President’s Message 2016! A fresh start, a new beginning, and an exciting year! I welcome 2016 with enthusiasm as we gear up for three important milestones that will take place this year. First, is the kick off of our 80th Anniversary this coming May. As early as October last year, all the department heads of APHI created a special working committee for all the activities lined up for our 80th founding celebration. We’d better watch out for all the activities they are preparing for APHI community. The second milestone we are anticipating is the roll out of Senior High School (SHS). For the first time in Philippine education history as part of the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, this coming June 2016 school opening, we will be seeing the first batch of students entering Grade 11. Per DepEd, there will be around 6500 government and private schools that will offer SHS. The SHS is a new market opportunity for Abiva. We created a new Higher Ed Sales division to cater to the needs of SHS. Since 2015, our Book Development Department has been preparing the books for SHS. The third milestone we will be witnessing this year is the election of the 16th Philippine President. There are five candidates to choose from, I urge you to study very well the program of government of each candidate. Be wise in making a choice, think of our country’s future, go out and vote on May 9. May we prepare for and embrace the new challenges that we are going to embark on behind these three big transitions for year 2016.
Contents Special Events
Others
• PNU-Abiva Reading Center
• Abiva 4th Gen
• CEAP NatCon
• Luis Abiva Jr. Turns 75
• Frankfurt Bookfair
Featured Article
• MIBF
• Are Tablets Good for Children?
• PEPA Conference
New Abiva Employees
Aphi • Metro Manila Shake Drill • PEPA Bowling • Halloween and Christmas Party • Annual Sales Award
ABIVA LEADS
TEAM
Editor’s Note
Ella Torrico Editor-in-chief
Welcome 2016! A year has gone by and the excitement is all around us as we look forward to what the new year will bring us. This is the 4th issue of Abiva Leads. We are happy to welcome more contributors on board who shared their passion for writing with us. Thank you for helping us with interesting articles. This issue features how 2015 became significant, challenging, and exciting for all of us. We also have a special feature on reading. Ms. Sofie Gerong, BookDev Manager and one tech savvy parent, shares her wonderful piece on how parents can raise children who love books by balancing technology and traditional printed books at home. Join me also in congratulating the Abiva women bowlers for bagging the championship title for women’s division in the 2015 PEPA Bowling Tournament. Enjoy reading and try to reminisce what transpired in 2015. For sure, this will bring a smile as you go through each page of the 4th issue of Abiva Leads.
Cora Sapo Vanessa Gregorio Managing Editors
Vanessa Ang Graphic Designer
Nancy Almonte Contributing Editor
Cora Sapo Sofie Gerong Jocelyn Manansala Nancy Almonte Contributing Writers
For interested contributors and topic suggestions, drop us an email at mgtorrico@abiva.com.ph
Promotinga
Reading Culture T
he PNU-Abiva Center for Reading and Literacy was inaugurated on September 1, 2015 as part of the activities for the 114th founding anniversary of the Philippine Normal University (PNU). The main purpose of the Reading Center is to improve the reading and multi-literacy achievement of PNU students, provide the same support for its adopted communities, and conduct research and development relevant to literacy learning and instruction. The establishment of the PNU Reading Center is Abiva’s way of giving back to the community. The founders of Abiva, Asuncion and Luis, are graduates of PNU in the 1930s. APHI recognizes the role of PNU in teacher education and in promoting research in reading and literacy.
The Center is equipped with an interactive reading corner offering the complete SRA Reading program, a mini-library, a children’s corner, a conference room, and an educational audio-visual studio. Through the Center for Reading and Literacy, PNU and Abiva aim to help students become effective and intelligent consumers of printed sources of information. The establishment of the Center is a testimony to the commitment of PNU and Abiva to develop a reading culture among students and to make every Filipino child a reader.
L
ast September 30 to October 2, 2015, Abiva Publishing House participated in the 74th Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines National Convention held at the SMX Convention Center. Over 3,600 delegates attended the said event from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with this year’s theme “Set forth in faith with new eyes on the many faces of the poor.” The convention was graced by the Department of Education,Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro. For his keynote speech, Secretary Luistro presented a comprehensive report on the current status of the Philippine education sector. The cluster sessions focused on the different faces of and responses to poverty. Recent trends, issues and concerns affecting private schools were also discussed. The convention featured exhibits from different publishers. Abiva showcased new SHS STEM titles from McGraw-Hill Education along with other basal and digital products.
