IT'S - AmCham...Mar 03, 2020 · AmCham Business Journal is a general business magazine published...

MONTHWOMEN'SIT'S

Published by The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc.

MARCH 2020 VOL 95 NO 03

www.amchamphilippines.com

BUSINESS Journal

4

Contents March 2020 | Vol 95 | No 03

Organizational Sections

06 AmCham Committees - Your MAIN Ally

08 Officers & Directors

09 Guidelines for Submission of Articles

14 Chapters & Advocacies

16 Committees

18 AmCham Staff

60 Members’ Birthdays: February - March

62 Index to Advertisers

62 AmCham Social Media Accounts

Editorial

20 Bringing PH Public Service into the 21st Century

Feature

34 What Counts for Success?

50 “Easier to find Rebels than Pangolins”: Philippine Marines

AmCham Foundation News

48 AmCham Foundation Aids Victims of Taal Eruption

53 34th AmCham Foundation ChariTEE Golf Tournament

AmCham News

19 New AmCham Members

10 AmCham Corporate and Associate Partners

12 How to be an AmCham Member Partner

18 Introduce your Boss to the Philippine Business Landscape!

26 Gearing Towards The Digial AgeInformation and Communications Technology Committee

46 AmCham Mindanao Holds GMM and Launching of Associate Partners

57 New AmCham Initiative - AmCham Center for Training and Development

59 Advertise with AmCham Business Journal

60 Let’s gather over coffee - AmCham Kapihan

Business of Business

38 If Men Could Only Understand Women

Cover Story

22 A very MARDIficent Honor Your Staff Day

Company News

30 The Economic Driver of Cebu

42 International School Manila Celebrates 100 years of Growth!

44 Pfizer Philippines Foundation, Inc. Provides Special Service for Breast Cancer Patients

56 P&G Philippines drives recovery and recycling program

Contributed Article

54 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): What it means for your Business

41 Private Detective Training Course Now Offered to the Public

Upcoming AmCham Events

(03/26) Be Waste Wise: Innovating to Solve Solid Waste Challenges

(03/26) Preparation of Corporate Income Tax Returns

(03/26) AmCham Visayas General Membership Meeting

(03/27) Consumer Privacy and Data Security Training: Data Privacy Act of 2012

(03/30-31) Microsoft Excel Tips and Tricks Training

(04/02) AmCham Business Innovation Forum “Disruptors of the Decade”

(04/24) Is Your Business Ready?: Business Continuity Plan Workshop

(04/27) Mandatory Eight-hour Safety and Health (MESH) Training for Safety Officers (SO1) (As required by DOLE)

(08/23) 9th AmCham Foundation ScholaRUN - Eat & Run

AmCham Philippines | March 2020 5

THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the United States 19th Amendment which allowed women’s suffrage or their right to vote. The struggle has come a long way since the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention but was finally ratified on August 18, 2020.

Women have come a long way since and they are not just household individuals anymore. Their contributions in any field, especially in business, cannot be underestimated. In fact, the 2019 Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey & Company shares that 44 percent of companies have at least three women in their C-Suite executives.

The glass ceiling, however, is still there as the same report reveals that only one in five C-suite executives is a woman. Therefore, we honor the women workforce who are planting the seeds of corporate equality and serve as inspiration for future female decision makers.

MISSION STATEMENTThe Chamber exists to serve the needs and wants of Filipino and U.S. businesses through the participation of members in promoting their long-term objectives, while fostering closer relationships between the two countries and contributing to the civic

and economic development of the Philippines

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Ebb Hinchliffe PUBLICATIONS CONSULTANT/EDITOR: Leslie Ann MurrayCOMMUNICATIONS MANAGER: Christina Tuguigui ADVERTISING HEAD: Chet Guevara LAYOUT EDITOR: Eya Martinez

PHOTOGRAPHER: Roy Fulgado PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS: Manuel R. Guillermo and Ernie CeciliaPUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Atty. Emmanuel T. Santos and J. Albert Gamboa

PUBLISHED BY: The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. MEMBER: Publisher Association of the Philippines, Inc.

All rights reserved. AmCham Business Journal is a general business magazine published monthly by The American Chamber of Commerceof the Philippines, Inc., with offi ces at 2nd Floor, Corinthian Plaza, 121 Paseo de Roxas, corner Gamboa St., Legazpi Village, Makati City 1229

(C.P.O. Box 2562, Makati City 1265), Philippines; telephones: (632) 818-7911 to 13; fax (632) 811-3081 / 811-3184;emails: [email protected] / [email protected]; website: www.amchamphilippines.com.

Publication Registration No.: ISSN-0116-452X

All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not of The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc.The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. accepts no liability for the accuracy of the data or for the editorial views

contained in the articles. Publication of unsolicited articles is at the sole discretion of the Publications Committee.

To adhere to publication deadlines, the Publications Committee reserves the right to defer for subsequent publication any submission due to matters of space or time constraints.

Further, the AmCham Publications Committee reserves the right to refuse any submission due to style or content, or context, which may be in confl ict with AmCham mission.

No article or any content thereof may be reproduced in any manner or form without the prior written consent or authorization of The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc.

Entered as second-class mail at the Manila Post Offi ce on May 24, 1921 and on December 10, 1945. Re-entered as second-class mail at theMakati Central Post Offi ce on May 07, 1992 and under Permit #534 dated May 24, 1993.

6 | AmCham News

8 | AmCham Officers & Directors

The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc.Putting your Business Forward

Since 1902

H.E. SUNG Y. KIMU.S. Ambassador of the Philippines

Honorary Chairman

PETER HAYDENCapital One Philippines Support Services Corp.

President

BRUCE WINTONMarriott Hotel Manila

1st Vice President

ROBERTO BATUNGBACALDow Chemical

2nd Vice President

PHILIP SOLIVENCargill Philippines, Inc.

Treasurer

JOSE VICTOR EMMANUEL DE DIOSGeneral Electric Philippines

MARK LWINAIG Phils. Insurance, Inc.

FRANK THIELQuezon Power

ANDREAS RIEDELPfizer, Inc.

ARIEL LACSAMANA3M Philippines

BELINDA RACELAChevron Malampaya LLC

WINN EVERHARTCoca-Cola Far East LTD.

Directors

GEORGE M. DRYSDALEMarsman Drysdale GroupDONALD R. FELBAUM

Optel LTD.ROBERT M. SEARS

American Historical Collection Foundation, Inc.Directors, Ex-Officios

EBB HINCHLIFFEAmCham Philippines

Executive Director

ATTY. AILEEN TOLOSA-LERMARomulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc de los Angeles

Law OfficeCorporate Secretary

RALPH REUBEN MORALESTexas Instruments Philippines Inc.

