Former scholar finds a ‘Partner for her Passion’ in Pilmico

Many paths lead people to their dream jobs, and for Jamie Hernandez, also known as “Doc Jam,” her journey started when she was a college student. While pursuing her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Southern Mindanao, Pilmico representatives were searching for potential scholars in their school. Despite being unfamiliar with Pilmico then, Doc Jam applied, intending to ease the financial burden of her studies on her parents. 

Fortunately, she became a scholar of Pilmico from her fifth year of college up until her board exams, which opened up numerous opportunities for her. 

Doc Jam had always dreamed of owning a small piggery farm, which inspired her to pursue Veterinary Medicine. Her on-the-job training (OJT) and thesis study were even conducted on Pilmico’s swine farms in Tarlac, where she received a firsthand learning experience in tending to pigs at different life stages. 

As a Pilmico scholar, she also gained valuable learnings beyond the farms through programs like Pilmico’s Junior Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture Congress (PJVAC) and Aboitiz Future Leaders Business Summit (AFLBS), which helped develop her leadership skills. 

“Through the scholarship, I was able to join PJVAC and AFLBS, where I learned a lot, and I was inspired by the Aboitiz leaders. At the same time, I had fun kasi magkakaiba kami ng courses ng mga kasama ko so I also found new friends.”

Doc Jam found that her journey, from her internship to her participation in various programs, became more meaningful as she found mentors turned lifelong friends. These relationships and experiences have been invaluable in achieving her goals. 

Doc Jam (in black; front- third person from the right) together with the Salto Gamefowl team. 

In 2016, she became a Product Supervisor for the Gamefowl Category at Pilmico. Even though it was not the job she initially hoped for in swine farm operations, she embraced this opportunity to learn more about the gamefowl industry, where there are only a few veterinarians. 

She also recalled transitioning from being interested in joining the company to thriving in her job. “Before pa, nakita ko na kasi gaano ka warm and compassionate ng Pilmico employees, from the HR team pa lang na pumunta sa school namin dati, napakagaling and napakababait. Malaking factor din ‘yung team leaders; I’m happy that we have leaders who are not only good with their jobs, but they are also compassionate,” she said.

In her passion for the pursuit of learning, she has always lived out the value of being a “student always.” After serving the gamefowl category for six years, Doc Jam is now a Category Supervisor under the Specialty Nutrition division. Her roles and titles may have changed, but her passion for her work remains unchanged. “I love Pilmico,” she simply said when asked why she has been with the company for over six years. “Pilmico made a big impact in my life, hindi na ‘yun mawawala sa akin. I love my job, I enjoy working here, and I have friends that I’m going to keep for life,” she added.