EVERYTHING happens for a reason. You might be rejected today, but this could also mean that you can do better the next day.
Somerset Elcid Siang, an Information Technology graduate of the University of Mindanao (UM) and currently earning his Doctor's degree in Information Technology at the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP), as well as the faculty of UM has risen from the rejection he encountered to become one of the 14 grantees of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Start-Up Project in 2019 and businessman.
Tough childhood
Siang grew up in a broken family.
“Mga seven years old ko, nagbulag na akong parents (I was seven years old when my parents separated), so I was living with my relatives, sa akong lola, akong tita (either with my grandmother or aunts). Depende kung kinsa ang naay kwarta makapaskwela sa akoa (it depends on who has the means to send me to school),” Siang said.
He said due to poverty and the unstable income of his father he ends up living that way.
Today, both of his parents have their own families and he also has his own.
Siang might have had a tough childhood but it never stopped him from achieving his dream and goal in life. He said, “Just because other people said that it won’t have a future, you will stop”.
Rejection
Siang said his concept paper had been rejected in 2019 when he first presented it to his Professor in the Post Graduate Program he is currently enrolled in, he said his idea is too futuristic and irrelevant.
“Masabtan man siya na-reject siya because siguro tan-aw sa akong teacher is medyo dili kaayo siya marketable or dili kaayo siya ma-catch up sa mga schools ang idea, dili makita ang urgency and importance sa idea since during that time face-to-face ang klase (I understand that it has been rejected because maybe my teacher thought that it's not marketable or my target market will be having a hard time to cope up with the idea since it's not urgent, and the mode of instructions was still face-to-face)” Siang said.
However, when one door closes, another opens. He was given a chance to develop it during the lockdown period of the Covid-19 pandemic with the help of the DOST.
A year later, in August 2021, the INFINIT LMS (Learning Manage System) was officially born and given a chance to be developed.
“This Top 14 Start-Up concept and businesses or company has been funded by DOST. Initially, various industries gyud unta ni sila but kami lang ang LMS provider nga naapil didto (we are the only LMS provider who made it to the list), although tulo me under sa (we there are three of us under the) education-related software,” Siang said.
Siang said they were given over P2 million worth of grants to further develop their system. He currently leads a team of eight from just being a one-man team.
Today, Siang has already accommodated at least 32 schools that have been using his LMS program.
“If they have something on their mind and then initially their ideas will be rejected, do not be discouraged because kanang ideas depende na siya sa panahon and mga tao nga imuhang ingnan sa imuhang ideas these ideas will depend on the right time and people who are you going to pitch with. Maybe, ‘now’ is not yet the time, but you can pursue it later,” Siang said. KSD