Abiva sales teams from Visayas and Mindanao were also present to support and meet all the delegates coming from different Catholic institutions, schools, and universities.
Abiva Goes
GLOBAL
FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR
F
or the first time in the history of Abiva Publishing House Inc., a top management leader from Abiva represented the Philippines at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2015 in Germany, October 14-18. Mr. Jorge Abiva Garcia represented APHI as one of the Philippine publishers under the Philippine Collective team. It was an outstanding participation for the community of Philippine publishers to represent our country in the most prominent book fair event in the world with the help of the National Book Development Board of the Philippines, the Book Development Association of the Philippines, the Philippine Educational Printers Association (PEPA), the Philippine Embassy in Berlin, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC), and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) of the Philippines.
Mr. Garcia had a chance to showcase Abiva’s best selling titles such as Soaring to New Heights in Reading, Real Life Math, Real Life Science, Science and Technology and more titles from our K to12 series. Mr. Garcia is also the first publisher to present a comprehensive report on the current state of the Philippine Publishing Industry at the International Publishers Association (IPA) Educational Publishers Forum Open Meeting. Mr. Garcia presented along with other keynote speakers from Canada and the Netherlands.
W
ith its central theme “Fly Away with Books,” Abiva once again shared the magic of the printed word by participating in the annual Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), September 16-20. The MIBF is an affair that never fails to delight book lovers of all ages, with more than 200 participating publishers and booksellers spread out in 400 booths at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. One of the highlights of Abiva’s booth activities is the Search for Abiva’s Oldest Textbook. Dexter T. Gonzales from Loyola Heights, Quezon City brought Wikang Sarili, an Abiva title which was printed in 1960.
Abiva’s booth was swarmed with visitors who browsed the displayed titles, took photos in the hot air balloon photo booth, and availed of the ‘Everything 30’ sale of selected preschool books. Abiva’s resident mascot Abivoy roamed the exhibit area, attracting children and adults alike.
s e g n le l a of Educational Publishers h C
T
Tackled in PEPA Confab
o survive, educational publishers must understand the challenges threatening the book publishing industry and strategize to ensure its viability.
This is among the central messages of the second Philippine Educational Publishers Association (PEPA) Conference held on September 18, 2015 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. Among these challenges are:
Implementation of the K-12 Basic Education and the New General Education Curriculum
Rapid changes in technology and digital publishing
Publishers needed to develop and revise textbooks that respond to the requirements of the curriculum. This meant higher costs and investments in more authors and curriculum consultants.
Schools have started integrating technology in their curriculum so they can access more affordable and engaging learning materials for today’s digital learners.
Moratorium on the purchase of supplementary materials by the Department of Education
More competition due to ASEAN integration
This bled some of the educational publishers dry as DepEd ceased buying supplementary reference books and developed their own modules for grades 1-10.
Philippine publishers may be up against ASEAN publishers which can have better opportunities to supply more affordable learning materials to Philippine schools as economic barriers are relaxed and exchange in the ASEAN becomes freer.
PEPA responded to these challenges by: Providing publishers with seminars that teach them how they can develop K-12-compliant educational materials.
Presenting publishers with best practices in digital publishing to show how electronic and interactive content supplement printed materials.
Emphasizing the Book Publishing Industry Act (RA 8047) that mandates “textbook development and production be placed in the hands of private publishers so DepEd can focus on curriculum development and teacher training.”
Encouraging collaboration with foreign publishers which includes co-publishing ventures, copyright selling, book buying, and book distribution.
PEPA is composed of about 40 reputable educational publishers in the country that are engaged mainly in the development and production of textbooks. Abiva Publishing House, Inc. (APHI), as a proactive mover and supporter of the book industry, is one of the founding members of PEPA.
The Philippine Educational Publishing Association officers present a plaque of appreciation to its conference keynote speaker, former Partylist Representative of Akbayan, Liza Hontiveros. Mr. Johann Paolo Garcia (first from left) is PEPA’s treasurer.
