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How the new Datally app will help you manage your mobile data usage

Yesterday, Google Philippines launched a new app created to help mobile internet users manage their data usage.

Called Datally, the app, which will be available solely for Android 5.0 and higher users starting today, Nov. 30, has four key features designed to allow users “understand, control, and save data.”

“Data Saver” allows users to control the consumption of data per app by turning off background data for unnecessary usage.

“Data Saver Bubble” appears on the phone’s screen once Datally is turned on. The bubble shows a real‑time speedometer that measures the amount of data currently used. It also allows users to block data to save internet use.

“Personalized Alert” allows users to know the amount of data they use daily, weekly, and monthly. This feature also lets users know their data usage pattern and provides recommendations to save data.

“Wi‑Fi Finder” allows users to know nearby wifi networks.

Through Datally, Brian Hendricks, product manager, said Google aims to “maximize the mobile data that [users] purchase.”

The free app is Google’s eight product, following Gmail, Android, Google Chrome, Google Maps, Google Search, Youtube, and Google Play Store, which, according to the company, all have more than a billion users each.

Google tested the data management app for several months since 2016 in the Philippines under the name Triangle and recorded more than 500,000 user downloads, 85% of which said they would recommend the app to other users, and 4.5 rating in Play Store.

“Most importantly, we’ve seen that users who tried our data saver feature have saved an average of 30% of their mobile data,” Hendricks said during the product’s launch at Google’s local headquarter in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

With internet connection playing an immense role in using the six‑megabyte app, he said Google is partnering with major telecommunications companies such as Smart Communications and Globe Telecom to avoid interruption in using the app.

“We work with them (Smart and Globe) really closely to make sure that Datally users experience work seamlessly with their subscribers to try out experimental features in the future,” he said.

Minding the gap in Philippines’ mental health

Mental health remains a misunderstood topic in the Philippines. People with mental illness are often discriminated. This stigma in the local setting only shows that a lot of Filipinos lack  proper information about mental health. Thus, the social distance between the public and mentally ill people is getting farther.

When Senator Risa Hontiveros pitched for the passage of the Mental Health Law last year, she noted that one in five Filipino adults suffer from mental or psychiatric disorder. She said that the number of suicide cases in the country has steadily risen over the years.

According to a 2014 report of the World Health Organization (WHO), there were a total of 2,558 suicide cases due to mental health problems in the country in 2012 alone. And, as reflected on the National Center for Mental Health’s statistics, the suicide rate for men and women in the country are 2.5 and 1.7, respectively, per 100,000 members of the population.

The numbers tell that the Philippines is still in the long run of addressing the issue, from the implementation of the mental health plan up to shifting of services and resources to mental health facilities across the country, and integration of mental health services into primary care.

As defined by WHO, mental health is “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.”

Mental health is important because all aspects of people’s lives is affected by it. It affects how people make decisions, handles stress and relates to other people. It influences the way how people look at themselves, their lives and other people in their lives. If one person experience any mental health problems, his mood, behavior and way of thinking could be affected.

Factors that may contribute to mental health problem of an individual include: biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry; life experiences, such as trauma and abuse; and family’s mental health problem history.

Mental disorders are generally characterized by a combination of abnormal thoughts, perceptions, emotions, behavior and relationships with others. It may be caused by depression, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, dementia, intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders.

WHO said that there are effective strategies to prevent mental disorders and there are several ways to alleviate the suffering caused by them. In this matter, access to healthcare and social services capable of providing treatment and social support is the key. However, access to healthcare facilities and inadequate number of skilled human resources for mental health remain as the main barriers in providing treatment and care, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

In the Philippines, access to mental health facilities and institutions remains uneven throughout the country. Most of the facilities are situated within the National Capital Region and the country’s major cities that makes accessibility a challenge for people who live far from these areas.

Moreover, the Philippines has only one psychiatrist for every 250,000 mentally ill patients, far from the ideal ratio of one to 50,000 patients.

The rate of mental health hospitals in the country is at 0.002, while the rate of beds in the hospitals is at 4.486 per 100,000 population. In addition, the rate of persons treated in mental health outpatient facilities and mental health day treatment facilities is only at 12.25 and 4.35, respectively, per 100,000 population.

The country only spends about 5% of the health budget on mental health. Of the total number, 95% are spent on the operation, maintenance and salary of personnel of mental hospitals. The Department of Health (DoH), earlier this year, said that the agency is allocating about P1 billion for the upgrade and development of mental health facilities across the country, the highest in the history of the agency.

Although there is still a huge gap in scaling up mental health in the Philippines, there has been progress in terms of addressing this concern.

In September last year, the DoH, together with the WHO, and Natasha Goulbourn Foundation, launched a 24-hour suicide prevention hotline called Hopeline, a phone-based counseling service for individuals who suffer from crisis situation and depression.

Last May, the Senate of the Philippines passed the Senate Bill 1354 or the Philippine Mental Health Act of 2017 that seeks to integrate mental health services and programs in the public health system. The bill also mandates the government to provide basic mental health services at the community level and psychiatric, psychosocial and neurologic services in all regional, provincial and tertiary hospitals.

