An official publication of the University of Asia and the Pacific
Stanford Professor talks business at UA&P
March 2009
Editorial In trying times: Seize the opportunity It is easy to disengage oneself from the current financial crisis if one is not directly hit by it. But that is hardly a healthy response from a socially conscious person. No relative or acquaintance may have lost his business or job, but hundreds of Filipinos have been affected and thousands more are vulnerable to job loss. Instead of finger pointing and rationalizing, what should one do when the economic “bubble” bursts? One is to pick out opportunity. For instance, those with idle time can be trained on new skills, on self-reliance activities, or entrepreneurship possibilities. Those trained can emerge fitter and more confident in riding the crisis, eventually reaping the fruits of these efforts when the economy swings the other way. Or, as Professor Hau Lee of Stanford University said during the supply chain management seminar in UA&P, business opportunities can arise in the emerging markets that are gaining importance. He added that the crisis is an opportunity to innovate, offer new products and Another sound response services, and create value. to adversity is to develop These can help sustain the virtues of working hard businesses as well as and striving for excellence serve the needs of people in both big and small things. who should downscale their lifestyle. //////////////////// Another sound response to adversity is to develop the virtues of working hard and striving for excellence in both big and small things. The pursuit of excellence, which should be deeply rooted in any organization, as it is in UA&P, is really quite crucial when bad times set in. The reason is that the desire to become the best in whatever one is doing opens one to high ideals, which can produce all-around improvement, and new ideas, which can create opportunities. It would also be timely for people to cut back, unload the unnecessary, and live responsibly. As stewards of all that we have, we are expected to use them wisely and to help those who are in need.
An official publication of the University of Asia and the Pacific, is produced by the Corporate Communications Office ✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽ ppppppppppppppppppppppp Editor: Ms. Boots Ruelos Managing Editor: Mr. Daryl Zamora Contributing Editors: Mr. Carlo Cabrera Mr. Daryl Zamora Contributing Writers: Patricia Marie Buensuceso Mr. Carlo Cabrera Mr. Raul Calsado Mar Angelo Corazo Benjamin Jozef de Leon Ms. Analou Lacson Samuel Macagba III Jessica Anne Mancao-Magno Jasminda Magsino Mr. Rogelio Opulencia Miguel Orleans Mr. Daryl Zamora Contributing Staff: Ms. Romelyn Rome Photography: Mr. Carlo Cabrera Mr. Ronilo Balbieran Ms. Marian Magturo Ms. Eica Ong Ms. Rina Roxas Graphic Design: Jerry Manalili/Chili Dogs Printing: Primex Printers ✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽ ppppppppppppppppppppppp You may contact us at: Corporate Communications Office University of Asia and the Pacific Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City Telephone No.: 637 0912 local 301/342 Fax No.: 637 0912 local 342 Schools/Institutes: College of Arts and Sciences School of Economics School of Education and Human Development School of Management School of Communication Institute of Political Economy Institute of Information Technology Studies
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UNIVERSITAS March 2009
News
I am Ninoy. Are You?
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ast February 24, 23 years after the EDSA Revolution, UA&P remembered the most non-violent revolution that has ever taken place in recorded history and the man who inspired it. Polis, the student organization of the Institute of Political Economy, organized the “iamninoy” talk, which centered on the “iamninoy” campaign. Advocating heroism, justice, and freedom to create a new brand of the youth of today, the campaign aims to make Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., relevant today not just by telling his story but by urging the youth to take action.
complaining since, after all, everything ends up either as our collective success or collective failure. After Sen. Aquino’s talk, the question “How can today’s youth make a difference?” was addressed. The major issues of today include a great sense of disempowerment and a crisis of hope in national politics especially among the youth. Given these, we should engage in an effort to get to the root of the problems and solve them even in the minutest of our own ways everyday. Atty. Carina Tanega from the KIDS (Kabataang Inyong Dapat Suportahan) Foundation, an organization tied in with the “iamninoy” campaign, next talked about the activities that the KIDS foundation offers as venues for the youth to get involved. These activities include the RED Malnutrition program (a six-month feeding and livelihood program for poor communities), the “Isang Milyong Aklat, Isang Milyong Pangarap” book drive program, the “A Trek to Remember” medical missions, the KIDS scholarship program, and financial grants and merienda parties for patients in various public hospitals in the country.
“People who forget the lessons of the past are bound to repeat them.”
The highlight of the program was a talk by Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. Senator Aquino shared his recollections of the pre-EDSA Revolution events, the notion of heroism and anecdotes about his father. Defining a hero as “an ordinary person caught up in extraordinary times,” Sen. Aquino recalled the darkest days of his father and how he was able to withstand his seven years of detention through the help of a firm faith in God and a deeply rooted hope in the triumph of goodness.
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“People who forget the lessons of the past are bound to repeat them,” said Sen. Aquino. This is the reason why, according to him, the “iamninoy” campaign is still very relevant today. With the numerous issues that confront us, the youth should play their part in acting on them precisely because, as cliché as it may sound, the youth of today should create their future. This is why the senator reminds us: “Kung ikaw, walang pakialam; yung katabi mo wala ring pakialam at lahat tayo hindi pakikialaman ang ating kinabukasan, sino kaya ang makikialam?” The senator dared the youth to act instead of simply
The event made us reflect on what Atty. Tanega said: “A Filipino is not just worth dying for. A Filipino is worth living for because a hero lies in each and everyone of us.” With the renewed call for heroism, we are challenged to make history our own and not use our being ordinary as an excuse to live in a bubble and turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to reality’s call for action. Jasminda Magsino IPE 3rd year
Sen. Kiko Pangilinan speaks at UA&P,
vows to support student rights bill
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan offered to support students’ efforts in lobbying the Students’ Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Bill in Congress during a November forum at UA&P. “If you want, let’s sit down, let’s strategize,” the senator told student-leaders from various Metro Manila universities. The STRAW bill (otherwise known as the “Magna Carta for Students”) was proposed by Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel in 2007. It seeks to recognize student rights, including the right to non-discrimination, quality education, representation in school governance, and press freedom.
going to see things happening.” He also urged students to “pressure the [Senate] education [committee] chairman” to back the bill. According to Ms. Paula Bianca Lapuz, secretary-general of the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP), bills for the Magna Carta for Students have been put forward in Congress for many years now, but they were always junked or neglected. “The challenge is how to mobilize the stakeholders—the students— in a sustained manner,” Sen. Pangilinan said, noting that students in general have become indifferent to their civic roles and duties.
The senator, who used to chair the Senate’s education committee, said student councils should join forces in persuading lawmakers to pass the bill. He said groups could take turns lobbying in Congress and the Senate everyday.
Other panelists at the forum were Ms. Claire Balgan (Teachers Inc.), Mr. Neil Lim (National Youth Parliament), and Mr. Ramon Lorenzo Luis Guinto (UP-Manila Student Council). The UA&P Student Executive Board (SEB) co-organized the forum.
“You distribute the effort of lobbying,” he said, “and I think you are
Mr. Daryl Zamora Corporate Communications Office
UNIVERSITAS March 2009
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News
Tambuli Awards 2009
IMCEA returns: rechristened, revamped, regional Now dubbed the “Tambuli Awards,” the biannual Integrated Marketing Communications Effectiveness Awards (IMCEA) is once again honoring marketing campaigns that have valued both business results and socially relevant marketing communications. Launched by the School of Communication (SCM) in 2005 with the second installment in 2007, the IMCEA is the first and only awardgiving body in the Philippines that recognizes profitability of integrated marketing communications campaigns while simultaneously promoting societal values. This year’s name change emphasizes the event’s use of the tambuli, an indispensable tool in the lives of early Filipino inhabitants, as its symbol of effectiveness. A vital instrument of communication and precaution in days of yore, it now stands for marketing communicators who create and deliver messages focused on results that build longlasting value for their organization, their markets and stakeholders, and for the common good of society. The Tambuli Awards 2009 introduces the biggest development in its history yet with the inclusion of participants from other Asian countries. Moreover, the awards categories feature a few changes, with the introduction of two new categories: Most Effective Teens Brand Campaign and Most Effective Family-Oriented Brand Campaign. Beginning 2009, a special award, called the Effectiveness Agency of the Year Award, will also be given to the communication agency with at least three distinct winning entries based on the judges’ criteria. Following are the other awards categories:
the campaign’s objectives and provide sources of data, research involved, and the time period covered for the results provided. The case must not only prove that the campaign resulted in increased sales but also show that the brand gained profit as a result of the IMC investments made. For an entry to win in the Tambuli Awards, it should furthermore show how it promoted societal values. Entrants must include a qualitative description of how the campaign contributes to the betterment of society. Some examples of ideals that may be highlighted are: truth, justice, peace, family life, service and industriousness, respect for human life and dignity, care for the enviThe Tambuli Awards 2009 ronment, concern for the needy, solidarity and racial harmony, introduces the biggest development in its history and defense of the rights of individuals and communities. yet with the inclusion
of participants from other Asian countries. Moreover, the awards categories feature a few changes, with the introduction of two new categories: Most Effective Teens Brand Campaign and Most Effective FamilyOriented Brand Campaign.
