nowhere, we were told we were “sleeping” there. We finished the amazing race at the campsite around 12MN, then they gave us a financial report at 1AM and told us to come up with a valuation to be presented later in the day.

Angela: In fairness, it was fun to build the tents and cook our own food, but when they told us we were sleeping at the campsite, *insert jawdrop*. Note that this was after an entire day of running around Kuala Lumpur in heels. We were exhausted and dirty with no extra clothes.

• What did you like best?

Angela: The trip to Sarawak.

Jedd: In fairness, I don’t think the events were less fun than the others since each one was a unique experience. However, I really enjoyed the trip to Sarawak as well. They only spoke a language that’s kind of similar to Malay, but even the Malaysians on our team had a hard time translating. Despite not speaking the language, we found a way to understand each other through some universal human power, I suppose.

Angela: Honestly, I badly wanted to go home already before that trip, but the experience in Sarawak was really fulfilling. Each group was assigned to a certain family and they were all so nice. The one I was assigned to allotted extra water – a scarce resource in that area – for us to have enough to shower. They prepared milo and biscuits, too. I had no trouble painting the ceilings of 21 rooms knowing that these people would benefit from our hardwork.

Jedd: It’s really cool to immerse yourself in a culture of another people. Also, CSR day was fun. In the middle of Kuala Lumpur, we were trying to raise awareness for a certain cause.

• Do you feel participating developed some aspect of you?

Angela: I’ve definitely grown from the experience. After MGAC, I feel like I’m a better leader. I was the CEO of my team and I learned how to harness the best out of my groupmates. I didn’t want to be the only one shining. Everyone had his moment and there were no superstars in our group. Compared to my micromanaging in BA, it was too hard to do everything in MGAC. I had to change my management style. My patience and understanding were stretched.

I redefined my own limits. Throughout it all, my teammates were there to push me. I grew so much as a person in a matter of ten days.

Jedd: I was also the CEO of my team and I learned that leading doesn’t always mean you’re the best person. My teammate told me something along the lines of

“The CEO is rarely the smartest person in the room. If you’re willing to maximize people, then, you’re doing okay.”

Personally, I learned how to listen, how to not underestimate people, and how to work with people with “undesirable traits”. You have to swallow your pride sometimes to get things done. I’ve seen more of the world and it pushed me to make an effort to go out of my comfort zone.

Angela: Jedd also learned how to iron his shirt.

Jedd: That’s true. I learned how to iron my shirt, how to hold a hammer properly, and how to bricklay a house and how roads are built.

• What is the primary benefit you received from MGAC?

Angela: Cash. Just kidding! It really is the experience and coming back home with all these stories to share. Plus, you make all these friends, a 60-man strong support system. You leave them almost crying, not knowing if you’ll ever see each other again.

Jedd: The experience. I’m still a sophomore and there’s a lot I have yet to see, but I can say I’ve seen a lot already. No one can ever take away from you the things you have done and I’ve realized I’ve done so much. MGAC puts things in perspective. It’s a bonus that it prepares you extremely well for the stress of BA life.

Angela: No matter how horrifying the experiences we’ve recounted sound, these are the same experiences that we’ve learned so much from. We’ve come to hold them dearly and these are experiences only MGAC can give.

Jedd: These are not opportunities everyone can experience. You meet people from opposite sides of the spectrum. For example, on my team, we had a very liberal British groupmate and a conservative Muslim from Brunei. I realized how different everyone’s world is.

Angela: I really can’t describe the feeling. After all the bad moments, I wouldn’t say I’d gladly go through MGAC once more, but I would definitely love to be with the people again.

Jedd: Halfway around the world, I know there are people I can go to who will welcome me.

• Would you recommend participating in MGAC to other people?

Angela: I would recommend it with caution.

It is not for the faint of heart. If you doubt yourself easily or give up right away, it’s not for you. I thought I was strong, but at one point, I broke down, too.

Jedd: There are many moments when you don’t know what to do even to the point of dejectedly sleeping on the floor of the hotel bathroom in full corporate attire. In those moments/throughout the entire competition, what you need to be is mature.

Everyone is smart, a lot of people are talented, but what truly makes people stand out is grit and maturity.

• What would you say to someone who asked about MGAC, or wants to compete in MGAC?

Angela: Just chill. Enjoy the process. No matter how difficult or uncomfortable it becomes, there’s always a reason for it. Pull through the whole thing. It’s tiring enough as it is, so just have fun with it. Enjoy the whole experience.

Jedd: Do some exercise. Run, swim, or whatever, just exercise. Kidding aside,

MGAC is not a competition designed to reward the brilliant, it is for those who are willing to learn.

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I’m exhausted from just hearing their stories, but it’s fascinating to hear how ten days can impact someone’s life. There’s so much more to college life than academics and we should all take that leap to learn beyond the four walls of our classrooms.

If you’ve recently joined competitions, attended conferences, taken part in external opportunities,. or just want to write for the Education and Research Portal, please do email us at upbac.educationandresearch@gmail.com so we can share your exciting story to the BA community.