The entire SEL-J Pharma Corp. family trooped to the beautiful Fontana Leisure Park Resort in Clark, Pampanga, for their national sales conference and Christmas party last December 15-18, 2010.  Present during the activity were members of the Pharma Ethical Division, Makati and Las Pinas admin offices, warehouse personnel, Government Accounts Specialists, and SEL-J Sports’ team of riders.

Newly-promoted personnel were also officially announced during the Nascon proper, as follows:  Alex Duenas (from District Sales Manager to National Sales Manager), Rollan “Butch” Roa (from District Sales Manager to Regional Sales Manager for VISMIN), Russell Luna (from District Sales Manager to Senior District Sales Manager), and Mayette Macalindong (from Professional Sales Executive to District Sales Manager).

Noel Fortin, Vice President for Sales & Marketing, also announced some addition to the portfolio of SEL-J Pharma, elaborating and highlighting on the need to focus on major therapeutic areas, and strengthening the company’s presence in the marketplace.  New strategies were laid out and cascaded to all members of the Ethical Team for 2011, which ushers in the company’s march towards its
20-20 vision: to become the number one pharmaceutical company in 2020.

Teambuilding and sports activities were held on the last day of the conference, particularly basketball shoot-out for managers, basketball game for the reps, and volleyball games.  The Christmas Party in the evening of December 17 was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Fontana Resort.  Mr. Jay Lacnit, Company President, thanked all members of the organization for their unyielding commitment and passion to achieve their individual and corporate objectives for 2010, and even challenged for higher performances in 2011 and beyond.

Highlighting the Christmas Party were the Mr. Gay contest, which was easily won by PSE Rodel of Olongapo-Bataan areas.  Group presentations, exchange gifts, and Christmas carolling were also held.  The Company also distributed baskets of goodies and cash bonuses to all members of the organization.

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SEL-J Pharma Chairman and SEL-J Sports President Jay Y. Lacnit, or JYL as he is fondly called, celebrated his 43rd birthday last August 6 and 7, 2010 at the beautiful and posh Bali Gardens in Las Pinas City.  The venue was closed for the exclusive use of the celebrant and his guests.   Mr. Lacnit was pleasantly surprised with the detailed and impeccable preparations and arrangements spearheaded by his loved ones and trusted employees of his business empire.

Ms. Suzette Lacnit, the beauteous wife and life-time partner of Jay, was at the helm of the entire event.  About 200 guests, who were composed of friends, employees, business partners, relatives, sportsmen and well-wishers attended the night-long celebration, highlighted by emotional and humorous speeches from selected close friends and associates, sumptuous dinner, fireworks, music, and entertainment.  Executives of SEL-J Pharma Corp. and top riders of SEL-J Sports, Inc. expressed their commitment to Mr. Lacnit in further driving both the commercial business and the sport he is so dearly impassioned with, motocross.  Mr. Lacnit also became emotional when shown with video clips of loved ones in Dumaguete, especially from his parents and pastors whom he supports, and from eldest daughter Jels, who is now in the US. 

Mr. Lacnit’s thanksgiving speech gave way to his emotions, as he struggled to find words to express his deepest gratitude for the abounding love he experienced during the entire evening.

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SEL-J Sports, Inc. recently launched its second OTC product, Enersel Forte during the 2nd Cuba Riders and SEL-J Sports Invitational Motocross Cup held in Batino, Laguna, last May 8, 2010.  The launch was highlighted by a medical mission for children, where free medicines and vitamins were given after consultation with physicians from the local City Health Office of Batino.  A kids’ dance troupe, the Interworld Kidz Group, who were a monthly finalist in the popular talent search of ABS-CBN, SHOWTIME, also spruced up the event.  Jay Lacnit, president of SEL-J Pharma Corp. and SEL-J Sports, Inc., promised to continue to deliver quality healthcare products to the consuming public, and also pledged to sustain the momentum earned by the company for its relentless efforts on sports development, particularly motocross.

Enersel Forte is the second product in the OTC portfolio of SEL-J Pharma Corp., the first being Therasil, a lozenge that is now available in major drugstores nationwide.  Two giant buses, carrying the promotional elements of these two important products, were purchased by SEL-J Sports not only as a tool for advertising but also as a mode of transportation for the many events and activities of both SEL-J Pharma and SEL-J Sports.

Enersel Forte is the first of its kind in the multivitamins and minerals category.  It is positioned as the New, Revolutionary Formula for Giftedness because it is the only preparation in the market with a unique formulation of Vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, and E, and minerals Niacinamide and Zinc.  It also contains the much-heralded Chlorella Growth Factor that is responsible for height development among children, and also contains the elements Taurine and Lysine.  But what sets Enersel Forte superior than the other players in the market is the addition of Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) – an ordinary product with extraordinary capabilities.  VCO is rich in saturated fats and more easily digested than fats found in other oil.  It also boasts of Lauric Acid, which has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, and is the most important essential fatty acid for building and maintaining the body’s immune system.  VCO is also known to help increase the body’s metabolism, and is a quick source of energy.  With Enersel Forte, children and young adults are ensured of a formula to excel in sports, academics, arts and music, and other fields of endeavor.

Enersel Forte will carry the tagline ENERGY AND STRENGTH ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE.  It comes in 120mL and 250mL bottles.

To ensure good and efficient availability, managers of SEL-J Pharma submitted documents and samples of Enersel-Forte to key distribution channels like Mercury Drug and South Star Drug.  SEL-J Pharma and SEL-J Sports will continue to aggressively advertise and promote Therasil lozenges and Enersel Forte via the ethical division with about 70 Professional Sales Executives, during events and conventions, and on Motocross TV, which is showing every Saturday at 5:30pm primetime telecast via NBN 4 and every Sunday at 9:00pm via CCTN 47.

