Data Scientists at Work
UnionBank, the leader in digital banking never stops innovating. It keeps investing in technologies and on its people to pave the way for them to be ready to thrive and lead in an agile world. One of the approaches of the bank this year was to launch the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Institute (DSAI).
DSAI was launched last July 22, 2019, and offered intensive training on data processing, data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Aside from bridging skill gaps, it also served as a skill upgrade for 21 UnionBankers who signed up for the 6-week course.
Let’s take a look at where these data scientists are now and how DSAI will drive the bank’s transformation into a technology company.
Rolando Hatol
Application Development and Support Team Manager x Data Scientist
I’ve always been interested in Data Science even before it was a buzzword. Prior to joining DSAI, I got myself certified in Data Analysis, Statistics, etc. at Coursera in 2013. DSAI was a great experience for me. I enjoyed learning from actual Data Scientists and finally learning the entire workflow of a data scientist’s job. I’m optimistic that I will be able to apply what I’ve learned in the future for our group.
It feels great to be a data scientist. I’m already hungry to do data exploration, analysis, and modeling. I hope I can start using the learnings that I acquired and give more impact on the business.
I am a sucker for learning new and challenging things (especially if it’s for free!). That keeps me aligned with my personal goals of always improving myself and always learning. My goal this year is to transition from a product manager role to a UX and product designer role. A lot of people find it “counterintuitive”, but UnionBank and UBX have been very supportive in my endeavor, and I am truly thankful for that.
With this aspiration in mind, I need to find something that will make me a unique designer, as most people will associate a design job with just “making things pretty”, and not really about design being about “how things work.”
At this point, I don’t consider myself a data scientist yet. The 6-week program, though intense, makes me feel like I still need to learn more and dig deeper about this field so I can better understand, if not master, certain aspects of it. I am looking forward to the succeeding phases of DSAI programs.
Mary Grace ‘Grey’ Diamante
Product Manager x Data Scientist
Aileen Solis
Audit Analytis Head x Data Scientist
I was inspired by the thought that this course will help me perform my role in Audit Data Analytics and help me understand how I can make use of the data better. It was quite challenging since it has been ages since I had my Statistics subject and I never had a programming class before. My fellow cadets were very helpful and also generous in sharing of their ideas.
DSAI helped me on data sanitation and preparation of data analysis results in a more interactive approach. Being a data scientist is both challenging and overwhelming. It made me feel that there’s a lot to learn to be more relevant and future ready.
Personally, may hesitation akong mag join, dahil 2006 pa ako since nag Masters in Economics. Pero I took this opportunity dahil gusto kong matutunan ang mga bagay na hindi ko alam. Zero knowledge ako sa programming, pero sa tulong ng mga classmates ko ay nairaos ko rin. Nagpapasalamat pa rin ako sa UBP-HR for giving me this opportunity to learn.
Kim Unidad
Treasury Accounts Manager x Data Scientist
Alvin Geronimo
DSAI Institure Hire x Data Scientist
I joined DSAI because I want to know how bots and AI are made, and how hard to become their creator. It was a great and exciting experience cause Python, big data, and business insights were among the lessons I’ve learned.
These will be helpful for me in my programming journey. I can now easily open and analyze a big dataset thanks to DSAI, so yes I am doing what I’ve learned from it.
It feels great! Being a Data Scientist is fulfilling. I feel so lucky that I had this kind of opportunity in my career. I would definitely apply this to my current role, and not just for myself, but I’ll share the knowledge that I’ve developed during the training to my colleagues.
Jasper Fajardo
Blockchain Developer x Data Scientist
Samuel Cardillo
Product Manager x Data Scientist
Data Science piqued my interest as it is “the sexiest job of the 21st century.” Dashboards are commonly used in my job. What I learned in DSAI gave me an understanding of how dashboards work and how to create one. It feels great and proud to become a data scientist especially when you can solve a problem or bring new angle of fresh thoughts and insights to business.
I felt the need to be part of the DSAI as it will allow me to grow as I foray into the growing profession of data analytics. Being part of this initiative is an immense honor and a golden privilege which adds another dimension to my competency. I can apply the learnings in my job. I utilize the knowledge on my audits which eventually augment the project developments that aided in mitigating the manual processes.
Being a data scientist is an opportunity to contribute to the constant evolution and growth of the banking and finance industry. The future is built for the prepared and inquisitive, and that is what being a data scientist is.
John Jerick T. Fernandez
Internal Auditor x Data Scientist
Jan Marvin dela Cruz
Bancassurance Financial Advisor x Data Scientist
I joined DSAI because I was curious about what Data Science is and how can it help me as a bank employee. The course was very challenging. The exercises will make you think and be creative. Right now, we are slowly trying to apply the discipline of Data Science to our analytics.
I feel accomplished and proud to be a Data Scientist and now I understand why it’s called the “sexiest job”.
I was curious. I’ve heard and read a couple of things about data science and it made me interested in learning and understanding why this is called the sexiest job of the 21st century.
It was a difficult but fun experience! We had fast-paced learning sessions, fun games in between, and loads of lab exercises to better understand coding, data cleaning, modeling, etc! Being a data scientist – nakakakilig, proud, and very thankful.
Jen Yacaba
Information Systems Audit Head x Data Scientist
Sherwin Santiago
HR Information and Analytics Head x Data Scientist
I joined DSAI to develop my capability in Data Science. With the program, I can apply what I have learned in HR. It feels good to be able to create my first model using Machine Learning. DSAI was a great learning experience!
As one of the Data Analytics Auditors it is a must to build may capabilities in Data Science. This will equip us in our future audits, especially with big data. This can also help us develop a future-predictive audit.
The experience was exciting and challenging for me. I am currently applying the learnings at our work especially in presenting our project outputs and in extracting the data that we need.
It is a privilege and a proud moment to be on the 1st batch of Data Scientists trained by Unionbank. Our team was also among the Top 3 teams and our capstone is now being validated to be the future model that will be used by one of our subsidiaries for their motorcycle loans.
Rufel Laxamana
Information Systems Auditor x Data Scientist
Dionaldo “DJ” Daway Jr.
DSAI Institute Hire x Project Hire
I joined DSAI because I wanted to help ensure that people get the services and products they need to own the future. The learning didn’t stop at lectures since there were a lot to learn from the required activities and diverse perspectives of other UnionBankers.
We also got a chance to explore and share glimpses of the potentials of data science and artificial intelligence in promoting employee engagement, which we hope can help enable UnionBankers to have a better employee experience.
Failing to meet expectations is common; rather than being discouraged, it simply means try something else. It’s a humbling experience where every outcome has a valuable lesson to teach.
I’ve always wanted to be a Data Scientist. When I joined UnionBank, that dream became a reality when I saw the LAN ad regarding the DSAI Program. I grabbed that opportunity and luckily, I was one of the selected employees to be part of the program.
The 6-week training was a great experience. We were able to apply what we’ve learned through our Capstone Project which we presented last September. I am so happy and thankful to UnionBank for this opportunity. I am excited and nervous but certain that this will have a big impact on my career path in the bank.
Aries Brylle J. Ventura
Lead Management Trainee x Data Scientist
Andrew Hernandez
HR Systems Analyst x Data Scientist
I joined DSAI to increase my knowledge of data analytics. It was an awesome and great experience. I made new friends/connections from different units of the bank. It’s nice to learn and do work at the same time. I am blessed to have gained additional knowledge that helped me be more productive at work. It feels amazing to be able to answer questions/provide insights based on different sets of data.