Starting them young while bereft of biases

I consider it a big privilege to be able to serve, some way, somehow, in whatever humble capacity I can, especially if the end in view is to uplift lives, or foster better relations, push advocacies or just generally improve the lot. We don’t get enough of such opportunities as our way of paying it forward, and I never fail to recognize the efforts of corporate citizens towards this end.

When Goodyear Philippines, through its president, Dave Morin invited me to sit as one of the judges in one of their pet projects, I relished the opportunity they so generously provided.

Goodyear has been working hand in hand with the local chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce on the AmCham Business Orientation Program (BOP), one of the most important endeavors of the organization which represents the American multinational businesses’ contribution to the country’s development. The project seeks to offer well-qualified students a better understanding of key global business and economic issues, with a wide range of universities across the country participating in the project.

This year, some twenty-eight students from 16 schools participated in the AmCham BOP held this summer. Adopting the theme “The Best Meets The West”, the BOP provided priceless opportunities for many: CEO-hosted visits of AmCham member companies, inter-active discussions with business leaders and members of the academe, and selection of the best business case studies from students who were handpicked by their schools to participate in the program. The company visits were particularly memorable for students who got their first up-close peek into the corporate world as they toured Ford, Citibank, Coca-Cola, Asian hospital, Mead Johnson, Chevron, Sunpower, Peregrine, Genpact Phil., Bellevue Hotel, Alaska Milk, CB Richard Ellis, Ogilvy & Mather Phil., Goodyear Phil. and other member-companies. The students appreciated the diverse professional services and, maybe, right then and there made their unconscious career choices. US Ambassador Kristie Kenney was on hand to give encouragement to the students. The kind lady diplomat has proven once again how diplomacy and sincerity pave the road to better race relations.

In the midst of it all, the untiring efforts of Goodyear’s Dave Morin cannot be discounted. He has steeped himself and his company into this selfless project, monitoring the students who were billeted in hotels for the duration of the program (about a week), motivating them while they worked on the case study, and just generally acting like a surrogate parent to these young people who were away from home. Like Dave who inspired the students, AmCham’s executive director Jun Salipsip and ABS-CBN Foundation managing director Gina Lopez, who was a keynote speaker, also made a lasting impression on the young students. Here were highly successful top executives and achievers, and they took precious time out for these students, to impart valuable knowledge and inspire them to dream. You can’t get a better lesson on humility and generosity of spirit than that.

As they wrapped up their company tours, the students formed their own ideas of what they would look for in their future workplace. It could be a company that invests extensively on employee training, or a company that balances work and safety culture sensibly, one with a dynamic sales force or one that offers unquestionable quality assurance or market leadership. From their feedback, it was heartwarming to note how, at their young ages, they appreciated the selfless efforts provided by AmCham and the member companies and recognized the edge of noble aspirations over material considerations, and gave them clarified career choices.

The highlight of the BOP was the selection of the winning case study presented to all the participating students. The students, all pre-selected by their respective schools, were divided into groups that submitted their business case analysis and plans based on the case study presented: the international expansion of local food giant Jollibee.

As one of the judges, I got to read the case studies and analyses of this select group and was amazed at their in-depth grasp of the issues and their analytical approach. The groups were judged according to their comprehensiveness, innovativeness, feasibility, clarity of presentation, and teamwork, with each criterion earning a maximum of 20 points. As a panel member, and cognizant of the importance of the role assigned to us, it was no mean feat to make a discerning evaluation of the well-crafted case studies submitted to us. The students were well informed and knew whereof they spoke. It thrust me several decades back to when I was still in the university batting for my English degree, though I honestly don’t think I could have done as well as these students, handpicked from among universities’ best.

Last year, the case study involved the Lamoiyan Group of Cecilio Pedro. It is amazing and uncanny how the winning case study explored the very same business plan that the astute businessman chose for his company.

The AmCham Business Orientation Program is now on its 7th year. This annual summer program indeed provides unique opportunities for our future business leaders and showcases how the American multinational businesses contribute invaluably to the country’s development. Their confidence in the Philippine market is encouraging, to say the least and prods us to have the same trust, and pride, in our nation’s capabilities.

Thank you for the privilege to serve alongside yourselves.

Diabetes Week

It was then President Fidel V. Ramos who declared every last week of July as Diabetes Awareness Week. The Philippine Center for Diabetes Education Foundation led by their indefatigable president Dr. August Litonjua takes the cue once again to bring this disease to the awareness of Filipinos. Not that they have ever slackened on the job-it has been a continuous struggle and concerted effort by the foundation to make us fully aware that diabetes is very much a preventable disease.

The foundation came to be because, according to Dr. Litonjua, there was a misconception even among doctors that a blood sugar reading of 150 - 170 after a meal could be shrugged off as natural, not necessarily approximating diabetic levels. There was a dearth of knowledge on diabetes, even among medical practitioners, and the kind doctor and some of his colleagues decided that education was the best weapon against the upsurge of the disease. They put up the foundation, trained a team of doctors, nurses and nutritionists to form the core of educators, and have since made it their advocacy to educate the Filipino families on the prevention, or proper management of diabetes.

About eight to nine percent of our population is afflicted with the disease, and the more prevalent is Type 2. Dr. Litonjua says diabetes is not a benign disease, and there is no such thing as mild diabetes. Once you have it, it is there for life, but with the right medication and a more controlled lifestyle, one can live a long and healthy life. Research continues on how to best manage diabetes, but according to Dr. Litonjua, their battle cry over the years has been the same: avoid the 3 “KAs”-katakawan, katamaran and katabaan. Avoid the calories and exercise.

Some time back, I remember Dr. Litonjua, who incidentally is also my personal doctor, was saying a lot of people afflicted with the disease are clueless that they have it –”mabuti pa ang langgam alam” as one of the awareness week’s previous catch phrases declared. It’s common knowledge that ants are attracted to glucose laden urine. He urges everyone to have a blood chemistry check up to determine if you part of the, now not so very exclusive club or not. 

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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