A Storytelling Message from Sarah
Deloraya-Mateo — Founder, President & CEO, SPD Jobs, Inc.
30th Anniversary | SPD Employees
Summit
My dear SPD family,
Let Me Take You Back…
Thirty years ago.
I was a young respiratory therapist —
barely a year into my profession — caring for patients by day, and quietly
building a dream by night. While others were sleeping, I was working. While
others were enjoying their weekends, I was working. While others were on
holiday with their families, I was working.
Not because I had to. But because I believed.
I believed that hard
work, perseverance, and faith could turn even the smallest dream into something
that would one day outlive me.
The Book That Changed Everything
But let me share with you the real turning point of my life.
There was a moment — a quiet, ordinary
moment — when I picked up a book called "The Power of Your Subconscious
Mind" by Dr. Joseph Murphy. I did not know it then, but that book would
change the entire direction of my life.
That book taught me that what the mind can conceive and the heart can believe, God can make possible.
From that moment, I stopped asking "Can I do this?" and started declaring "I will do this." I stopped seeing limitations and started seeing possibilities. I stopped waiting for the right time — and I began creating the right time.
That was the moment SPD Jobs, Inc. was
truly born — not in an office, not on paper, but in my mind, in my heart, and
in my faith.
The Idea That Sparked a Dream
But every dream has a beginning — a spark. And mine came from a friend named Ditdit Conarco.
It was Ditdit who first whispered to me the idea of building a manpower agency. She saw something in me before I even saw it in myself. She planted the seed of a business that would one day grow into SPD Jobs, Inc.
Ditdit, if not for that one
conversation, that one suggestion, that one moment of faith you had in me —
none of this would exist. Thank you for being the spark that lit the fire.
The Three Who Said Yes
Picture it: a small room. A few chairs. A modest sum of fifty thousand pesos placed carefully on the table — not as capital, but as a seed of faith.
And three people who said "yes" to a vision that didn't yet exist on paper:
Me. My sister Abby. And my cousin
Alyne.
Three hearts. One belief. No guarantees.
And here, I must pause… because one of those three is no longer with us.
My cousin Alyne — who supported in me
when I had nothing but a dream — has gone ahead.
Alyne, this 30th anniversary belongs to you, too. Thank you for your support.
The Door That Opened
Everything — Mrs. Chu (In Loving Memory)
In the early days of a business, there is always one person who takes the very first chance on you. For me, that person was Mrs. Chu of Malabon Mirror — who has since gone home to the Lord.
She was my first major client. But she was so much more than that.
When SPD had no track record, she gave me one. When SPD had no name, she gave me hers to stand beside. When I had only dreams and no proof, she gave me the most precious gift any young entrepreneur can receive — opportunity.
Mrs. Chu did not just hire SPD. She mentored me. She guided me through the early uncertainties of running a business. She corrected me when I needed correction, encouraged me when I needed encouragement, and believed in me when belief was still a luxury I had not yet earned.
Though Mrs. Chu is no longer with us, her legacy lives on in every life SPD has touched. Every job we have placed, every family we have helped feed, every dream we have helped come true — she is part of all of it.
Mrs. Chu, wherever your soul rests tonight, please know this: the SPD Jobs of today exists because you opened that very first door. Thank you, from the deepest part of my heart. May your memory always shine in our story.
The Beginning No One Saw
Coming
In those early days, we didn't know if we would survive the year — let alone three decades.
We knocked on doors that
didn't open. We made promises we had to fight to keep. We stayed late, woke up
early, and prayed often. I remember nights when exhaustion whispered "give
up" — and mornings when faith answered "keep going."
And slowly, quietly, something began
to happen.
One job seeker became employed. Then ten. Then a hundred. A single client became a partner. A partner became a friend. A friend became a believer.
Before we knew it, those three people had multiplied into a thousand. That one small office had become a presence across the nation. That tiny seed planted by a respiratory therapist with a dream — and three brave hearts — had grown into a forest, a family, called SPD.
This is not just a
company's story. This is a human story. A story of trust built one handshake at
a time, of resilience forged in quiet rooms, of possibility discovered in the
most ordinary of moments.
The Partners, Family and Friends Who Carried Us
But no dream is ever built alone. And tonight, I must honor those who walked beside us when the road was uncertain.
