Madam lady guard
Growing up with guns in the house prompts businesswoman to get into the security business
It was the state of the country during the pandemic that prompted me to set up this business. I saw the value of security guards as frontliners, and the need for them to be trained very well.”
SEEING a gun inside their house is not something out of the ordinary for Spades Manila Security Training Center president and chief executive officer, Lorraine Manat-Chan.
Her father used to be a police officer, while her mother was a part-time gun dealer in the late 1990s.
“When my father retired from the service, my mother set up a security agency solely based in Regions 1 (Ilocos Region) and 2 (Cagayan Valley),” Manat-Chan told The Manila Times.
“Back then, my mother was already an established gun dealer. In short, we grew up having guns and ammunition under our beds.”
Hence, putting up a security agency during the recent pandemic is not totally surprising for Manat-Chan.
“It was the state of the country during the pandemic that prompted me to set up this business,” admitted the lady boss.
“I saw the value of security guards as frontliners, and the need for them to be trained very well.”
Spades Manila Security Training Center started on April 8, 2021.
Manat-Chan was in the corporate industry for 11 years before she got married and decided to settle in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, where her husband hails from.
“This business was initially set up to be a partnership between me and my younger sister, Ivy Attaya,” Manat-Chan disclosed.
“In fact, we started this together by traveling around the country, handling proposals to companies and their owners.
“It was a challenging journey for both of us, but I am very thankful to have our mom with us and my husband, Jonas. After six months, my sister decided to set up her own company, too, [Makers Mind Media Production]. I was left to manage Spades solely with the help of my supportive husband.”
Manat-Chan used to be productive and financially independent. “As the firstborn child, I considered myself as a big help in the household,” she admitted.
“What’s fulfilling about this job is the feeling of getting back on track. Meaning, I was able to work again, but this time on my own.”
Now, for nearly four years of running Spades Manila Security Training Center, Manat-Chan remains on her toes as the first day she started.
“It was timely when this business started,” Manat-Chan shared.
“A month after its opening, Covid’s second wave came. I was renting an office and with payroll on it without clients coming in. Movement was really a challenge. I wasn’t able to fully do the marketing outside since movement was still very limited then.”
Being a business owner had its advantages and disadvantages, too, according to Manat-Chan.
“The advantage is that I get to know everything — from A to Z, I must say. I was able to know everything by heart not just the income and revenues.
“My habit of coming to work five days a week and at least eight hours a day helped me understand what has to be done with everything. And I get to know my team very well. I treat them as family. They are my charms.
“The disadvantage is, I know everything about it, if you know what I mean.”
Manat-Chan is a graduate of University of Santo Tomas, where she completed her AB Communication Arts degree.
“Earlier, I was hoping I could pursue Law because that was my initial childhood ambition,” she admitted.
“But I got a job as soon as I graduated from college. That made me realize the value of having your own career.
“Although I have few units in Pre-Law, I still hold on to God’s promise that I will become a lawyer soon, in God’s perfect time. I was already 41 when Spades Manila Security Training Center Inc. was established.”
Keeping a balance between work and home is not a tall order for Manat-Chan.
“Honestly, my free time is mostly at home,” she asserted.
“I have been a home buddy ever since. Although like any other young adult, I also experienced spending my Friday nights and Saturday nights in the bar and/or club. My sister, Ivy, was my usual buddy.
“But now that I am a wife, a mother of two girls — an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old — and a president of a training center, I am still in awe thinking how I am able to juggle my time with these responsibilities.”
Her husband is based in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, and comes home every two to three weeks. “I manage the household and even bring my kids to school from Mondays to Fridays. Their dad is too conservative to hire a family driver,” she said. Manat-Chan used to multitask.
“I can say I am good at it,” she said.
“I also scuba dive. But it has been a while since the last time. To be honest, I don’t know if I can still because I already have vertigo. But I have plans to study firing. Again, this relates to my business.”
When Manat-Chan is at home, she gets to unwind and bond with her daughters.
“During free times, I spend most of it at home. That’s the only time I can perfectly fix my daughters hair and groom them carefully.
“We go to malls, shop when I can and, of course, on Sundays in church. It has been a while since my last out of town. Whenever I can, I make sure I am with my husband, my kids and my family.”
Her normal day starts as early as 5 a.m., and she wraps up around 9 p.m. “I am a morning person then, I only go beyond when it’s needed. My weekend is basically my rest day.
“Most of the time, I spend it at home, doing household chores including running errands like grocery, car wash, etc., and watching TV. Sunday is church. We don’t miss it, as much as possible.”
Fortunately, Manat-Chan gets support from her family and loved ones in the work that she does.
“I am well-supported — emotionally, mentally and physically. I never felt alone in this journey,” she proudly concluded.