Traditionally, the Tambuli Awards board of judges has included some of the most respected names in the advertising industry. Previous years have seen rosters with industry personalities Emily Abrera, JJ Calero, Minyong Ordoñez, Jose Cuisia Jr., Vicente Dinglasan, Delfin Gonzalez Jr., Nanette Diyco, Mariles Gustilo, Rey Icasas, Barbara Locsin, Abby Jimenez, Raul Alvarez, Nena Barredo, Lorenzo Barros, Nonna Nañagas, Jaime Puno, and March Ventosa. The IMCEA Advisory Board is also composed of industry leaders, together with representatives from UA&P. The board members are JJ Calero, Carmencita Esteban, Mon Jimenez, Minyong Ordoñez, Vicente Dinglasan, Eric Canoy, Jaime Puno, RJ Esteban, Dr. Francine Racho, and Dr. Jerry Kliatchko.
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Best Small Budget Product Brand Campaign Best Small Budget Service Brand Campaign Best Established Product Brand Campaign Best Established Service Brand Campaign Best Integrated Internal Marketing Program Best Innovative and Integrated Media Campaign Best Insights and Strategic Thinking Most Effective Teens Brand Campaign Most Effective Family-Oriented Brand Campaign The awards come in Gold, Silver, and Bronze, depending on the entries’ level of achievement within the given category as determined by the judges, with the Gold Winners qualifying for the competition’s highest distinction, the Carmencita Esteban Platinum Award. It is awarded to the campaign that has most effectively achieved integration demonstrated by a remarkable advancement in business performance while espousing a genuine commitment to social goals. Since 2005, however, IMCEA participants have yet to qualify for the award. Following a case study entry approach, the Tambuli Awards aspires to be the benchmark and resource for effective integrated marketing communications programs. Eligible to submit entries to the premier competition are advertising and communication agencies and clients that have implemented integrated marketing communications campaigns and have utilized more than one communication channel. Entrants are encouraged to discuss the impact of the competitive environment, pricing, distribution, and other factors that might affect the market equilibrium. The evidence of results must relate directly to
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UNIVERSITAS March 2009
In 2007, Publicis Manila stood above the competition by bringing home the only Gold Award. The agency won Best Innovative and Integrated Media Campaign for its work with Nestlé Philippines in the “Choose Wellness, Choose Nestlé” campaign.
wasn’t a compendium of the Catholic Church, nor did seminaries exist before the Renaissance. I believe the talks gave me a bigger picture of what the Renaissance was and what it offered us. It made me more appreciative of the study of Renaissance literature because great minds were born during this time for our appreciation and that of future generations.”
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Jo Katrina Jardin, CAS 1st year
RENAISSANCE WEEK AWARDEES “Thy Thoughts Out Loud” Shakespeare Sonnet/ Soliloquy Recite-Off 1st Place – Hemant Kumar Advani, Jan Mikhail Tiu 2nd Place – Alyana Dalisay, Jessica Orleans 3rd Place – Jake Morales “As These Visions Did Appear” A Play-Off on an excerpt from A Midsummer Night’s Dream Winner – Lit 104 TFE1 “Mr. Borra wanted the audience to realize, from all of the things he said, that the Renaissance (and its literature) is a testament to the true beauty of love, that love is a choice, and how important it is to renew that choice everyday.”
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Mary Lea Anne C. Nito, CAS 1st year
“With… (the) explanations of the various speakers, I can say that the Renaissance affected man in great ways. It is a most spontaneous movement to enhance his capabilities in all fields of learning with a heart for his passions as well...Without the Renaissance, we wouldn’t have our music today (hiphop, R&B, jazz) or our movies and readings. We wouldn’t be able to realize that through expression, man can be beautiful, understood and reached.”
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Catherine Caluag, CAS 1st year
“The Renaissance, according to Prof. Wilfredo Torres, displayed the elegance and beauty of Mathematics. …(He) added that, ‘What’s really beautiful in Mathematics is the working of the mind. And the essence of it is freedom, which is very Renaissance.’ Mr. Borra spoke more of the application of Renaissance literature in his everyday life and how literature has influenced his life as a whole. He said, ‘To be able to appreciate the literature of the Renaissance, give, receive, and share love.’ Literature gives joy, beauty, and delight to the simple things we do amidst the pressures exerted by society. Mr. Vito Cruz explained that many discoveries during the Renaissance are still being used today and play a vital role in the development of the Arts: on the Renaissance and its effects on their the Vitruvian Man’s proportions, the Golden particular discipline today: Mr. Wilfredo Torres Mean, etc. Mr. Mejos used Karol Wojtyla, also Jr. (Mathematics), Mr. Arthur Vito Cruz (Art), Mr. known as Pope John Paul II, as an example of a Dean Mejos (Philosophy), Fr. Roberto Latorre person who practiced a humanist, Renaissance (Theology), and Mr. John-D Borra (Literature). philosophy. Fr. Latorre said “The Renaissance...is a that the influence of the Altogether, the symposium on the Renaissance was testament to the true beauty Renaissance should not us to revolution, a fruitful and worthwhile of love, that love is a choice, trigger but rather, to work together exercise of unitas. This and how important it is to for total reformation.” will, hopefully, help bring about the rebirth of more renew that choice everyday.” ➽ James C. Caswang, interdisciplinary activities CAS 1st year in the University community to promote venues for many similar shared “Renaissance ideas are still very alive today. learning opportunities outside of the classroom They can be traced in movies, theatre producand from among the various fields of study. tions, and art of the modern world. Knowledge and unseen intelligence have shaped these, What our Renaissance literature students and we, as recipients of these legacies, learned from the symposium: should be grateful.”
The Renaissance in the 21st Century
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his year, the Literature Department’s Renaissance Week (February 16-20) bannered the theme, “The Renaissance in the 21st Century” and unfurled a five-day array of literary, rhetorical, film, theatrical, and other interdisciplinary activities and exhibits with the help of Viare and the Department of Arts and Department of History. The middle of the week helped to deepen students’ knowledge of this very interesting period in human history by featuring an interdisciplinary symposium at the Li Seng Giap Auditorium to answer the question, “Is the Renaissance spirit still alive and well in the 21st century?” Opened by Literature Department Chair Ms. Michelle Manuel Tomacruz, the scholarly yet informal discussion was presided by Mr. Clement Camposano of the History Department and the Institute of Political Economy (IPE). Participants from several specialties in the Humanities shared their personal as well as pedagogical viewpoints
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“Little did we know that the Renaissance also greatly influenced the Catholic Church! Through Fr. Latorre’s presentation, we learned that there
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Febe V. Lomboy, CAS 1st year
Mr. Raul Calsado/Ms. Analou Lacson CAS Faculty
UNIVERSITAS March 2009
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News
Indonesian, Cambodian diplomats speak at UA&P countries’ responses to China’s economic and cultural resurgence. Ambassador Tandjung said China and Indonesia have a “closely-knit historical and traditional relationship in terms of socio-culture, economy, and politics.” He said the spread of Islam in Indonesia was in fact largely due to the Chinese Muslim Zheng He. “Indonesia sees China as an opportunity rather than a threat,” the Indonesian diplomat said. Mr. Tandjung
Mr. Sarunreth
Indonesian Ambassador Irzan Tandjung and Cambodian Deputy Chief of Mission Minister Counselor Tith Sarunreth addressed students and faculty of UA&P in a forum last January 28. The University’s Pacific Rim Studies department convened the forum to discuss ASEAN
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UNIVERSITAS March 2009
“Indonesia sees China as an opportunity rather than a threat.”— Indonesian Ambassador Irzan Tandjung
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According to him, the reason is China’s investments in infrastructure in Indonesia. He also added that China regards his country as a “strategic geopolitical partner.” Minister Counselor Sarunreth, on the other hand, praised his country’s diplomatic relations with China. He quoted the King of Cambodia who had said, “Over the past 50 years, Cambodia-China ties have been profoundly strengthened and expanded day by day, that the people of Cambodia and China have made ‘significant progrwess’ in promoting economic, trade, and cultural development.” The envoy also enumerated recent Cambodian projects to which China had extended its help. Currently China is investing $1.76 billion to electrification projects in Cambodia.
Staff IMC students finalists in int’l PR contest Two Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) students made it to the top three in the Asia Pacific region’s most prestigious public relations awards. Yazzele Marie Abriza and Victor Randolf Cruz went to Hong Kong last November to receive their awards in Weber Shandwick’s annual search for the Asia Pacific PR Student of the Year (SOTY). Weber Shandwick ranks as one of the world’s most reputable PR agencies. The SOTY title was awarded to a Singaporean, who had shared the final-three list with Cruz and Abriza. “It was a very rewarding experience,” recalled Abriza. “I felt I was bringing honor not just for my family and our school, but for our country as well.” The awarding ceremony was held at Hong Kong’s posh Conrad Hotel amid the Asia Pacific region’s top PR professionals.
