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Trade, stock markets and indefinite lockdown

The Philippines is now into eight months of indefinite, no timetable lockdown since mid-March. The adverse impact on the economy and people’s livelihood is also indefinite. Estimates of the country’s GDP contraction this year range from -6% to -9.5%. At this rate, with this very low economic base in 2020, we need to grow by at least 10% in 2021 just to be at the economic level of 2019.

For this piece, I will briefly discuss the impact of the virus scare plus global lockdowns on two sectors, merchandise or goods trade and stock market capitalization.

The Philippines GDP size in 2019 was $377 billion and ranked 34th worldwide. In merchandise trade, the Philippines in 2019 ranked 43rd with $70-billion exports and ranked 34th with $113-billion imports.

With the COVID-19 scare and lockdowns in many countries, workers, investors and goods, from raw materials to finished products, have limited mobility. Among the countries listed in Table 1, data from the World Trade Organization (WTO) show that the Philippines has the second deepest contraction in exports next to India, the first half 2020 is only 40% of total exports in 2019. In imports, the Philippines has the deepest contraction, the first half 2020 only one-third of 2019 imports (see Table 1).


When it comes to the stock market, data from the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) show that the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) capitalization of $275 billion in end-2019 shrank to only $192 billion by March 2020 and slowly inched up to $220 billion by September 2020, still a huge -20% contraction from the 2019 level and among the deepest dive in the world. Which means the already small capital base of the PSE became even smaller (see Table 2).

Strict lockdown policies — ECQ, MECQ, GCQ — which prohibit many public transportation options, among others, continue to wreak havoc on the economy affecting both rich and poor. Only government officials and personnel are not affected because their salaries and allowances, which have been appropriated in the 2020 budget, are already secured and funded.

The Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines (CDC PH) wrote to President Rodrigo Duterte on Oct. 7 appealing for lifting the lockdown nationwide. In that letter, the physicians and other signatories argued,

“…we do not need to sacrifice our nation’s economy to save the lives of the 800+ high-risk Filipinos each month who are actually threatened by COVID. To do this we propose the adoption of a scientific, data-driven and objective response: (1) isolation and early treatment of the sick, (2) protection of the vulnerable, i.e. the elderly and those with medical comorbidities, (3) quarantine only of affected localities based on metrics such as death rates, ICU capacity.”

“We propose the early treatment of COVID-19 with a variety of drugs and supplements such as Faviparivir, Budesonide, the very promising Ivermectin and the Zelenko Protocol, which combines zinc and Azithromycin with the highly politicized yet long proven effective hydroxychloroquine. Despite all the controversy surrounding HCQ, there remains very strong medical support for its efficacy in reducing mortality, hospitalization and the severity of the disease…”

The rising number of prohibitions and mandates make our lives and freedom more restricted. There is the mandatory closure of public transportation, closure of schools, churches and cinemas, and soon there will be mandatory vaccination — as if government and vaccine pushers are Gods who cannot make mistakes in the quality and safety of those vaccines. Mandatory vaccination is wrong and should not be imposed on all people.

 

Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is the president of Minimal Government Thinkers

minimalgovernment@gmail.com

Also in the photo

 

PHOTOS highlight the importance of an event (or pseudo-event) by recording those who attended it. Business tycoons, triumphant politicians, and TV celebrities, moving out and moving in, get into the picture. Often, there is a less glittery crowd that also manages to join (usually running) the group — wait for me.

Isn’t there the moment just before participants in a virtual meeting take their leave that an unmuted voice shouts, “photo”? The now trite layout of small boxes of smiling faces, arrayed like a rogues’ gallery, is clicked and saved in the virtual album. In this layout, there is no distinction between principals and hangers-on.

In a political shootout where there are two protagonists facing the slouched leader, there is a fourth person in the background looking on. They may all be wearing face masks, but their identities are readily known, even without captions.

There is a place for the anonymous crowd, if only to show the importance of an event. A mammoth crowd makes a protest rally more newsworthy.