“Because of this measure, our people with mental health needs will no longer suffer silently in the dark. They will no longer endure an invisible illness and fight an invisible war,” Sen. Hontiveros, the sponsor and principal author of the bill said. — Mark Louis F. Ferrolino

Partners in a disruptive world

Companies turn to advisory and consultancy services for many reasons, including working out thorny issues and accelerating growth and profitability. “Almost every company in every industry can benefit from advisory or consulting services,” SGV & Co., the country’s largest professional services firm, told BusinessWorld in an e-mail.

SGV said that the companies that are more likely to seek the services of advisory or consulting firms are those with significant customer-facing operations, like the ones in retail, banking and telecommunications, and those that are after enhancing their use of digital technologies.

Henry D. Antonio, vice-chairman and head of advisory at KPMG R.G. Manabat & Co. (KPMG RGM&Co.), another prominent advisory and consulting firm in the country, noted in an e-mail that there have been many emerging companies, which the firm defines as having no more than P5 billion in capitalization, looking for their professional advice in the last seven years.

“These new clients are particularly interesting to KPMG because we are able to provide access to professional advice, a network of large multinational corporations through the KPMG network that is otherwise unavailable to the enterprises within the middle market, and lastly because these emerging companies will become part of the clients KPMG will be servicing for the next five or 10 years,” he said.

In the past decades, both advisory and consultancy firms and their clients have had to work extra hard in view of technology-driven trends — digitalization and the sharing economy, to name a few — that have swept the global business environment at a clip fast enough to leave many companies scrambling to adjust.

“The rapid evolution of technology, the increase in mobile usage and consumption, the increasing role of social media in business and personal behavior mean that we operate in an increasingly connected marketplace where most people have access to real-time information and feedback. New platforms, such as those used by the sharing economy, are also prevalent,” said SGV, a member firm of Ernst & Young.

“These disruptions that follow in the wake of megatrends mean that companies need to transform and differentiate the skills of their people, the way they do business, and how they interact with their customers. Naturally, this creates a need for us to also elevate the way we provide advice to our clients, adopting new strategies and processes that address the changing market behaviors,” it added.

The pain point of many local companies, SGV pointed out, is digitalization, particularly handling increasing online transactions, data management and dealing with cybersecurity risks. These companies are also finding ways to improve customer experience, the firm said, since the feedback of average consumers has an effect on the two things most critical to any commercial entity’s survival and success: sales and reputation.

“We help our clients address these issues by providing data-driven market insights and solutions, combined with in-depth understanding of market forces and millennial consumer behavior,” SGV said. “We help our clients develop new efficiencies in the area of customer, supply chain, finance and information technology, help plot out upgrade programs for legacy systems, and bring new technologies and trends to their attention.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Antonio said they found out that most of their clients are more interested in actionable solutions that can be readily implemented. “That is why consultants in general are not just expected to provide good advice but provide actual solutions with measurable results,” he said.

He added: “This is most prevalent in the business consulting side, where there is much emphasis on technological innovations, applications, system integrations, and other solutions that are driven by new and upcoming technology platforms.”

For SGV, keeping up with trends and developments that concern their clients involves leveraging on its affiliation with Ernst & Young to apply new methodologies and systems to the skills development of its people. “Through our access to global experience and knowledge bases, we have an increased ability to source subject matter resources who can help train and develop our people, and who help us jump-start these service offerings for our local clients,” it said.

The firm also said that it can make use of the available knowledge and insights that its global talent pool generates so that it can craft solutions to their clients’ problems over strategy, innovation, customer experience, operations and digital trust.

KPMG RGM&Co. performs its services in accordance with the belief that its relationship with its clients is a continuous learning experience. “We believe this is critical because each client is different and although trends and changes in economic activity may have similar impact on certain industries, the propensity of the clients to withstand and gain from these changes may vary due to their culture, their readiness, and their appetite,” Mr. Antonio said.

“As such, the only way to have a meaningful dialogue with these clients where we can add value is to ensure that not only do we understand the trends and developments in a particular industry, but we can assess how these may affect our client in a very unique way,” he added.

It helps that the firm can tap into the repository of insights that members of KPMG International produce about the various sociopolitical, economic and technological innovations worldwide. “Through KPMG’s network and its investments in various centers of excellence that provide institutional insights on the many pressing global issues, KPMG can provide a broad understanding coupled with local targeting on how issues may affect our clients,” Mr. Antonio said.

In the coming years, SGV believes that the disruptions companies are experiencing will only grow, aided by the adoption of the Internet of Things or IoT, a network of smart devices that facilitate real-time exchange of information, and that new security risks will emerge. “In addition, we anticipate that customer empowerment will continue to increase as new innovations provide consumers with more communication channels and freedom of choice.”

