Musings and Memories: Work and Life Experiences at EMI
The Spark 💥
Back in 1988, a new Japanese-owned factory in Imus City, Cavite, announced a massive hiring wave, and I jumped at the chance.
The application process was a three-month marathon. We submitted resumes, returned for physical exams, applied for passports at the DFA, and waited for the interviews.
Fortunately, I passed the interview and will wait for our training schedule before we start working at the company.
3 Months of Automotive Wiring Harness Training in Japan 🗾
This training-to-hiring program was designed to develop our skills in automotive wiring harness assembly and manufacturing, preparing us to return to the Philippines as skilled production operators.
I was placed in Batch 29 and sent to Gotemba, Japan, from February to May 1989. For the next three months, local gymnasiums in Gotemba, Susono, and Fuji served as our training centers.
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| Japan Training 1989 |
The complete personal blog is titled Japan 1989.
Era 1: Early Years in Production
(Years 1 to 19)
Year 1: The Production Operator 🏭
After three months of training in Japan, I finished a six-month probationary period and became a regular employee at the factory.
I started with the basics: using a guide to lay out and assemble wires on a moving jig board attached to a conveyor belt. The work required extreme precision and speed to avoid any defects.
On top of these strict time constraints, I had to adjust to shift work, endure the physical fatigue of standing for long hours, push through hand cramps, and handle the relentless pressure of hitting hourly targets.
Working as a sub/layout operator gave me a deep respect for factory workers. It taught me the foundations of automotive manufacturing, the value of staying humble, and what it truly means to earn an honest day's living.
Years 2 to 5: The Inspector 🔎
Our Line Leader moved me from assembling parts to catching mistakes. Transitioning to quality checks felt like a real step up. Suddenly, I was using specialized gauges to spot microscopic defects in terminals and housing locks, ensuring every finished product met strict quality standards.
It wasn’t easy. The job came with relentless eye strain, high-volume stress, and the delicate task of managing tension with operators when parts didn't pass.
But over those four years, moving through Parts Check, Finishing, Appearance, and Delivery, my eye for defects and wire insulation flaws became razor-sharp. Knowing these quality checks directly kept drivers safe on the road taught me the true value of accountability: catching a tiny detail today prevents a massive failure tomorrow.
During this chapter, I was also selected for the second batch of employees sent to Thailand. Learning about our new wiring harness product marked my second overseas training experience and a milestone in my career.
The complete personal blog is Thailand 1993.
Years 6 to 19: The Line Quality Controller 📋
My hard work paid off when I was promoted to Line Quality Controller (LQC). Looking back, I am incredibly grateful to the leaders and mentors who saw my potential and trusted me with this responsibility.
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| Production Line Quality Controller |
In 1999, I was chosen to mentor new employees for a start-up factory in Pune, India. This was my third international assignment for the company.
The complete personal blog is titled India 1999.
Era 2: The Pivot to People
(Years 20 - 33)
From Production to Training
In 2008, my career took an unexpected and exciting turn. The Production Department handpicked me to transfer to the Training Department, an opportunity I knew I couldn’t pass up. It almost felt like fate.
In our company, moving to a completely different department is incredibly rare. Usually, you have to hunt for openings, pass difficult examinations, and survive rounds of intense interviews.
My path was different, and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to our Production Manager, Ms. Ever Mojica. Her belief in me and her direct recommendation didn't just open the door; it gave me the massive boost of confidence I needed to step through it and embrace this new chapter.
Years 20 to 33: The Trainer 📝
With this transition began the deep, rewarding challenge of training and mentoring new operators. I quickly realized that teaching others is often far more stressful than doing the work yourself.
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| Second Grade Instructor Training |
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| TQM Department |
Shaping new hires is an incredibly fulfilling journey, especially when you watch them thrive on the active line and become regular, permanent employees. This chapter taught me the true essence of leadership: it is built on patience, deep empathy, and the quiet pride of watching others succeed because of your guidance.
Weathering the Elements ⛆🌀🌁🌋
In over three decades of working on-site, I have weathered both natural disasters and historic societal shifts. The challenges began early in my career in June 1991, when the cataclysmic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo sent thick volcanic ash drifting across Southern Luzon, completely blanketing Cavite province.
Around that same era, we navigated minor earthquakes felt right on the factory floor, a historic union strike that revolutionized the relationship between rank-and-file employees and management, and the daily grind of exhausting commutes that made arriving on time a constant race against panic.
Then came the fierce storms. Year after year, I reported for work despite treacherous weather, enduring catastrophic floods fueled by the southwest monsoon and major storms, from Typhoon Milenyo in 2006 and Typhoon Ondoy in 2009, all the way to Tropical Storm Paeng in 2022.
But the ultimate test of endurance arrived with the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The global shutdown triggered a grueling three-month quarantine from March to June with absolutely "no work." It was the most difficult time of my career. When we finally returned to the line, the workplace had completely transformed into a landscape of face masks, face shields, and strict social distancing.
Every job has its unique hardships and struggles. Looking back at everything I lived through, I know that longevity in a career simply comes down to one thing: the perseverance to overcome the elements.
The Final Chapter: 33 Years of Loyalty 📔
Over more than three decades, I watched the automotive wiring harness industry change and grow; with it, my own skills evolved, from a production operator to training new hires. Being with the same company for 33 years is an achievement I hold dear. I never planned to apply anywhere else; I was, and always will be, a loyal employee.
But the time has come for a new path. I have decided to take advantage of the optional retirement benefits offered by management and the union for long-serving employees, and resign from full-time, on-site work.
My primary motivation is practical: I want to use my retirement benefits to finally repair our family home, which hasn't been renovated since it was built in the 1970s. My other reason is a bit sentimental. I want to receive the Plaque of Appreciation awarded to employees with 20 or more years of service. It might sound trivial, but isn't it ironic that you can only receive a plaque celebrating your time here once you decide to leave?
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| Loyalty awardee 33 years in service |
As I step away, my heart is overflowing with gratitude. I am deeply thankful for God's grace and guidance, the unwavering support of my family, and the incredible coworkers, mentors, and lifelong friends who made my work truly enjoyable.
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