Ex-scavenger makes waves as international education agent

MANILA, Philippines - A former scavenger is now making waves as an international education consultant and agent, with bright prospects for global expansion as prospective foreign partners have sent in feelers to forge joint venture agreements.

Faith Katigbak, 47, sole proprietor of Godspeed Overseas Diploma Education Consultancy Services (GODECS), revealed that talks are underway between her and a Singaporean businessman over the possibility of setting up a GODECS branch in the city state.

“I have very good reasons to be optimistic about this project. In fact, I may be leaving next week for Singapore to clinch the deal,” she said.

According to her, similar deals “are on the table, but I’m not rushing into them without surveying the terrain first, and taking a long hard look at the viability of the proposed joint ventures.”

Katigbak said GODECS virtually started from scratch when she was still a mere agent of an established company in Makati that specialized in this sunshine industry.

Over the past three years, she was able to nurture GODECS, located at the Velante building on Don P. Campos Avenue in San Agustin III, Dasmariñas, Cavite, into a million-peso concern by dint of hard work and unshaken resolve to give it her best shot at all times.

Formed in 2007, GODECS is now a member of a global network of master educators and pres­tigious learning institutions “committed to providing quality education for all, regardless of race, creed and color.”

“I was never afraid to take on even a man’s job. In the past, I waited on tables in diners and eateries, pushed carts loaded with junk, and acted as real estate agent whenever the opportunity arises,” Katigbak recalled.

She takes pride in telling people that for a time, she was a scavenger in junkyards and dumps, searching for discarded bottles and other stuff. Eventually, she stopped being a cart pusher as she graduated to junk dealership, with a cadre of collectors doing the rounds.

In time, she saved enough money that enabled her to shift to a more decent, cleaner occupation like education consultancy.

Her three-year education in Foreign Service served her in good stead as she needed to interact with professionals and bureaucrats in her new found calling.

GODECS specializes in sending young people abroad to pursue studies ranging from elementary grades to college, as well as vocational and post-graduate courses, including advance training for teachers, summer camps, and workshops for junior and senior students.

While studying, the students are also allowed to do part-time jobs which afford them a stepping stone to bigger endeavors and greater challenges in life.

In coordination with its global partners, GODECS also offers summer workshop programs in the United States, career-enhancing tours for medical and other professional groups, as well as language learning and cultural visits to such countries as Spain, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, France, Great Britain, and Japan.

In addition, GODECS maintains tie-ups in Malta, Malaysia, China, Singapore, and Laos.