IoT devices and future innovations, on top of the already existing platforms and applications, and the way they are shared, are one of the drivers that Mr. Antonio think will redefine the role of advisory and consultancy services providers. There are two more. One is the demand for quicker and faster solutions. “As advisors, we can no longer relegate implementation and execution, but more and more integrate it into the solutions we offer to our client,” he said.

The other is regulatory compliance. “Specifically for the Philippines, the threat of larger punitive penalties and sanctions for regulatory non-compliance will push companies to find cost-effective solutions to both the reportorial and compliance requirements that are set by different regulations and enforced by the government,” Mr. Antonio said.

SGV & Co.: Excellence through decades of expertise

By Mark Louis F. Ferrolino

Special Features Writer

By maintaining a culture of excellence and innovation since its inception in 1946, SGV & Co. has played a critical role in building a better working world for its people, clients and communities. The Firm remains as a trusted partner of different companies from diverse industries in attaining their goals by providing integrated solutions in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services.

SGV is the largest multidisciplinary professional services firm in the country. With eight offices across the country, it employs over 6,000 professionals from various disciplines that deliver value-added services to its clients.

SGV became a member practice of one of the largest professional services firms in the world, Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY), in June 2002, which has given SGV a competitive advantage in terms of global engagement that helps train its people and develop new solutions for clients.

SGV helps its clients manage issues associated with globalization, addressing technology vulnerabilities in the connected economy and assuring fairness in company’s financial information. All its professionals are equipped with its global audit process management and documentation tool that is supplemented by comprehensive standards and quality controls applicable to every client engagement. In tax services, SGV helps its clients align their tax strategies with their overall business needs. SGV also provides advisory services and solutions that help businesses compete effectively and efficiently, especially now that the business environment is becoming more complex due to various trends and new business orders.

“Our Advisory practice focuses on helping our clients maintain competitiveness and growth in their respective markets and industries through effective business solutions that integrate our competencies in various aspects of business operations,” said Rossana Fajardo, head of SGV’s Advisory services.

SGV’s Advisory practice is primarily divided into two pillars: Performance Improvement and Risk.

Performance Improvement means helping clients find solutions to their most complex issues. It may be in terms of creating growth, managing cost and efficiency, responding to market pressure and regulation, or resolving operational challenges. It covers areas of Finance, Supply Chain & Operations, Customer, and Information Technology (IT).

On the other hand, with its track record in Risk Assurance, Risk Transformation, Internal Audit, Cyber and Financial Services Risk Management, SGV helps its clients develop robust and agile risk-aware organizations and teams.

“For over 71 years, SGV has maintained a culture of excellence and innovation. Driven by a focus on continuing, lifelong learning, we promote continuous skills training and development for our people, strengthened by mentoring and direct exposure to global engagements through the EY Global network. Through market- and data-driven insights, we strive to serve as trusted business advisors to all our clients,” Ms. Fajardo said, noting that working with EY has given them access to extensive knowledge bases, competent talent, deep sector familiarity, and advanced solutions that can help enhance the way its clients do business and make data-driven decisions.

Also, through the EY Global Delivery Services (GDS), which consists of a network of service delivery centers all over the world, including the Philippines, SGV is able to provide its Filipino professionals access to global engagements that develop their knowledge and skills. At the same time, the network allows the Firm to provide clients with consistent performance, as-needed competencies and better economies of scale in terms of cost. The functions and service lines currently being supported from the EY GDS center in the country include Advisory, Assurance, Knowledge, Creative Agency Services and IT Services.

To remain competitive, SGV and EY invest in sector training and knowledge building for their global pool of professionals. “We actively pursue thought leadership programs, fora and industry- and sector-specific studies to ensure that the latest, most comprehensive and accurate data is available to help our clients make better decisions,” Ms. Fajardo added.

SGV shared that among the industry trends that it believes will continue to make an impact to the country in the coming years are the increased usage of mobile data and online retail and business platforms, the continuing expansion of the sharing economy into traditional business sectors, and the increasing use of robotics in the BPO industry.

SGV is set to adapt to these trends by taking advantage of its access to global experience and leveraging its knowledge bases. Knowledge and insights of the Firm’s global pool of talents help the company create new and advanced solutions in addressing clients’ needs.

Invisible wounds

A popular adage dictates, in no uncertain terms, that time heals all wounds. Cuts can mend, blood will dry, given enough time. One would wonder though whether the truth is the same for wounds that are invisible, scars that are hidden or one is born with. For instance, can time really heal someone on the verge of taking his own life?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), close to 800,000 people commit suicide every year. Many more attempt to do so. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds, while 78% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries.

“Suicide is a serious public health problem; however, suicides are preventable with timely, evidence-based and often low-cost interventions. For national responses to be effective, a comprehensive multisectoral suicide prevention strategy is needed,” the WHO wrote on its Web site.

“While the link between suicide and mental disorders (in particular, depression and alcohol use disorders) is well established in high-income countries, many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses, such as financial problems, relationship break-up or chronic pain and illness.”