Change has a nice ring to it, but can be painful in the process for people who want to hold tight to and are scared to pierce through the veil of stagnation.

Nothing can be truer, if by change we mean being at the forefront of re-creating long-held mindsets, of transforming expectations and impressions, and of re-inventing and unfreezing old paradigms.  SEL-J Pharma Corporation, a national Filipino pharmaceutical company that advocates change, is at THAT forefront, and as we make ourselves the channel through which a revolutionary way of thinking passes through in the realm of the pharmaceutical industry, then we could claim that we have become the center of a ripple of change.  But then, as we ripple waves of change, we also need to cripple old, unnecessary ones.

The first monster that we crushed was the mindset of “littleness”, that stubborn, gnawing feeling of insignificance – something that was, and still is, pervading in the minds of people who are scared to face their Goliaths.  “I’m just a local company, I can’t compete with the multinationals”, or “I find it difficult to convince my doctors, they are just so comfortable with the innovators”.  Losing starts in the mind, but only if we feed our minds with thoughts of mediocrity.  The problem with Mosley even after landing two killer straights in the face of Mayweather that sent the latter’s knees wobbling in round two was that in his mind, he was ONLY Mosley, and in front of him was still the unbeaten opponent.  The Cleveland fans had a better and cleverer mindset during the second round of the 2010 playoffs in game 1 versus Boston:  Win, Or Go Home.  King James’ team, indeed won, and Pierce went home crushed.

Two years ago, we had a dream.  The dream was clear and the figures were even clearer:  SEL-J would be in the top 20 in 2012, top 10 in 2015, and number 1 in 2020.  Today, we feed our minds with thoughts of winning, but these thoughts don’t stay lurked in the corners of our minds – we made sure we created steps to wake up and birth the dream.  During the 2010 Annual National Convention of the Philippine College of Physicians, SEL-J made sure we sat right where the giants were.  It was not by accident, nor stroke of fate, that put our exhibit booth flanked by two of the biggest players in the local market – we purposely and strategically took the slot to create the impression that we belong to their league.  We just did not belong, but we eclipsed them and everybody else by winning the prestigious “Most Creative Booth” Award.

But impressions may not last long, so we made further strategies to cement the success of the initial imprints that we had created.  We had all our key products assayed and tested in very credible institutions, and so far results have been excellent.  Today we can claim, and can show proof, that our products are equal to the innovators and leading brands in terms of efficacy and safety.  We put price and the resulting affordability at last but equally important priority, as we believe that quality can never be subservient to cost.  But above all, we chose to choose our competitors well.

The other demon that we exorcised was the tyranny of numbers.  True there are sales targets to achieve, but we never talk targets ONLY from the perspective of numbers.  We position our sales goals primarily from the realm of achieving, and exceeding customer satisfaction.  We are not as much bothered by market shares as we are with finding new markets, creating them if necessary, and exclusively owning them.  From the millions of hypertensive Filipinos, only probably a third are able to continue with their medications, primarily due to high costs coupled with long periods of therapy.  All companies nudge each other to get a slice of 33% as a matter of natural reaction, but while extremely difficult  to not join, we are convinced that the goldmine is really in trying to find the other two thirds, and owning them.  We don’t have the perfect template yet on how to do this, but we are willing to tread on unchartered territories if only to pass through, and successfully, on the proverbial road not taken.

Another baggage that we cast away was the inability of the mind to comprehend and process situations, or the lack of conscious effort to put the business environment under the lens of scrunity.  Sales and marketing people who are not mindful of their SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and do not profusely and seriously scan their market variables are likely to wage a war with blindfolds in their eyes.  They are ill equipped to create strategies that will matter in the battlefield.  As a true disciple of SWOT, I always challenge our people to penetrate and map out with scrutiny even the tiniest specter of force that move their market.  Only then can a strategy be made so sharp to cut even the most dangerous of threats.

Commitment, I believe is not a noun – it is a verb.  Fire in one’s eyes epitomizes that burning desire and passion to selflessly give all in the name of excellence, to be the best that one could be, to transcend his strengths and vulnerabilities.  Commitment is the art of believing in a cause, and saying no to the elements that would hinder him.  We’re profusely working on commitment to be a lifestyle among our people.

Finally, we installed vision and leadership on the thrones of our consciousness.  We have a very clear vision, and support it with strategies that will bring us there.  But for this vision to happen, we must take on the mantle of leadership, regardless of the job we are tasked to do, and of empowering our people and associates with the dignity and pride and courage to go to a place others may dare not go alone.  The hallmark of true leadership is never the selfish agenda of wielding a commanding voice, rather it is for that voice to be heard loud and clear enough so that people are motivated and inspired not just to follow, but also to lead and inspire others.

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SEL-J Pharma Corporation walked away with the “Most Creative Booth Award” during the May 3-5, 2010 Annual National Convention of the Philippine College of Physicians at the mammoth SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.  The PCP is an organization of Internal Medicine practitioners in the country.

Carrying a Filipiniana-inspired theme, the SEL-J booth and hospitality suite won the hearts of the judges with a unique blend of colors, design concepts, and medical relevance.  The display panels featured the key products being promoted by the Ethical Division, highlighting value propositions of quality and safety, and affordability.  The area also became a convergence of doctors and healthcare professionals who participated in the 3-day event.

SEL-J managers and Professional Sales Executives manned the exhibit floors, and answered queries from doctors.  The company representatives also offered ice cream and other native delicacies to go with the concept theme to the participants.  Giant red bags, courtesy of Plethico, SEL-J’s top supplier of quality healthcare products, were also distributed, and became a smashing hit within the convention area with long queues of people lining up to visit our booth.

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