The photographed supporters were critical in the recent tug-of-war for leadership in the legislative body. The battle cry (or rhetorical question) from each side dealt with a simple body count devoid of celebrity status — show me your numbers. Can the total of claimed supporters be higher than the full membership in this house? The time stamp was important as the bodies tended to keep changing sides.

Those who win the top post invariably give token mention of their supporting cast who are warmly described as team playvers. (It is time to heal the divisions that I have created.)

A photographer of events makes a list of those in the picture to make sure his captions, especially corporate titles and designations, are accurate to the minute. But sometimes, he doesn’t get all the names down. When unsure of identities, he has stand-by designations, including “a special friend,” “gatecrasher,” “bodyguard,” or “unknown social climber.”

Photographed nonentities make the leads more interesting by bestowing glamor, if only by contrast. In romantic comedies (also called “rom-coms”) supporting characters are gay or funny, or both. There is also the friend who is beaten up by bullies, to be rescued by our hero to provide comic relief when the story starts to drag. In dramas, the support may be a villain, a competitor who does unsavory things that make the hero look virtuous.

The role of a good supporting cast is to raise the profile of the star. In our photo opportunity, the favorite of lifestyle magazines and blogs, those surrounding the glamorous personalities tend to be overweight, balding (though not in an extreme sports buff type of way), paunchy, and a little less chicly dressed than the stars. Sometimes the scruffy lookers happen to be the sponsors of the event. Corporate benefactors invite celebrities who look much better than them — you wanna have a drink later?

Companies have their own supporting cast. Whole departments are designated as “staff support” which entitles them to smaller variable pay than the ones they provide services to. While marketing and sales have easily measurable goals which they can surpass, the same is not true for such functions as Finance or HR. Audit is not even considered a support role. There is the other category of pest.

Thus, the track for the top job of CEO often goes to marketing or those in charge of bringing in revenues, never those who try to control costs and measure performance targets. Only when a company implodes with declining market shares do the support heads (who are the most virulent critics of the line people) get a shot at the top. They usually open their acceptance speech with tales of the warnings they issued which went unheeded.

Supporters without the charisma of the leader are always included in the photo featuring a winning team with a trophy. But there is no mistaking where the leader is (fifth from right — holding the metal).

Still, in terms of job security, it is the staff groups that manage to stay on and serve different CEOs. The stars can be too visible and high-profile, whether in success or failure. The support groups manage to get in the picture in any situation, even when they are described merely as “also in the photo.” They’re always available… for the next photo opportunity. 

 

Tony Samson is Chairman and CEO, TOUCH xda

ar.samson@yahoo.com

Customer experience and convenience matter most to consumers — report

Ninety-one percent of Filipino consumers say that their customer experience is as important as the company’s products and services, according to “State of the Connected Customer 2020,” a report by customer relationship management (CRM) firm Salesforce released on October 29.

Customer experience is so valuable that 91% of global consumers would be more likely to make another purchase if they had a positive encounter. A further 78% say that they will forgive a company for their mistake after receiving excellent service.

Convenience is one aspect of customer experience, with over 60% of global consumers saying that they prioritize it over their loyalty to a brand. They have become accustomed to digital convenience solutions such as self-service account portals, which are the most used tool at 59%. More than 40% also sign-up for recurring subscription services and use chatbots for simple customer service.

Several less-used digital convenience solutions have the potential to gain traction: 41% of global consumers are interested in pre-ordering new or out-of-stock items; and more than 30% would like to use curbside pickup, wherein the customer waits in their car for the seller to deposit their purchases in the trunk. Automatic order replenishment is also a feature consumers would like to see.

Personalization is another aspect that consumers are particular with, as 63% percent of Filipino consumers preferring personalized products and services. Aside from the benefit of being recommended bespoke solutions, personalization is also considered as an act of sensitivity, especially during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. It would be tone-deaf of a company, for example, to send an offer for an expensive item to someone who had just lost their job.

Unfortunately, this is a need that is not being met by most companies. While 66% of global consumers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations, only 34% say that companies deliver in reality. Sixty-eight percent of global consumers expect brands to demonstrate empathy, but only 37% say that brands actually do this.