The Philippines is no exception. Thousands of Filipinos suffer from suicidal behavior, due to a variety of causes. A statistical report from Hopeline, the national suicide prevention hotline, showed that the service received 3,479 calls throughout 2016. This is not to mention the unknowable number of people who cannot or do not want to call for help.

Suicide, however, is preventable. Mental health, for this reason, is an issue that must be addressed sooner rather than later. Understanding the different kinds of mental disorders can go a long way towards spreading awareness about the importance of mental health. Ultimately understanding these issues can save those that might otherwise be suffering in silence and prevent them from making an irreversible decision.

Schizophrenia

Medical education and services provider MIMS cited a study conducted by Dr. Tomas Bautista which reported that roughly 1% of people recorded with mental illness suffer from schizophrenia, making it the most common mental illness in the Philippines.

“Triggered by many factors such as genetics, and environmental stress, patients with schizophrenia experience hallucinations, delusions, and mood disturbances. The number one reason why patients with schizophrenia are admitted is auditory hallucination,” MIMS wrote on its Web site.

Schizophrenia is also often characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to understand what is real due to symptoms like false beliefs, unclear or confused thinking, reduced social engagement and emotional expression, and a lack of motivation. People with schizophrenia often have additional mental health problems such as anxiety, depressive, or substance-use disorders.

Substance Abuse

The public as a whole is well aware of this kind of mental disorder, if only through the demonization of illegal drugs by the current administration. However, substance abuse goes further than addiction to shabu. Even excessive consumption of common drugs like alcohol, sleeping pills, or painkillers falls under this category.

According to the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), around 6,079 Filipinos were admitted in mental health facilities due to drug use in 2016. Most of them were users of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu), marijuana, and MDMA or Ecstasy.

Depending on the substance, drug abuse may lead to violent impulses, hallucinations, severe anxiety and depression. There is also high rate of suicide in alcoholics and other drug abusers.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

MIMS wrote, “The Philippines has been through calamities like typhoons, landslides, and even volcanic eruptions, which left many Filipinos with negative health effects including mental problems.”

“In 1991, Filipinos experienced the wrath of Mt. Pinatubo eruption. Among the mental problems observed from the victims according to National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), PTSD was the top illness with a prevalence rate of 27.6%, followed by depression (14%). A more recent event that caused a rise on PTSD cases in the Philippines is the Typhoon Yolanda which hit the country in 2013.”

PTSD is an illness that can develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event, such as catastrophe, warfare, sexual assault, traffic collisions, or other life-threatening situations. It is characterized by symptoms that may include disturbing thoughts or dreams related to the events, mental or physical distress to trauma-related cues such as loud noises or triggering words and situations, alterations in behavior, and an increase in the fight-or-flight response. Sufferers of PTSD are very prone to suicidal tendencies and intentional self-harm.

Depression

A state of extreme sadness, hopelessness, and helplessness characterize major depressive disorder, known simply as depression. A person is deemed depressed if they experience at least two weeks of an overwhelming low mood persistent across most situations. Depressed individuals often possess low self-esteem, little to no interest in normally enjoyable activities, low energy, and pain without a clear cause.

Major depressive disorder has a negative effect on a person’s life, and even their sleeping, eating habits, and general health. According to WHO, more than 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression worldwide. As such, depression is the leading cause of disability in the world. Further studies report that between 2%-7% of adults with major depression commit suicide.

Anxiety disorder

Anxiety disorders, meanwhile, can be characterized by significant feelings of anxiety and fear, often induced by a worry about future events. Those suffering from anxiety may exhibit physical symptoms such as a fast heart rate and shakiness. Various phobias, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, selective mutism, and panic disorder are all different types of anxiety. Generalized anxiety disorder, one of the most common type, is characterized by a persistent anxiety that is not focused on any one object or situation, as well as restlessness, fatigue, concentration problems, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance. — Bjorn Biel M. Beltran

Understanding ADHD through Twitter

Millions of people log in to Twitter to say pretty much anything, mainly what they think and feel at any one time, as often as they like. They can generate so much information about themselves that can be very useful to other people, like mental health professionals.

To discover the things individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, which is characterized by restlessness, inattention and impulsivity, talk about, four researchers at the University of Pennsylvania turned to the social networking site. Their findings were published recently in the Journal of Attention Disorders.

“On social media, where you can post your mental state freely, you get a lot of insight into what these people are going through, which might be rare in a clinical setting,” said Sharath Chandra Guntuku, one of the researchers. “In brief 30- or 60-minute sessions with patients, clinicians might not get all manifestations of the condition, but on social media you have the full spectrum.”

Mr. Guntuku and his colleagues examined 1.3 million publicly available tweets by 1,399 users with self-reported diagnoses of ADHD. The posts were compared with those of a control group whose members matched users with ADHD in age, gender and period of activity.

The users who said they had ADHD had the tendency to tweet about lack of focus, self-regulation, intention and failure. Their tweets also dealt with mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. Some of the words they frequently used were “hate,” “disappointed,” “cry” and “sad.” They often published a tweet between midnight and 6 a.m.