Before there was SPD, before there was a business, before there was even a clear dream — there was my sister Sol.
We did not grow up with abundance. Life was simple, sometimes hard, and the future often looked like a small window we had to peer through carefully. But in the middle of our struggle, Sol became the voice that refused to let us settle.
She was the motivator of our family. The one who opened our minds and told us — with conviction in her eyes — that there is a better life waiting for us. And she would not stop pushing us to aim high.
If I am standing here tonight as the founder of a company that has touched thousands of lives, it is because, long ago, my sister Sol planted in my heart the simple yet powerful belief that I was capable of more than my circumstances suggested.
Sol, thank you. You opened the door of my dreams long before I knew there was a door to open.
To Claudia — my business partner, my believer, my friend. When others hesitated, you said yes. When others doubted, you trusted. You saw the future of SPD before it even had a shape, and your belief gave us the courage to keep going.
To Edmund — thank you for standing with us, for lending your wisdom, your strength, and your conviction. You did not just invest in a company. You invested in a vision — and in the people behind it.
To Dr. Carl Balita-my idol, mentor and one of my dearest friend thank you for guiding us in building a road map and setting SPD goals in 2014 and for always being there. You also an integral part of the SPD Story.
And to my dear HR practitioner friends and silent partners — the quiet heroes behind so much of our success. You opened doors. You shared knowledge. You gave us referrals, guidance, and encouragement at moments when we needed them most. You may not always wear the SPD badge, but you are forever part of the SPD story.
And to my nephew John Andrew your decision to join SPD is more than a career move; it is an opportunity, it’s a gift and door way to your greatest self. It is my responsibility to guide and help you rise into the very best version of who God created you to be. Make the most out it as you now walk this beautiful journey with SPD Family.
And Last, But Closest to My Heart — My Husband Arnel
You did not come into the SPD story at the beginning. By the time our paths crossed, SPD was already standing — already growing, already a dream becoming real. But God's timing is always perfect. Because while SPD did not need you to start… I needed you to continue.
You came into my life and became my refuge. My safe place. The steady hand that held me when the weight of leadership felt too heavy. And then, somewhere along the way, you chose to walk with SPD, not just beside it. You joined our family as our Vice President for Legal, bringing your wisdom, your sharp mind, and your steady heart into the very fabric of this company.
This 30th anniversary is not just mine. It is also yours and Samantha. Because behind every leap I have ever taken in the last chapter of SPD's story, there has been you — quietly, faithfully, lovingly — believing in me. Thank you
To every partner, every
mentor, every friend who poured a piece of themselves into this journey — thank
you. You are woven into the fabric of who we are.
What Legacy Truly Means
Some people think legacy is about the past. I have come to learn that legacy is something far more alive than that.
Legacy is the mother who
finally found a job and could send her child to school.
Legacy is the fresh
graduate who walked into our office uncertain — and walked out with a future.
Legacy is the employer
who took a chance on someone, and watched that person bloom.
Legacy is every single name, every story, every life that passed through our hands and left a little brighter than before.
Legacy is also the people who are no longer with us — but whose love continues to walk beside us.
Legacy is not something we leave behind. It is something we live forward, every single day.
And Then… We Leaped
But a story of only legacy is a story that stands still. And SPD was never built to stand still.
So we leaped.
We leaped when the world
said it couldn't be done.
We leaped when
technology changed the way work was understood.
We leaped when crises
came knocking — and they did, many times.
We leaped when our
hearts told us there were more lives to touch, more communities to reach, more
dreams to serve.
We earned our ISO 9001:2015
certification not because we wanted a badge on the wall — but because we
wanted every job seeker, every client, every partner to feel the difference of
working with people who care deeply about doing things right.
And then came a moment — when SPD Jobs was awarded the Philippine Quality Award (PQA) Level 2 — the highest recognition from the government for performance excellence. Imagine that. The little dream that started with three people standing on a national stage, recognized for excellence by our country.
That award did not belong to me. It belonged to every single one of you who poured your heart into this company. It belonged to every client who trusted us, every job seeker who walked through our doors believing tomorrow could be better than today.
We built CSR programs not because it looked good — but because we believed that when we lift others, we all rise together.
We expanded beyond cities, beyond
regions — and yet, in every leap, we held tightly to the one thing that has
always made us: our humanity.