If companies are able to take this challenge, they may be able to inspire loyalty from their customers that could go beyond a transactional level. Fifty-three percent of global customers say they feel an emotional connection to the brands that they buy from the most.

“Extraordinary experiences help companies earn more than sales—they build relationships,” said Salesforce in the report.

 

The data from “State of the Connected Customer 2020” was collected between July 16 and August 18 of this year. Twelve thousand consumers and 3,600 business buyers from North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia Pacific were interviewed, including 650 respondents from the Philippines. Furthermore, the interviewees were comprised of four generations, namely baby boomers, Gen Xers, millennials, and Gen Zers. — Mariel Alison L. Aguinaldo

Consumers support brands that have the same values

Sixty-one percent of global consumers stopped buying from companies that did not align with their values, according to the same Salesforce report. On the other hand, 59% have switched to another company because of shared values.

Values are becoming a bigger consideration when it comes to brand support. Seventy-one percent of global consumers say that they are paying more attention to what a company stands for than they did in the previous year. Eighty-nine percent expect companies to express these values clearly in statements, and 90% expect that these be demonstrated through action.

“Companies’ reputations are shaped by the intersection of long-standing issues that have been laid bare by the events of 2020 … In short, companies are being held to a higher standard, and in areas that boardrooms have largely not considered,” said Salesforce in their report.

These issues include a company’s treatment of its customers and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, which influenced over 80% of global consumers in their decision to buy from them. Close to 80% were influenced by a company’s environmental practices and actions on economic injustices. A little over 70% decided based on a company’s actions on racial injustices and practices of community involvement.

While one may assume that these sentiments are only popular among younger consumers, they are actually pervasive across generations. Considering the issues mentioned in the previous paragraph, no less than 70% among baby boomers, Gen Xers, millennials, and Gen Zers showed concern for them.

 A company’s values and actions become a gateway to consumer trust. There is some distrust among global consumer age groups, with 42% saying that they don’t trust companies to tell the truth. Forty-one percent say that they do not trust companies to act with society’s best interest in mind, while 36% feel that companies do not do what’s best for their customers.

However, there is hope for companies in proving consumers wrong during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifty-one percent of global consumers said that they trusted a company more during this time, higher than the 31% rate that trusted a company less. In terms of direction, 80% of Filipino consumers identified environmental practices as a major point for improvement, while 71% cited social practices.

“The criticality of building trust with customers isn’t new, but its importance is magnified in the midst of a series of cascading crises. Today, customers aren’t just putting more emphasis on the importance of trust in their relationships with brands but also setting a higher bar for earning that trust,” said Salesforce.  — Mariel Alison L. Aguinaldo

NLEX scores back-to-back wins

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

THE NLEX Road Warriors chalked up back-to-back victories in the PBA Philippine Cup after defeating the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 94-74, in the opening game of a quadruple-header offering on Wednesday at the Angeles University gym in Pampanga.

NLEX rode on a collective effort in putting up a steady fight throughout the contest to get the better of Rain or Shine and give added jolt to its Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) campaign.

The win improved the Road Warriors’ record to 3-5 while Elasto Painters dropped to 4-2 with the loss.

NLEX trailed early in the contest until Kevin Alas came off the bench and gave the Road Warriors a push on offense en route to taking the opening quarter, 24-18.

It was a control that the team would maintain in the second canto despite a spirited charge by Rain or Shine to swing the tide in its favor.

The Road Warriors held a 42-39 advantage at the halftime break.

The teams came out swinging to start the third quarter, fighting to a 48-47 count, with NLEX narrowly on top, at the 7:21 mark.

But Mr. Alas and Company went to outscore the Elasto Painters, 16-6, in the next six minutes to extend their lead to 11 points, 64-53. Rain or Shine then got to narrow its deficit after, 64-57, heading into the final frame.

In the fourth, the Road Warriors built on the momentum they got in the previous quarter and kept frustrating the Elasto Painters.

They led by 10 points, 79-69, midway into the quarter before they exploded and put the game away for good.

