Christian Paul Ang
Jashan Abichandani
Antoninio Tabora
Justin Macasilli-Tan
De La Salle University
Pia Manalastas
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Before October 2019, Jump Manila’s founder, Erwin Ng, had been looking for options to keep his health in check and to lose weight. After considering jump ropes and developing a deep passion for the sport, Erwin later realized a business opportunity revolving around Jump Ropes in the Philippines.
By October 2019, Erwin was able to actualize his idea. He founded Jump Manila by himself and later developed a team to help others lose weight while increasing the popularity of jump ropes in the Philippines. Through his company, Erwin works toward fulfilling SDG #3, good health and well-being; SDG #8, decent work and economic growth; and SDG #12, responsible consumption and production.
The company’s innovations lie in its take on the sport and its products. Erwin shared: “the innovation is more on giving jump rope a new twist, that it is not just a warm-up.” In line with the company’s motto of “Jump for Health” and SDG #3 of good health and well-being, Erwin shared: “I envision Jump Manila as more than just a brand but more of a movement to inspire people to try out the sport and raise awareness about its benefits on one’s health.”
To actualize this, Erwin took full advantage of online platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to show people that jumping rope has more to offer than one activity. He created new twists through TikTok challenges and dances, effectively delivering a different level of fun one could have with jump ropes to various audiences.
On Jump Manila’s products, Erwin said he “believes in affordable fitness.” During the pandemic, he encountered difficulties with his initial international supplier for handles but later developed a partnership with local farmers as their primary suppliers for their innovative rattan handles. As a result, Jump Manila could further localize production and lessen its product costs, working towards SDG #8 of decent work and economic growth as the company provides more work opportunities for the farmers and SDG #12 through its materials. In terms of quality. Erwin added: “When I created our jump rope, from all the jump ropes that I’ve tried, I took all the good qualities and combined them to create the jump ropes we currently offer.” Besides the jump rope, Jump Manila provides various accessories to supplement the experience, such as jump mats, massage balls, towels, and shirts.
As the company grew, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Erwin was able to develop his own Jump Manila community that shared a similar passion as he did. He shared that the community continues to grow today and hopes to see its numbers increase even further.
Jump Session led by Jump Manila founder and coach, Erwin Jeremy Ng, held last October 22, 2022 at the SM by the BAY
Erwin Ng, Founder of Jump Manila, mentioned that his inspiration for establishing Jump Manila comes from his passion for health and jump ropes. “I wanted to show people how they can do many things with a jump rope. It is a beautiful sport that all people can perform.”
He also noted that he wants to inspire people to prioritize their health and that it only takes one jump rope. He added: “Even I was overweight when I started jumping rope. Jumping rope played a big part in my weight-loss journey because it burns many calories even when you exercise for a short time.”
The founder added that he gains a sense of fulfillment every time he successfully performs tricks with the jump rope. He wants to share this feeling with others, which is why he regularly posts jump rope challenges and dances on their social media pages. He also shared: “During the pandemic, I was so happy and fulfilled seeing many people try out the sport, plus our company being the catalyst for this growth inspired us all in Jump Manila to continue helping the community grow and flourish.”
Jump Manila has helped its members in more ways than one. Participants who joined the events expressed being supported a lot by the jumping programs made by Erwin. Especially during the pandemic, when isolation and stress affected many people, Erwin provided his members an avenue to destress, be active, and become part of a community that also acted as a support system. Erwin mentioned, “It was amazing to see how even during the pandemic, we were growing; it made me glad to see these people have a time wherein they could focus on their health even during a scary time like that.”
Jump Manila also helped people with no gym access get in shape and maintain their mental health. Erwin also shared, “It was like my mission came full circle because I started Jump Manila when I wanted to lose weight, and now after seeing the weight loss transformation of others, it was fulfilling to see them reach their goals.” Participants would share with Erwin that jumping rope is simple since one jump rope is all that is needed and is enough to keep them sane during tough times.
The selling of jump rope also impacted the company by enabling them to reach a larger audience and create more social media engagement. When people would buy their jump ropes and participate, they would also post about it on social media, further bringing more people towards the benefits brought by Jump Manila.
In each event that Jump Manila held, they noticed that their participants kept growing, and they wanted to make an even more significant long-term impact outside of its regular members. That is why when Jump Manila wanted to sell jump ropes, they tried to use more than just ordinary materials. They put in the extra effort to help a marginalized community by sourcing materials from them. As stated by Erwin, “It was a lot harder to source a part of our jump ropes from local rattan sellers and Filipino farmers as there is a lot more time and effort involved, but in the end, we are proud we are supporting them.”
