A young BYU-Hawaii alumnus from the Philippines married to a Laie girl recently returned to his home where the couple has set up a retail Internet business designed to help other economically challenged alumni in the area.
Joenee Briones, a 2001 Information Systems graduate, came to BYU-Hawaii in 1995 from his home in San Fernando, Pampanga, north of Manila.
After one semester, he was called to serve in the Philippines-Naga mission in southern Luzon for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Returning to BYU-Hawaii, he worked in Polynesian Cultural Center retail sales and served as BYUSAH vice president of clubs and organizations his senior year.
Ke'ilani Navalta is a Laie girl of Hawaiian-Filipina-Caucasian heritage who graduated from Kahuku High in '95, and attended BYU-Hawaii. Her father, S. Wilfred Navalta, is the BYU-Hawaii women's volleyball coach. After serving in the Portugal-Lisbon South Mission from 1998-00, she resumed her studies and graduated in 2001 with a degree in Health & Wellness.
"We were married three days after graduation," Ke'ilani said, "We left two weeks after that for Salt Lake City where Joenee did an internship at Church headquarters as a PC [personal computer] technician."
In May last year the couple moved to Manila where Briones worked in the main Church offices.
"After having interacted with a few of the alumni there, we decided to make an attempt in fulfilling the vision that alumni would go home as leaders," he said.
Briones explained that they moved a few months later to San Fernando, where they struggled because of the economic conditions. He pointed out that other alumni in the area are also economically challenged, which affects their ability to raise families and serve in the Church.
"We decided to find a solution that would help all of us,” Briones said. “We saw that most alumni worked at the Church offices, so there was no one in corporate circles. We decided to get into the corporate world through business ventures, and establish a corporate network with an end goal of setting up a consultancy firm in the fields of accounting, business and IT [information technology].
He added, “In the meantime, we've found through research that's not immediately feasible for three main reasons: a lack of capital investment, insufficient knowledge of the industry, and human resources."
To overcome those hurdles, Briones and his wife "entered into an income-generating venture through trading via e-commerce and export. We call our Internet company McKay Enterprise Philippines, because we're fulfilling the vision of President McKay through enterprise." Information systems classmate Alvin Amistad is also a founding partner in the venture.
Briones said he hopes McKay Enterprise Philippines will eventually employ more BYU-Hawaii alumni and other Church members.
"As soon as they get home, we will meet with them and invite them to join us as an option,” Briones said. “If things go with our income projections, I believe we can absorb the graduates that will come."
He estimates it will take about three years to generate enough revenue to start the consultancy.
Briones said that his father, a self-made exporter in garments, specializing in baby sweaters, who has operated his own business with over 100 employees for about 10 years, and has an additional 20 years of experience managing other operations, is mentoring him and his wife.
"I don't think my parents realized how much they have prepared themselves to help us," Briones said. "My father is constantly teaching us the rudiments of business, and he introduces us to people he knows. As a matter of fact, we've already helped one alumnus get a job."
Briones acknowledges starting up the new business is "quite a struggle right now. If you're a businessman and you're not in the food or export business, the Philippine economy is quite shaky."
Despite all of the challenges, he remains optimistic that their business will succeed.
"I feel the Lord is working in the Philippines right now. Some of the select few can be trained, and then come home and help build the kingdom in this part of His vineyard," Briones said.
Ke'ilani also sees the value BYU-Hawaii alumni can offer to their homeland. "There are so many opportunities to get leadership skills in the classroom and Church at BYU-Hawaii. Because the Church is growing so rapidly, the experiences we gain at school provide the leadership that is desperately needed here," she said.
Ke'ilani, who admits she misses Laie, said BYU-Hawaii "gave us a career, while the church and temple perspective helps us keep that in line with what the Lord expects of us, so we're accomplishing both. I also love being involved with the mission and vision of the University."
"The BYU-Hawaii students, faculty and people in Laie are involved in a purpose," she continued. "Maybe they don't realize it every day, as they go to work, whether at BYU-Hawaii or at the PCC, but they are."