PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
This 2015 we marked another milestone by celebrating our 79th year of being in the publishing industry. Our anniversary might be celebrated without much pomp, but the joy and the pride of everyone were there. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of you: for all your hard work, sacrifices, determination and loyalty. After almost eight decades of being in this industry you continued to trust us and stay with us. I hope each and everyone of you the motivation and find your new in your everyday work. Focus on our vision to enrich the education and strengthen educators.
will keep inspiration delivering of youth
EDITOR’S
May our exceptional work ethic, brought about by our exceptional everyday challenges, lead our learners towards an exceptional life with our books.
NOTE We often hear about establishing a balanced work and home lifestyle. Stories on how to squeeze in time with your family while meeting your deadlines at work. What if we reverse the cycle and think of it the other way around? Balance is defined as the “even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright or steady.” When we properly align our priorities and commitments, we will be able to provide what is best both for our personal growth and our family’s welfare. Exceptional work for an exceptional life is our chosen theme for this issue. This issue feature Abiva’s vision for an exceptional life at work by providing Selling through Customer Service Seminar for our Sales Team, exploring the global publishing industry in Kuala Lumpur, how teamwork reigned during the first Battle of the Brains event organized by Abiva Publishing and so much more.
ABIVA LEADS
TEAM
Cora Sapo Ella Torrico Vanessa Gregorio Vanessa Ang
ABIVA LEADS
CONTRIBUTOR/S
Sherwin Cesar Paeng Cristobal Caren Cortez Jean Enriquez Lance Blanco
Team Abiva and Colegio de Sta. Cecilia after the event
#abivalapsa2015 The Valenzuela Association of Private School Administrators (VALAPSA) tapped Abiva Publishing to organize their Battle of the Brains competition last February 26 and 27 at the Colegio de Sta Cecilia in Valenzuela. There were 44 VALAPSA participating member schools in this first time Abiva-hosted event. Together with our partner Power Mac Center, we were able to make the competition completely interactive and digital, a first for VALAPSA’s Battle of the Brains. This delighted the competing teams from Kinder to Grade 10.
The participants from Grades 4 to 10 were even able to use iPads from PowerMac as their interactive answer sheets during the competition. An event of firsts, this year’s Battle of the Brains was a breakthrough for the three big organizations. Power Mac Center opened its doors to be a partner with educators for the first time paving the way for the first interactive and digital VALAPSA competition. And for us, this may be the first of many educational competitions that we will spearhead.
Participants listen carefully to the Quiz Master
The tablets used as answer sheets was a first for the VALAPSA Battle of the Brains, introduced by Abiva & Power Mac Center
Professional Training of Abiva’s Frontliners Effective high performance selling is important to the success of almost every kind of business. Whether you are a salesperson, working as a frontline customer service, or a sales manager, achieving the best results will be determined not only by your knowledge of your own product, but also by understanding your customers and the communication skills you bring to clinch a sales.
Last April 10 and 11, 2015, Abiva Sales, Marketing, and Credit and Collection managers and staff attended a two-day seminar on Selling Thru Customer Service. The two-day training revisited the role of Abiva front liner staff on the following: • Discovering how excellent customer service leads to better sales • Recognizing the importance of customer service • Elements of quality customer service • Handling difficult situations/customer’s complaints confidently
SSC, ACs, and managers actively participate in the seminar
79
years
& counting
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” - Henry Ford
Abiva Publishing crossed another milestone by celebrating its 79th year in the publishing business. Together, we have been serving our nation’s education industry for almost eight decades. Decades’ worth of hard work and dedication just to deliver the best educational materials for every Filipino teacher and learner alike.
Accounting
Book Development
Our Work’s Worth
Credit and Collection
Developmental Editing
Being part of the education industry from the book development, editorial, sales, marketing, accounting, credit & collection and up until to the delivery process, we all play an important role of every student’s learning journey. We are part of the stakeholders that mold generations of Filipino learners to be globally competitive and successful someday. We may leave the industry at one point, but the impact we have made to numerous students’ lives will make a lifetime impression.
Looking Forward Next year will be a big celebration for all of us. We are celebrating our
80
th
Editorial Desktop Production
Anniversary
which is something we should all look forward to. A lot of changes and innovations happened during the last eight decades. But we are still here, enduring the challenges of the education industry.
HR Department
MIS
Warehouse
BEING a
Fresh Grad
No matter how much we try, getting ready for a new job is never easy: there’s a new work environment, there are new people to interact with, and we have new policies to follow. So how much more if one is a fresh college graduate? It is certainly an experience only a few of us can forget. According to Jean Enriquez, one of the new Graphic Designers at Marketing, the transition from classroom to the workplace was a bit nerve-wracking, saying that “grades used to matter but now it’s all about the proper and effective output of your work.” Within the four walls of the classroom the only hierarchy that exists is between professor and student. But in the real world
at ABIVA
we meet people of different ages and personalities, and we must be able to maintain a healthy working relationship with them. These are the lessons we didn’t really get to learn in class. Furthermore, what we fresh graduates know in theory of our specializations, we lack in actual practice. Fortunately, the company is willing to mentor its employees, fresh grad or otherwise. For Graphic Designer Vanessa Ang, who has always been deemed a timid person, still recalls talking to various types of people such as authors and suppliers started out as a challenge, but she was graciously introduced into these methods by her manager and co-workers.
