Aboitiz future leaders summit on its 5th year

Our special presentation tonight on Straight from the Sky is a topic that somehow I never got to talk about on this show in the last 10 years, simply because of lack of a resource person to discuss this very important topic. Yes tonight we shall be giving you a serious talk about sex or human trafficking. It was only in the year 2003 when the Philippines enacted Republic Act no. 9208 also known as the “Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.”

To implement this law, the Philippine government together with all the stakeholders and NGOs created the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), which developed a National Strategic Action Plan Against Trafficking in Persons. One such NGO is the International Justice Mission (IJM) based in Washington D.C., but just a couple of years ago opened a Cebu office, which tells you of the seriousness of the United States to stop this type of criminality, which has flourished in our country because of poverty. Worse of all, it affects mostly our young women, the most vulnerable sector.

If you saw that movie “Taken” starring Liam Neeson, where his daughter who was vacationing with friends in Paris was abducted at the airport, it should scare us into action and find ways to help the government stop this illegal type of business, which is also known by its old name, “White Slavery”. IJM recently released a fact sheet about Metro Cebu and the numbers of people being rescued by the Task Force Anti-Trafficking is proof that this type of criminality is widespread in Metro Cebu.

We’re in luck that we have two guests from IJM namely, Mr. Andrey Sawchenko, Director IJM-Cebu and Atty. Sam Inocencio to talk about what they are doing in the Philippines, especially in Cebu in order to help us rid this scourge that plagues on the poverty of our people and victimizes our young women to do things against their will. Watch them tonight on SkyCable’s channel 15 at 8:00pm and be aware that Sex or Human Trafficking must be stopped before it happens to members of your family or friends.

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It was a very long four-day weekend for us in Cebu, but for me it was a great blessing as I was able to met two personalities that have gotten a worldwide reputation where we can be proud of them as Filipinos. The first personality I met was Mr. Efren Peñaflorida, CNN World Hero of 2010 who was the main motivational speaker at the 5th Aboitiz future Leaders Summit last Friday at the Waterfront Hotel.

It’s hard to believe that it is now five years since the 1st Future Leaders Summit was launched by the Aboitiz Group. I never missed joining each one of these activities, because you are able to sit down and talk with students from so many Universities all over the country and ask them what they think their future should be. I told President & CEO Erramon Aboitiz, Jon Ramon and Sir Bobby Aboitiz that this is one great program that should be replicated by companies nationwide.

In the Leadership Forum, Jon Ramon Aboitiz gave the students a history of the Aboitiz Company, which had its humble beginnings in Ormoc. When faced with potential bankruptcy, he pointed to a lesson that his grandpa Don Ramon Aboitiz taught them: “The biggest fortune I have is my word and reputation. Money can be lost and can be recovered but once your name and reputation is lost, one’s word is worthless and one is truly finished.”

In family corporations, there is a truism that comes in three stages: The father creates the business, then the children or the second generation enjoy the fruits, then the third generation destroys what their grandparents created. The Aboitiz Group of Companies have somehow overcome that truism and grew, thanks to the 3rd generation who made it a multi-national company that we Cebuanos are all proud of.

Jimmy Aboitiz of VECO talked about customer relations before the students who marveled at how they do things in VECO and in Davao Light today, while Pres. & CEO Erramon Aboitiz gave them a power point lecture on Business strategies from the experience of the Aboitiz Group. Later in the afternoon, Efren Peñaflorida talked about his now famous “Kariton” school that he created in the slums of Manila in order to teach children the value of education that made him a CNN World Hero.

Last Saturday evening, we attended a healing mass officiated by Msgr. Cris Garcia at the Sacred Heart Church. He brought a special guest, Sis Emma de Guzman, an OFW visionary who experiences many apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary and many Saints who appeared to her. It was a beautiful experience seeing her in person. You should see her video. Surely there’s a message that God is giving us in Cebu in meeting two known people who came from the filth and poverty of the slums who are now speaking before a lot of people, especially those who are blessed with material things.

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Email: [email protected].