This help given to the local rattan industry also greatly supported them during the pandemic and provided the locals with continuous income. Jump Manila and its members have also contributed positively to the environment by conducting a clean-up drive along Manila Bay in partnership with SM. SM owns a chain of shopping malls in the Philippines and has a mall directly along the bay. This activity is aligned with Jump Manila’s goal of helping support and give back to the environment.
These impacts set Jump Manila apart; as Erwin said, “There are a lot of different exercise communities like running and Zumba communities, but what sets us apart is that we don’t only help our members but also our other stakeholders.” Jump Manila also is unique from other communities as it wants to reach out to different parts of the country and encourage others to build their groups. Erwin added, “I think we are at a good place now, but I want Jump Manila to grow even bigger outside of Manila and become nationwide and have different programs and support systems in different communities across the country.”
Erwin shared that their innovations have helped the company reach a wide range of people that continuously participate in their weekly workout sessions. As their community grew, more people learned about the company and the benefits of jumping rope. Their sales significantly increased due to consumers' social media posts, allowing the company to expand its product lines. Initially, Jump Manila only offered jump ropes. Still, due to the rapid increase in customers, they were able to start offering jump rope accessories such as mats, towels, massage balls, and shirts.
The company had significantly grown from when it first started, with just Erwin running the business. The company currently has four staff members in charge of producing their jump ropes, one in charge of forming partnerships, and several coaches teaching during company events. Erwin shared, "When I started Jump Manila, it was just me. I was only able to form a team and hire coaches when I was able to expand the reach of the company."
Currently, the company expects to continue expanding its influence on promoting jump rope as a sport in the country. Jump Manila aims to reach more provinces by creating more events and introducing more people to the sport. The community is still growing, and Erwin sees this as a potential to have tie-ups with other sports communities for more innovative events that inspire people to exercise and care for their health. He also mentioned, "We expect to form partnerships with schools soon to organize physical education classes and jump rope competitions." They are very enthusiastic about sharing the joys and benefits of jumping rope with fellow Filipinos and helping the sport reach its potential in the country.
Jump Manila's innovations have several benefits for society in terms of building a sense of community among jump rope enthusiasts. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have been unable to exercise regularly due to health protocols and being stuck at home. Erwin initially posted jump rope tutorials on Jump Manila's Facebook page to show people they can still work out at home with minimal equipment. More people began to develop an interest in the sport, and the number of community members significantly increased, already gaining over 80,000 followers on Facebook and 50,000 followers on Tiktok.
Eventually, Jump Manila was allowed to conduct weekly classes in different areas, prompting several jump rope enthusiasts to participate frequently. Around 50 people participate in these classes each week to maintain their fitness. Erwin explained, "Because of the pandemic, people have regularly attended our weekly sessions to exercise and lose weight." He also mentioned that their work has helped people maintain their mental health amidst the pandemic. The company has continuously promoted good health and fitness through these initiatives while offering very affordable and high-quality jump ropes.
Additionally, Jump Manila has ensured that its innovations positively impact the environment. The company's jump ropes are manufactured using recycled materials, with their handles being made of rattan. At first, Jump Manila sourced out suppliers from other countries. However, during the pandemic, Erwin realized that it would be better to locally source their materials from local suppliers, which gave him the idea to use rattan handles. He stated, "Using rattan handles is very innovative for our jump ropes, and it allows us to support local farmers as well."
Furthermore, the company organizes coastal cleanups after jump rope classes. Erwin continuously encourages the community to join cleanup drives along Manila Bay to keep the oceans clean and protect marine life. With these innovations, Jump Manila has influenced its community to participate continuously in programs toward saving the environment.
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Erwin Jeremy Ng, Founder
Jump Manila was established and incorporated in 2019 and is currently the No.1 selling jump rope brand in the Philippines. Aside from jump ropes, its main products include jump rope accessories, jump mats, massage balls, towels, and shirts. Its jump ropes also showcase the quality of Philippine-made products, as the wooden handles are sourced from local rattan manufacturers. This partnership has provided job opportunities to people in the rattan industry, many of whom lost their livelihoods because of the pandemic.
More than a product brand, they are primarily a community of jump rope enthusiasts as more people discover the health benefits of the sport. Driven by its core philosophy of promoting affordable fitness through jumping rope and being at the forefront of the local jumping rope scene, the company provides free classes and workout sessions showcasing the techniques and technicalities of the sport, encouraging the public to try it out and jump for health.