President, AmCham North Luzon Chapter

BRIAN CONNELLYMarco Polo Plaza Cebu

President, AmCham Visayas Chapter

CHRISTOPHER WICHLANDusit Thani Hotels & Resorts

President, AmCham Mindanao Chapter

MARDIE C. TORRESAmCham Foundation

Acting Executive Director

2nd Floor, Corinthian Plaza Building, 121 Paseo de Roxas corner Gamboa StreetLegazpi Village, Makati City 1229

Tels.: (632) 8818 7911 to 13 • Fax: (632) 8811 3081Email: [email protected] • Website: www.amchamphilippines.com

10 | AmCham News

For more information, please contact AmCham’s Corporate Partnership Consultant.Email: [email protected] / Tel: (+632) 8818 7911 loc. 218

AMCHAM CORPORATE &ASSOCIATE PARTNERS

AmCham Philippines has been the longest-serving and most vibrant American Chamber in Asia. Recognized as the voice of business since 1902.

The AmCham Corporate and Associate Partnership offers companies year-round benefits, including expanded access to AmCham core membership resources for an enhanced leadership status within the community, as well as greater intelligence, access, influence, and exposure.

CORPORATE PARTNERS

ASSOCIATE PARTNERS

12 | AmCham News12 | AmCham News

Regular Firm Membership *A – Php 57,800 | B – Php 47,300(*+Php 12, 500 one time registration fee)

This membership is available to corporations, partnerships, proprietorships, and other business organizations and enterprises that are registered and qualified to do business in the Philippines, with 30% or more of the ownership held by American citizens and/or corporations.

In a partnership, the American partner/s must have a share of interest of 30% or more. In the case of nonstock corporations and un-incorporated associations, at least 30% of the voting members must be Americans.

In this classification, the firm shall be represented by an accredited individual who must rank as a senior executive but may not be necessarily be an American citizen.

Regular Individual Membership Php 34,700(*+Php 7, 500 one time registration fee)

This membership is available to individual persons residing in the Philippines who are American citizens and who are not eligible for any other membership classifications.

Associate Firm Membership *A – Php 57,800 | B – Php 47,300(*+Php 12, 500 one time registration fee)

This membership is available to firms that are qualified to do business in the Philippines, with 71% or more of the ownership held by citizens or corporations that are non-Americans. The firm shall be represented by an accredited individual who must rank as a senior executive and may be of any nationality.

Associate Individual Membership Php 34,700(*+Php 7, 500 one time registration fee)

This membership is available to individuals residing in the Philippines who are non-American citizens and who are not eligible for any other membership classifications.

Non-Profit and Government Membership Php 23,400(*+Php 6, 250 one time registration fee)

This membership is available to: non-profit, charitable, civic, educational, religious and eleemosynary organizations, associations and institutions in the Philippines. Under this classification, an individual accredited by the organization shall serve as a representative. Employees of the U.S. Federal Government can also avail of this membership category.

Non-Resident Membership Php 23,400(*+Php 6, 250 one time registration fee)

This membership is available to firms and individuals who are doing business outside the Philippines but would like to support the Chamber in its activities and events.

Additional Firm Membership Php 5,250

This membership is available to any employee of a firm member residing in the Philippines who wish to be recognized as an official member of the Chamber.

*A- Annual Revenue of US$ 5 million and above B - Annual Revenue of US$ 4.9 million and below

Associate Firm Membership

Associate Individual Membership

Non-Resident Membership

Regular Firm Membership

Regular Individual Membership

Non-Profit and Government Membership

Additional Firm Membership

For queries please contact AmCham’s Membership Manager.Email: [email protected] / Tel: (+632) 8818 7911 loc. 207

14 | AmCham Chapters & Advocacies

THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC.

(North Luzon Chapter - 2015)

RALPH REUBEN MORALESTexas Instruments Inc.

President

JOAN SABROSOChapter Office Manager

Claro M. Recto Highway, Clark Freeport ZoneMabalacat City, Pampanga 2010

Telefax: (632) 8811 3081 • Mobile: +63 (927) 912 3248Email: [email protected]


(Visayas Chapter - 1987)

BRIAN CONNELLYMarco PoloPresident

BRENDA LISENChapter Office Manager

RUTHCEL ARAGONChapter Marketing Manager

Unit 303, Clotilde Commercial CenterM.L. Quezon Street, Casuntingan, Mandaue City 6014

Tel.: +63 (32) 316 1093 • Fax: (032) 232 2373Mobile: +63 (917) 323 1972

Emails: [email protected]@[email protected]

Website: www.amchamvisayas.com


(Mindanao Chapter - 1988)

CHRISTOPHER WICHLANDusit Thani Hotels & Resorts

President

ANNIE QUITAYChapter Office Manager

2nd Floor, Door 207-208, Don Cesareo, Villa-Abrille BuildingJacinto corner Juan Luna Street, Davao City 8000

Mobile: +63 (916) 876 7729Emails: [email protected]

[email protected]

THE AMERICAN CHAMBER FOUNDATION PHILIPPINES, INC.

(Founded 1985)

EDWIN FEISTAdvanced Nutrition Technology

President

MARDIE C. TORRESActing Executive Director

16th Floor, Sagittarius Conominium111 H.V. Dela Costa, Salcedo Village, Makati City 1227

Trunkline: (632) 8816 3716 • Directline: (632) 8867 2426E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.amchamfoundation.com

FILIPINO-AMERICAN MEMORIAL ENDOWMENT, INC.(Founded 1986)

LT. COL. ARTEMIO MATIBAGPresident

LESLIE ANN MURRAYTrustee

KV ROJASF.A.M.E. Specialist

c/o The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc.2nd Floor, Corinthian Plaza Building, 121 Paseo de Roxascorner Gamboa Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City 1229

C.P.O. Box 2562, Makati City, 1265Tels.: (632) 8818 7911 to 13 • Fax: (632) 8811 3081

Email: [email protected]: www.filipino-americanmemorials.org

AMERICAN DESK AT THE BOARD OF INVESTMENTS(Established 1992)

EBB HINCHLIFFEDirector

MC LAWRENCEAmerican Desk Specialist

385 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati CityTels.: (632) 8895 8851; 895 3918 • Fax: (632) 8896 2315

Emails: [email protected]@amchamphilippines.com

16 | AmCham Committees

COMMITTEE Chairman INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT SPECIALISTAgribusiness Philip G. Soliven / Atty. Mel Hernandez KV Rojas

Education Terry Farris Lia Daus

Energy & Power Atty. Jocot de Dios / Frank Thiel Mark Rabago

Environment and Urban Development Jonah de Lumen-Pernia KV Rojas

Financial Services, Taxes & Tariffs Atty. Jules Riego / Rombit Co Jeanne Moreno

Healthcare and Wellness Jaeger Tanco / Donald Felbaum Lia Daus

Human Capital & Resources Ernie Cecilia / Grace Sorongon Lia Daus

Information & Communications Technology Donald Felbaum / Frank Holz Jeanne Moreno

