Cola manufacturer lends hand in creating future Filipino leaders

MANILA, Philippines – According to acclaimed writer, speaker and visionary Mark Prensky, today’s youth enjoy the entitlement of being digital natives, a term which refers to people born in the digital age. Those who weren’t believe that this generation has it easy, with almost every information virtually attainable at a touch of the fingertips.

Asiawide Refreshments Corporation (ARC) EVP and COO Gerry Garcia agrees that information technology made communication and information gathering much easier for the youth but on the other hand, “It also made the playing field more competitive,” he observes.

Students from wealthy families, since they can afford modern tools and expensive education, have better access to knowledge and training which will hone them for future leadership roles. But what about the less affluent?

ARC Young Leaders Camp

Garcia aspires to give underprivileged but deserving youths equal opportunities for developing their potential. So ARC pools together 40 selected freshmen and sophomore college students from almost 100 candidates who finished secondary level in public schools for the pilot session of ARC Young Leaders Camp (ARCYLC) to be held at the First Pacific Leadership Academy in Antipolo City.

Featuring powerhouse speakers comprised of young leaders from various sectors of society and industries, this three-day lecture and play aim to sharpen the participants’ practical leadership skills, enabling them to become more effective agents of change. Panel discussions, workshops and outdoor activities will help today’s youth reflect, explore, share, learn and develop their techniques, improving their social, personality and leadership abilities.

ARCYLC is the beverage company’s first Corporate Social Responsibility endeavor that they can call their own. “We have been sponsoring various charitable and social programs of other organizations in the past but this is the first time we ourselves have conceptualized and implemented a major project such as this,” Garcia says.

The youth camp is three years in the making, he also reveals. “We wanted something that would make a big difference,” he says.

Garcia also sees this as a vehicle for imbibing their own corporate values of good governance, respect, excellence, accountability and teamwork or collectively known as GREAT to the participants. “If they practice these values, they will make successful leaders someday,” he adds.

In their shoes

Garcia personally relates to these delegates for he too had benefitted from sponsored leadership trainings as a youth. “I had the luck to be shortlisted as one of the participants in YMCA’s leadership training in Baguio,” he shared to the attendees during the meet-and-greet session held last Monday at Discovery Suites.

He claims this experience has helped shaped his present character, that is, a person brimming with confidence and capacity to lead a group of people.

Leadership is different from management, he points out. While the two roles are inter-connected, “The thing with leadership is that the leader is capable of making people follow your vision or objectives voluntarily,” he explains. “I think the most important term is voluntarily following.”

He adds, “Managers are sometimes called the drivers because they push people to perform. Leadership is more of a pull. As a leader I get their commitment to the company objectives because they believe in my capabilities to lead.”

Leadership across all sectors

Garcia observes that people have a tendency to equate leadership with public service. “Not necessarily so. Good leaders are seen in corporate settings and social organizations. I think sincere intentions are more apparent in leaders of social, non-profit organizations,” he says.

“We don’t want to compartmentalize the definition of leadership within the borders of politics,” he disclosed. “What we wanted was to develop well-rounded leaders who will make a mark across various segments of society depending on their calling.”

ARC is the licensed manufacturer and distributor of RC Cola products in the Philippines.