ABIVA Joins
Metrowide Earthquake
Drill
E
mployees of Abiva and Hiyas Press participated with the rest of Metro Manila in the Metrowide Earthquake Drill on August 6, 2015. Abiva employees gamely joined the training. Several teams such as firefighting, evacuations and search, logistics, security, and medical teams were formed to ensure overall safety in case of an earthquake. At exactly 9:30 AM all employees heard a general alarm signaling the earthquake; lights were shut down and everyone performed the procedure before patiently waiting for the “earthquake” to end. Employees then evacuated their offices and quickly but quietly proceeded to the evacuation area, where rescue simulations were conducted and the teams responded to several incidents. The activity aims to help companies and offices prepare, organize, and mobilize emergency response teams in order to effectively respond to disaster situations and come up with a recovery plan. APHI President Jorge Garcia and HPI President Louie Gerard Abiva were assigned as the Emergency Brigade Marshalls. Before the earthquake drill the assigned Emergency Response Team members were trained and given orientation on evacuation procedure of employees. All trainings and drills were facilitated by Lift Management Training Consultancy.
Central Command
and
NORTHERN QUADRANT
EASTERN QUADRANT
Valenzuela Caloocan Mandaluying San Juan Quezon City
Evacuation Centers
Marikina Pasig
Evacuation / Command Center: Evacuation / Command Center: VMMC Golf Course
LRT 2 Santolan Depot
SOUTHERN QUADRANT
Pasay Muntinlupa Makati Pateros Parañaque Taguig Las Piñas Evacuation / Command Center: Villamor Airbase Golf Course
WESTERN QUADRANT Manila Navotas Malabon
Evacuation / Command Center: Intramuros golf Course
During the Metrowide Earthquake Drill, each quadrant focused on a particular set of emergencies. For the Northern Quadrant where Abiva belongs, focus was on medical emergency.
It’s a
Zombie Halloween
for Abiva!
‘Professional zombies’ haunted the second floor lobby of Abiva Publishing House, Inc. last October 28 as Abiva and Hiyas Press Inc. employees dressed up to the challenge of the Halloween Costume contest.
“Zombified” nurses, accountants, soldiers, and other professionals came in to the delight of all employees. Three contestants emerged as winners: Rockstar Zombie Abstract Paguinto from Marketing, Paolo “Heneral Luna” Fabrigar from Book Development, and Chef Zombie Teddy Delos Santos from Hiyas Press, Inc. The three winners received P2,000 each in cash.
s n o i t a l u Congrat to the winners
of PEPA 2015 Bowling Tourney!
The APHI Bowling Team (from left to right): Eva Tuvilla, Ela Garcia, Marianne Cua, Divine Cruz, Leizel Acenas, Lolit Bodiao, Geri Espiritu with Paolo Garcia (APHI PEPA Representative). Seated from left to right: Paeng Cristobal, Kris Eusebio, Rey Salde, Joey Maniclang, and Rico Arches. The tournament was held, August 8, as part of the annual friendly games among participating publishers of the Philippine Educational Publishers Association (PEPA).
On the Spotlight: The Abiva 2015
Sales Award Recognition
“I have never worked a day in my life without selling. If I believe in something, I sell it, and I sell it hard” - Estée Lauder
H
ighlighting excellence is something that t Abiva Publishing House gives importance to. Yearly, the outstanding sales performance of Sales and Service Consultants is recognized and rewarded. Sales awards are given for revenue
growth over the previous year, expansion into a new market, achieving target, or a major account growth. Despite the stiff competition in the market, Abiva Sales team are achieving their target revenue and growth.
Congratulations, Abiva Sales Team! We are proud of you!
Ron Bandasan
SSC of the Year
John Adonis
SSC 2
John Adonis, Benedict Santos, Ron Bandasan, Julius Cruz, and Benedict Cataquis
Mythical 5
ND
Runner Up
Julius Cruz
SSC 3RD Runner Up
Northern Luzon
Region of the Year
E
veryone knew Audrey Hepburn had breakfast at Tiffany’s, but on December 11 2015, she had lunch at Betty’s. All glammed up, ‘Audrey’ and her friends graced the Christmas Party of Abiva Publishing House, Inc at Betty’s Restaurant in Quezon City. Her entourage included famous celebrities in American music and movie industry. Meryl Streep thanked the Academy for her Best Actress nod. Adele rolled in the deep with her Grammy, and Tina Turner rocked it with Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. Yes, Elvis was alive! Robert Downey Jr. nailed everyone in their seats with his badboy-with-good-looks glare. And was that Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter? Oprah walked in to host the event. Well… not really. Sales and Service Consultant Harold Cruz and Communications Coordinator Vanessa Gregorio hosted the star-studded party.