Infrastructure & Logistics Jaime Faustino / John Peterson Mark Rabago

Intellectual Property Rights Atty. Divina P.V. Ilas-Panganiban, LL.M.Atty. Princess Ascalon

Jeanne Moreno

Legislative John D. Forbes / Atty. Elaine Collado Mark Rabago

Manufacturing Dan Lachica / Chris Ilagan Mark Rabago

Pharmaceutical Andreas Riedel Lia Daus

Professional Women of AmCham Belinda Racela / Atty. Melanie Lagera Jeanne Moreno

Security & Disaster Resources Group Simoun Ung / Pete Troilo Lia Daus

Sustainability Atty. Mimi Malvar / Mardie C. Torres KV Rojas

Tourism & Hospitality Robert Blume / Dorothy Drysdale Jeanne Moreno

Trade & Investment Mario Biscocho / Douglas Fowler Mark Rabago

Young Professionals of AmCham Atty. Paolo Villonco Peter Gonzales

INTERNALMembership Roland dela Cruz / Martin Marty Vicky San Juan-Co

Kapihan• Networking / General Membership

Meetings• Welcome Breakfast

Ebb Hinchliffe / Leslie Ann Murray Peter GonzalesPeter Gonzales

Vicky San Juan-Co

Chapters• North Luzon• Visayas

• Mindanao

Ebb Hinchliffe Vicky San Juan-CoJoan SabrosoBrenda Lisen

Ruthcel AragonAnnie Quitay

Communications & Publications Manuel R. GuillermoErnie Cecilia

Lance FernandezLeslie Ann Murray

Chet GuevaraEya Martinez

Corporate Partners Ebb Hinchliffe Christina Winton

Business Training and Development Center Mc Lawrence

A C T I V I T I E S / A D V O CA CY / A F F I L I AT EAmcham Foundation Edwin D. Feist Mardie C. Torres

AmDesk at The BOI Ebb Hinchliffe Mc Lawrence

Business Leadership Program (BLP) Jun Salipsip / David Caldwell Pinky Jamili

Filipino-American Memorial Endowment (F.A.M.E.)

LT. Col. Art Matibag / Leslie Ann Murray Divina Combes

The Arangkada Philippines Project (TAPP II)

John D. Forbes Mark Rabago

Washington Relations / APCAC Rick Santos / George Drysdale Divina Combes

18 | AmCham Staff

Assistant to the Executive Director Divina Combes

Human Resources / Administrative Offi cer Rachel de Guzman

Accounting Manager Patricia Estrella

Accounting Head Elmer Yanuaria

Cashier Dominador Borres

Accounts Receivable Specialist Cristina Teves

Program Manager,Committees and Industry Relations

KV Rojas

Industry Development Specialists (IDS)

Events Specialist

Lia DausMark Rabago

Jeanne MorenoPeter Gonzales

Government Liaison Mark Rabago

Business Training and Development Manager Mc Lawrence

Communications Manager Lance Fernandez

Advertising Head Chet Guevara

Layout Editor Eya Martinez

Membership Manager Vicky San Juan-Co

North Luzon Chapter Offi ce Manager Joan Sabroso

Visayas Chapter Offi ce Manager Brenda Lisen

Visayas Chapter Marketing Manager Ruthcel Aragon

Mindanao Chapter Offi ce Manager Annie Quitay

Publications Consultant / Editor Leslie Ann Murray

Corporate Partnership Consultant Christina Winton

Business Leadership Program Manager (BLP) Pinky Jamili

Receptionist Celine Laurel

Administrative Services Roy Fulgado

Librarian Aurora Galvez

Drivers Rick PejiErnie Aala


New AmCham Members For November 2019 to January 2020

AmCham.Philippines

National Capital Region

Air Intellipure Mr. Nick Gitsis Founder Associate Corporate B

The Bloc Ph, Inc. Ms. Kathleen Ann Rayos del Sol

Director of Operations

Regular Corporate A

Novotel Suites Manila by Aqua Mr. Michael James Britt General ManagerAssociate Corporate A

Sanofi Aventis Mr. Amal Makhloufi-Benchouk

Country Chair Regular Corporate A

Tenet Global Business Center Ms. Karen Batungbacal Country Head Regular Corporate B

North Luzon Chapter

Holy Angel University Mr. Luis Maria Calingo President Non-Profit and Government

SGV & Co. Ms. Margaux Advincula Partner Business Tax Services

Corporate B

Visayas Chapter

Mr. Renan R. Ayo, Jr. Individual Member

Accountable PH Mr. Shaun Beavis President Corporate A

Author Solutions Phils. Ms. Merrell Davis RioVP - General Manager

Corporate A

Barte Group, Inc. Ms. Jenny R. Barte Vice-President Corporate A

Dealogikal Corp. Mr. Ira Jon Kiener CEO Corporate A

Good Job General Manpower Mr. Cyril Natad General Manager Corporate A

Oakridge Realty Development Corp. Mr. Edmun Liu CEO Corporate A

Mindanao Chapter

COHO by Vistaland Mr. Carlo Refamonte Mindanao Operations Head

Corporate A

Migen Logistics Ms. Virgie Albaera President Corporate A

Xavier Sports & Country Club Ms. Maria Cristina Pizarro General Manager Corporate A

20 | Editorial

BRINGING PH PUBLIC SERVICES INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

As a legislative reform priority of the Duterte Administration, the Public Service Act Amendments bill is currently under

deliberation in the 18th Congress. If enacted, this will bring into the modern era the 1936 law Commonwealth Act No. 146, known as the Public Service Act.

To quote American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, “the times, they are a-changin’.”

HOW FOREIGN OWNERSHIP GOT LIMITEDThe “times” in 1936 called for the National Assembly

to pass a law to create the Public Services Commission1 to regulate public services which included every person who would “own, operate, manage, or control…for general business purposes” any of over 30 specific services listed in the bill. The list includes obvious ones such as electric light, power, railroad, and steamboat services. However, there are also less obvious ones, such as canals, ice plants, petroleum systems, pontines,2 shipyards, and wharfs/docks.

Article XIV, Section 8 of the 1935 constitution contained a restriction on the issuance of a franchise for the operation of a public utility requiring the ownership to be at least 60 percent Philippine-owned. The 1973 and 1987 constitutions maintained this provision. (American citizens and corporations were exempted until 1974.)

However, the three constitutions did not concretely define what counts as a public utility. For over eight decades, this legal imprecision has allowed public utilities and public services to be confused with each other and created a major legal impediment to foreign investment in the Philippines.