“People with ADHD are experiencing more mood swings and more negativity,” said Lyle Ungar, another researcher. “They tend to have problems self-regulating.” He noted that this could partially explain why social media’s quick feedback loop is enjoyed by these individuals. If they post a tweet, and other users react positively to it, then they are likely to continue tweeting.

Soon, condition-specific apps that Mr. Ungar and Mr. Guntuku are planning to create based on their findings and those of other similar studies could provide more information about ADHD and other mental conditions like anxiety and depression by taking into account such factors as personality, severity of the condition and triggers of particular symptoms.

These apps could also help mitigate the effects of the disorders by, for instance, telling the users to do a breathing exercise if they are stressed out or switch off their phones at least an hour before retiring. “If you’re prone to certain problems, certain things set you off; the idea is to help set you back on track,” Mr. Ungar said.

The study has some weaknesses. One such weakness is the fact that the diagnoses were self-reported and not made by a mental health professional. Another is that the 50-50 split of ADHD to non-ADHD study participants does not reflect reality.

But the researchers said their work has the potential to help clinicians understand the varying manifestations of ADHD and could be used as a tool to give individuals with ADHD personal insights.

“The facets of better-studied conditions like depression are pretty well understood,” Mr. Ungar said. “ADHD is less well studied. Understanding the components that some people have or don’t have, the range of coping mechanisms that people use — that all leads to a better understanding of the condition.”

KPMG R.G. Manabat & Co.: Navigating tomorrow’s risks and opportunities

By Bjorn Biel M. Beltran

The economic integration of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations could be the next big opportunity for investors and business leaders in the Philippines.

That is, according to the KPMG R.G. Manabat & Co.’s (KPMG RGM&Co.) Business Advisory Services, one of the largest advisory groups in the Philippines offering a full range of services from Risk Consulting, Management Consulting and Deals Advisory.

“The ASEAN initiative towards a regional economic block is a priority for the Philippines,” Henry D. Antonio, KPMG RGM&Co. vice-chairman and head of Advisory, told BusinessWorld in an interview. “We must very quickly assert our competitive advantage to ensure that we can maximize our position within ASEAN.”

Yet, the arrival of new opportunities to Philippine companies is accompanied with the emergence of unprecedented risks and disruptions to how business is done. Mr. Antonio explained, “The growing threat of cybersecurity must be placed squarely in the CEO’s agenda given the disruptive nature of breaches and the potential financial, legal, operational and reputational risks involved. Growing cost of compliance to various regulations especially for banks and insurance and competition pressures will change the landscape in this sector.”

“Lastly, the need to adapt to the ever-growing technological innovations which are disruptive and potentially debilitating to certain players and sectors within the economy will continue to challenge and redefine the way we do business,” Mr. Antonio added.

As a member firm of KPMG International, KPMG RGM&Co. possesses a global understanding of the changes brought about by the rapid pace of technological progress to different sectors of industry. The company seeks to provide clients the knowledge they would need to navigate through modern business, regulatory, social and economic complexities.

“KPMG International provides a backbone and a mechanism for which our clients gain access to an array of services, customers, investors and markets, given the consistent standards, protocols and processes in KPMG, reaching and out gaining access to the above if optimized and simplified,” Mr. Antonio said.

“What is critical is that our local team can continue to work hand in hand with our colleagues, minimizing barriers to entry, breaking down cultural distinctions and improving the overall process. Given the speed at which the global marketplace move, this type of advantage can spell the difference between success and failure,” he added.

He further noted that the company’s network of professionals worldwide and their combined industry and professional experience provides “a unique and dependable base for understanding and navigating the flux in the global marketplace”.

With its abundant resources, tools, and pool of research, KPMG RGM&Co. has the capability to aid industries, corporations, or even the government in maneuvering through new data and trends that impact them. This puts the company at a critical vantage point to provide leadership and insight on the most pressing industry, economic, regulatory, and social concerns.

“Centers of Excellence exist to provide industry insights used to benchmark effectiveness across many organization. Our subject matter experts engage regulators, business leaders and other experts to improve regulations, advocate change, establish norms that aims to strengthen the overall competitiveness and stability of the markets,” Mr. Antonio said.

Core to the company’s advisory services are the partners and professionals specialized in various fields of expertise. Company partners, all of whom have spent several years working top positions as executives, officials, and specialists in different industries like energy, investment banking, and technology, hold the necessary insight and experience in corporate environments to provide perspectives valuable to clients.

“Our people are trained on specific fields of interest. Although everyone is prepared to be a general advisor through KPMG’s institutional training, our professionals are encouraged to develop specific interest in industries and technical know-how. This is supplemented by a host of focused programs and external trainings that allow them to strengthen their insights in their chosen fields,” Mr. Antonio said.

“Very early in their career they are encouraged to complete various certifications which provide them additional learnings and means to demonstrate their competencies. KPMG believes in strong mentorship to help young professionals navigate through their career. Young professionals are encourage to participate in high-level meetings and network with industry professionals to provide them with the understanding and the pulse for the business environment,” he added.

