After 17 years of working in Singapore, retired OFW embarks on auto repair business with ValuePlus in San Pedro City

VALUEPLUS Auto Services Philippines Inc., a trailblazer in the country’s automotive repair franchise industry, recently welcomed retired Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Frankie Flores as the latest addition to the franchise owners of VPX The Casa Alternative. The contract signing ceremony took place at the ValuePlus headquarters in Quezon City, symbolizing another significant milestone in the company’s ambitious growth plans.

A picture of resilience and entrepreneurial spirit, Flores brings to the VPX family a remarkable tale of determination and aspiration. After a rewarding 17-year work experience in Singapore, Flores harbored the dream of establishing a thriving auto repair shop in his homeland. In preparation, he completed a vocational course for automotive technicians, thus readying himself for his desired business endeavor.

“Upon researching potential ventures, I was instantly captivated by VPX’s franchise model,” says Flores. “The team’s transparency and supportive approach, especially from General Manager Mark Saberola, have been truly empowering. They guided me thoroughly from our first phone conversation to this agreement’s signing. I’m excited to provide topnotch auto repair services to my hometown of San Pedro City.”

ValuePlus President Normann Chiu expressed his pride in welcoming Flores to the VPX family. “Frankie’s passion for the automotive industry and commitment to realizing his dream perfectly aligns with our core values. His journey is a source of inspiration for numerous OFWs aspiring to invest in the Philippines. We pledge our full support to Frankie and all the entrepreneurs who aim to make significant contributions to our country’s auto service sector.”

Saberola, who has been instrumental in guiding Flores throughout the franchising process, also commended Flores. “Frankie’s fervor and readiness to adapt have been apparent from the outset. His embodiment of our belief that hard work combined with passion leads to success is truly commendable. We’re delighted to back him on this entrepreneurial journey in San Pedro City.”

ValuePlus’ partnership with Flores reinforces its mission to offer superior, reliable auto services across the Philippines while providing worthwhile entrepreneurial opportunities for Filipinos locally and globally.

THE Philippine Pastel Artists, Inc. (PPA) group, in partnership with Giftbox, Inc., presents the 2nd Kulay Pastel Juried Exhibition at the Gateway Gallery. As a members-only exhibit, the show aims to recognize new, exceptional works done by the group’s regular members, showcasing their current progress and artistic directions and demonstrating their passion and dedication to the fine art of pastels.

Founded in 2015, the PPA continues its vision to be a premier and globally-recognized organization promoting Filipino artists through the use of pastels as a medium for artistic expression and setting the standards of excellence in pastel painting in the Philippines. It is a recognized member of the International Association of Pastel Societies, a non-profit organization representing pastel societies worldwide, uniting in the common cause to demonstrate the validity and quality of pastel fine art.

In providing a platform for its members to showcase their creative abilities and skills in pastel artmaking, PPA forges on with its mission to elevate the pastel medium in the art community at large. Awards for the Best in Show and two Awards of Merit to the three most distinguished pieces will be announced at the exhibition’s opening reception on July 15, 2023. The show ends on July 29, 2023.

Participating artists include Alvin

Montano, Bids Llorin-Luna, Caroline Rosales, Dennis Baquial, Ferdie Magsino, Ferdinand Capistrano, Glenn Perez, Grandier Bella, Iris Babao-Uy, Julius Legaspi, Karlo Domingo, Kathy Sarao-Nazario, Luisa Bayot, Nell Belgado, Reina Lynn “Rei” Antonio, Roberto Martin Sing, Rodel Rosario, Roland Castro, Romeo Cortez, Tessa Punzalan-Brodeth, Wendy Rondaris, Yolanda Batara

For inquiries, please contact: 09758879651 or email: ppa.kulaypastel@gmail.com.