The Proposal Last September, Cruz and Abriza submitted PR proposals for a credit card campaign as their contest entries. Cruz’s proposal featured a debt know-how program that help young professional women manage their finances and “reverse perception that credit cards are debt-incurring tools.” According to Cruz, what probably gave him an advantage in the competition was the very nature of his entry. “My entry wasn’t really a PR [proposal] in the traditional sense,” he said. “It was more of a marketing communications plan that employed a lot of PR.” Cruz, who likes to see himself as a globetrot-
her biggest achievement in CEAP, however, was her participation in creating a diploma course for registrarship hosted by the Ateneo de Manila University—the first of its kind in the Philippines and the Pacific. The course is ongoing; the first batch of registrars began their classes just last semester, with Ms. Claro as one of the teachers.
ting polyglot, is currently in Spain for an academic exchange program. Abriza’s proposal, on the other hand, combined a debt know-how program somewhat similar with Cruz’s with the financial management programs of the Colayco Foundation for Education. “I did intensive research on the culture and behavior of how Filipinas handle their finances and how they develop and empower themselves at the same time,” she said. Abriza is convinced her win was due to three things: “intensive research, support from my friends and family, and grace from God.”
Registered: Ms. Humildad Claro
Winners When the two learned they were part of the regional finalists, they had the same ecstatic reaction. Abriza said she “felt happy and blessed because it happened in the middle of everything—series of examinations, sleepless nights for presentations, and at the same time, mourning over the death of my grandmother.” Cruz was incredulous at first because he did not think about his entry anymore after sending it. “I just did my best and sent it in because it was a requirement for my PR class—without even thinking I had a shot at winning.” Now Cruz and Abriza’s feat is already etched in UA&P history—with them as part of Asia’s best PR students today. They are sure to blaze more fiery trails in the near future. Mr. Daryl Zamora Corporate Communications Office
(From left) Mr. Baxter Jolly, managing director of Weber Shandwick Singapore, awards trophies to Student of the Year finalists Yazzele Marie Abriza (UA&P), Mark Khoo Boo (Singapore Management University), and Victor Randolf Cruz (UA&P).
Having spent most of her life in a variety of roles in academe, Ms. Humildad Claro has done much in the way of advocating and promoting the part of the school registrar, a position she now holds in UA&P, and a calling she says is close to her heart. The Bicol native began her long and accomplished career in education in 1970, as a teacher and guidance counselor at the Universidad de Sta. Isabel in Naga where she graduated with a degree in Education, Major in Mathematics and Minor in English. In 1979, she moved on to become a teacher, department chair, and coordinator for liturgical services at St.Scholastica’s College where she spent nearly 30 years, including a tenure of four terms as the entire institution’s registrar beginning 1995. “Because of my love for the work of the registrar, I was so actively involved in professional organizations of registrars,” she says. “One of these is the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines (CEAP, where I was president of all the registrars in NCR.” With CEAP, Ms. Claro was involved in crafting a guidebook for the basic education of registrars, as well as co-authoring another one for registrars in the tertiary level. Perhaps
“We want to help professionalize the position,” she says. “From my experience, and the experience of many others, teachers are being pulled out of their work and placed into the registrar’s office without any preparation... We hope to run the program in the provinces because there’s clamor for it.”
“We are trying to break the image of being just a repository of records to doing research that would help improve the delivery of services of a college or university.”
////////////////// On her immediate goals with her new office at UA&P, Ms. Claro says, “Even though we say that we’re doing our best, there’s always something we can do to improve more. We’re still exploring other ways to improve our services to the studentry, to the academic community. “We are trying to break the image of being just a repository of records to doing research that would help improve the delivery of services of a college or university,” she says. “I am standing on the shoulders of my predecessors because they really paved the way for what we have now. “I know that (UA&P) is a researchoriented university, and I know that every offering of the university aims at excellence. So, it isn’t actually very far from my own personal commitment. As a registrar, and even as a classroom teacher, I always strive for excellence.” Mr. Carlo Cabrera Corporate Communications Office
UNIVERSITAS March 2009
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News
Alaska President speaks at UA&P CEO Colloquia
Alaska Milk Corporation President and CEO Mr. Wilfred Steven Uytengsu Jr. visited UA&P last November as speaker for the school’s CEO Colloquia: The Integrated Marketing Communications Effectiveness Awards Conference Series. Organized by the School of Communication (SCM), in partnership with BusinessWorld, the series has previously seen the participation of several top executives coming to the University to exchange ideas on business issues, and to share the best practices in corporate social responsibility and the promotion of societal values through marketing communications. With an audience of senior executives from the advertising industry and client companies, Mr. Uytengsu discussed the topic “Caring for the Filipino Family’s Health and Welfare—The Alaska Campaign.” He said that an integral part of Alaska’s goals was to promote itself as an advocate of health and nutrition through different endeavors, such as its sports development programs, tournaments, and professional basketball team.
“Sports and nutrition are vital in communicating our message...” /////////////////
Mr. Uytengsu said an integral part of Alaska’s goals was to promote itself as an advocate of health and nutrition through different endeavors. “Sports and nutrition are vital in communicating our message, and so, we acquired a franchise in the PBA,” Mr. Uytengsu said. “We wanted to run that team not just as an independent team, but as an integral business unit...(W)e wanted our players to be ambassadors of the brand. We tried to seek out players who would exude the cleanliness and wholesomeness of Alaska Milk.” The company’s sports development program enables Alaska to further reach out to the youth. “We do the Power Camp with Tim Cone and some of his coaches so that we can talk to the youth about being involved with sports and keeping them away from some of the vices, like drugs,” Mr. Uytengsu said. “We are also proud to run what’s called the Alaska Cup...the largest single-day football tournament in the country, with 3,500 children and 250 teams nationwide,” he added. Mr. Uytengsu also mentioned Alaska’s corporate social responsibility activities, such as its sponsorship of Children’s Hour, an endeavor that enabled the participation of over 100 children in educational programs and activities, apart from receiving scholarships and materials for school. In 2005, Alaska also served as a corporate partner of Gawad Kalinga in the initiative’s efforts to build a total of 100 homes for the people of San Pedro, Laguna. Mr. Carlo Cabrera Corporate Communications Office
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UNIVERSITAS March 2009
GC Occupational Therapist Broadcaster Landscape Architect
Industrial Engineer
Metro Manila counselors attend conference on
career education About 40 guidance counselors from various Metro Manila high schools came to UA&P last February 18 for a conference on career education organized by the Corporate Communications Office. The whole-day event included intensive workshops with local and foreign education experts. School of Education and Human Development (SED) faculty member Dr. Joyce Dy shared her knowledge in interpreting the National Career Assessment Exam (NCAE). She said proper interpretation of the exam is crucial to successful career education. In 2007, the NCAE replaced the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) for senior high school students. It evaluates students’ general academic abilities, as well as technicalvocational aptitude, occupational interests, and entrepreneurial skills.
Deciphering the NCAE While stressing that guidance counselors be prudent in advising students regarding careers to pursue, Dr. Dy urged her audience to “make students realize that they are accountable for the decisions that they make.” She added that guidance counselors serve students by revealing to them their strengths and weaknesses, and thus their career options based on objective assessments.
“Encouraging the students to evaluate their own skills, knowledge, and attitudes is always critical to career education.”
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According to Dr. Dy, people are also often not in the right career because they lack “clear purpose, self-knowledge, tools or instruments, and motivation.” She said guidance counselors, armed with expertise in interpreting the NCAE, have a crucial role to fill such lack.
Career ed in high school Mr. Roger Bartholomew, president of the International Education Specialists and chairman of Southville Foreign University, spoke about the need to integrate career education into high school curricula.
Mr. Bartholomew
“Career education is always battling for time against the academic curriculum,” he said, “which is why the concept of integrative career education always sounds attractive.” Mr. Bartholomew encouraged the audience to “make the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required in particular careers explicit to the students.” He said many students want to become a certain professional, but do not know what that professional actually does. “Encouraging the students to evaluate their own skills, knowledge, and attitudes is always critical to career education,” he added. According to Mr. Bartholomew, students have to take certain steps so that they would land on the career appropriate for them. He said among such steps are having opportunities to do research; writing a curriculum vitae; completing applications for courses, jobs, and study; gaining work experience; practicing interviews; and making decisions on future work or study opportunities.
Dr. Joyce Dy conducts a workshop on interpreting the National Career Assessment Exam (NCAE).
Mr. Daryl Zamora Corporate Communications Office
UNIVERSITAS March 2009
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Campus Life
CAS/IPE faculty members present research work The CAS/IPE Faculty Development program has launched a venue for discussing the faculty members’ research interests—the Faculty Colloquium. The first one was held last March 4. Three faculty members described the paper they presented at international conferences and shared their experiences and insights regarding the conference they attended. 1st Faculty Colloquium
The talk of Mr. Clement Camposano of the Department of History was on the area of anthropology of migration, a paper he presented at the 8th International Conference on Philippine Studies (ICOPHIL) held in July 2008 at the Ateneo de Manila University. In the talk, he discussed the transnational traffic in goods with the complex relationships migrants have with those they left behind. Thus, critically engaging the presumed unity and coherence of the household, the paper poses an ethnographic investigation of the following general question: “How can an in-depth cultural analysis of the transnational traffic in goods, especially one which considers the place of emotion in the householding process, complicate the coherence implied by the conventional notion of global householding as the sharing of resources across territories?”
