WordPress Migration and Support Specialist Onin Lasalita

In this article, we want to introduce Onin Lasalita, our WordPress Migration and Support Specialist. When Onin joined our agency in November 2022, we asked him a few questions to get to know him a little better.

Onin lives in Legazpi, Philippines.

How would you describe yourself?

I am a passionate person. I have goals and dreams and do my best to achieve them.

How do you spend your time?

I take photos and play badminton. I meet up with friends to drink, dance, enjoy weekends, go to the beach, or sometimes treat my nephews and niece to delight ourselves with cakes.

What is important to you?

A balanced and well-lived life with things that matter to me — family and friends, passion, and profession.

Onin’s way to Syde

I was a software engineer for seven years in the Philippines and Singapore. I used programming languages such as WPF, C#, and C++ to automate systems for car and power plant industries, mostly for Japanese and American markets.

In 2011, I embarked on a new career — fashion photography — and traveled and lived in Europe, America, and Asia. I was shooting for magazines including Vogue (US, Portugal, Taiwan) and Esquire (Spain, Singapore).

Simultaneously and occasionally, I created websites (e-commerce, portals for small enterprises, digital publications) using WordPress and WooCommerce.

I enjoyed it as it is both technical (building them from scratch, hosting and maintaining them, editing themes and plugins, troubleshooting when there are errors) and creative (developing the design, layout, and content).

When the pandemic happened, I was not able to travel. Last year, I decided to look for a full-time, remote job. It was logical to choose web development as the profession I would pursue. Hence, I visited Automattic and WPVIP, where I discovered Syde. “Europe’s biggest WordPress agency.” that slogan says, and it sells it all!

I learned more about the company and the Support role during the interview process. I thought to myself – This is a good match! I understand what Syde does, and I use WordPress- Indeed, it was! I got in.

What do you especially like about your new job?

There are many things to learn about WordPress (continuously evolving) and the web development infrastructure. Working at Syde is a platform where I can impart my skills and knowledge and improve them while, luckily, getting paid for something I enjoy.

Equally important is the fulfillment I gain from contributing to the company’s business, meeting new colleagues virtually, and collaborating with them. Hopefully, soon, I will see them in person. That would be amazing!

Questions to Syder Onin

We asked Onin a few personal questions to learn more about him:

What was the last book you read?

Two books: Unseen Vogue, a compilation of unpublished images for Vogue, and ExtraOrdinary Comebacks, a compilation of inspiring stories of courage, triumph, and success.

What was the best advice you ever got? Who gave it to you?

I met a woman in London who gave me this statement — If you want to achieve something, you need triple D; Determination, Dedication, and Drive.

What do you like most about your city?

This is the longest period I have stayed in my hometown, three years. I love it, re-discovering and enjoying what it has to offer.

I live a simple life here, devoid of the hustle and bustle of my decade-long, unpredictable routines of toiling and traveling to fashion capitals as a photographer. It is calm. I play badminton. I go out with old and new-found friends and take photos occasionally.

To top it all off, I get to see, every day, the beautiful Mayon (which was heralded as one of the world’s seven wonders because of its symmetric, perfect-cone shape).

What is your favorite smartphone app?

Thanks to my love of photography, I enjoy Instagram.

What is the best meal you can cook on your own?

Bicol Express is a local delicacy with pork cooked in coconut milk and shrimp paste. I was proud of myself for being able to prepare it while I was in Germany. My German, Malay, and Brazilian friends liked it. But of course, they haven’t tried the authentic, chef-made one. I learned my version from YouTube. Not bad! I call myself the second-rate copycat chef Onin whenever I try to prepare the dish.

You get stuck in the elevator for many hours, and there’s a song playing in a continuous loop. What song would that be?

When I want to uplift my energy, I listen to Relax, Take It Easy. The electropop song was released in 2007 by Mika, a singer-songwriter born in Beirut, Lebanon, and raised in Paris and London. I couldn’t think of any other song to accompany me in the elevator. The lyrics also serve as a gentle reminder to myself on how to live life – dance to the music (rhythmically, sometimes not, and that’s okay), relax, and take it easy.