Historically, administrative interpretations of the Constitution erred on the side of protectionism and ruled in favor of majority local ownership. For example, the Department of Justice ruled that international freight carriers could not move parcels domestically. The Department of Transportation ruled that a Transportation Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) must be at least 60

percent Philippine-owned and declined to license new foreign-owned car and motorcycle operators.

The Supreme Court has ruled that a shipyard is not a public utility. It also ruled that the light rail MRT-3 could be foreign-owned but must be Philippine-operated. RA9136 reformed the electric power industry to allow 100% foreign ownership of electricity generation.

DAWN OF A NEW ERAIn 2010, the World Bank measured 87 countries

in its Investing Across Borders report. Among the ASEAN-6, the Philippines was the most restrictive in transport, second most restrictive in telecom, and third most restrictive in electricity. In 2019 the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development rated the Philippines as the most restrictive of 72 economies in its FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index.

Despite widespread recommendations from presidential commissions and business groups, past Philippine governments made little effort to amend the constitutional 60-40 rule on public utilities. In the 16th Congress a proposal in the House of Representatives to amend constitutional restrictions on foreign equity failed.

Economists and foreign investors were encouraged, in May 2016, when incoming Secretary of Finance Carlos Dominguez explained Point 3 of the Socioeconomic Agenda to “pursue relaxation of Constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership, except as regards land ownership, in order to attract foreign investment.”

Chapter 16 of the Philippine Development

Plan 2017-2022, entitled “Leveling the Playing Field through a National Competition Policy” also advocates amending the Public Service Act.

President Duterte signed Memorandum Order No. 16 dated November 21, 2017 instructing the NEDA Board to lift restrictions on foreign participation in eight areas, including “Public services, except…public utilities such as transmission and distribution of electricity, water pipeline distribution system and sewerage pipeline system.”

The 17th Congress attempted to pass a bill amending the PSA. While the bill passed the House on September 8, 2017, it failed to gain Senate approval

1 The Public Service Commission no longer exists; its functions are performed by dozens of separate regulatory agencies, such as the CAAP, CAB, ERC, LTFRB, Marina, MWSA, NTC, NWRB, PPA, and TRB.2 AmCham will publish the photo of any reader able to provide a definition of “pontine.”

John D. Forbes, Guest Editor


in mid-2019 for lack of time, despite a certification as urgent by the president.

Item 18 of List A of the Eleventh Regular Foreign Investment Negative List, promulgated on October 29, 2018, records that foreign ownership of public utilities is allowed up to forty percent only.

WHAT THE PSA AMENDMENTS BILL CAN DELIVERThe 18th Congress is now facing an historic

opportunity to make a major reform to bring Philippine public services into the 21st Century by passing the PSA amendments bill. HB 78 moved quickly under the firm guidance of the chairperson of the Committee on Economics Affairs, Sharon Garin, to a final vote on March 10, 2020. In the Senate, on February 4, the Committee on Public Services, chaired by Senator Grace Poe, reported out its bill from the previous plenary consideration is pending.

The new law, when enacted, will provide a concise definition of public utilities, institute a rate-setting methodology that is fair to both investors and consumers, and facilitate greater competition in public services. Only four activities – all considered to be natural monopolies – will be public utilities: electricity transmission, electricity distribution, water distribution, and sewerage. Telecommunications and transportation services would be liberalized.

This long-overdue legislation should help the Philippines recover from declining foreign direct investment, which decreased an estimated 30% in 2019 to $7 billion from $10 billion in 2018.3 FDI, attracted by the new law, will flow into domestic infrastructure in public services, improving technology, quality, and competition, bringing better pricing, and enhancing

access to services for unserved and underserved areas.

The bill strongly considers the protection of national security by adopting the same framework and measures for scrutinizing FDI for security risks used by countries such the United States and Australia and the European Union.

An increase in FDI will create more business opportunities and jobs to improve the quality of life of Filipinos. By enabling the entry of more operators, the bill will improve the quality of public services, such as transportation and communication. These services are crucial inputs for domestic Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises and the daily life of Filipinos.

We strongly urge the Senate to pass this crucial piece of legislation, as its enactment into law will enable the Philippines to lift its momentum towards economic growth and development to a higher level and improve the lives of citizens.

“Our public services are among the most inefficient and expensive in the world…Domestic shipping costs are so high, they account for 53% of wholesale prices of agricultural products. We have the most expensive texts and calls in the ASEAN…and most expensive internet speed worldwide.” Rep. Sharon Garin, sponsorship speech, September 4, 2019.

3 The BSP should release final 2019 data by the end of March 2020.

In photos: Left: Congresswoman Sharon Garin, NEDA Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning Carlos Abad Santos, and Foundation for Economic Freedom consultant Dr. Joseph Angeles, Esq., LL.M. speaking at AmCham’s Special Reform Legislative Discussion Series session on Public Services Act amendments held on January 29, 2020 in partnership with the Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development. Right: AmCham ICT Committee chair Mr. Don Felbaum and AmCham Senior Adviser John Forbes with Congresswoman Garin, ASec. Abad Santos, and Dr. Angeles.

John D. Forbes is the Senior Advisor of AmCham Philippines and Arangkada Philippines Project’s Chief of Party.You may reach him [email protected] or call 8818-7911 loc. 223.

22 | Cover Story

By Peter Gonzales

The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines held its 37th Honor Your Staff Day last February 21 at the Manila Ballroom of the

Manila Marriott Hotel in Pasay City. Around 240 business executives, together with their staff, were present during the Mardi Gras-themed event that aims to acknowledge and celebrate the dedication of AmCham member companies’ unsung heroes.

“Love Your Secretary” is the event’s original title when it was started in Valentine’s Day 1984 by then AmCham Executive Director J. Marsh Thomson. Back then, the giving of special recognition was exclusive for the Executive Assistants of AmCham member companies. Since then, it has become a traditional event and the program evolved through the years. The expansion of member companies triggered the change of the event’s nature from “Love Your Secretary” to “Honor Your Secretary” and its current name, Honor Your Staff Day, which is inclusive of all employees.

This year’s edition of the HYSD was graced by Angkas Founder and CEO Ms. Angeline Tham who delivered a keynote speech on “Disruptive Innovation”. She shared her Eureka moment in coming up with Angkas, their run-ins with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board; and overcoming the regulatory difficulties through

AmCham Executive Director Ebb Hinchliffe giving his welcome remarks

AmCham 1st Vice-President Bruce Winton introducing the guest speaker


→

Business EssentialsA special treat crafted especially for your corporate and travel needs.