As the world approaches a transformative and disruptive era in the wake of new digital and technological breakthroughs, it becomes ever the more crucial for audit, tax and business advisory companies like KPMG RGM&Co. to inform corporate leaders and industry in their decision-making.

KPMG RGM&Co. can provide professional perspective tailored to a specific company’s unique operation. “We do not take a ‘one size fits all approach’ each client is different and therefore the range of advice and support we provide will vary,” Mr. Antonio said.

“The most important job of our advisor is to determine the risk landscape of our clients whether it’s specific to a transaction, to their operations, to their strategy or even with their organizational framework. In doing so, we can quickly zero-in on the task at hand and provide the ‘biggest bang for the buck’ in terms of how we spend our time finding actionable solutions to their concerns,” he said.

Best in class or best fit solution: Why do IT projects fail?

By Mario B. Demarillas, AICD, Agile PM Foundation, CPISI, CFE, COBIT (F), CRISC, CISM, CISA, CIA, CPA

Partner, Advisory Services of Reyes Tacandong & Co.

As organizations strive to be more competitive, agile, remain relevant to the ever-changing business needs, and comply with regulatory and legal requirements, having a robust Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is a must. An ERP system promises to (a) integrate financial information, (b) increase efficiency, (c) strengthen internal controls, (d) improve profitability, and the list may go on. Without adequate planning, however, the expected benefits of implementing an ERP system may never be realized and organizations may end up in a worse situation than before. Here are some of the common pitfalls:

• Limited stakeholder involvement

The organization already lost the battle even before it even began. All stakeholders, to include the Board, senior management, business unit or department heads and the Information Technology group, should be involved actively in the project. An ERP solution is not a ‘plug and play’ tool that one can expect to run seamlessly. Before an ERP system is selected, (a) business needs should be established; (b) project risks should be identified and analyzed; (c) needed resources are determined and optimized to include time and budget; (d) governance framework is set, implemented, and monitored; and (e) communication channels are always kept open among the project proponents.

• Adopting the ‘Best in Class’ rather than the ‘Best Functional Fit’ solution

Sometimes due to time constraint and inadequate planning, an ERP system is selected from among the supposed ‘Best in Class’ category. It should be noted though that an ERP system that works for an industry or a similar company may not work for another. The ultimate objective should be to implement a system that best functionally fits the organization’s business needs.

• Inadequate definition of business requirements and adhoc project management practices

Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Winston Churchill’s “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” is also a constant reminder.

Organizations must keep in mind that the implementation of an ERP system is their project and not of the system vendor’s, and that they should not rely too much on the vendor’s project management practices. Ownership and accountability should reside within the organization if they want the project to succeed.  Once management has set the direction and expectations, business rules and specifications should come from the business unit leads and the process owners, as they are the ones with the best understanding of the peculiarities of the business that must be considered. Also, if the skillset to manage the project is not available from within the organization, they should consider employing an experienced Project Manager for such a critical initiative.

• Lack of Organizational Change Management

An organization needs to manage not only the transition to an ERP system but also the whole organization itself as it implements the change. My mentor once said, “ERP is not an Early Retirement Program.”  It is this kind of mindset that creates resistance from the users and makes implementation more difficult. The Human Resource Department should be at the forefront in managing this organizational change by facilitating group discussions, retraining and re-tooling concerned personnel, and assigning project champions.

Steps for a Successful ERP Implementation

When I was in my last semester of my Information Management course, we were divided into four groups tasked to submit a working system in 14 weeks, otherwise we would fail the subject. We realized that we had different capabilities and skillset, and even contrasting personalities but we needed to collaborate so that we would achieve our objective. We were reminded by the professor that we could afford to make mistakes in school but not in the business world when such mistakes may significantly affect the bottom line and the continuity and sustainability of the business. After sleepless nights of bickering, ranting and complaining, we passed the subject and graduated with flying colors since we focused on our objective and worked out our differences.

The following is a practical but not necessarily an easy list of steps in implementing an ERP system:

• Ensure clear understanding of the project needs and expectations as well as the level of comfort desired.

• Define the project scope based on the business requirements leveraging a risk-based approach.

• Set the ‘tone at the top’ and be sure to obtain approval and active involvement of the key stakeholders.

• Ensure proper allocation of needed resources to include a project implementation team with the required technical and management skills.

• Execute the project on time and on budget as best possible.

• Maintain agility, the ability to make changes as may be required e.g., timeline re-baselining but never accept scope creep.

• Closely monitor the progress of the project between checkpoints and resolve issues on a timely basis.

• Provide clear and timely reports to the Project Sponsors, Steering and Audit Committees, and elevate matters for their decision making, as may be applicable.

• Remember to always keep the communication lines open with all stakeholders.

Needed support and services

The Philippines is one of the countries that has no law on mental health. It is only recently that the Mental Health Act has gained ground both at the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Although there are public and private mental health care facilities in the country, majority are still located in National Capital Region, which is not easily accessible to people from far-away places.