How can an in-depth cultural analysis of the transnational traffic in goods, especially one which considers the place of emotion in the householding process, complicate the coherence implied by the conventional notion of global householding as the sharing of resources across territories? //////////////////// 10
UNIVERSITAS March 2009
Dr. Veronica Ramirez talked about the “Integration of Values into the Curriculum,” a paper she presented at the Asia-Pacific Educational Research Association (APERA) Conference she attended in Singapore in November 2008. Integration, according to Dr. Ramirez, makes use of the knowledge content of various learning areas that present
Integration makes use of the knowledge content of various learning areas that present organized lessons through which the student may be predisposed to learn virtues and assimilate values. ///////////////// organized lessons through which the student may be predisposed to learn virtues and assimilate values. It requires four things: mastery of one’s specialization, openness to learning from other fields, understanding of the virtues that children should learn, and creativity in designing a coherent lesson plan. Children can develop industriousness and fortitude (aspects of performance character) as they complete a well-designed and challenging task. They can develop sincerity and charity (aspects of moral character) as they exchange ideas, coordinate their efforts, and consider the needs of others.
Dr. Lani Junio, the head of the Department of Philosophy, talked about “Consumerism and Responsible Consumption: A Philosophical Approach,” which is based on a paper she presented at the Popular Culture and American Culture 2007 Conference held at Boston Marriott Copley Place, Boston, USA from April 4 to 7, 2007. The conference was organized by the Popular Culture Association (PCA) and American Culture Association (ACA). In her paper, she notes that consumers, inasmuch as they are a necessary component of societal economic life, represent a formidable force in shaping the kind of culture created in society. Still capable of transcendence in a “commodifying” world, we can surpass the alienating and de-humanizing threats of consumer society. Therefore, responsible consumption implies a pedagogical component.
Consumers, inasmuch as they are a necessary component of societal economic life, represent a formidable force in shaping the kind of culture created in society. /////////////////
“It is a unique honor and privilege for institutions and people to be given the opportunity to directly or indirectly contribute to the development of human persons.” //////////////////
On "Bodiliness": From UA&P to Oxford
Mr. Arturo Manuel Jr. talks about the importance of virtues in a conference with educators at UA&P.
On January 21, Dr. Mary Ann Cenzon of the Department of Philosophy shared with faculty and staff a paper she read at Mansfield College, Oxford University (UK) last year for the Interdisciplinary Conference on Making Sense of Health, Illness and Disease.
We can go through illness while simultaneously rising above it since we are aware that we have a body and are in some way a body, yet know that we are not totally body. //////////////////// Dr. Cenzon’s paper tries to understand the essential value of bodiliness from the viewpoint of philosophical anthropology with some reference to the spiritual, which is understood as another specific human dimension. For people to make sense of illness, an attempt is given to respond to the question: “How could illness contribute to personal maturity and even fulfillment?” As Dr. Cenzon states in the paper’s abstract: “Our feelings of ‘well-being’ or ‘ill-being,’ aches, pains and physical-emotional sufferings can acquire their right and fuller meanings, be directed or re-directed, and modified to something other and higher than the very subjective experience itself of bodiliness. We can go through illness while simultaneously rising above it since we are aware that we have a body and are in some way a body, yet know that we are not totally body.”
Bank executive addresses MAVE alumni “It is a unique honor and privilege for institutions and people to be given the opportunity to directly or indirectly contribute to the development of human persons,” said Bank of Commerce Executive Vice President Arturo Manuel Jr. at a recent conference held by the School of Education and Human Development (SED). “This is much more so when such participation is buoyed by the hope of a more productive, humane, just, and righteous society.”
even long after their time with the program had passed. More than 160 of them attended the conference, some of which graduated from the program’s earliest years, to learn more on improving the quality of education through a deeper understanding of the way children think and behave. The program also touched on the finer points of children’s education, such as the effects of their relationships within the household and in the world around them.
Mr. Manuel was the guest speaker at SED’s regional conference entitled “Putting Psychology at the Service of Teaching and Learning.” The executive was there as a representative of the Bank of Commerce, a longtime benefactor of SED and its Masters of Arts in Values Education program (MAVE). According to him, “By supporting the MAVE program, we at the Bank of Commerce concretize our conviction in what we ourselves hold dear.”
The conference also served as a get-together of sorts for the MAVE alumni, most of whom had little contact with each other since their time at UA&P. SED Dean Dr. Celerino Tiongco II provided an update on the latest developments in the school while MAVE Program Director Dr. Severina Villegas hosted the closing session that allowed the teachers to do some catching up. One by one, selected MAVE graduates had their moment on stage where they shared their experiences with the program and how the lessons they learned changed their professional lives—and the lives of their students—for the better.
Indeed, the large audience for that day at the Li Seng Giap auditorium was comprised of MAVE graduates from across the country who wished to further enrich their role in society— they were teaching professionals looking for greater meaning and instruction in their field
Mr. Carlo Cabrera Corporate Communications Office
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I
was not sold on teaching in the beginning. Like my parents, who were meat vendors, I ventured into selling meat after graduating from high school. I had saved about P3,000 from my P2 daily allowance, and this was enough to start my own business. In two months, this had grown to P20,000. At night, I pursued a college degree. My notebooks would get soiled because I studied while doing business.
I initially majored in Mathematics but subsequently transferred to History. Meanwhile, my business was giving me P1,000 to P2,000 a day. It was during those days when I heard former Education Secretary Isidro Cariño say over the radio that teachers, in truth, are compensated when their students graduate and contribute to society. That was it. I told myself that teaching was for me.
Mixing teaching with business Bent on getting a degree as soon as I could, I finished after just three-and-a-half years. After graduating in October, I started teaching in November. I clinched the job quickly because I had to pinch-hit for a teacher who suffered a stroke. But I would still attend to business in the morning. All of the six months of my teaching, I wasn’t getting my pay because I figured that the students couldn’t learn much from my short stay with them. When he learned about this, the president of the school thought that I found the pay too low since I was getting more in a day from my business than I would in a month of teaching. My business was expanding and I even hired somebody to sell for me. But my father insisted that I put my heart in my teaching to fulfill a dream that both he and my mother had harbored. Gradually, I fell in love with teaching. I joined a private school—Laguna College of Business and Arts—where I first handled night classes composed of household helps. I was challenged to keep them motivated to sustain their interest in their studies. I saw myself as an inspiration and I felt that if I left teaching, they would lose hope. And so, although going into full-time teaching would mean tremendous opportunity cost, I opted to give up my booming meat business. Later on, I realized I didn’t feel bad at all about letting it go.
Full-time teaching Soon I accepted a scholarship for a Master of Arts degree in Teaching. From some classmates I learned about how the public school system worked and heard unfavorable things. So when the District Supervisor asked me if I had no plans to teach in a public school, I told him that I am hesitant because of what I had heard. He asked me whether I had any first-hand experience of the allegations and challenged me to see for myself. I thought he had a point. So, with nothing to lose, I consulted my
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Economics Education alumnus’
passion for teaching department head, who readily agreed with my move to a public school because of the financial returns and opportunities. Soon after submitting my application, I got a call from the division office and eventually was asked to proceed to the Los Baños National High School. So there I was, not 100% sure of wanting to transfer because I was happy where I was despite my small pay. Teaching in a public school was overwhelming at first. I would teach from 8 am to 11 am, then from 2 pm to 8 pm. Being new, I handled lower sections with 70 to 90 students (in private school, I handled classes with only 20 students). After only two days, I lost my voice.
Mystery guest A guest once observed my class. He came in at 6 pm. I continued to teach with increasing gusto for the guest’s benefit. He talked to me after class and expressed his hope that I would stay on because male teachers were needed. Later on, I learned that he told our principal that he thought I had potential. The principal congratulated me and only then did I learn that my observer was Department of Education Secretary Ricardo Gloria. I understood why the others were anxious, and I was glad I didn’t know who he was; otherwise I would have been very nervous.
Alumni Because I was new, I was given many responsibilities, including taking charge of the student council and training students for inter-school competitions. I accepted all these assignments willingly, even if I had to go to work at 6 am and come home at 10 pm. Sometimes I even worked on Saturdays. I had come to enjoy these tasks because the students were learning a lot and were winning contests.
Even with loads of work, I started writing a workbook on Economics for 4th year students. Then I did two others, for 1st year and 2nd year students. They were a big help for the teachers because they were simple and easy to understand even without a textbook. It was inspiring that those books that were done with minimum effort would benefit people. After that, I was tasked to be an evaluator of books.
First UA&P lesson: Do the ordinary extraordinarily well
Next project—teachers’ cooperative
I first came to know about UA&P when my principal asked me to attend a seminar that launched the National Culture of Excellence in Lipa, Batangas. Among the participants, I was the only teacher; the others were supervisors, superintendents, or principals. During the seminar, there were presentations by Dr. Rina Villegas, Dr. Antonio Torralba, and Mr. Efren Elane. For me, to set foot in the University was an immense honor, because the program was meant for administrators to implement policy. I used what I learned there in my classes. I took seriously the need to seek excellence in everything. One idea that stood out is that we should “do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.” This became the basis for the way I would do things. I would add something extra in everything I did. In my lesson plans, these “something extra” would be in strategy, readings, or pictures. The students appreciated them, and the teachers emulated them. In 2000, I was asked to attend a national seminar of the Department of Education as a last-minute substitute. In that seminar, I was the only Level 1 teacher among regional or division supervisors and master or head teachers. We were to prepare audio lessons on Social Studies for outof-school youth. We had to create a curriculum and write a script of the lessons. During our presentation, my work was berated. I was challenged and vowed to myself that I would not rest until I came up with the output that met their requirements. Thankfully, my presentation passed their rigid test.