Stay with us for a minimum of three (3) days and two (2) nights and get complimentary access to the club lounge or complimentary roundtrip airport transfers during your stay! For reservations and inquiries, you may contact us at +63 (82) 272-7500 or your may send us an e-mail at [email protected].

Stella Hizon Reyes Drive, Bo. Pampanga, Davao City, 8000, Philippinest +63 (82) 272-7500 | +63 (82) 322-7000 e [email protected]

high safety standards, compliance, and forging trusting relationships with their bikers.

Next on stage was comedian GB Labrador who lightened up the crowd through his observational humor. Acoustic performer Paolo Santos serenaded the audience as well.

Aside from the games that teamed the executives with their staff together, the event also included multiple raffle draws of minor and major prizes. The grand prize winners will enjoy two round-trip tickets each to anywhere in the United States, courtesy of Delta Airlines. Other major prizes include an overnight stay for two from our hotel sponsors Manila Marriott Hotel, Sheraton Manila Hotel, and Ascott Bonifacio Global City.

No one left empty-handed, however, as the attendees took home gift bags filled with products from sponsors Amway, Procter and Gamble, Dad’s Moving and Storage, and Universal Robina, to name a few. →

Angkas Founder and CEO, Angela Tham delivering her keynote speech on “Desruptive Innovation”

“ “It is the hard work and professionalism of our riders that made Angkas the brand that it is today.

24 | Cover Story

Peter Joshua Gonzales is the Events Specialist of the American Chamber of Commerce-Philippines. He handles the chamber's special events such as the General Membership Luncheon Meeting (GMLM), Networking Nights, Honor Your Staff Day (HYSD), and the Kapihan

Sessions. He is also the point-person for the Young Professionals Committee.You may reach him at [email protected] or call 8818-7911 loc. 203.

Other than the companies already mentioned, AmCham Philippines would also like to thank Quezon Power, Golden Arches, OSI, Forth & Tay, RCG, Ford, Villa Escudero, Fluor Daniel, Hanes, Kyani, Mary Kay, Unionbank, CalEnergy, Raffles & Fairmont, Microtel Wyndham, and Burts Bees, for making the Honor Your Staff Day 2020 possible.

Jazz Reyes, event host GB Labrador, comedian Paolo Santos, singer/song writer Best in costume winners

26 | AmCham News

Information and CommunicationsTechnology Committee

Gearing TowardsThe Digital AgeBy: Jeanne Angela Moreno

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) committee of The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) recently organized a

committee meeting, sponsored by Globe Telecom, entitled: “Gearing Towards The Digital Age: DICT Updates”, which was held at the Tower Club.

Notable speakers from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and Globe Telecom were invited to speak on digitization and technological advancement in the Philippine context. Underecretary (Usec) of the Department of Information, Communication and Technology, Eliseo Rio Jr. and Engineer (Engr) Gerhard Tan, of Globe Communications elucidated the impact of technological expansion in the Philippines. Committee co-chairs Donald Felbaum and Frank Holz were present at the meeting.

Usec. Rio’s presentation was entitled: “DICT Initiatives Towards a Digital Future”. He emphasized and focused on answering the question, “Is the Philippines ready for the 4th Industrial Revolution?” He reiterated that, “the 4th Industrial Revolution is more than just a technologically-driven change but [is] an avenue to help everyone and promote an inclusive, human-centered future.” As the Undersecretary for Operations in the DICT, he presented the mandate of the department of being the “primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, and administrative entity that plans, develops, and promotes the National ICT Development Agenda, which is also known as the RA 10844.” (DICT Initiatives Towards a Digital Future, 2020)

In his presentation, Usec. Rio also shared a summary of the department’s accomplishments wherein he explained the “five Strategic Objectives” that the DICT has utilized to attain considerable achievements from 2016 – 2019:

Usec. Eliseo Rio Jr. presenting. Engr. Tan presenting.

“Strategic Objective 1 is: ICT-Driven Governance which aims to empower the government in decision and policy-making by gathering, integrating and harmonizing data and ICT systems among government agencies.” (DICT Initiatives Towards a Digital Future, 2020) This strategic objective was utilized in the following projects: E-Government Master Plan 2022, National ICT Household Survey and National ICT Ecosystem Framework.

“Strategic Objective 2 is: Improving Access and Connectivity which focuses on facilitating the build-up of telecommunications and broadband infrastructure that will improve the coverage and connection speed of internet in the country.” In Strategic Objective 2, the National Broadband Program, the Free Wifi For All Program, and the Government Emergency Communications System were all looked into.

“Strategic Objective 3 is: Seamless Delivery of Government Services which aims to ease business transactions as mandated by RA 11032, or the ‘Ease of Doing Business Law’.” Under the Strategic Objective


Ebb Hinchliffe and Usec. Eliseo Rio Jr. together with some of the Globe team members.

3, Central Business Portal, eBPLS, Central Business Portal, and the National Citizens’ Portal were taken up.

“Strategic Objective 4 is: Expansion and Inclusivity of Economic Opportunities which is to ensure that advantages of ICT reach all levels of Filipino society through digital literacy and skills training.” Under which are the ‘digitaljobsPH Program’ and ‘Tech4ED Program’.”

“Strategic Objective 5 is: Safe and Secure Cyberspace and Digital Economy which aims to ensure that cyber threats and risks are managed.”

It was clarified as to why Cybersecurity was encapsulated in the last Strategic Objective, namely because of the following being considered in its implementation: the National Cybersecurity Plan (NCSP) 2022, Cybersecurity Development and Management Program, and Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI).

Usec Rio was also forthright and shared the difficulties and challenges that the DICT is facing today

with regards to achieving a digitized Philippines, but despite that, Usec. Rio shared the future initiatives that the DICT has in store for the country are well in hand.

Engineer (Engr.) Gerhard Tan followed with his presentation entitled: “A Quantum Leap in Mobile Technology” with the focus being on 5G and how →

28 | AmCham News

this evolved through the years. He first defined, what 5G is - technically - and then identified what 5G will bring and contribute to mobile technology. He also demonstrated how mobile technology had progressed, beginning with only 1G and now, the existence of 5G.

He further elucidated the technological era which each “G” represented: 1G and 2G, are considered the Mobile Voice Era, used for call and SMS activities; 3G and 4G are branded as the Mobile Broadband Era, catering to email, web, game, social, HD video, LiTRA, VR/AR, NB-IOT, VolTE, and WTTX. 5G, at present, being the most advanced, is called the Super Connected Era with the ability to enable connection to cars, drones, for smart manufacturing and more industries. All this surpasses the abilities of anything from 1G to 4G. The facets of 5G technology will greatly contribute to “Response, Experience, Connection, Mobility, and Efficiency”.

As noted, 5G is the biggest technology introduction since the internet itself, serving major use categories such as: enhanced mobile broadband, fixed wireless access, massive Internet of Things (IoT) and critical IoT.