The government presently runs specialized institutions like the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) in Mandaluyong City; Cavite Center for Mental Health in Trece Martires, Cavite; and the Mariveles Mental Ward in Bataan.

The NCMH is categorized as a Special Research Training Center and hospital under the Department of Health (DoH). It is mandated to render a comprehensive (preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative) range of quality mental health services nationwide. It also creates venues for quality mental health education, training and research geared towards hospital and community mental health services nationwide, according to its Web site. The institution offers psychiatric services and interventions for both hospital and outpatient services.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Mental Health Association, Inc. (PMHA) is a private, nonstock, nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of mental health and prevention of mental disorders, its Web site says. Its services are divided into three programs: Education and Information Services, which promote mental health and prevent mental disorders through campaigns and activities; Clinical and Diagnostics Services, which provide outpatient services; and Intervention Services, which present holistic intervention programs.

The Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA), for its part, is committed to providing the best care for “the biopsychosocial well-being of patients, families, communities and ourselves” through the advancement of Psychiatry and the field of mental health.

Despite the above-mentioned institutions, there are only a handful of professionals who have expertise in this area, with most of them doing private practice.

According to the World Health Organization-Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS) published in 2007, the total number of human resources working in mental health facilities or private practice per 100,000 general population is 3.43. By profession, it is broken down as follows: 0.42 psychiatrist, 0.17 other medical doctors (not specialized in psychiatry), 0.91 nurses, 0.14 psychologists, 0.08 social workers, 0.08 occupational therapists, and 1.62 other health or mental health workers, the report says.

There are also online platforms and nongovernment organizations that are staunch advocates of mental health.

The Natasha Goulbourn Foundation, for one, is “a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing depression to light through the use of educational lectures, confidential crisis lines and referrals to partner psychologists.” Its primary goal is to have awareness on depression and how to prevent, recognize or treat this mental illness.

The Youth for Mental Health is also a group of student organizations dedicated “to educate the public and promote mental well-being,” and most importantly, “end the stigma on mental illnesses” through various activities and forums.

Silakbo PH, on the other hand, aims for mental health awareness through creative means. It hopes that telling one’s story through art could help in shedding light on the importance of mental health.

Support groups can also be a great help for people suffering from mental health conditions. People who suffered from similar experiences could help each other in their journey to recovery.

Much could still be done when it comes to mental health awareness. Hopefully, with the passage of the law for mental health, this will allow the government to establish a national mental health policy and allot a bigger share of the national budget that will pave the way for more programs, integrated services, and protection for patients suffering from different mental conditions. — Erika Fortuno-Mioten

Gov’t moves panda bond sale to Q1 2018

THE PHILIPPINES’ maiden sale of renminbi-denominated debt — or “panda bonds” — will be moved to the first quarter next year, the Finance chief said, as the government awaits approval by China’s central bank.

“Bu[reau] of [the] Treasury is awaiting final approval from the People’s Bank of China so the schedule for issuance has been moved to first quarter,” Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III Viber message to reporters yesterday.

The government had initially targeted the sale for October or November.

“Similar to other fund-raising activities, panda bond offering is subject to favorable market conditions in the onshore RMB market and provides competitive pricing compared to other funding options,” said Mr. Dominguez.

He had earlier cited plans to raise $200 million from yuan-denominated securities that could involve three- and five-year tenors.

The Philippine government has tapped the Bank of China as the lead underwriter for the offshore bond sale in an agreement signed by both parties on Nov. 17.

GLOBAL BONDS TOO
Mr. Dominguez also said that the planned dollar-denominated Republic of the Philippines (RoP) global bond sale will also likely take place in the same quarter.

“The RoP is on track for its usual start-of-the-year USD bond sale,” he said, adding that the amount “is still to be determined.”

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon had said in September that the government plans to raise $1 billion from the second global bond sale under this administration, after it generated $500 million in new money from 25-year papers sold in January.

The said bond sale will be under the P176.269-billion external financing program for next year — which is about 20% of 2018’s P888.227-billion total borrowing plan. Next year’s total borrowing plan, in turn, is 22.05% more than the upwardly adjusted P727.74-billion gross borrowings programmed for 2017.

The government is pushing higher taxes — partly through a five-package reform program that seeks to shift the tax burden to those who can afford it — in order to help finance, including through borrowings, an ambitious P8.44-trillion infrastructure development plan that stretches till 2022, when President Rodrigo R. Duterte ends his six-year term.

The government targets to spur state spending on infrastructure projects to P1.899 trillion — equivalent to 7.45% of gross domestic product (GDP) — in 2022 from a programmed P847.22 billion, or 5.32% of GDP, this year.

Accelerated infrastructure development is supposed to facilitate expansion of economic activity. The government now targets GDP growth to average 7-8% up to 2022 from a 6.2% average in 2010-2015. GDP grew by 6.9% in 2016, and has averaged 6.7% in the first three quarters against a 6.5-7.5% official target for the entire 2017.