A UA&P scholarship Right after the seminar, my Regional Supervisor informed me of an available scholarship in Economics Education. Although my major was History, I was told to try just the same and to go to the Central Office to submit my application the following day. I took the exams in Economics, although I absolutely had no units in that subject. The test was in parts—they allowed you to take the next part if you passed the first. Then there was a panel interview. That same day, I found out that I passed. I had to request the help of the other teachers to take on my teaching load so I could attend the training. Fortunately, they agreed because they understood the situation and were, in fact, proud that one of us won the scholarship.
I developed not only as an educator but also as a total person—as a husband, a father, and a member of the community.
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The coursework was so heavy, I hardly had time to relax throughout the 14-month course at UA&P. It was rigid and stressful, but it taught me many things. Productivity and quality of output were always underlined. There were also many critique sessions, which could be disheartening but were really valuable. I learned the value of outside reading for further knowledge and as added resources for teaching. Best of all, I think I developed not only as an educator but also as a total person—as a husband, a father, and a member of the community.
Applying lessons learned When my training in UA&P ended in April, I went back to work right away, although we were not expected until June. I was so excited to share what I had learned. I immediately proposed a teachers’ training program. Unfortunately, there were already other programs lined up for the training season. Then I proposed an instructional materials project; unfortunately again, nobody could join me. When I attended another seminar with people from the Central Office, I brought up the possibility of facilitating teachers’ work by providing activity workbooks for students. Too bad, there was a policy that this kind of project is left to private institutions. I felt dejected because I wanted it for the public schools. Luckily, someone in the Central Office who published books learned of my idea and was willing to publish the workbooks.
I was next involved in our cooperative, which is my advocacy. I believe that we, teachers, could not survive on our salary alone and need an organization through which we could pool our money and put up a profitable business. I became a board member and, since my thesis was on savings mobilization, I was able to implement some programs like tapping students’ savings. With the help of Landbank, which provided technical support, we operated like a bank. I invited the people from the Philippine Federation of Teachers and Employees Cooperative (PFTEC) who were impressed by the amount of money we were able to put together. PFTEC told us that for our funds to be maximized, these should be used to put up businesses. We did a survey to find out what businesses would be best for us. PFTEC offered to lend us what we needed (which was beyond their maximum) because the concept was worthy of its support. Almost all the teachers took advantage of the loan. Unfortunately, the success rate of their business was low, because the teachers lacked technical knowhow and financial discipline. Nevertheless, we were able to pay back PFTEC. What I really want to do is to make the teachers feel financially secure; otherwise they cannot focus on forming the students. On the students’ side, on the other hand, if they start saving in a nearby bank, they won’t have to be taught to save.
Why teaching should be loved Teachers should love teaching. As Dr. Torralba said, teaching is about crafting the future. To teach poorly is to rob the students of opportunities. For me, the paycheck is momentary; minds and hearts you have formed are more important and are a lasting legacy. We, teachers, should fulfill our role, however small it may be, because we can drive change in society. If all of us together do our small part, then we have contributed something significant to our country. I am very happy for the opportunity to make changes in society. While I am in the Division Office, we are doing things which, although they require extra time and effort, will redound to the good of the country. Mr. Rogelio Opulencia Education Supervisor in the Division of Laguna MA Economics Education
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Cover Story
Stanford Professor talks business at UA&P
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lobally renowned logistics expert Professor Hau L. Lee of Stanford University recently spoke on the subject of supply chain management at a seminar held at UA&P. The professor shared his expertise with an audience filled with CEOs and esteemed business professionals, including UA&P founders and internationally acclaimed economists Dr. Bernardo Villegas and Dr. Jesus Estanislao.
Supply chain management is the operation of a network of interconnected businesses and spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point-of-origin to point-of-consumption. Prof. Lee’s research on the matter has resulted, among other things, in the building of computer models for industrial implementation, as well as in the development of strategies and operational concepts for practitioners. According to Prof. Lee, Asian supply chain is faced with continual challenges and opportunities. He said that even as the world is currently undergoing a crisis, emerging markets such as India, Brazil, and China are gaining more importance. He stressed that Asian businesses are replete with opportunities to redesign innovation processes, offer new services, and create values.
The professor also took the time to give a lecture on the “Bullwhip Effect” concept in supply-chain management to students from UA&P, the University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, and the Asian Institute of Management. His 1997 co-authored paper on the topic was voted as one of the 10 most influential papers in the history of the Management Science journal.
Prof. Lee...highlighted the importance of the relation between academic research and industry, particularly in the field of management. ////////////////////
The Bullwhip Effect is a phenomenon observed in supply chains where variations in market demand are amplified as one moves up such chains (further from the customer). It demonstrates tremendous inefficiencies resulting from distorted information from one end of the chain to the other. In his lecture to the students, Prof. Lee also highlighted the importance of the relation between academic research and industry, particularly in the field of management—a feature which is practiced in UA&P’s Business Management Partnership (BAP) program, which covers professional internship of graduate students in strategic roles within companies. Prof. Lee is the Thoma Professor of Operations, Information, and Technology at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Outside of supply chain management, his areas of specialization include information technology, global logistics system design, inventory planning, and manufacturing strategy. He is the founding and current co-director of the Stanford Global Supply Chain Management Forum, an industry-academic consortium to advance the theory and practice of global supply chain management.
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says, has become the greatest problem in society. Most of the present-day afflictions, I believe, are rooted in this frame of mind where people cannot or do not want to distinguish right from wrong, good from bad. It also states that what is good for one is not necessarily good for the other. The congress, I hope, set things straight. With the concept of servant leadership, the AYLC also couldn’t be more in line with what UA&P wants us to espouse—being ‘leavens of society,’ where a UA&P student develops other people as he improves himself. After all, a servant leader is a servant first in order to become a leader. Be the last in order to be the first. Aside from the talks on leading and serving, most memorable are the outdoor challenges throughout the four days. The rope courses, the heights challenges, and the other physical activities taught us the importance of conquering fears and embracing teamwork. The congress, in fact, was unlike any other because of the team-building challenges, which became an avenue to apply what was learned from all the discussions and lectures.
“A servant leader is a servant first in order to become a leader.”
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Apart from the speakers, my fellow delegates were a great source of insights. These top students were from all corners of the Philippines: from Ilocos, to the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio, to Iloilo, Palawan, and even Sultan Kudarat. All of them are veritable key role models. The congress taught me that I can find my idols everywhere (and not necessarily just those I see in media). Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala is one, and Governor Grace Padaca, who was the keynote speaker of the congress, is another one worth emulating.
Time to step up to the plate
2009 Ayala Young Leaders Congress I first heard about the Ayala Young Leaders Congress (AYLC) back in high school, and as an average student who only cared about football, I never dreamed about being part of the so-called league of the crème de la crème. However, when college came, I became deeply involved in extracurriculars. Because of what I had been experiencing from organizations such as the Student Executive Board (SEB), I had the notion of possibly making it to the congress that its alumni have been raving about. After receiving a nomination from the school’s Office of Student Affairs (OSA), I was determined to pass all screenings and make it to the top 75 delegates for the AYLC. I was set on going to Tagaytay, not really to skip class and get an exclusive jacket, but to learn and discover why everyone’s been fighting to get into the event.
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But honestly, AYLC is both a gratifying and humbling experience for me. Though seemingly contradictory, these two words express a mindset that is in line with what the congress means by servant leadership—to be able to empower others while remaining humble and being always ready to serve society. While it was empowering to be part of the chosen few who ought to lead the youth, AYLC was also humbling because of the 72 other students from all over the country who have so much passion in their chosen fields, trying to make a difference in their own way. The theme of the 2009 congress was “Leading and Serving: Conviction in Action,” and I thought there wasn’t a more relevant subject for this time, when relativism, as Pope Benedict XVI
At the end of the congress, I realized that everyone does have the chance and the right to be called a leader. “You just need to find your core and your passion,” according to fellow AYLC and UA&P alumnus Christian Vallez. And as a passionate IMC student, the strongest was from a favorite advertisement shown during a lecture. This was a line from the 1997 ‘crazy’ ad from Apple with footage of, among others, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Albert Einstein, John Lennon, and Pablo Picasso—“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do. Think different.” Let us be crazy enough to make a difference in this society! Be firm in decisions. The youth is most vulnerable to all these wrong messages shown everywhere, and as a future media man or communicator, I have to be morally responsible in presenting the truth and always making sure that what is seen in media is for the common good. Weeks before the congress started, I was asked to write all my expectations of the congress and even before the congress ended, most of my uncertainties vanished. Now I know why everyone’s speaking highly of the prestigious Ayala Young Leaders Congress. Mar Angelo Corazo SCM 4th year
Student Life Through the project trip in Manila, our original objective for the regional microfinance association was enhanced to include facilitating knowledge and technology transfer and best practices among the countries in the region, supervising efforts of microfinance institutions in alleviating poverty, promoting incorporation of risk management in microfinance operations, and integrating microfinance into the educational system. Through all these, we aimed to lead in ensuring effective and efficient microfinance operations not only in the country but also in the whole ASEAN region.