NLEX finished with a flurry, outgunning its opponent 15-5, to book the win. Mr. Alas top-scored for NLEX with 18 points followed by Jericho Cruz with 17.

JR Quinahan finished with 13 points while Raul Soyud had a near double-double of nine points and nine rebounds for the Road Warriors, who still have three games left in their elimination round assignment.

For Rain or Shine, it was Rey Nambatac who showed the way with 15 points followed by Jewel Ponferada with 10.

“One thing going for us of late is we are getting in better shape. When we started it was really tough because we were not in good shape. Defense was lousy but in our last few games we were playing better defense. And I think that is a major development for us. Hopefully it’s not too late,” said NLEX coach Yeng Guiao in the postgame interview as he talked about their winning streak of late.

In their previous game, the Road Warriors dealt the league-leading TNT Tropang Giga their first defeat.

Next for NLEX are the defending champions San Miguel Beermen on Nov. 6.

Rolando ‘Dy Incredible’ Dy in Brave lightweight title eliminator fight

MIXED martial arts fighter Rolando “Dy Incredible” Dy of the Philippines treks back to the Brave Combat Federation stage today in a lightweight title eliminator fight against New Zealand’s John “Trouble” Brewin.

His second fight in his return to lightweight, 29-year-old Dy (13-9) looks to better position himself for a shot at another title at “Brave CF 44” happening at the Bahrain National Stadium.

The Filipino took the fight in two weeks’ notice after Mr. Brewin’s original opponent Sam Patterson withdrew because of injury.

Mr. Dy, who last fought in Brave in September, does not see the short notice as being much of a problem since he has kept himself in shape.

He also said he is banking on his experience as a fighter as he goes up against his Kiwi opponent.

“I went to Brave to win another title in a different weight class. The fight is the same as my other fights. It was on two weeks’ notice and I’m a replacement opponent. I have nothing to lose and the pressure is on him (Brewin),” said Mr. Dy in his session with Tiebreaker Vods’ The Hit List on Monday.

“I think I have the advantage over him as far as experience. I have fought at the highest level and held a title. He has never fought a puncher like me,” added the former Abu Dhabi Warriors featherweight champion.

In his last fight, Mr. Dy hacked out a split decision win over Polish Maciek Gierzewski.

The victory snapped for him a two-fight losing streak.

At Brave CF 44, Mr. Dy will battle Mr. Brewin (5-1), who is currently riding a two-fight winning streak which earned him the promotion’s breakout fighter of the year award for 2019.

He, too, defeated Mr. Gierzewski in his last fight in November last year by way of submission (armbar).

Mr. Dy said there is no denying what Mr. Brewin would be bringing to the fight, but he expressed his readiness for it.

“Brewin is a complete fighter. He’s tall, grinder and has a lot of stamina, but I am also a complete fighter. I really don’t mind where he brings the fight. I know I can adjust anywhere the fight goes,” he said.

Brave CF 44 is headlined by the lightweight world title fight between defending champion Cleiton “Predator” Silva and top contender Amin “Fierceness” Ayoub. In the co-main event, top welterweights in former champion Abdoul Abdouraguimov and Louis “Spartacus” Glismann collide.

Founded in 2016, Brave, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, has made headway in bringing top-class MMA action to different parts of the globe. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

PFL: Stallion-Laguna FC underscores need to ‘follow the process’ to better compete

STILL finding its traction in the ongoing season of the Philippines Football League (PFL), Stallion-Laguna FC underscored the need for the team to “follow the process” from training to better compete in the two-week-long tournament.

Padded their cause after holding tournament favorite Kaya FC-Iloilo to a 1-1 draw in their matchup of league pioneers on Tuesday, the Stallions (0-1-1) now look to have some stability as the league’s coronavirus pandemic-hit season progresses.

“We learned our lesson in our first game; that we must follow what we do in training,” said Stallion assistant coach Richard  Leyble following their match on Tuesday, referring to their first game against Maharlika Manila FC on Oct. 31 where they lost, 1-2.

Against Kaya, Stallion-Laguna took a while still to get it going, down, 1-0, by the halftime break after Jovin Bedic broke through for Kaya in the 10th minute.

But instead of folding, the Stallions regrouped and came out more aggressive and steady in the second fold of the contest.

Their efforts were rewarded when Jhan-Jhan Melliza scored the equalizer in the 80th minute.

The teams tried to go for the go-ahead after, but nothing would come as the full-time buzzer sounded, leaving them to share the spoils with a point each.

“Kaya is one of the strong teams in the tournament. We just told the players to just follow the process, and it’s good for us to hold Kaya to a draw,” said Mr. Leyble.

Stallion-Laguna plays league-leader United City Football Club on Nov. 6. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

NU Lady Bulldogs on board Milo’s Home Court Campaign

JACK ANIMAM from National University is now part of the Milo Home Court Campaign. — MILO PHILIPPINES

MILO’S Home Court Campaign has added the National University (NU) women’s basketball team to its roster of inspiring athletes.

The Lady Bulldogs, multiple University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) champions, will take over some of the online programs and social media activities of the Home Court program, which is designed to help parents continue their children’s champion journeys at home amid the prevailing conditions with the coronavirus pandemic.

“Our commitment to nurture kids through sports never stops,” said Lester P. Castillo, Assistant Vice-President, Nestlé Philippines – Milo, in a statement.

“To keep our children engaged and inspired to play and be active, we have tapped the NU Lady Bulldogs to join the Milo Home Court campaign. The rare combination of heart and skill that these ladies have shown on and off the court make them the perfect role models for kids and aspiring athletes. We are delighted to have the NU Lady Bulldogs be part of the Milo family.”

The Lady Bulldogs have become the gold standard for women’s collegiate basketball as they hold the still-active record of 96 straight wins—the longest record streak in all national collegiate tournaments.

They are the UAAP women’s basketball champions for the last six years and their members among the top players in the land, who have represented the country in different competitions, the most recent in the Southeast Asian Games last year as part of the gold medal-winning 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 teams.

Their journey of hard work and perseverance is among the things they want to share as they take part in the Home Court Campaign.

“We are happy to be part of a campaign where we can utilize our abilities to motivate young girls and boys to pick up a basketball and pursue their dreams,” said NU center Jack Animam.

The Lady Bulldogs will participate in Tiktok challenges while Ms. Animam and fellow star players Monique Del Carmen and Camille Clarin will teach kids fun ways to practice drills at home to stay fit and healthy.

The Milo Home Court Campaign is an online initiative which provides a wealth of sports content, with interactive and physical activities aimed at empowering parents to continue their kids’ champion journeys through sports even while at home amid COVID-19.

It is being done in support of the World Health Organization’s Global Recommendation on Physical Activity for Health. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Superb Jota hat-trick helps Liverpool thrash Atalanta

BERGAMO, Italy — Liverpool striker Diogo Jota netted his first hat-trick for the club as they thrashed Atalanta 5-0 with a blistering performance in the Champions League on Tuesday to go five points clear at the top of Group D after three straight wins.

Atalanta’s mauling was the worst home defeat ever suffered by an Italian side against an English team in European competition and means Liverpool will qualify for the last 16 with a victory in the reverse fixture on Nov. 25.

Portugal forward Jota’s clinical treble continued the scintillating start to his Liverpool career, while Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane also got on the scoresheet in a superb display from Juergen Klopp’s Premier League champions.

“It was the performance we needed tonight, just because the opponent is really strong and can cause you massive problems, and my boys played an incredible game. The front line defending and attacking, outstanding,” Klopp told BT Sport.

The victory put Liverpool, who won the Champions League in 2005 and 2019, top of the group with nine points from three games. Ajax Amsterdam are second with four, ahead of Atalanta on goal difference, after a 2-1 win at FC Midtjylland.

Jota wasted an early chance before giving Liverpool the lead in the 16th minute, latching on to a pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold and holding off Jose Luis Palomino before delicately flicking the ball past keeper Marco Sportiello.

Jota, who arrived from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a reported fee of 41 million pounds ($54 million) in September, made it 2-0 in the 33rd minute, controlling a raking pass from Joe Gomez with his left foot before firing home with his right.

With the home side reeling, Salah scored a super solo goal two minutes into the second half, collecting a clearance from Andy Robertson and running from the halfway line before curling the ball into the net at the far post.

Minutes later, it was Mane’s turn as he made it 4-0 with a sublime chipped finish before Jota completed his hat-trick with another coolly-taken effort in the 55th for his seventh goal in his first 10 appearances for Liverpool.

Atalanta’s best chances on the night fell to Duvan Zapata, who clipped the underside of the crossbar with a curling strike. He twice tested Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson with stinging shots and also had a stoppage-time effort ruled out for offside.

Salah almost scored a sixth for Liverpool in the 83rd minute. Once again, he ran half the length of the pitch after an Atalanta corner was cleared, but this time his shot was steered out for a corner by Sportiello. — Reuters

NFL broadens face-covering requirements, enhances COVID-19 protocols

THE National Football League (NFL) is enhancing its COVID-19 safety protocols, instructing teams to broaden the use of face coverings and improve social distancing after more players tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

In a memo distributed to teams on Tuesday, the league said it is requiring players and staff to wear masks during any pre- and post-game interactions between teams, and at any time while inside the locker room on game day. Clubs must also expand their sideline “Bench Area” to the 20-yard line.

The document confirmed that two teams that competed on Sunday had at least one player each who later tested positive for COVID-19, but it did not specify which teams or players were impacted.

NFL Chief Medical Officer Allen Sills told reporters on Tuesday that the players with COVID-19 positives who played on Sunday had their samples obtained prior to competing, but that the results did not come back in until Monday.

Of the two teams, the first “had numerous game day close contacts,” including six who were subsequently placed in isolation for a minimum of five days, while the other had just one player identified as a “High Risk Close Contact” through contact tracing.

“Although players on neither club wore masks while on the sideline or in the locker room, the second club was more effective in ensuring physical distancing for its players on the sideline and in the locker room,” the memo read.

Sills said that if a player, coach or member of staff were found to have tested positive for COVID-19 mid-game, he would be removed from the field immediately.

The NFL season has faced a number of schedule changes due to positive tests for COVID-19 among players and personnel and last month, the league said teams found violating COVID-19 safety protocols may be forced to forfeit games. — Reuters

Tiu keeps Marinduque Online Chess title

SHERWIN Tiu won the 2nd Marinduque Online Chess Tournament last Oct. 30, 2020 at lichess.org.

The Manila-based Tiu put on a strong wire-to-wire game to take home the top prize P3,000.

“I didn’t look to defend my title, just to play my best,” said Tiu, who honed his chess skills at the famous Guadalupe Chess Club in Guadalupe Mall, Makati City.

Tiu, together with second place Ellan Asuela of Bacolod City and third place Vince Angelo Medina of Quezon City, tallied 9.5 points each. Tiu took the title with virtue of higher tie break points.

The 2nd Marinduque Online Chess Tournament was organized by Marinduque Chess Association in close cooperation with Philippine Executive Chess Association.

The event aimed to develop good thinkers through the understanding of chess strategies and tactics, improving the logical abilities, rational thinking, and reasoning of the participants, and instilling a sense of self-confidence, self-worth, and camaraderie.

Named category winners were Jaymiel Piel (Top Kiddie), Chester Neil Reyes (Top Junior),Joselito Serna (Top Senior), Victor Anas (Top Executive), Jarel Lacambra (Top Lady ), Joseph Ricafrente (Top Marinduqueňo), and Aizelle Ricafrente (Top Marinduqueňa). — Marlon Bernardino

Campos, Aquino top online chess tournament

FORMER Rizal Technological University chess team mainstay Eduardo Campos Jr. of Caloocan City showed his class by topping the competition in the Jerickpogi Bullet online chess tournament under Knighthood Chess Club Romblon in cooperation with España Chess Club Manila and I Love Chess Philippines in an one hour 30 minutes of play on Monday (Nov. 2) at lichess.org.

Campos emerged victorious in the 2+1 time control tournament, 2000 & below category by coming out of a scored 42 points, 3 points ahead of the second placer Mark John Corral of Pasay City. This was his second crown after winning his 1st championship crown last Oct. 14, 2020.

Rounding up to the top five (5) finishers were 3rd Place Zito P. Olaybal Jr., 4th Place: Mark Del Rosario and 5th Place Rafael Velasco Jr.

Adjudged category winners were Engr. Ernie Fetisan Faeldonia (Top Romblomanon), Hubert Hyubs P. Canto (Top 1900 below), and  Vince Clyde Brimbuela (Top 1800 below).

Meanwhile, US National Master Jojo Aquino of Antipolo City captures the 22nd I Love Chess PH GP Monday. Aquino coach of National University remains undefeated and scored 8 wins, 2 draws in the round of 10 Swiss System. — Marlon Bernardino

Why MBA? Helping women to break the glass ceiling

NEW YORK — Elissa Sangster counts herself fortunate to have had early mentors who pushed to empower and promote women around them.

After business school, Ms. Sangster worked at Texas A&M University as assistant director of the MBA program, whose director, Sue Robertson, was her supervisor.

“She was very much a supporter of women,” said Ms. Sangster, now the chief executive of Forté, an Austin, Texas-based nonprofit that focuses on elevating women to leadership positions. “She had faced a lot of challenges that were gender-related in her career and she wanted me to have opportunity.”

Ms. Sangster applies that spirit in her work now to help women pursue MBAs and rise up in their workplaces.

Ms. Sangster chatted with Reuters about her work philosophy. Edited excerpts are below.

Q. What did you learn from your first job?

A. My first job before I graduated from college was working in the admissions office in the local community college in the town where I grew up, Lee College in Baytown, Texas. That set the stage for my career.

I was already a really hard worker. I learned that from school and my parents were hard workers. But at that job, I learned about having respectful work relationships with my peers, how to solve problems and how to help students navigate their educational experience.

Q. What was your worst job?

A. My worst job was one where I was there for four days. I had been in ExxonMobil, in communications, but I had left because I thought this job opportunity was going to give me a bigger experience.

When I showed up on the first day, the person who had hired me had gone on vacation and wasn’t there. I was left in a cube for four days. Nobody talked to me, nobody came and took me to lunch. I had asked three times, “Is there something I can do?”

Four days after quitting, I called ExxonMobil and said, “Can I come back?” When I left, the person who hired me wasn’t even back from the trip.

It taught me that one of the things that’s so critical is the onboarding process. When you hire someone, a lot of onboarding and communicating has to happen even before they arrive. It provides connection and helps them understand that they’re going to be an important part of the community.

Q. What has been your biggest work-life challenge during the pandemic?

A. My daughter and husband are in the house with me and in this whole pandemic we’ve been navigating being in the house together. There’s some joy in that, but there are some challenges.

Finding your own individual space that has a door that can be closed was our first lesson, especially when she started back-to-school online. She’s 10, and there’s no way she can do that independently without interrupting us all the time.

Children can’t reason that you’re on a call and can’t deal with something. Having a babysitter come in who can help entertain during the times when we have to focus has been critical, even for just a couple of hours a day.

Q. Do you have advice for someone just starting out right now?

A. Attend something that allows you to network, or online events that maybe you didn’t have time for in the past or that you might not have been able to make because they were in a different city.

For example, we hold a women’s leadership conference every year for women about to start their MBA program. Usually, about 600 to 700 women are able to come, but because we were online this year, we had 1,400 women who attended and many were women in India. These women were really taking advantage of what the pandemic was handing to them.

Q. Have you been doing anything differently work-wise in these times?

A. We’ve been doing a sanity soundoff every week during the pandemic, which is some time for personal conversations to check in and see how everyone is doing.

Q. Where will you travel to first when the world opens up again?

A. Our MBA women’s leadership conference will be in Los Angeles in June 2021. If that happens, that will be my first trip. For pleasure, after all of this, I would like to go to Hawaii and enjoy the beach. 

— Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan/Reuters

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