A daughter of Virac Mayor Samuel Laynes has led a team of students from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Philippines to victory in an international logistics competition.
Nikki Isabel Reyes Laynes piloted her Team Green Innovators to first place in the Social Logistics Challenge of the Global Business School Network (GBSN) Beyond-Related Student Logistics Competition.
A graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accountancy (BSBAA) from the University of the Philippines Diliman, she is enrolled in the Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) course at AIM Philippines.
Along with Suzanne Sevilla, Kirk Anthony Camus, and Guian Carlo Mascardo, Laynes presented a study on how to bridge access of feminine care and education to uplift the lifestyles, mental health, and hygiene of Filipina women in remote areas, initially zooming on schoolgirls.
The study was based on the experience of the Virac Rural Health Unit (RHU) personnel Dr. Elva M. Joson and Nurse II Rowena Francisca Estacio.
“Bridging the gap, recognizing the capabilities and potential, aspiring sustainable activities makes the Filipina First initiative aims to help improve the role of women in the society better in the long run,” said the event’s board of judges, who are industry experts in humanitarian and social logistics and supply chain both in commercial and non-governmental spheres.
In thanking GBSN for giving them the opportunity to share its ideas, the AIM Philippines’ Team Green Innovators said they wanted to make sure that they do something – not only for making sure their ideas are out there, but also to make sure that they uplift the lives of the people, socially and in terms of social logistics.
The AIM Philippines team, which won the US$5,000 top prize, competed against 53 teams coming from 47 schools in 21 countries.
Coming in second place was Team WASH Advancement Centre from the University of Ghana and University of Calgary, which submitted a project on solar-powered potable water systems and clean toilet facilities to be provided for rural Ghanian communities with insufficient infrastructure.
Third place went to Team CATH from University of Leeds, United Kingdom, which wanted to solve the combined problems of food waste and homelessness.
The GBSN 2022 Social Logistics Challenge presented the students with the fundamental reminder of the definition of logistics: coordinated separate activities which combine to one organized movement of goods, services, and people.
This challenge incorporated this essential philosophy of logistics into the new and innovative study of social logistics, which aims to introduce a social (human) factor in the systems and to apply logistics principles and methods in solving problems within society.
Students were then asked to utilize their logistical knowledge and training to improve a societal access problem and they identified the community of this problem, the multiple stakeholders involved, and most importantly, how this solution supports one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Out of the 53 teams, preliminary judges determined the top five teams who presented their studies live to a panel of final-round judges.