What they had to say
Patricia Marie Buensuceso (4th from left) attends the Model ASEAN policy project trip with other Asian student-leaders. Mr. Kamrul Tarafder (6th from left) of the Association for Social Advancement (ASA) was among the conference’s guest speakers.
SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS
Helping ASEAN students know Filipino brand of microfinance “There are no bad borrowers, only bad lenders.” It’s not a bad idea to invest on the poor, who should be seen as an opportunity rather than as a threat. Perhaps that was the most repeated yet most insightful learning imparted to our group of around 10 students from seven ASEAN countries during the Model ASEAN policy project trip to Manila last February. This Manila trip was the second made by our group—the Economics Committee—which was set up during the Model ASEAN conference in 2007. This conference gave us, students from the ASEAN countries, the chance to influence policymaking in the region, particularly, to develop policy recommendations to be presented to the ASEAN Secretariat sometime this year. During the conference, we crafted a joint declaration for the creation of a regional body that will work toward increasing the accessibility of financial resources to the poor through microfinance. In addition, we came up with a project proposal that included creating an education program on microfinance and entrepreneurship in Cambodia. We made our first trip to Cambodia in May 2008, where we promoted the practice of microfinance in two villages.
Manila Project Trip With the experience we had in Cambodia, we felt the need to have a project trip to a country with a more progressive microfinance industry. A unanimous decision was reached to visit the Philippines, which was deemed as one of the more accomplished in microfinance practice in the ASEAN region. We sought to familiarize ourselves with the microfinance practices in the Philippines. The visit included a seminar-workshop organized by the Center for Research and Communication (CRC) in partnership with the UA&P School of Economics Social Economics Unit. The seminarworkshop was aimed at giving us a collective understanding of microfinance, which we would need to craft our policy recommendation.
The seminar-workshop On February 3 to 5, the Model ASEAN delegates engaged in dialogue and interaction with experts in the field of microfinance in the Philippines. The seminar workshop “Managing Risks and Opportunities in Microfinance” consisted of talks by Mr. Ben Dy (UA&P School of Management), Mr. Edmund Martinez and Mr. Bien Nito (UA&P School of Economics), and Mr. Kamrul Tarafder, President of the Association for Social Advancement (ASA) Philippines (ASA is one of the world’s largest fully self-sufficient microfinance institutions). Our group also learned from economics experts from the University (among whom was Dr. Bernardo Villegas) who gave high-value insights. Through the seminar workshop, we were able to fully understand the risks and opportunities in microfinance. The seminar-workshop also included a field visit to a microfinance site in Barangay San Joaquin, Pasig City. Through the site visit, we experienced up close how microfinance operates in the Philippines. We went with an account officer to see how repayments were collected. We were likewise able to talk to some ASA clients who told us how the microenterprises they operate through microfinance have helped them in terms of monetary as well as social gains.
Coming from different countries and different fields of study, the delegates were moved by the Manila experience in different ways. Lim Chong Ming, a philosophy student from the National University of Singapore and project director of the next Model ASEAN Conference in 2010, said: “I knew nothing of microfinance as it is very far from my field of study, so I appreciated the entire trip. I also realize how ironic it is that the way human beings are being helped do not take into account their hopes and dreams—the stuff that makes us human. But I hope microfinance will be able to put things right soon.” Benedict Cruz, a graduate from De La Salle University who now works for Citigroup, thinks that “it makes you proud how the Philippines can set the standard in the practice of microfinance across the region. On a different note, it is also a learning experience for us Filipinos that there are different aspects of microfinance that we have yet to explore, more specifically the social dimension.” Rizka Gita Miranti, a psychology student from Indonesia, thinks that “this Manila trip has given me the opportunity to see firsthand how microfinance institutions operate in the Philippines and to compare it with my country, which has a less developed system.”
A fruitful experience Through the project trips that we have had, we believe that we have been equipped to come up with a well thoughtout policy recommendation for the ASEAN region. We are thankful for the tremendous opportunity that the Model ASEAN program has given young people like us to engage in issues that are significant to the regionalization of the ASEAN. It makes us realize that regional cooperation is crucial and that
we can be changemakers in our own right. Patricia Marie Buensuceso SEC 5th year
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Student Life ethical, complex, and purposeful formation of the person, so that he may be capable of promoting his own authentic good and the good of the people around him.”
ducation, indeed, extends beyond the walls of the classroom. This is what the School of Education and Human Development (SED) believes as it continues to produce new and creative opportunities to reach out to and bring out the best in every individual from various sectors. After the consecutive successes of Youth Lens, an annual forum organized and participated by the youth to discuss issues that concern their development, SED built another milestone in empowering people by holding Kids’ Lens. A media literacy project held last February 26 for grade 6 students and guidance counselors from public schools, Kids’ Lens was initiated by the 5th year education students and supervised by Dr. Ferdi Pingul. The organizers said they developed this program in order to know and understand the
perspective of young children on the dynamic elements in their environment that, consciously or unconsciously, shape their beliefs, attitudes, and values. “We would like to help them develop the ‘critical lens’,” the organizers said, “[so they could] look into these influences and determine how these factors shape their lives. After all, as educators, we are always geared toward empowering individuals. By empowerment, we mean the holistic,
Kids’ Lens 2009:
Telebisyon sa Mata ng Kabataan Another milestone in SED’s goal of empowering people
Patterned after the first Youth Lens series, the forum discussed how media, particularly TV and teleseryes, affect the child’s development. The class chose this project because TV literacy in children was their focal interest. They said that, after Youth Lens came up with a media literacy conference for high school students, they wanted to produce another program that will encourage children to be aware of the adverse effects of some TV shows and thereby learn to discern what shows to watch. The class believed that children, grade 6 students in particular, need guidelines as much as teenagers and adults do. “We want these kids to mold themselves [into] active TV viewers,” they said The whole-day activity sought to help children develop critical thinking skills, which can help them analyze and assess the TV shows they watch. According to Sister Lorena Briones of the Paulines Institute of Communication in Asia, these skills are essential for students to be active viewers. The organizers further realized that, aside from young students, guidance counselors could benefit from the conference. Kids’ Lens sought to develop in them a better understanding of the ways their students could be aided to be active viewers. Among the speakers for the teachers’ program was SED faculty member Dr. Esther Esteban, who talked about the need to develop a valuesbased standard in determining which TV programs are worthwhile and which ones are not. The panel was composed of representatives of three sectors: home, media, and government. Several research and studies made by the organizers showed that they are the sectors to tap for the guidance counselors to develop media literacy in their own schools successfully.
“We want these kids to mold themselves [into] active TV viewers.” ////////////////
The panel of speakers included the following: Ms. Stephanie Olivares (We at Media Foundation co-director), Ms. Marettie Benter dela Cuesta (Department of Education NCR School Paper Advisers’ Association president), and Mr. Mag Cruz Hatol (Anak TV secretary general). Aside from being a venue for empowering the target sectors of the program, Kids’ Lens was, for the organizers, a chance to understand more the extent by which they can effect change in the lives of other people. And change can be started by the 20 schools, 21 guidance counselors, and 54 students who took part in it. Samuel Macagba III SED 5th year
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SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS
Enhanced for high school students
Ninety-six of the brightest students from 24 high schools in and outside Metro Manila converged in UA&P last January 24 to battle against each other and to prove who among them is the best in economics. Armed with their analytical skills and their economic knowledge, these students came in vying to wear the Economic Wizards’ crown.
High School Ecolympics The High School Ecolympics 2009, dubbed “Battle of the Economic Wizards,” is the fourth run of the economics quiz bee organized by the Business Economics Association (BEA) of the Industrial Economics Program (IEP), in partnership with the UA&P School of Economics. Held for the first time in 2005, the Ecolympics provides an opportunity for high school students to engage in friendly competition by testing their knowledge in basic economics, and at the same time to demonstrate the significance of economics in people’s daily lives.
The mechanics The High School Ecolympics is a whole-day event. Eliminations, in the form of individual written examinations, are held in the morning. The arithmetic mean of the individual scores of the members of each team is obtained to determine the top eight schools that are to proceed to the final round. The final round, done in the afternoon, is the quiz bee proper, which consists of three rounds of varying levels of difficulty. At the end of each round, teams are allowed to bet their partial total scores for the wager round. A team that gets the correct answer gets as additional points the total points it wagered; otherwise, the wagered points are deducted from their current partial scores. The top three teams with the highest total scores at the end of all three rounds are declared as winners.
the participants a chance to interact with each other, there were enlightening talks about economics. Dr. Roberto de Vera, IEP director, gave teachers a talk on innovative ways of teaching economics. BEA Moderator Mr. Ronilo Balbieran, on the other hand, gave a quick economic briefing, which the audience found useful and enjoyable.
Aside from medals and trophies, the team that emerged as champion, as well as the highest individual pointer, as were awarded with a five-year scholarship from the University.