In reiteration, Engr. Tan stated that 5G will bring the extraordinary experience of cloud PC/ gaming to users. The advantages of cloud PC/gaming are convenience, security, flexibility, and affordability. He also mentioned that 5G infrastructure makes cloud AR/VR a reality.

The topic of surveillance was also touched upon, mentioning that it is an enterprise-use area that requires broad deployment of the 5G network. Another particularly interesting aspect in the area of surveillance that Engr. Tan mentioned is that of facial recognition surveillance analytics. Facial recognition surveillance analytics is utilize by Globe for a safer and more secured environment. Engr. Tan concluded his presentation by showing a video of Globe’s activities and the “stepping stones” toward finally achieving 5G.

After the presentations, the Co-Chairs of the ICT committee, Donald Felbaum and Frank Holz, joined by Ebb Hinchliffe, Executive Director of AmCham, and Aimee Rabago, Head of Partnerships, Brand and Strategy of Globe Telecom, presented tokens of appreciation to Usec. Rio and Engr. Tan.

The committee meeting was concluded with a message of appreciation by Donald Felbaum for the speakers and for all those who attended.

Usec. Eliseo Rio Jr., Ebb Hinchliffe and Donald Felbaum conversing.

Usec. Eliseo Rio Jr. meeting some of the attendees.

Usec. Eliseo Rio Jr., and Engr. Tan answering some of the questions on the floor.

Jeanne Angela D. Moreno is an Industry Development Specialist in the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines. She is assigned to handle five committees which captures five different business industries namely: Financial Services, Taxes and Tariffs

(FSTT); Information and Communications Technology (ICT); Intellectual Property Rights (IPR); Professional Women of AmCham (PWoA); and Tourism and Hospitality (TH). Jeanne organizes regular monthly meetings for each committee respectively, tackling the topics which are timely and relevant to that particular industry. You may reach her at [email protected] or give her a ring at 8818-7911 loc. 213.

30 | Company News

A decade and a half ago, during the largest annual event outside Manila, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (CCCI) Cebu

Business Month (CBM) 2005, with the theme ‘Cebu Gearing Up for Global Play’, the IT/BPM industry got strategically recognized as one of the twin-win economic drivers of Cebu. The other economic driver was the Tourism industry with the flagship countryside tourism promotion program, ”SuroySuroy Sugbo’ launched during the same CBM event.

The accompanying aggressive marketing and promotional campaigns, which included road shows in Bangalore and Hyderabad in India, Beijing and Shanghai in China, Hong Kong and Singapore, culminated in the holding of the country’s first IT/BPM international conference in June 2005 in Cebu.

Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was guest of honor and keynote speaker, and the signature event attracted international speakers, delegates, and more importantly, industry investors who would later invest in the first IT economic zone outside Luzon, Asiatown IT Park which was later renamed Cebu IT Park (CITP), as well as in other areas of Cebu City.

So strong was the industry growth that after finishing a one-storey, 11,000 sq. meter building in 2005, high rise IT buildings started to sprout, resulting in a vibrant and dynamic IT Economic Zone.

THE CONTACT CENTER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD SINCE 2010- PHILIPPINES: CEBU NEXT TO MANILA

The phenomenal growth of the IT/BPM industry

The old Cebu Domestic Airport in 1989 (Photo by Mr. Fred Umabong)

CIB.O - IT/Business Process Management (BPM) Industry:

Economic Driver of Cebu

in Cebu reached its tipping point in 2010. That year saw the conversion of a 50-hectare Cebu Business Park (CBP) into a much larger economic zone. This happened during the final years of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) who, after seeing the Cebu IT Park as a great success formula, challenged the former president of Cebu Holdings, Inc. (CHI), Francis Monera, to produce another economic zone in Cebu. It transpired that CHI’s Monera had already worked with PEZA’s Director General Lilia de Lima on an Economic Zone Certificate for CBP that only lacked a Presidential Proclamation. On the spot, GMA announced CBP as a much bigger economic zone. The Presidential Proclamation was followed by an all-time high construction boom in the following years, particularly in Cebu Business Park (see Photo 3 showing the transformation of the former Club Filipino de Cebu golf course into a full blown business and financial district).

Now transformed to Cebu IT Park(Photo by Mr. Art Balaga of Style Assembly Multimedia)

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The Former Club Filipino Golf Course Now transformed to Cebu Business Park (Photo by Mr. Art Balagaof Style Assembly Multimedia)

A GRAPH REFLECTING THE BOOM IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AFTER 2010

Direct employment which was estimated at 1,200 in 2001 has exponentially grown to around 170,000 in the current year. The diversity of expertise offered by the outsourcing industry such as call center operations, IT outsourcing, shared services operations, research and development, engineering services, to banking/insurance services, and the health information management services has since widened and deepened in terms of complexity. Due to this the Philippines, particularly the cities of Manila and Cebu, were recognized as the “Contact Center Capital of the World”. As the country strengthened its position in the industry, it became imperative for major contact center companies to establish a location in the country with Cebu being a top choice due to the city’s considerable amount of English-speaking talent, as well as a neutral accent within the province.

In 2008 Cebu City was catapulted to No. 1 in the listing of the Top 50 Emerging Global Outsourcing Cities, and peaked at the No. 7 spot on the Global

Outsourcing Destinations listing of 2016, with both recognitions granted by Tholons Digital Marketing Index - a full-service strategic advisory firm for global outsourcing advisory and investments.

On the 2017 list of Super Cities of the World, Cebu City’s position dipped to No. 12 after Tholon’s changed the criteria to incorporate the Innovation Ecosystem and Digital Transformation in their new list. On the 2019 list, Cebu City inched up to No.11.

Looking back, the Cebu Educational Development Foundation for IT (CEDFIT) was formed during the First Cebu IT Summit in March 2001. CEDFIT is a consortium of IT industry players and universities/colleges responsible for Cebu’s human resource development. It was transformed on May 22, 2017 into what is now popularly known as Cebu IT/BPM Organization (CIB.O) during the Transformation Summit, which is now a full-time industry association dedicated to sustain Cebu’s IT/BPM industry as it shifts towards providing higher value IT and IT-enabled services. →

CIB.O Board of Trustees

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32 | Company News

CIB.O BOARD OF TRUSTEES TOASTS CEDFIT’S TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS, CIB.O’S PROSPECTS, AND CEBU’S IT/BPM INDUSTRY’S GROWTH AND PROSPERITY.