Abiva doesn’t just give chances to fresh graduates, it also creates an environment where employees can grow and maximize their full potential. As SRA In-house Consultant Lance Blanco states, “I’m slowly learning to have a more professional disposition, not just to further the company’s interests but to also further my own personal growth.” This exact working environment is the ideal place for fresh graduates to be introduced to the workforce. Working at such a venerable institution is indeed an opportunity no fresh graduate should miss. Despite what all of us have discovered and learned so far, we’re pretty sure that Abiva still has a lot to teach us.
At a Glance:
Philippine Schools Overseas A Philippine School Overseas (PSO) is an educational institution operating outside the Philippines, which may be fully or partly owned by Filipinos or managed and operated by Filipinos, and implementing the Philippine education curriculum with permit or recognition from the Department of Education (DepEd). Philippine Schools Overseas operate in accordance with the laws of the Philippines and the host country. There is a growing number of Filipino children of school age who join their parents overseas, and the number and diversity of schools outside the country saw the need to provide a Philippine-based educational curriculum. To date, there are 42 Philippine schools overseas, 36 of which is in the Middle East—Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and United Arab Emirates with more than 31,000 enrollees from preschool to high school.
The PSO thru the Inter-Agency Committee spearhead by the Commission of Filipino Overseas (CFO) organizes an annual meeting of administrators, trustees, principals, and teachers to promote inter-school cooperation, and strengthen good working relations among trustees and industry partners in addressing the needs of migrant children. For this year, the 13th Conference of Philippine Schools Overseas with the theme 21st Century Learning: Re-engineering Education for the New Millennium were held from May 6-9, 2015 in Legend Hotel, Puerto Princesa, Palawan. In every PSO Conference, Abiva is there to support the event as a major sponsor—we count Philippine schools overseas as our client schools.
Sir JAG recently visited PSO in UAE
source: www.cfo-pso.org.ph
s e r o l p x E t a e v k i Ab al Mar b o l G As we gear up for the upcoming ASEAN integration, Abiva Publishing House boldly accepts the global challenge to join hands with other countries. This entails the showcasing of local contents for international licensing and consumption. The recently concluded Kuala Lumpur Trade and Copyright Centre (KLTCC) held last April 19–21, 2015 in Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was the first step for Abiva in the realm of content rights selling overseas. For the first time as well, the Philippines sent a national delegation to the said event, ably spearheaded by Ms. Graciela Mendoza-Cayton, Executive Director of the National Book Development Board (NBDB).
Abiva was represented by its International Rights Sales Agents, Mr. Johann Paolo C. Garcia and Mr. Sherwin M. Cesar. KLTCC 2015 was attended by publishers, literary agents, and content rights buyers from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar, Vietnam, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, China, Mongolia, Pakistan, India, Iran, and the Philippines.
What the must KNOW “MILLENIALS” “Millennials” are taking its toll in the internet right now. They are the “me me me” generation, to simply put it.
“Millennials” are defined as the generation who reached young adulthood around 2000; by 2015, they have started entering the workforce. They say millennials value life experiences over work, and that they don’t care as much about money that’s why some of them can’t stay put in a job to last a year. So here’s something what these “millennials” must know about exceptional work for an exceptional life. One of our Assistant Editor for English, Caren Cortez , said that being a working mom is a challenging task but she makes sure that she meets
all her deadlines at work while her son and husband’s needs are on the top of her priority. For Caren, having her own little family is what keeps her motivated to perform well in her job and make her priorities intact. We are not saying though that you also should have your own family to have a better understanding and appreciation of your work but you can draw inspiration instead from your colleagues who have defined what it is like to sacrifice their personal life to provide an exceptional life for their families.
Exceptional by Design There is no perfect job, company or work place but it’s up to you on how you will keep yourself motivated and inspired at work. Instead of constantly looking for the best job and/or company available at the job hiring sites, start conceptualizing on how you wanted to create an exceptional personal life and working life. If you will constantly giving up your work every six months how could you be able to test your mettle?
Avoid negativity, work gossips and procrastination; instead, think success over competition. Practice having an affirmative outlook and disposition at work and constantly strive to deliver an exceptional work. Not only to impress your colleagues or boss but to win over your greatest competition, which is ultimately yourself. Lastly, outperform your work for an outstanding personal life.
EDP
Estelamarie Papa
WELCOME TO ABIVA
Publishing Manager
Kristine Joy Bartolome Editorial Assistant
Carmina Carillo Editorial Assistant
Carmencita Usman Digital Publishing Assistant
Nikki Mae Lucas Production Clerk
Danilo Calalang
Dan Carlo Canlas
Sharmaine Lizada
Raya Moron
Editorial Assistant
Editorial Assistant
Jean Enriquez
Abstract Paguinto
Junior Graphic Designer
Graphic Designer
Christine Joy Ago
Lance Blanco
Editor (English Team Leader)
Editorial Assistant
Marketing
Harold Cruz
Marketing Coordinator
SRA
Nancy Almonte SRA Manager
SRA Assistant
SRA In-house Consultant
EDP New Office Blessing Ceremony
While primarily the ceremony was for the editorial unit, other offices in the entire 4th floor—Desktop, Book Development, and Developmental Editing— were also blessed by Fr. Yoyo Rebusias. The short but memorable event was capped by the traditional coin throwing and by a “candy throwing” as well.
The newly renovated editorial unit office in the
fourth floor was blessed last July 3 by Fr. Yoyo Rebusias. The event coincided with the first Friday Mass and was graced by no other than Ma’am Nena Garcia, Sir Louie Abiva, and Sir Jorge Garcia. Aside from the growing editorial and production staff, the blessing was participated in by other managers and staff from the other departments.
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