When in Manila recently reached two million likes on Facebook! This was a humbling milestone for the When in Manila Team. As we met together to brainstorm on how to improve, we thought it would be best to reach out to our readers on a more personal level. After all, When in Manila is a essentially a community. We’re not merely content producers who dish out new articles daily–we want to establish a sense of community and constant exchange of ideas with our readers. To make this possible, we’re happy to launch a new series: When in Manila’s #MeetTheTeam!Â
Meet Mae Ilagan, When in Manila’s PR Director!
Mae does a lot of things for When in Manila. She takes care of our long-term partners and creates campaigns for the brands we collaborate with. Although she’s only one person, she functions as a networking powerhouse that paves the way for new partnerships and avenues for When in Manila to be known and appreciated by others. Perhaps this skill stems from Mae’s down to earth appeal and her sincerity whenever she reaches out to others–may it be to fellow bloggers, brands, or new contributors.
Mae enjoys working on food and travel features, as evidenced by most of the articles she makes for When in Manila. If you check out her social media accounts, you could tell that her passions align with her job description.
Mae was already able to travel in different places in the Philippines, Asia, and Europe through her job in When in Manila. It’s interesting to know how her journey with When in Manila began: a friend invited her to join WIM. She joined the team with Frank Ruaya (@frankdroidz), her co-blogger for eatsadate.net. She started as a photographer, and eventually worked her way up. Mae shares that until now, she enjoys photography over writing.
Mae shares about the best part of working for When in Manila:
It doesn’t feel like work at all. I get to meet people from all walks of life, travel the world, and develop myself through my experiences. I also work at my own time and pace. No need to wake up early and join the morning rush. I can work anywhere I want. Vince is also a great mentor–highly supportive and easy to talk to.
Mae shares that out of all her experiences with When in Manila, the most memorable ones were visiting Europe and covering the papal visit. Of course, as with any job, there were challenges along the way. Mae recalls the time when When in Manila was relatively new. She had difficulty managing many contributors, among other deliverables.
That time, I was doing everything…like a one woman show. It was just me and Vince. I was in charge of membership, editing photos, posting PR’s, producing new content, the works!
Mae shares that she wants our readers to know that When in Manila is a community where people co-create and support each other. She hopes that in the future, When in Manila would be recognized as an organization that contributes positively to society, a company that frees people from the “system” by providing them careers wherein they could work anywhere, so they can have more quality time for themselves and loved ones.
As a member of When in Manila, she hopes to contribute to that vision.
I sure would love to mentor people like what Vince did to me….teach them what I learned from my experiences, help them build their confidence, inspire them to find their path.
Mae has achieved many victories with and for When in Manila. When asked to enumerate them, she said:
1. When I won as So Pinoy’s Ultimate Pinoy Food Blogger
2. The listicles I did about Baguio and other restaurants. The establishments I featured became very prosperous since I visited them. They say I bring luck!
3. When I was able to help my OFW friend take back his daughter from his drug addicted wife through the article I posted.
Mae Ilagan
Website/Blog:Â eatsadate.net
Twitter/Snapchat/Instagram: @mayoilagan
Facebook:Â https://www.facebook.com/WheninManilaMae/
Stay tuned to meet the rest of the team! If you have any questions and suggestions for Mae or for any of the team, feel free to comment below! Would you like to be part of the team, too? Click this link to know how.Â