Based on a recent list by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Cebu City is home to more than 400 IT/BPM locators with an industry estimate of around 170,000 directly-employed individuals as of December 2019. The income generated through direct employment is estimated at Php33.2 B annually, with an added Php53.0B[1] from indirectly employed individuals. This brings the income contributed by the outsourcing industry to about Php86.2B per year in the local economy. The industry advantage of providing its members a pay grade above the minimum wage allows for more disposable income coming from the new middle class of Cebu. This means that not only is the industry funneling money through industry expenditures, it also allows for more disposable income to be spent within the province.

THE DIVERSITY OF CEBU’S OUTSOURCING INDUSTRY

Cebu is now home to most of the big outsourcing players present in Metro Manila such as Concentrix (formerly Convergys), Teleperformance, Accenture, Teletech, ePerformax, JPMorgan and Chase, IBM, Optum, Conduent ,QBE, Manulife, Results, Telstra, EXL, etc. Further, the city proudly boasts of some of its Cebu-based operations such as Lexmark R & D and Lexmark Shared Services, Lear’s Philippine Engineering and Technology Center, NEC, Qualfon, Dash Engineering, Inc., AZPIRED, NCR’s R & D, Mercedes-Benz Shared Services, Wipro, Bombardier, Author Solutions, Ameeratel, Alliance Software and FPT Software.

Recently, Cebu City continued to capture some new players Fujitsu, Dover Business Solutions, and Kuehne + Nagel. Added most recently is the first contact service site of another prestigious company, AMAZON in the Philippines.

FROM CEDFIT TO CEBU IT BPM.ORGANIZATION (CIB.O)

With the exponential growth of the IT/BPM industry of Cebu, making it one of the “twin-win” economic drivers earlier stated, industry and academe leaders decided to transform CEDFIT into a full time industry association. CEDFIT thus became Cebu IT BPM.Organization, or CIB.O.

This transformation was launched during the 2017 “Transformation Summit” - the main IT/BPM industry event of Cebu. Beyond the usual human resource development activities, CIB.O is now officially marketing the city to potential locators, ensuring that the needs of the IT/BPM companies are addressed as related to both local and national concerns. CIB.O continues to organize the annual industry event now called the “Transformation Summit” to gather industry, academe, government, support groups, and other stakeholders to sustain the growth of the industry.

CIB.O Chairman Francis Monera addresses the audience at the 2017 Transformation Summit held at Marco Polo Cebu

CIB.O CONTINUES TO TRAILBLAZE AND EVOLVE

The great success of the IT/BPM industry in bringing jobs and business opportunities in Cebu City, has inspired other cities in the Philippines

CIB.O gets the Flare Award in 2018

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to convert their cities into IT/BPM Hubs; thus competition from within the country is heating up. But being the trailblazer, and blessed with our superb infrastructure- power/telco/international airport, the abundance of qualified talent and its strategic location, Cebu’s hold on the industry is deeply rooted. The highly collaborative IT/BPM ecosystem of Cebu, engineered by CIB.O, has always been a very crucial ingredient to its success.

The coming of Artificial Intelligence(AI),

robotics, process automation, data analytics, higher value services, data security, and our K to 12 transition, are all becoming real challenges of the industry. Artificial Intelligence, robotics, and process automation may displace 30-50% of the BPM workers, but at the same time these developments create opportunities for higher value work requiring experience and more analytical skills. The higher value services that CIB.O and its members aspire to continue providing will require more skills, experience, and training for Cebu’s workforce. This, in turn, requires early exposure to computer aided education, augmented with online learnings. Cebu City has trained its senior high school teachers in the basics of Coding/

Programming in partnership with the Coders Guild of the Philippines, Cebu City School Board, Cebu City DepEd, DICT and CIB.O with the support of its members and the private sector.

The teachers started training the senior high

students in five select public high schools in June 2019. The target was to initially train 200 students at the rate of 40 students per school but ended up with more than 500 students trained. These students will be for industry immersion starting in Nov 2020. The engagement of the students was surprisingly very good and some schools even finished the training in one semester, instead of the planned three semesters.

With this very positive response from the

schools, CIB.O together with Cebu City School Board and Cebu City DepEd have decided to offer a more advanced Coding Training on introduction to Java Programming in April 2020. All this is designed to make Cebu City (in the very near future) the First City of Coders in the Philippines, with our partners. CIB.O is committed to improve the skills of our teachers and consequently the employable talents needed for the IT/BPM industry.

34 | Feature

Growing up, I thought I wanted to be a writer. No, I take that back; maybe something else that could evolve from an undergraduate

program in Fine Arts. Well, I couldn’t really tell. My mother didn’t also want to influence me then where I might be leaning toward. Frankly, I didn’t know what I wanted to become. I just knew I wanted to be successful. In what field and how, it wasn’t clear and I wasn’t sure.

Graduating from high school, something or someone jolted me to reality, coaxed my feet back to the ground where I might have heard through my subconscious, “Manny, get a hold of yourself, take up a Commerce degree, get employed quickly, and earn your keep.” No fancy courses for me, I decided. I needed to help out in augmenting the family income—the sooner, the better.

Later in life, after having gained a measure of success in my professional life, it crossed my mind that I would probably have become a fairly good diplomat for the country had I chosen that career path instead. Through roughly 25 years of expatriate life, I blended pretty well with a wide variety of folks and businessmen of other countries who had distinctly different cultures and traditions. I worked with Muslims in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Bangladesh; Buddhists in Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar; and multi-faith-oriented West Africans in Nigeria; as well as Japanese, Koreans, Singaporeans, Americans, Australians, and Scandinavians – and many of them became my friends. In hindsight, I would have enjoyed the responsibility and the stature of a diplomat and would not even have complained about those endless daily cocktails.

WHAT COUNTS FORSUCCESS?By: Manuel Guillermo


The perennial big question is: when does one know for sure what he or she wants to become? The answer is not easier now than during my adolescence more than 60 years ago. In this day and age, the choices are easily a hundred times more diverse. To compete today, one must be a specialist or a so-called niche player. The advent of specialization has long ago come upon us – thanks to the likes of Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), and Andrew Grove (Intel) who, with their genius and pioneering spirit, made a difference and changed the world irreversibly by making available to the greater population of our planet easy access to the use of personal computers and the latest advances in information technology. Speaking of this pervasive specialization imperative, there is a joke that nowadays, when one wants to consult an eye doctor, he’d better know beforehand whether he’d want to see a left eye or a right eye specialist.

Not all was so unsure as I was then in my case, and as would conceivably the majority of those graduating from high school during my time about what they wanted to make of their lives. There would be some who knew what they wanted to become. As sure as day followed night, they forged ahead to pursue and achieve, to their credit, the fulfillment of their dreams of becoming a doctor of medicine, lawyer, engineer, accountant, farmer, teacher, and even a priest or a nun. Some might have had the enviable support from their parents who had the financial means to back their precious children’s dreams all throughout. Others had persevering parents who were possessed by a compelling drive to uplift their poorer plight, proudly pinning their hopes on their favorite sons’

or daughters’ presumed eventual success, or so they hoped.