How was Abiva able to invite these top-notch Hollywood celebs? Simple. Hire them as department managers and dress them up. Staff members of each department dressed up their manager to look like Adele (Amy Villaruz, Accounting), Audrey Hepburn (Sofie Gerong, Book Development), Harry Potter (Andrei Manuel, Higher Ed Sales Division), Bruno Mars (Joey Maniclang, Desktop), and Lady Gaga (Imelda Basagre, Developmental Editing). Also in attendance were Meryl Streep (Agnes Apostol, EduPower), Taylor Swift (Ela Garcia, Warehouse), Tina Turner (Cora Sapo, Marketing), Elvis Presley (Rafael Cristobal, Production), Robert Downey Jr. (Eric Solante, Sales-Visayas), and Oprah Winfrey (Nancy Almonte, SRA). ‘Bruno Mars’ pumped it up and won the look-alike contest with a song and dance number that moved the audience to jam along.
Abiva employees presented short excerpts from Hollywood movie musicals. Groups 1, 2, and 3 performed Rock of Ages, Pitch Perfect, and Sister Act, respectively. Group 4 had a solid performance of Grease and bagged the prize. The group of new employees also showcased other songs from the said musicals. A themed Christmas party is done annually at Abiva.
Abiva Awards Early Birds Bright lights and Hollywood glam aside, Abiva’s Christmas Party on December 11 was also a day when the most punctual Abiva employees received their early yuletide gifts—for being early! Abiva management recognized punctuality and awarded certificates and cash incentives to employees with perfect punctuality record. Employees who were never a minute late every day and retained their grand slam record for four consecutive years were Enrico Arches, Danilo Conde, Kris Eusebio, Emmanuel Pelagio, Noel Quino, Bernard Sabao, and Reynaldo Salde. New grand slam awardees were Claro Ballesta and Ronie Gange who were both on time every day for three consecutive years.
Federico Bantolino, Rosbel Barrio, and Ma. Jose Bayani are new qualifiers for scoring a perfect punctuality record in 2015. Abiva’s most punctual employees beat the clock and continue to come to work early every day. Their achievement serves as inspiration to all Abiva workers.
Children ?
Are Tablets
Goodfor
Instilling the Lifelong Good Habit of Reading Among Children
I
was recently asked about my opinion on the question, “Are Tablets Good for Children?” While I do fully embrace technology and the benefits it offers to all, young children especially, I still maintain, as a matter of parental policy to my own two children, that the lifelong benefits of developing the habit of reading from an actual printed book are still far more valuable and the worthwhile values it develops far more outweigh whatever conveniences or advantages that reading from a tablet or a smartphone offers. My kids, now ages 21 and 17, grew up with the bedtime habit of bookreading where I would read to them their favorite children’s storybooks. The bedtime reading ritual became a fixed part of their growing-up years for the fun and excitement it gave them because of a certain kind of twist that
I introduced in our reading ritual at night: I would change the endings of their favorite stories! The fun part would be their wide anticipation of how a particular story would end because they knew there would be a new ending for the same classic children’s stories that they wanted me to read to them every night. An e-book cannot equal this kind of intimacy and excitement between the reader and the ones being read to. As my children grew up, they tried to imitate the way I read to them—which a solitary engagement with an electronic book can never achieve for children. My kids eventually turned out to be book lovers and fast readers—happily without prematurely straining their eyes from screen glare as may have resulted perhaps if they had been so reliant on electronic gadgets for reading enjoyment. Our bedrooms have become like mini-libraries as my children have kept their most favorite storybooks as they were growing up.