Gateway Gallery is the art museum of Araneta City. It is open daily, from 10 am to 6 pm, as a free admission art museum, located at the 5F Gateway Tower, Araneta City. For inquiries on the exhibit and other programs, email us at gatewaygallery@aranetagroup. com, or call +63 2 825 3012. Connect also with Gateway Gallery’s social media accounts at Facebook (GatewayGalleryPH), Instagram (gateway.gallery), Twitter (gateway_gallery), and YouTube Channel (Gateway Gallery).

FOR Foundever™, a global leader in the customer experience (CX) industry, diversity is championed. It’s not just lip service. The company has received a rating of 4.1 out of five stars for diversity and inclusion from the established job platform Glassdoor, a top five percent ranking for work culture by the compensation monitoring platform Comparably. It has been called a leader in diversity by the Financial Times and Statista in 2023.

“Diversity has always been one of the great traits of Foundever,” noted Asia Pacific Chief Operating Officer Ravi Iyengar during his opening remarks at the company’s recent #PrideSummit in the Philippines.

“Our customers come from various cultures, groups, and gender identities. So it’s fitting that our people are equally diverse. This allows us to look at problems from various angles and provide better solutions,” This was reflected in the company’s recent My Associate Experience (MAX) survey, where 86 percent of Foundever employees said diversity is valued within the organization.

Iyengar added, “To our associates who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community, please know that you’re not just accepted at Foundever, you’re celebrated. Here you can always create your best moments. Foundever will always be a safe place where you are free to love and express who you are.”

The Foundever #PrideSummit in the Philippines is part of the company’s many CSR initiatives that aim to amplify LGBTQIA+ voices by supporting their culture and rights. This year, it was focused on the promotion of diversity in the workplace, as well as HIV awareness and allyship within the community.

A strong advocate of HIV awareness and education, Foundever had LoveYourself Inc. founder and executive director Dr. Ronnievin Pagtakhan as a keynote speaker at the Pride Summit. A distinguished medical practitioner who worked in the United States for some time, Dr. Pagtakhan has dedicated his knowledge and expertise to creating a safe space where people with HIV or sexually transmitted infections can get support.

LoveYourself began in 2011 as an outreach program, then opened its first community center a year later with the Research Institute for Tropical Medicines. Today, LoveYourself is the biggest self-sustaining HIV and sexual health treatment facility in the Philippines, with 15 locations nationwide. The center offers combination prevention which includes HIV testing, condoms, and lubricants, use of pre-exposure prophylaxis, post-exposure prophylaxis, and treatment as prevention.

“I had a vision of creating a community center for men in the LGBTQIA+ community that’s more like a safe space. When you go there, it doesn’t feel like a clinic; it feels like a home. It feels like a community away from one’s family,” Dr. Pagtakhan said. “We want to create ripples of positive change, one free HIV test at a time. LoveYourself now has a mental health care service called Flourish. Dr. Pagtakhan included the additional offering with the help of Mental Health PH when a number of community members developed anxiety and depression just before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Flourish by LoveYourself also supports those experiencing anxiety while undergoing treatment. Last June 26, Foundever partnered with LoveYourself PH for a company-wide free HIV testing activity.

According to Foundever Chief Marketing Officer Martin Wilkinson-Brown, in his speech, many claim to be an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, but they’re not aware that being one is not easy.

“Being an ally is not just being a cheerleader, although promoting and cheering for the community is absolutely part of it. An ally takes time to see things from a different perspective and provides support to LGBTQIA+ members who may not be as lucky or in the same position as them,” Brown said.

He added that being an ally takes practice, something a person does not do once, and it’s over. It needs to be something ongoing like the commitment Foundever has towards creating a safe workspace, giving associates equal access to equitable opportunities for career growth, and building a culture built on dignity and respect.

“While our three global commitments alone do not create allies, they create a safe space where people can ask questions without being judged and where they can be themselves and freely share their stories,” Wilkinson-Brown said.

“It is from that an ally can really be born.” panel

The Foundever Pride Summit in the Philippines also held a panel discussion to tackle concerns specific to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and the LGBTQIA+ community.