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Season Four For 2009, the team pushed for the dream of taking the competition to a higher level. The BEA team prepared for a bigger and better High School Ecolympics. This year drew the greatest number of participating schools—a total of 24 schools, both public and private. Participating schools were also not limited to those from Metro Manila. As reach was extended to the Greater Manila Area and Northern Luzon, the event also featured schools from Laguna and Baguio. The program proper was also raised to another St. Paul College Pasig emerged as Ecolympics champs. level. In addition to the fun activities that gave
The prizes for the event were also lifted a notch. Aside from medals and trophies, the team that emerged as champion, as well as the highest individual pointer, was awarded with a five-year scholarship from the University.
The top wizards
Declared as champion was the St. Paul College Pasig team composed of Annie Baniqued, Reg Onglao, and Sabrina Abis. Other teams that proved their economic prowess were the Baguio City National High School and the Philippine Science High School, who came in second and third, respectively. The highest individual pointer was Kelsy Vy from the Philippine Science High School. Judges for the event were Dr. Peter Lee U, Dean of the School of Economics; Dr. Cid Terosa, Associate Professor; and Mr. Ronilo Balbieran, BEA Moderator. The High School Ecolympics 2009 was a project of the Office of External Affairs of the BEA under this writer and was headed by Michael Franco and Dianne Acio. Patricia Marie Buensuceso SEC 5th year
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Alumni
No pain, no gain for alumnus Philip Yeung Though being extraordinary isn’t high on his list of priorities, it’s safe to say that UA&P alumnus John Philip Yeung isn’t your typical Political Economy graduate. The half-Chinese entrepreneur shares with us here his thoughts on the University’s life lessons, an interesting new business venture, and the only thing more painful than mixed martial arts—surviving Poleco.
“Y
ou need not do extraordinary things to become a saint.” When I think about UA&P, this is the phrase that crosses my mind. It was where I really learned much of what I ought to be doing with my life and how I ought to be living my life because it was where I learned most about God and my religion.
I took up Political Economy because I wanted to understand how the world works. I wanted to make sense of it all particularly the injustice, poverty, and corruption in society. I wanted to know how I could make a difference.
cal Economy background because just as we analyze societies in Poleco, running an enterprise mainly involves dealing with an external environment that both determines and is being determined by people. And as I have mentioned earlier, there is no one best way of analyzing such species. The “learning to think” part that I have gained from Poleco, coupled with creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial mindset, are like tool kits that I carry as I go about my work.
I am quite sure that I learned a lot during college, but I as I graduated, I seem to have forgotten around 80 percent of what I learned. Perhaps our economic history professor Dr. Cid Terosa was right. He was so adamant about us taking down notes of what he says word for word because he was sure that we would forget everything that we learned a month after our semester ended. As I graduated in 2005, I thought about taking up law or getting into business. I decided to choose the latter and in 2006 I put up the company Greenstone Pharmaceutical HK, Inc. to take over our family business that was into manufacturing and distributing pharmaceutical products. It was a slow start for me because I had to learn the day-to-day details the hard way. Those were the things they didn’t teach at school but are very vital in real life. What I immediately realized was that it is more important that you “know how to think.” I have encountered a lot of people who were able to learn a lot of technical data during college but seem to have missed out the part where you learn how to think and deal with people and different situations. And “learning how to think” is what I consider as the strength of the
“I took up Political Economy because...I wanted to know how I could make a difference.” //////////////////////
Political Economy program of UA&P. Politics, economics, and analyzing societies in general are far from being exact sciences. In the real world, we deal with all types of people and are presented with such a diverse set of problems to settle. There are constant politics and power grabbing at play. And it is imperative that we know how to analyze situations from different angles using different techniques and considering different points of view. After two years of running the business, I decided to take up further studies in entrepreneurship at the Asian Institute of Management to broaden my knowledge on different approaches to running an enterprise. It was a very different experience from my education at UA&P because of the teaching methods that they employed. Everyday was like a seminar with a lot of visuals and creativity involved. I would say that it complemented my Politi-
Aside from running Greenstone, I have also started up other enterprises and have recently put up a foundation that helps people become “therapreneurs”—therapists/entrepreneurs. I am also a political and economic adviser to the Province of Nueva Viscaya and the Municipality of Bambang, Nueva Viscaya. On my free time, I teach mixed martial arts at Bakbakan International. I used to be an amateur muay thai fighter and a professional mixed martial arts fighter back in college, but I had to stop because I had to focus on my work. I honestly feel that being an entrepreneur is a very effective way of contributing to the betterment of society because you have the capacity to give employment and help in the development of the company’s people. I think that all companies can and must do good while doing well. I notice that most companies are very profit-driven and if ever they decide to do good, it is only after they have done well. I was educated well by UA&P, and now I am trying to put into practice the values that I have learned. In simple ways, fulfilling these obligations and presenting them to God may indeed elevate these deeds to a supernatural level and make the statement “you do not need to do extraordinary things to become a saint” quite feasible.
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Student Life
Students elect
new SEB
(From left) Josemari Lorenzo Valdez (sports and extracurricular officer), Justin Carlo Akia (finance officer), Mara Alesandra Tuason (secretary), Ramon Cabrera (internal VP), Dae Lee (external VP), Michael Francis Pamintuan (president)
UA&P’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) students recently elected their Student Executive Board (SEB) for the next school year.
SEB is publishing the “SUPSEB” magazine. The publication’s online version has recently been launched (see box story).
Incoming Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) junior Michael Francis Pamintuan won the presidency, reaping 69 percent of the total votes. Pamintuan is the current SEB finance officer. According to Pamintuan, his administration will focus on “personalizing” student activities, tailoring them to each student’s various needs.
The new student government is also planning to launch a civic advocacy campaign called “First-Time Voters’ Network,” in anticipation of the 2010 national elections. The University’s student organizations will likewise benefit from the “Consolidated Org Fund,” which will solicit money from firms and alumni to fund student activities.
Among the projects already lined up by the new
Other newly elected officers are Ramon Cabrera
(CAS 2nd year) as internal vice president and Dae Lee (CAS 2nd year) as external vice president. With them are Mara Alesandra Tuason (secretary, CAS 1st year), Justin Carlo Akia (financial officer, CAS 2nd year), and Josemari Lorenzo Valdez (sports and extracurricular officer, CAS 1st year). According to Ms. Concha de la Cruz of the Office of Student Affairs (OSA), this year’s voter turnout was slightly higher than last year’s. Mr. Daryl Zamora Corporate Communications Office
SUPSEB Online If there’s a perfect time to shout “Stop the presses!” it would be now. The reason—the Student Update Paraphernalia of the Student Executive Board (SUPSEB) will no longer be printed on paper only. SUPSEB is now online, too. This bold project headed by the SEB Secretary KC Marcelo and External Vice-President Dae Lee is an attempt to make SUPSEB more interactive, environmentally friendly, and cost efficient. Because it is located on the World Wide Web, SUPSEB Online has new interactive features, the most basic and advantageous of which is cost-free updating. Each
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From paper to pixels
year, SUPSEB produces only two issues in print, which are hardly enough to update the students properly about what is happening in school. But with SUPSEB Online, students can get fresh news and updates everyday. SUPSEB Online also has other unique features that make it immensely interactive. One of them is the SEBcast, which is basically a podcast. Students who subscribe to SEBcast will receive newly uploaded videos from SEB into their iTunes. They can then upload these same videos into their iPods. SUPSEB Online also has a forum feature, where students can hold discussions
about the site contents or events handled by SEB or other organizations. Add to that the photo album, which allows students to view pictures from past SEB or student organization events. The SUPSEB Online is an excellent venue for information distribution by the Student Executive Board and a tremendous tool for the students to learn more about the school. Safe to say, this exciting innovation will usher in countless possibilities for the Student Update Paraphernalia of the Student Executive Board. Visit SUPSEB Online at www.supseb.com Benjamin Jozef de Leon CAS 2nd year, SUPSEB Editor
Junior and senior IMC students
make history Last January, the School of Communication (SCM) launched “I COMMUNICATE,” the firstever Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Week of the University. Under the leadership of the COMMUNITAS Marketing Association, Study Hall B was converted into an exhibition room of the works of past and present IMC students. After going to Antipolo City for a teambuilding and strategic planning activity, I COMMUNICATE was born. Inspired by the idea of the universality of communications, IMC students exposed UA&P to a week of creativity and talent. On January 19, students gathered at the CAS Garden for the official launch of the IMC week. Hosted by IMC students Anjie Gogna and Joel Guzman, the event included performances as well as the promotion of the official IMC basketball team for the President’s Cup, the Crimson Lions. The event also served as a pep rally for the team, concluded by a ribbon cutting by SCM faculty member Dr. Alfonso Hiquiana to officially open the exhibit at Study Hall B. The IMC Week featured the different works of IMC students through traditional media (TV, print, and radio). These included current commercials, award-winning advertisements, and recognized works from the students’ respective classes. With brand activation (formerly called belowthe-line advertising) emerging in the industry, an exhibit was also devoted to experiential marketing. Some exhibits also included minigames, such as a print ad contest. The culminating activity for Design 101 was the talks on photography and film held on January 21 at the Dizon Auditorium. Photography 101, which included a workshop, was conducted by wedding photographer Jay Jay Lucas. IT faculty member and playwright Christian “X” Vallez then followed with Film 101. The sessions discussed the basics of photography and film as a profession and its relation to communication. The week ended with a program on January 23, which featured a talk by Mr. Paul Perez of belowthe-line agency Grupo Sorbetero on brand activation and Project Brave Kids, an organization supporting child cancer patients. Merchandise from the organization was also sold to raise awareness and support the cause. Indeed, the success of I COMMUNICATE is a means to encourage future IMC students to celebrate their field of specialization. In spite of the busy schedule of those under the curriculum, celebrating IMC Week encourages school spirit and a sense of community within UA&P. It also strengthens the importance of communication, regardless of the profession or career the students aim to pursue. Miguel Orleans SCM 3rd Year
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Arts
Animal
A revolution comes to UA&P
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P H OTO S: M R . R O N I LO B A L B I E R A N / H AC I E N DA A N I M A L . M U LT I P LY.C O M
If there is one thing Dulaang ROC has mastered throughout the years, it is to create a moving phenomenon on the stage. It started 19 years ago, and to this day, the organization lives to its reputation of staging plays that leave their audience in shock and awe.