Being fast readers and knowing how to navigate the reading process helped my kids cope with their school tasks especially now that they are in college. Required readings in their respective university studies are voluminous but the task of coping with reading a lot has not been so much a problem to them compared to those who have not developed the love for the printed book during their younger years. I think these are lifelong important study skills, old fashioned but still offering the long-term real-life benefits to book readers, which a solitary reading experience through one’s own gadget cannot match, yet. Recently, our president, Mr. Jorge Abiva-Garcia shared an article that presents the findings of a research conducted by Naomi Baron, linguistics professor at American University for her book, “Words Onscreen: The Fate of Reading in a Digital World.” According to the study, 92 percent of students prefer paper books over e-books. The research concludes that “e-books may be convenient and cheap, but they aren’t displacing paper just yet, at least in the hearts and minds of college kids.”
{92%
prefer paper books
}
In the study, 92 percent preferring the printed books over the digital books is indeed such a huge representation among the respondentreaders of both school books and trade books. That the study revealed survey results from firstworld countries such as the U.S., Germany, and Japan speaks a lot about the staying power of the printed books.
If the world’s most progressive countries, equipped with the means and facilities for high technological access, are adopting a great preference for the printed book, how much more a country such as the Philippines whose emerging economy is yet to adequately address its technological readiness to embrace digitization as a way of life? Perhaps not in the immediate future when the country is yet to address its readiness issues such as (1) the majority of its population who can ill afford the cost of acquiring gadgets and software required for e-reading, (2) the government that is only able to digitize public school classrooms in a sorely limited way, and (3) the country’s internet speed and connectivity that has remained to be one of the lowest in the world*. Indeed the traditional printed book is here to stay, and parents and teachers should continue developing and instilling in their children the timehonored good habit of reading a paper book and experience the enjoyment of holding, turning the physical pages, feeling and loving the “smell” of a printed book. *The May 2015 survey of Ookla Speedtest, a global leader in broadband testing and network diagnostic applications, revealed that the Philippines has one of the slowest average broadband speeds across the globe. Philstar.com/File.
Luis Q. Abiva Jr.
turns 75
O
ne of Abiva’s pillars, Luis Quiray-Abiva Jr. celebrated his 75th birthday with the APHI employees last November 17, 2015. The celebration started with a thanksgiving mass officiated by Fr. Yoyo Rebucias, and attended by the Abiva and Hiyas employees. A sumptuous lunch and a surprise AVP prepared by APHI employees made LQAJ smile and feel the love of everyone in the room. Sir Louie is still very much active at 75. He is into a lot of interesting
passions–photography, bonsai and orchid cultivation, fishing, and playing tennis. Nowadays, his hands are into farming. When asked of his secret for looking young and happy, he said, “I follow my passion.”
Starting them
E
Young
very summer since 2012, young Abiva fourth and fifth generation family members go through at least two weeks of immersion in the family businesses.
Younger children begin with a week of orientation and workshops, while older children get to experience up to four weeks of actual work in the different departments of Abiva Publishing House, Inc. (APHI) and Hiyas Press Inc. (HPI). Annually organized by the Abiva Family Council and spearheaded by Ms. Marion Abiva-Cruz, APHI Board Member, the summer internship program aims to provide avenue for early exposure of young family members to the operations of both companies and give them the opportunity to have a better appreciation, awareness, and first-hand knowledge of the family businesses. While the program allows them to make their summer break productive and they get to bond with their cousins in a “work” set-up at the same time, it also encourages them to develop their social skills, creativity, independence, and learn the value of hard work. Who knows one of them will eventually build a career in the family businesses and rise to lead APHI and HPI in the near future.
Eric Paul Martinez Sales and Service Consultant
Reinnel Cabalse Sales and Service Consultant
Excel Panganiban
Credit and Collection Higher education Sales
Sales
Welcome to Abiva
EduPower
Production
Production Clerk
Accounts Coordinator
Rodolfo Reyes Jr. Learning Solutions Specialist
Rocky De Vera Learning Solutions Specialist
Twinchie Avenido Learning Solutions Specialist
Sales and Service Consultant
Nikki Mae Lucas
Norielyn Sanchez
Richard Rimorin Jr. Web Designer
Sharmaine Lizada
Lean Alejandro Santiago
Editorial Assistant
Web Designer
Jhoana Fe Manaog
Karla Patricia Sanchez
Art Editorial Assistant
Digital Publishing Assistant