It is long believed that people carry a more “dominant” side of their brain, making them only either logical—as characterized by those who excel in math and science—or creative—or those who are into the languages and the arts.
However, lawyer Benedicta Du-Baladad—founding partner and CEO of Du-Baladad & Associates (BDB Law) and incoming president of the Financial Executive Institute of the Philippines (Finex)—proved otherwise.
Du-Baladad is an accountant and a lawyer who also has a Masters of Law and International Taxation from the prestigious Harvard University. She finished her bachelor’s degree in accountancy in Saint Louis University as magna cum laude and took up law in the University of Santo Tomas.
Apart from her Masters Degree of Laws and International Taxation from Harvard, she also took up Advanced Management Program in the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Prior to setting up BDB Law, she was a tax partner and head of the tax department of a leading auditing firm. She was once part of the Bureau of the Internal Revenue, where she served in various posts, including the Office of the Commissioner, the Enforcement Service, the Legal Service and the International Tax Affairs Office.
Today, Du-Baladad heads the law firm she established, BDB Law, which specializes in taxation and related corporate services.
“So my specialization is tax and, up to now, I really love tax. There are no dull moments. Every now and then you keep to abreast with taxation, especially because all the developments keep changing. You have to read a lot of things. There are so many interesting discussions, so many interesting schemes. Up to now I am still fascinated with my work. I love tax,” she told the BusinessMirror in an interview.
She also said that while taxation has always been close to her heart, handling the stresses and grievances of her clients could also be stressful for her. And when things get a little too much for her, she finds refuge in her hobbies.
“On days I feel tired from office work, I ask my driver to head to Divisoria. Yes. I go to Divisoria. I go to Ilaya. Tuwang tuwa ako kasi ang gaganda ng mga tela doon,” she said. Du-Baladad designs and makes her own clothes.
“I [make dresses] on Saturday mornings or sometimes at night, when I come home early. There are also times at night when I could not sleep because there are a lot of things on your mind, so I do that. It first became a hobby. I make my own dresses now. Lahat ng sinusuot ko sa akin,” Du-Baladad added.
Also on days when she’s in a creative mood, Du-Baladad said she spends her day painting.
“I only paint when I feel like painting, because there are times when you have the time but if you are not in the mood, it will not come out good. In short, you won’t have the courage to do strokes. But there are times that you feel you are in the mood. Then, ideas just flow out and you can do your paining even in 30 minutes or so. Eventually, it ends up nice. It is more natural,” she said.
The lawyer and tax expert said her parents had wanted her to pursue law school. And despite her stellar academic record, obtaining a law degree was not a walk in the park for Du-Baladad.
“I got married when I was in third year in law school. I had one child already in fourth year and then during the bar I was pregnant. So there was a time that my helpers could not go back to Manila because of a major earthquake and the roads were closed,” she said.
“So what I did was I asked somebody from my review class to record the lecture at the time. Then in the afternoon, I listened to the recordings while I looked after my child. So far so good, I passed the bar in my first try,” she said.
‘No glass ceiling’
As a female executive in a male-dominated industry, Du-Baladad said she was lucky because she did not encounter many challenges in her ascent to becoming the CEO of her own firm.
“I never really felt that being a woman is a disadvantage, that it would make it difficult for me to succeed. Everybody is talking about the “glass ceiling”, but I really never felt from the start that being a woman is a disadvantage. In fact, I always felt that my gender gave me an edge, especially in a profession like mine, which is male-dominated,” Du-Baladad said.
“I just worked hard. I make sure when I go to a meeting where it is all men or dominated by male, I make sure I can present better than them, with better ideas; that I can see them face to face, meet then discuss on whatever matter so they would see me not as a lady but they would see me as equally capable as them,” she added.
Passion for excellence
As a boss, Du-Baladad says she is very detail-oriented and would like to see to it that everyone is on their toes when she is in the headquarters. “I demand excellence, always. I demand that you focus on your work and that have a heart into your work. I want you to give your best kahit support staff ka or what,” she said.
Her passion for excellence is also evident in her own home, where she brought up her four children. “I do mock test for them. I supervise their assignments. I make sure they have their study time.”
Her eldest son is now an entrepreneur engaged in a food importing business. Her second child, she said, is a special child who finished culinary school and now manages his own laundry shop. Her third child is with a transportation company and her youngest is still in high school.
“My oldest is 28, while my youngest is 14. I always tell them, “Have your masteral abroad”. I tell them, “You are not yet finished in your studies until you go there and get your masteral abroad-because in my experience, it is not about the academics. It is about opening your mind to a new environment,” she said.
“But my condition is that they have to come back and help their country,” Du-Baladad added.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes