Tag: The View From Taft

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of visiting Israel. Through our pastor’s teachings and our tour, I learned how President Manuel L. Quezon accepted about 1,300 Jews facing persecution in Germany and Austria. The lesson became more real to me when we visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum, Israel’s official memorial to the Holocaust victims.

For the first time, Harvard Business School and the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago have not increased tuition for their MBA programs. Applications to the US business schools have been dropping due to online alternatives and more specialized courses. Worse, many international applicants have been scared off by anti-foreigner sentiment in many parts of the US. Some business schools, such as the University of Illinois Gies College of Business, have gone further and shut down their on-campus MBA programs altogether.

Building trust is the basis of any relationship. Fostered relationships are the underpinnings of a successful business. It takes years to form the trust so that a client will be comfortable to deal with a service provider such as a real estate broker.

A national conference on health dubbed “Tech-Care: Revolution, Evolution and Innovations in Health Care” was recently organized by the Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) in Valuenzela City. It was organized by the indefatigable dean of the College of Nursing, Dr. Maria Luisa Uayan, who is a friend way back from our graduate school days and she asked me to give a talk on entrepreneurship. At first, I was taken aback because entrepreneurship and the health professions are not usually mutually exclusive. She then told me that in the latest Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Order for the Bachelor of Nursing program that the teaching of entrepreneurship is embedded in the program and is even a specific learning outcome that states “apply entrepreneurial skills in the delivery of nursing care.”

The recent elections were quite unusual. The near total shutout of the opposition, the staggering losses among political dynasties and the emergence of millennial-elected leaders are just among the remarkable results we are seeing from the unofficial results. As expected, these unofficial results are already being contested. The mysterious failure of the Comelec transparency server gave new meaning to the word oxymoron. Failures of both voting machines and memory cards were reported in record numbers. Yet the Comelec and PPCRV assess the elections to be within the normal range of acceptability.

How do you react to changes in life, may it be a career change or change in the organization? Do you accept it wholeheartedly? Or do you shy away from change to stay in your comfort zone? I am a person who always seeks opportunities, looks for change and sees the bigger picture life has to offer.

Just recently, an earthquake shook different parts of the country that killed people and damaged properties, especially in Pampanga. The Philippines, located within the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Pacific Typhoon belt, is most affected and highly vulnerable to earthquakes, floods, landslides, tsunamis, typhoons and volcanic eruptions. In a span of a century from 1900s, 355 disasters have occurred in the country. On average, we are hit by 900 earthquakes and 20 cyclones yearly. In 2010 alone, Php25 million worth of damage to properties have been reported and affected 3 million people. From 1997 to 2007, billions worth of damage in agriculture, infrastructure and private property have been caused by typhoons. Indeed, disasters hurt people, especially the poor.

As Baby Boomers and Gen X-ers prepare to retire, companies worldwide have been gearing up to accommodate more millennials in the workplace. With three generations having different values and attitude towards work sharing one office, culture shock and clashes are bound to happen.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” -- Albert Einstein.

I do believe that the organization’s success is highly dependent on its people. Even high tech companies need their employees to be able to competitive. Employers should devise strategies so good employees will stay and grow with the organization.

I attended a Lasallian Business Leadership talk as part of our Marketing Management class. The lecture was on “Service Management in the Digital Age,” with the CEO and Founder of ZEN Rooms, Mr. Nathan Boublil. He generously provided insights on how businesses, particularly startups, thrive in a highly competitive industry.

I love Fridays. It always reminds me of the next two days wherein I do not have to set an alarm, I do not have to prepare to go to work, and I simply do not have anything that has to be done on schedule within the day. Usually, on Thursday, I am more motivated to work, because I always think that in a few hours, Friday and I will meet, then I will have the chance to relax on Saturday and Sunday. At the end of a long and tiring week, I look forward to the next two days off. How exciting is it if we have three?

March can be the highest point in the young lives of graduating college students. It is the month when they happily march up the stage with their proud parents. On the way down the stage steps, they daydream of starting a high-paying job and fulfilling their wildest ambitions. After all, these are the reasons for all the hard work they put in over the last few years.

Clothing is a tool used to visualize and benchmark ourselves and the people around us. The way we dress provides conclusions about our persona, social status aspirations, and level of professionalism. As fashion designer, Rachel Zoe says, “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak, dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they will remember the person.”

“An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.”

Do others have a preconceived notion about your personality? Or do you quickly conclude a person’s character? If so, then Susan Cain’s book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, might also capture your interest. Cain is an American writer and lecturer who earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Harvard Law School. She initially practiced her profession as a lawyer and negotiations consultant but later left her corporate career for the more serene life of writing. In 2012, she published the said book which described the value of introverts. She also co-founded Quiet Revolution LLC, a mission-based American company committed to “unlock the power of introverts for the benefit of us all.”

TODAY, February 22, is the first of the four days of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. The Revolution against the Marcoses officially ended on February 25, when Corazon Cojuangco Aquino took her oath as President of the Republic. Her oath of office was administered by Supreme Court Justice Claudio Teehankee at what is now called appropriately the Kalayaan (Freedom) Hall of Club Filipino in San Juan.

The average annual pay of a chief executive officer (CEO) in the Philippines is Php 2,200,000. This is in stark contrast to the annual income of around Php 169,000 that a minimum wage earner in Metro Manila lives on. Globally, companies with the largest CEO-worker pay gaps include Disney at 367:1 and 21st Century Fox at 311:1. On a more positive light, new data reveal that 20 companies with the lowest CEO-worker pay gaps include Facebook (CEO: Mark Zuckerberg) at 37:1 and, topping the list, Berkshire Hathaway (CEO: Warren Buffett) at 2:1.

The average annual pay of a chief executive officer (CEO) in the Philippines is P2,200,000. This is in stark contrast to the annual income of around P169,000 that a minimum wage earner in Metro Manila lives on. Globally, companies with the largest CEO-worker pay gaps include Disney at 367:1 and 21^st Century Fox at 311:1. On a more positive light, new data reveal that the 20 companies with the lowest CEO-worker pay gaps include Facebook (CEO Mark Zuckerberg) at 37:1 and, topping the list, Berkshire Hathaway (CEO Warren Buffett) at 2:1.

“Walang forever ” (There is no forever) is a Tagalog slang commonly used by those who got dumped, those who don’t believe in love, and those who hate seeing couples showing affection to each other. But, did you know that there are some Human Resource Management aspects we could learn from this phrase?

Recently, Chinese-Filipino businessman, Henry Sy, Sr. died. An immigrant from an impoverished family in Jianjiang, a town near Xiamen, China, he started as a shoe peddler and when he died two Saturdays ago at the age of 93, he owned one of the world’s biggest shopping chains and the Philippines’ largest retailing chain. In 2018, he was listed as the richest man in the Philippines by Forbes with a net asset of $18.3 billion.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” dominated the airwaves and the movie theaters for several months. My curiosity prompted me to watch the biopic movie of the Queen’s legendary frontman. The music, the lights, especially Rami Malek’s portrayal of Freddie Mercury, made me listen to their music for months. Rami’s portrayal was so real and authentic! He truly deserves his Golden Globe Best Actor Award.

I fully support the Department of Education’s advocacy to require senior high school (SHS) students from all strands take an Entrepreneurship subject. After all, one of the supposed benefits of the SHS program is preparing students for livelihood even before college. However, one of our considerations should be that entrepreneurship is a course best taught in an applied manner beyond the confines of a traditional classroom.

You go to a search engine and type the word telecommuting and you will find various sources with definition of the term. One source offers a straightforward description of “work from home, making use of the Internet, e-mail and the telephone.” Another source describes it as a work arrangement in which employees do not commute or travel to a central place of work, such as an office building, warehouse, or store.

A few days before Christmas, I, like many others, was shocked to see Facebook videos purportedly showing an Ateneo high school student using his martial arts skill to assault and humiliate a schoolmate inside a restroom. The videos were disturbing not only because of the humiliation and physical harm inflicted on the victim, but more so because of the way the young man appeared to take pride in bullying his schoolmate not only in plain sight of others but also on video.

TWO Thousand Eighteen, how shall I describe you? Any reflective adult would probably say, as each year of their adult life draws to an end, that it was indeed “the best of times, the worst of times.” This year closes with no difference. It has been both good and challenging.

As the year comes to a close and we experience a slew of Christmas parties both in our professional and personal lives, stress levels heat up despite the supposedly cool December weather. Christmas parties at home, in school, or at the office have become a ubiquitous part of our lives.

Buy when the price is low. Sell when the price is high. This is the prescription given to those who are interested to invest in the stock market. But the underlying question is: when is it low or high? Fundamental analysts will prescribe comparing observed price versus intrinsic value. If the intrinsic value is higher than the price, buy the stock. If it is less, sell it. And if it is equal to price, hold it.

In 2016, Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, heralded the arrival of the second machine age and its promise as well as threats for business and society. In his 2018 book titled after the phenomenon, Schwab explains that the basis for the so-called “fourth industrial revolution,” commonly abbreviated as FIRe, is not only new technologies alone, but also the new ways through which people and things are connected to each other and are communicating in new and faster ways.

I would like to laud the House of Representatives, which on Sept. 4 of this year approved on third and final reading House Bill 4113. The bill, principally authored by Rep. Emmeline Aglipay Villar, grants paid maternity leave of 100 days, up from the former 60 days (78 days for mothers who had caesarian delivery). But what’s a mother to do from the 101^th day onwards? What comes after maternity leave?

The ongoing academic year 2018-2019 is critical for Philippine higher education institutions as it is when they have to admit the pioneer batch of senior high school (SHS) graduates under the K-12 basic education reform program of the Department of Education (DepEd) into college. According to DepEd, of the more than 1.2 million graduates from public and private SHS’s in 2018, twenty-five percent (25%) or 300,000 learners will be able to obtain a college degree in the next four to five years. Factoring in the college completion rate of 30% as per Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), we are talking about 1 million (300,000/30%) learners entering college this year.

In August 2018, Republic Act 11058, otherwise known as “An Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof,” was enacted. This law seeks to enforce stricter and wider coverage for compliance with safety rules in the workplace, and provides that “the State shall ensure a safe and healthful workplace for all working people by affording them full protection against all hazards in their work environment. It shall ensure that the provisions of the Labor Code of the Philippines, all domestic laws, and internationally recognized standards on occupational safety and health are being fully enforced and complied with by the employers, and it shall provide penalties for any violation thereof.” The Act makes it clear that employee safety is primarily the responsibility of the employer.

Whether here or abroad, the level of nastiness in national politics in recent years has reached perhaps its highest peak in history. It often appears that the gloves are off for most candidates, many of whom find it appropriate to make the most horrible public comments about others, often their opponents or critics, but sometimes even completely uninvolved people.

I attended the Managing and Teaching Business Ethics conference at Lassalle-Haus, Bad Schönbrunn, Canton of Zug, Switzerland, from May 13 to 16, 2018. The conference aimed to strengthen both the theoretical discourse and the practice of corporate ethics. This conference is year two of a three-year event. The first was held here in the Philippines for the Asia-Pacific Region, and was hosted by Ateneo de Manila University. This year’s conference was hosted by Lassalle-Haus for the European and African region, and next year’s event will be at Sta. Clara University, California, for the Americas.

The recently concluded Annual Public Policy Conference of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) aptly entitled “Harnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe): Creating Our Future Today” aims “to promote awareness and understanding of the FIRe and encourage everyone to be proactive in preparing for and adapting to the changes that come along with this industrial era.” According to the World Economic Forum, FIRe is building on the third industrial revolution, which focused on the digital revolution but this era is “characterized by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres.” Artificial intelligence and virtual reality are just some of the tools of this rapid technological change.

Oct. 5 is observed worldwide as World Teachers’ Day. In the Philippines, the observance of a National Teachers’ Month and Day is led by government and the private teaching community. This formal honoring of teachers in the Philippines, which is aligned with the worldwide celebration of World Teachers’ Day, has drawn and continues to draw, heavy support from volunteer groups such as the Metrobank Foundation.

As a professor teaching millennial students, I always want to make sure that my class would have “balanced programming” during our 1 ½ hours of contact time. This means that the whole 1 ½ hours is spent not only on lecturing about the chapter, but also on playing team or individual games, viewing video clips, analyzing case studies, and other student-centered learning activities.

Being asked how old we are can touch a sensitive nerve. As our birthdays unfold, how many of us dread turning older?

IN June 2018, 38 member states of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) signed a statement calling on President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the killings in the Philippines and to investigate abuses resulting from his administration’s controversial war on drugs.

JOSE “Boy” Kalaw, who served De La Salle University (DLSU) and the De La Salle Alumni Association (DLSAA) in various capacities over 25 years, passed away, at the age of 68, on Friday, Aug. 17. In keeping with his desire not to bother people or fuss over him, Boy valiantly but quietly fought the big “C” using a variety of traditional and nontraditional medicine.

SOCIAL enterprises are growing in number. The factors that contribute to this trend include the increasing complexity of societal problems, which governments are inadequate...

While attending a recent three week-long educational leadership seminar workshop at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, I was struck by the sign that states, “Learn to Change the World.” This message hangs brightly in front of the Gutman Library of the Graduate School of Education of Harvard University, and this is the theme that resonated during my stay in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As I looked at that sign every day, I knew that through learning, I would be able to change the world despite an environment that is characterized as volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. While at Harvard, I was mentored by some of the world’s best, and was also able to learn with some of the brightest educational leaders in Asia. This was part of my fellowship with the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA).

THE recent monsoon rains that we have experienced easily resulted in severe flooding across Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces. Classes were suspended, business operations were interrupted, and the traffic situation was aggravated. While this may be “normal” for us during rainy season, the recent flooding was different as it did not require heavy rains to flood the streets.

Who has not seen and heard advertisements of crispy, juicy, fried chicken that is soggy or as dry as a bone IRL (“in real life”)? Or pictures on the box of a product that looks different from the actual product?

Does gender composition of a company’s leadership team affect its financial performance?