The play...has been transformed into a journey toward the fulfillment of dreams, the desire to reach a goal at all costs, and the cruelty of destroying that dream. //////////////////////
At the start of 2009, Dulaang ROC partnered with POLIS and staged Hacienda Animal, which is Jorge Hernandez’s Filipino translation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm (a sociopolitical satire about power and corruption told in the form of a fable). Though set in the present-day Philippines, the play veered away from the core of its original satire; it has been transformed into a journey toward the fulfillment of dreams, the desire to reach a goal at all costs, and the cruelty of destroying that dream, forcing the characters to violent action, and pushing them further into the depths of their own pains and their ideas of redemption. The play then takes its audience into a feast or the senses as movements were executed and the lights brought the play to its many turns. The many scenes that put together the genius that is Hacienda Animal ends in the parody of what is painted as the theatrical scene that is Philippine politics today. Jessica Ann Mancao-Magno SCM 4th year
HACIENDA ANIMAL Based on George Orwell’s Animal Farm Direction and devise by Pat Valera From the translation of Jorge Hernandez Associate Direction: Boogie Mortel Choreography: Katte Sabate Lights Design: Bamba de Guzman Costume Design: Bea Abalajon and Jane Nito Video Design: Boogie Mortel and Dae Lee Sounds Apprentice: Cholo Isungga Featuring: Ryan Cancio DJ Cuasay Eloise Duran Rose Ferrer Sean Go Cholo Isungga Krisan Jacomina Kinna Kwan Dae Lee Lauren Lim Sam Macagba III Jamm Magno Jake Morales Draco Moreno JC Ramos Sam Reyes Sigrid Rosales Steph Sol Ernest Sy Chin Taguines and the Dulaang ROC Ensemble
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(Standing, from left) Coach Manny Batungbacal, Coach Kleng Cacacho, Mikee Ocampo, Dino Placino, Franky Tumamao, Gus Lacson. (Sitting, from left) Karl Tantuico, Kevin Pascual, Mari Barroso, Vince Bautista, Jonas Gonzales, Paulus Reyes
UA&P Dragons reign in MNCAA futsal
The UA&P Futsal Dragons grilled their foes and grabbed the Men’s National Collegiate Athletics Association (MNCAA) championship cup last December. The Multi-Purpose Court (MPC) caught fire with nonstop action as the team outplayed Philippine Women’s University (PWU), 3-2. “It was our will to win,” Karl Tantuico (IPE 4th year) remarked when asked what pushed his team to persevere and win. The team streaked through the season undefeated, save for one game where they lost to Centro Escolar University (CEU). Team captain Mikee Ocampo (SMN 3rd year) said solid teamwork had been crucial to their triumph. Coach Kleng Cacacho added that the team’s composition was vital as well. It found a juggernaut of a goal-keeper in Gus Lacson (CAS 2nd year) and fast and powerful kicks from Jonas Gonzales (CAS 2nd year) and Paulus Reyes (CAS 1st year). Lacson and Reyes were later on ranked as part of the tournament’s dream team of sorts, the so-called “Mythical Five” (see related article on p. 27).
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Futsal at UA&P UA&P’s futsal team is one of the first Philippine varsities to promote and play futsal competitively. It has been topping almost all the tournaments it joined in recent years. In 2003, the team placed second in the MNCAA. (That was the first of the two times that the MNCAA hosted the sport—the second time was last year’s season.) In 2006, the team won the Adidas Cup, for which they were later invited to compete in an international tourney in Austria. Circumstances barred them from pushing through with the plan, though. The team also garnered trophies in minor competitions. According to Coach Cacacho, the team’s advantage was its broad and deep grasp of the sport. “[The team members already] know the game [and] their teammates.” They were unlike other teams, which were “more physical” and applied football moves and techniques rather than those peculiar to futsal, he added. Futsal—from Spanish futbol sala (indoor football)—was first played by international teams in 1965. It has dramatically gained popularity since then. In 1989, it became part
of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
Ready for victory With superb skills and steely determination, the UA&P Dragons were primed to win. Nights of intense training prepared them to fly themselves to victory. For two hours thrice a week, their routine included stamina exercises such as running for several eternities. Coach Cacacho said the team’s training was “focused on physical fitness.” The team only had to increase their strength, for they already had the necessary skills, he said. Now the team is looking forward to entering another intercollegiate tournament that could take them to an international tilt in New Zealand. Other members of the team are Dino Placino (CAS 2nd year), Kevin Pascual (CAS 2nd year), Franky Tumamao (EM 2nd year), Mari Barroso (EM 4th year), Vince Bautista (CAS 2nd year), and Marc von Grabowski (CAS 5th year). Mr. Daryl Zamora Corporate Communications Office
Dragons
Of and
C
Myths How did he make it to the Five? Paulus ignores the question, but later on confides, “When I play, I just give my best.”
all it the aristocracy of the MNCAA’s futsal league. The Mythical Five is composed of the best players from the tournament’s competing schools. It’s the “dream team”—and this season’s Five has two Dragons in it.
Similarly, making the best out of every futsal moment forged the best-goal-keeper character in 18-year-old Agustin Leandro Lacson. An incoming political economy student, Gus was chosen as the Mythical Five’s goal guard.
“He is very athletic and strong...He is the typical futsal player, very agile and intelligent.” —Coach Manny Batungbacal on Paulus
Unlike his teammates, however, Gus was a futsal newbie when he tried out for the team last year. He used to be part of De La Salle Zobel’s swimming team, and the thought of playing an indoor soccer of sorts had not yet entered his mind then. Until he entered UA&P.
//////////////////
Freshman Joannes Paulus Mari Reyes, 18, comes from a family of futsal kings. He started playing football in grade school, then fell in love with futsal in high school, largely because his elder brothers played the sport and even brought glory to UA&P doing it. Wool Reyes used to be part of futsal’s elite P-League; Nicholas Reyes became part of the country’s official futsal team; and Mike Reyes was part of the team that grabbed the 2007 Adidas Cup. Now Paulus begins to write his part in UA&P’s futsal history.
According to Coach Batungbacal, Gus is the team’s “most improved” player. Having less futsal skills than
Gus is the team’s “most improved player.”— Coach Manny Batungbacal
“He is very athletic and strong,” remarks Coach Manny Batungbacal. “He is the typical futsal player, very agile and intelligent.” Paulus Reyes
For Paulus, a PAREF Southridge graduate, helping his team achieve the MNCAA championship last December meant studying extra hard to maintain his scholarship while undergoing the team’s strenuous training. “It’s definitely hard,” he says, recalling how late at night he would arrive home due to the thrice-a-week training sessions from July to December.
Futsal vs. Football A futsal pitch is roughly 28 x 20 mtrs—about the same size as a bastketball court
Sports
////////////////// his peers when he started out, Lacson has transported his underwater speed to terra firma. A juggernaut compared to other goalkeepers at the tournament, he was an invincible bulwark of his team’s camp. How Gus rose to the league’s top players can be summed up thus: “Hard work pays off...Love what you’re doing.” Catching himself beginning to sound oddly poetic, Gus blinks and his words fade off in a smile.
Gus Lacson
Mr. Daryl Zamora Corporate Communications Office
How does futsal measure up against its big brother?
Futsal average circumference:
63cm
And the winner is... Falcao
A football pitch measures an average of 105 x 65 mtrs
Football average circumference:
69cm
...BRAZIL! The home of football stars Pelé, Ronaldinho, and Ronaldo is also home to the striker Falcao, arguably futsal’s finest player.
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Value Ad’d. Celebrating profitable marketing that promotes societal values, the Integrated Marketing Communications Effectiveness Awards broadens its call for entries outside of the Philippines and into the rest of the Asian region. IMCEA is louder than ever and, beginning this year, it’s taking the name The Tambuli Awards to show just that. The Tambuli Awards 2009 categories: Best Small Budget Product Brand Campaign Best Small Budget Service Brand Campaign Best Established Product Brand Campaign Best Established Service Brand Campaign Best Integrated Internal Marketing Program Best Innovative and Integrated Media Campaign Best Insights and Strategic Thinking Most Effective Teens Brand Campaign Most Effective Family-Oriented Brand Campaign
CALL FOR ENTRIES.
Deadline for submission of entries is April 17, 2009.
Visit www.tambuliawards.com or call 637-0912 local 393 for more information.
The value of a campaign is in its values.
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