Pursuing potential in the Philippines
Now with over 800 employees, our office in the capital of the Philippines, Manila, has been an integral part of our innovation, progress and continued growth for almost 20 years.
Operating in more than 170 countries around the world and with more than 50 offices globally, Cambridge University Press & Assessment helps people all over the world to unlock their potential.
Providing essential services that span the organisation to help drive the Cambridge mission forward, our Manila office is our second largest, with more than 12 percent of our people based there.
Technological expertise
Starting out in 2003 as a small team of six people providing digital services and technology support, our employee numbers in Manila have seen continuous growth year on year.
Our team in Manila has now officially surpassed the 800 people milestone – with ambitions to grow up to 900 colleagues as we move into the new year. This recent growth coincided with Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge University Press forming a single organisation in August 2021, to drive innovation and deliver even more effectively for learners, teachers and researchers.
With many of our colleagues in Manila working in digital, technology and IT fields, the established levels of expertise and high-quality work being delivered by these teams is integral to helping us maximise the impact we have and meet the ever-changing needs of our customers. From software development and UX design to global service management, programming, and cybersecurity; technology teams in Manila have had a year filled with achievements, producing reliable work and providing essential functions to the organisation globally.
Leading the way in collaboration with our teams around the world, 2022 saw Cambridge’s Manila office organise our first ever global TEDx event for colleagues, ‘Technology Game Changers’.
This ambitious and inspirational 5-hour event involved more than 200 colleagues from across the globe coming together to hear a range of speakers present on their ideas about technology and its implications in shaping how we deliver our products and services to learners now and in the future.
Ronnie Mañalac, General Manager of our Manila operations, said: “I am incredibly proud of our team as Manila took the centre stage to host some of our organisation’s brightest minds as they provoked and encouraged thought development.”
Pursuing potential
Continuous expansion has led to a diversity of job roles being offered outside of technology, with a growing number of positions in areas such as customer service, human resources and other business operations roles now making up for around one-third of roles in Manila.
Ronnie Mañalac said: “I trust that as we grow in numbers, the value we are creating to Cambridge University Press & Assessment grows in proportion.”
Ritchie Calo, HR Business Partner for Manila, said: “Our expansion means that teams in Manila are growing and that new teams will be further created. These opportunities translate to various career developments such as ladder progression, ‘squiggly’ movements and building a career portfolio.”
Content Services Manager, Anna Eloisa “Loi” Bulong is one such individual who has seen her team grow exponentially as her career has continued to develop.
Loi joined Cambridge University Press in 2011 when Content Services – a team providing unique insight and robust data solutions across the organisation – was first created in Manila. Straight from law school, Loi began her career in a team of just two. Since then, Content Services has become one of the largest and most integral teams in Manila with more than 50 team members.
Loi said: “We started small – first with eBooks, then came journals, followed by the Cambridge Learning Management System and print books. By 2014, the team grew triple in size, and I was then promoted as a team manager. We now also look after a dedicated Cogbooks team, Extensible Markup Language (XML) Development and Quality Assurance teams, the Cambridge Asset Management System team, as well as an XML Architect.”
She added: “This may sound clichéd, but I honestly would not be where I am today without the team and my managers who supported me all the way. Ronnie Mañalac, together with my manager, Carolyn Robson, who is based in the UK, signed me up for more intense leadership training when we expanded and has mentored and guided me all the way, while also helping me to expand my network.”
Women in technology
The team in Manila proudly upholds the organisation’s commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging in all its forms.
Earlier this year the Manila team partnered with SPARK! Philippines in championing women’s empowerment and participation in science, technology and innovation.
SPARK! Philippines is a non-governmental organisation that focuses on the protection of women’s rights, promotion of gender equality, and advancement of women’s economic and political roles. Serving as one of the sponsors of SPARK’s online show ‘Chat Up’, Cambridge supported a special episode about women's and girls’ presence and involvement in science and technology, as well as donating books handpicked by colleagues in our Academic publishing division.
Mark Maddocks, our Chief Information Officer, said: “Gender equality in technology has improved significantly in recent years. On top of doing great work, our female colleagues act as role models for other women who are considering a career in technology.”
In a recent global colleague initiative, our technology teams shared messages of appreciation for female colleagues. Many of these words of admiration and thanks were for women working within technology in our Manila office, such as Quality Assurance Team Lead, Jenny Bundang.
Celebrating her ability in demonstrating Cambridge’s core values of collaboration, innovation, responsibility and empowerment in her work, a colleague said: “Nine years! Thank you for all your hard work, Jen. I have seen you grow from a Mid Tester to Team Lead. Thank you for all your innovation on process improvement, for being vocal on your thoughts and being open to suggestions.”
Developing excellence
The Philippines is home to some of the most beautiful places in the world, and we are grateful to have such a significant tech hub based in its capital, Manila.
However, the region is also subject to erratic weather, geological changes, as well as increasing threats from climate change.
Pioneered and piloted in the Philippines, the Cambridge Continuity Plan is a streamlined app designed with processes to allow the organisation to see in real-time, the location and welfare of team members across the country.
Developed by Cambridge’s tech teams and rolled out in Manila, the Cambridge Continuity Plan will be made available in Cambridge University Press & Assessment offices around the world in the coming year ahead.
Ronnie Mañalac said: “This is an excellent example of technical innovation that will help ensure the safety of our people. We are still at the early stages, but I look forward to seeing how this application will continue to evolve and improve as it’s used across the Philippines and possibly other parts of Cambridge, allowing us to continue to deliver our mission, even in the most challenging of circumstances.”
The future is exciting for our 19-year-old Cambridge University Press & Assessment Manila office and there are currently many opportunities to be part of this growing team – with roles from technology to customer service. Visit our careers website to discover more.
