Homegrown beautician mulls building "Beauty Academy"

CEBU, Philippines - After etching his name in the hair and beauty service industry of Cebu, Jun Esma is now bent on building a “Beauty Academy” to provide the appropriate facility to help hone talents in the lucrative beauty and wellness sector in the province. Esma, who has been in the beauty salon business for the past 20 years operating salons in Talamban (near University of San Carlos-Talamban Campus) and in Ramos street, said that there is a need for Cebu to provide a facility that will professionalize the talents in the hair and beauty service sector.

An insurance specialist by profession, Esma opened his salon in Talamban years back, not just because of passion and the need to start up a business, but also to provide his talented friends an avenue to practice their talents specifically in hair styling, at the same time earning.

Esma also acquired several professional certificates in hair styling and beauty techniques mostly from L’oreal beauty experts’ training and professional enhancement programs, he said he is up to sharing his knowledge to the next generation service providers in the hair and beauty sector.

Cebu, which is positioning as one of the hottest destinations for health and wellness, which include the beauty sector, should provide a pool of professional hair and beauty experts who are world-class.

In the next one or two years, Esma is looking at operating his “Jun Esma Beauty Academy”, while at present he is still working on the process of partnering and complying requirements needed from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and other concerned government agencies.

Esma, who is also the president of the Philippine International Cosmetologists Association (PICA-Cebu Chapter) said that bringing up the standard in the hair and beauty services primarily offered by salons and parlors should be raised in higher standard, to make Cebu one of the world-class destinations for health, beauty and wellness.

Aside from establishing the Beauty Academy, Esma is also trying to organize events for the over 200 members of PICA in Cebu, to uphold world class standard of service, and make them realize that what they are doing is actually a prestigious career.

PICA members are also constantly updated of the world trends in hair styling, beauty and makeup. Thus, he announced the holding of the organization’s first “PICA Congress”—a conference of beauticians in Cebu this coming September.

“We got a lot of talents in the Philippines, in the beauty and hair styling industry a lot of Filipinos are already gifted with this talent, what they need is professional improvements, to make them globally competitive,” said Esma.

An establishment of a Beauty Academy is seen to boost Cebu’s positioning in the beauty and wellness sector, as well as make Cebu the melting pot of world-class beauticians, and hair experts, Esma said.

At present, with the mushrooming of beauty parlors, beauty centers, and other vanity service facilities, competition is getting much tougher in terms of business. However, Esma said this development provides benefit to consumers in quality and competitive service charge levels. (FREEMAN)