More Than a Name — The Heart Behind SPD
You know, over the years, many people have asked me: "What does SPD really stand for?" Yes it’s Sarah P. Deloraya
Tonight, allow me to share with you what those three letters truly mean — not just as a name, but as a promise we carry into every life we touch:
S — Strength: The strength forged through 30 years
of resilience, faith, and the refusal to give up — even when the road was
steep.
P — Purpose: The reason we wake up every morning.
The conviction that every person deserves meaningful work, dignity, and the
chance to dream.
D — Destiny: The brighter future we help shape —
for every job seeker, every client, every community, every Filipino we are
blessed to serve.
Strength. Purpose. Destiny.
That is who we are. That is who we have always been. And that is who we will continue to be — for the next 30 years, and beyond.
So the next time someone asks you what SPD stands for, lift your head high and tell them: "We are Strength. We are Purpose. We are Destiny — and we change lives every single day."
To the Heartbeat of SPD — You
Now, allow me to speak directly to you — my SPD family.
You are the reason this story has lasted thirty years.
When I look around this room, I don't just see employees. I see warriors who showed up when it was hard. I see dreamers who refused to give up. I see kind hearts who chose compassion when it would have been easier to choose convenience.
Your discipline built
our reputation.
Your curiosity sparked
our innovation.
Your integrity protected
our name.
Your kindness gave our brand a soul.
You are not working for SPD. You are
SPD.
We are celebrating in the middle of an oil crisis that touches every household, every business, every dream. And so, this year, our celebration is humble. Simple. Quiet.
But here is what I have learned in thirty years: the strength of a family is not measured in the seasons of abundance — it is revealed in the seasons of difficulty.
And just as I once worked while others slept, just as we once persevered when there was no applause — we will rise again now. Because resilience is not new to us. Resilience is who we are.
In this difficult season, you have
shone brightest. Your generosity, your patience, your steady hands — they
remind me that what we built here is not a company. It is a culture. And no
crisis can shake what is built on love, faith, and shared purpose.
The Next Chapter
So what now? What lies beyond this milestone?
The answer is the same as it was thirty years ago — only louder, only braver, only more certain:
We will keep connecting
people with meaningful work.
We will keep helping
organizations thrive.
We will keep lifting
communities, one life at a time.
We will keep leading with humility, courage, and heart.
Because as Ralph Waldo Emerson once
said — and as we have lived for thirty years:
"Success is not measured by what we achieve alone, but by what we enable others to achieve along the way."
That is the SPD way. That has always
been the SPD way.
A Heart Full of Gratitude
Before I close, I must lift my eyes upward.
To God be all the glory. Every blessing, every breakthrough, every breath of this journey has been a gift from Him. From the late nights as a respiratory therapist with a dream, to the pages of the book that awakened my soul, to the PQA Level 2 stage, to this very room tonight — every step has been carried by His grace. We are merely stewards of His goodness, and I pray we continue to steward it well — with integrity, with humility, with discipline.
To Sol, Abby, Alyne, DitDit, Claudia,
Edmund, Arnel, HR Practitioner friends: Mam Rose, Sir Willy Sir Raffy, Silent
Partners, thank you.
To our management team, leaders, to
every colleague who chose to stay the course — thank you.
To every job seeker who once placed
their hope in us — thank you.
To every client who said
"yes" when others said "not yet" — thank you.
To every family member who supported us behind the scenes — thank you.
You did not just help build a company.
You helped build a legacy.
The Promise of the Leap Ahead
Today, we are not just blowing out candles on a thirtieth birthday.
Today, we are making a promise — to ourselves, to each other, to those who walked with us, and to those who now watch over us:
We will honor our past
by living our values today.
We will leap boldly into
tomorrow with confidence, compassion, and conviction.
We will continue to be the bridge between talent and opportunity, between dreams and reality, between today's struggle and tomorrow's success.
Thirty years ago, three
people believed.
Today, a thousand of us
believe.
Tomorrow, may millions believe — because of what we choose to do next.
Here's to the next thirty years of people, progress, and purpose.
Here's to Legacy and Leap.
Here's to us.
To God be the glory — now and always.
Thank you, and God bless SPD Jobs,
Inc.
Comments
Post a Comment