Faster GDP growth is supposed to spur per-capita income to $5,000 in 2022 from $3,550 in 2015 and cut poverty incidence to 13-15% from 21.6% in the same period, partly by slashing unemployment rate to 3-5% in 2022 from 2016’s 5.5%. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

Central bank expects inflation to have steadied in November

INFLATION likely steadied in November from the preceding month on the back of higher fuel costs and electricity rates, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said yesterday, even as it noted that a stronger peso should have eased price pressures.

The overall increase in prices of widely used goods and services likely clocked 2.9-3.6% this month, according to the BSP’s Department of Economic Research.

This assures that inflation will remain within the midpoint of the central bank’s 2-4% target band, and could even trend lower than the October’s 3.5% print which was the fastest in three years.

The Philippine Statistics Authority will report November inflation data on Tuesday.

Overall commodity price increases averaged 3.2% in the 10 months to October, matching the central bank’s full-year forecast for 2017 and keeping well within the year’s target range.

The central bank’s estimate range for November would yield a 3.12-3.18% 11-month average.

“Higher domestic petroleum prices and electricity rates in Meralco-serviced areas could contribute to upward price pressures, which could be partly offset by the slightly stronger peso for the month,” the BSP said in a statement, referring to the Manila Electric Co. — the country’s biggest electricity distributor.

Retail pump prices increased by P0.90 per liter for gasoline, P0.75 for diesel and P0.55 per liter in kerosene on Nov. 7, according to the Department of Energy’s oil monitor. The adjustments reflect higher Dubai crude rates amid signs that production cuts among oil-producing nations will be extended anew in a meeting scheduled for today.

Meralco also raised its overall rate for the fifth straight month by P0.3436 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to cover higher generation and transmission costs. Households consuming 200 kWh — who make up bulk of Meralco’s residential customers — were expected to see a P68.72 hike in their November bills.

On the other hand, the peso returned to the P50-per-dollar level since Nov. 16, with the faster-than-expected 6.9% economic growth in the third quarter fuelling the currency’s recovery against the US dollar. The local unit has sustained its strength over the past two weeks, even hitting three-month highs as sentiment soared following the passage of the tax reform plan in Senate.

Inflation is the biggest consideration of the policy-setting Monetary Board in deciding on benchmark interest rates, now at 2.5% and 3.5% for overnight deposit and lending, respectively.

The BSP has kept its policy stance unchanged since September 2014, except for procedural adjustments introduced in June last year to usher in the shift to an interest rate corridor regime designed to better siphon unwanted liquidity and influence market rates.

Manageable inflation and firm domestic demand allowed the central bank to keep policy steady in its Nov. 9 review. BSP officials have said they would not have to match tightening moves in the United States for now, ahead of a December rate hike expected from the Federal Reserve. — Melissa Luz T. Lopez

S&P raises Philippine GDP growth projection

S&P Global Ratings has increased its Philippine economic growth projection in the face of upbeat consumer demand and a surge in electronics exports.

The credit rater now sees Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) expanding by 6.6% in 2017, just above the low end of the government’s 6.5-7.5% growth goal for the year.

S&P analysts noted that the “upturn in global growth and trade” that has boosted demand — particularly for electronics products — will lift exports from Asia-Pacific economies.

This will add to already robust domestic consumption across Southeast Asian economies.

“Domestic demand looks stable for the next few years in the region,” S&P said in a Nov. 28 report.

“Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines are part of the global electronics supply chain and have benefitted this year from the electronics recovery, while Indonesia has gained from higher commodity prices.”

Outbound shipment of Philippine goods had grown by 12.2% as of end-September, turning around from a 4.4% decline recorded in 2016’s comparable nine months, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Previously, S&P gave a 6.4% growth forecast for Philippine economic growth, just below the official growth target.

Philippine GDP grew by a faster-than-expected pace of 6.9% in the third quarter, a rate deemed “impressive” by the debt watcher. This brought the year-to-date pace to a 6.7% climb, well within target.

The Philippine economy expanded by 6.9% in 2016, helped partly by a boost from spending related to last year’s national and local elections.

Economic managers have said that GDP growth should pick up this quarter as the government continues to improve spending, particularly on infrastructure and social services, and as household spending spikes as Christmas approaches.

Annual economic growth across member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is seen to average 5.1% for 2017 and 2018, picking up from the 4.8% pace posted a year ago.

Trade-related risks have “diminished,” as threats from policy shifts in the United States are expected to have abated following the visit of President Donald J. Trump in Asia. That, in turn, had helped ease trade tensions with China and — at least momentarily — geopolitical threats in the Korean peninsula.

“Unexpected financial market turbulence around the path of US monetary policy normalization remains on our risk list,” S&P said, even as analysts noted that global markets have priced in the much-anticipated rate hike this December and at least two more next year.

“Risks to the outlook include potential capital outflow pressures arising from changes in global monetary conditions and any unexpected slowdown in external demand.”

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has said that while a fresh Fed rate hike could trigger short-term volatility, the monetary authority stands well-equipped to weather such headwinds by deploying its policy tools as necessary. — Melissa Luz T. Lopez

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