“Working on the largest operating gold mine in the Philippines means managing an isolated site, long operating hours, and extended periods away from family and friends.”
That is the reality for Jeanette Villanueva, who balances life as the sole warehouse coordinator for Sandvik at the Masbate Gold Project. Located on Masbate Island and covering approximately 130 square kilometers, the facility is operated by Filminera Resources Corporation, with Sandvik serving as a key contractor supporting heavy machinery including eight DP1500i surface top hammer drill rigs. She navigates this remote camp life through routine, physical fitness, and strict operational planning. She manages her site life through autonomy, strong relationships, and an active lifestyle outside her shifts, maintaining her physical and mental condition so she can deliver her best performance at work.
A Sole Representative Directing Heavy Logistics
As the sole representative for Sandvik on the site, Villanueva oversees critical inventory, ensuring that replacement parts reach maintenance teams exactly when heavy mining equipment requires servicing. Her daily duties extend far beyond standard warehouse logistics to include client services, drafting quotes, handling purchase orders, tracking deliveries, and managing billing paperwork. Working six days a week in an isolated camp requires precise time management and reliable communication channels to stay aligned with off-site colleagues. She takes great pride in representing Sandvik locally, operating autonomously while relying on constant communication and strong support from her colleagues.
Applying Civil Engineering to Industrial Supply Chains
Villanueva applies her academic background in civil engineering directly to her warehouse operations. Principles of resource management, organization, and structural planning learned during her degree program assist her in anticipating maintenance demands across the expansive gold mining complex.
Gym Routines and Badminton Tournaments
To cope with the isolation of living away from home, Villanueva maintains an active schedule centered around exercise and workplace camaraderie. She utilizes the camp gym to build personal discipline and regularly plays badminton with colleagues during off-hours, noting that Un esprit sain dans un corps sain,
as the old saying goes, could not be more true in her case. She adds that she enjoys spending time with colleagues and staying active, explaining that the gym has taught me discipline, and badminton helps me stay focused and alert.
She considers exercise both a physical workout and a social activity, noting that I like spending time with my colleagues and staying active. That mainly involves going to the gym and playing badminton.
Badminton has remained a consistent fixture in her routine since primary and secondary school. On the Masbate site, regular recreational tournaments bring together employees, offering a structured outlet for socialization after shifts conclude. She notes that I started playing in primary school and continued in high school,
and adds that Here on the site, we also organize events and competitions, and there are a lot of talented players. It is also an activity that my friends and I do together after work.
Family Ties and Professional Ambitions
Living three hours away from her family in the Philippines, Villanueva utilizes her scheduled days off to visit relatives, recharge, and maintain motivation. As the youngest of five siblings, maintaining close family ties provides an essential personal anchor against the demanding schedule of site-based industrial logistics.
Looking toward her professional future, Villanueva views her current coordination role as a foundational stepping stone. She aims to eventually transition into a sales-oriented capacity where she can combine her technical engineering background with direct client engagement, explaining that This position is a good starting point,
and that I can build on both my degree and the experience gained here to seize future opportunities.