What then is the difference between becoming one that you have always wanted to be and one who happened to be someone you never thought you could become? The answer is -- probably a whole lot! But, honestly, how important are those differences? What did it really matter if you saw the light only later in life? I would imagine that the struggles, the challenges, and the conflicts that either group would have endured and overcome, as well as the triumphs, the adventures, and the thrills they would have relished going through their life journeys, would have provided the strong foundation for their lifetime achievements, to be filed away in their own private treasury of fond memories.

Which leads me to ask at this point, what counts for success, really? Indeed, being successful represents different things to different people. It is, at best, a very elusive concept. I submit that what matters at the end of the day is to what extent one has made a difference and changed the world around him or her. We are not necessarily talking of the world in general and we should not use Einstein, Churchill, Mandela, Martin Luther King, or other towering icons of the world as points of reference, but people – simple people – whom we know enough about in our midst or elsewhere in our domestic domain. On the other hand, the area of influence could just as well be the social space within one’s immediate urban environment and even among one’s professional group. →

“ “What matters at the end of the day is to what extent one has made a difference and changed the world around him or her.

36 | Feature

I could point to one remarkable high school classmate in the person of Dr. Floriño A. Francisco whom I would consider truly successful in the worthiest sense of the word. Rony knew earlier on that he didn’t want to be anything else except to be a medical doctor and one of the best in the specialization he would choose. His heart had always been in the right place; that is, he vowed to serve those who would be in dire need of his service. Unlike the many in his field, he nurtured no notion of remaining in the United States to practice his profession. He was impatient, in fact, to return to his hometown Cabanatuan where he would quickly make his presence felt, make a vital difference and provide his expertise in pediatrics and adolescent medicine. Rony has helped many, especially among the underprivileged and continues even today to make a difference.

There are countless co-alumni like Dr. Francisco who have made a difference, continue to make a difference, and have, in their own right, changed the world around them. Some have probably

been publicized and gained some measure of prominence. Still there would be others who have chosen to shun publicity and, in their own unheralded way, continue to contribute to make a difference by helping others improve upon their otherwise deprived conditions in life.

Making a difference and helping improve the world around us in whatever capacity we find ourselves may be the most constructive way for us to measure one’s being truly successful. Start making a difference if you are not into it already, and to our young Filipinos, do take heed of what really counts to be successful.

Manuel Guillermo, Chairman of AmCham Philippines’ Publications Department, is the retired CEO of KSearch Asia Consulting, Inc., Retired Partner, SGV & Co., and Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). He is a frequent contributor to the AmCham Business Journal.

Making a difference and helping improve the world around us in whatever capacity we find ourselves may be the most constructive way for us to measure one’s being truly successful.

“

38 | Business of Business

If Men Could Only Understand WomenBy: Ernie Cecilia, DPM

At the 1910 International Socialist Women’s Conference, German Revolutionary Clara Zetkin proposed that March 8 be honored as

a day in memory of working women. Since then, many countries designated March 8 as International Women’s Day, including Russia in 1917, and the United States in 1967. The United Nations adopted it in 1975. In some countries, it is a national holiday, while in others it is largely ignored. In some, it is a celebration of womanhood; in others, it is a day of protest.

The following piece is in celebration of women’s month.

WOMEN ARE DIFFERENTIn early 1990s, Dr. John Gray wrote a

bestselling book that sold more than four million copies – Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. He has another bestseller – Men, Women and Relationships. These two books are a great primer for man-woman relationships.

He opens the second book with a telling conclusion: “A great relationship requires work, but it also requires vacation.”

Dr. Gray wrote on September 30, 1993, “Women intuitively understand that to have a good relationship, you have to work at it. Men, on the other hand, are born with the knowledge that ‘at your job, that’s where you work.’ You go to work, do your job and when you come home, that’s your vacation time.”

During the Stone Age and for thousands of years, man went out to hunt, patiently waited for his prey, and quickly ran to capture the animal. According to Dr. Gray, these were qualities of

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39AmCham Philippines | March 2020

men for thousands of years – waiting, watching, conserving energy. These qualities made man a great hunter and provider for the family. Unfortunately, these qualities today look like hanging out and plain laziness. Women will not see these as a good provider’s qualities. Try waiting, watching, and conserving your energy as you sit in your couch, with a remote control in hand, and see if you don’t get bawled for lazily wasting your time.

DIFFERENT TIMESAside from women, times are different, too. Up until the second

or third Industrial Revolution, the woman’s place was the home. To show his love and support to the family, the man goes out and bring something home. Towards the third quarter of the 20th century, the woman goes hunting, too – for jobs. Since then, women realized that they no longer depend on men to provide for their material needs.

Guess what support do women need from men? Think of this. In today’s two-income family, both husband and wife go out to work, but the woman is still supposed to do more house work than the man, perhaps including taking the garbage out while the husband watches his favorite sport on TV. Then she takes a shower, prepares the communal bed, and completes her nightly rituals in front of the mirror – while he falls asleep after three bottles of beer. She wakes him up and tells him to go to the bedroom, saying, “Come on, honey, let’s talk a while.” I think that what women need from their mate is emotional support – more than anything else.

Unbeknownst to some women, men are “afraid” to talk – sometimes, in the same degree of fear as the first time man hunted. What if he doesn’t kill the wild boar? What if it gets him instead? Fortunately, this fear is often unfounded, if not blatantly untrue.

THE REAL ISSUESome men have an issue with “talking.” They might have had

traumatic experiences talking with their wives. A simple talk could blow up into an argument that could bring out patently irreconcilable differences, and break the marriage or relationship. Sometimes, when a woman starts to “talk”, she forgets that it is more of an accusation or the way she sees things from her point of view.

In many, if not most, relationships today, the issue is communication. Depending on how you define communication, you could succeed to clear things up or worsen the situation. If you think communicating is →

40 | Business of Business

For comments or questions please e-mail the author at: [email protected]

Ernie Cecilia, DPM, is a regular contributor to the AmCham Business Journal. Mr. Cecilia is the Chair of the AmCham Human Capital & Resources Committee; Co-Chair of the AmCham Publications Department; Co-Chair of ECOP’s TWG on Labor Policy and Social Issues; PMAP Past President.

simply transmitting information or feelings, that’s just what you do – transmit. I believe that communicating is “creating understanding,” beyond transfer of information, to the expression of real and sincere love.

Based on experience and observation, both men and women need emotional support. Alas, when you think you now knew the answer, somebody changes the question!

When life was simple then, emotional support was easier to understand – and provide. A woman’s needs 50 years ago were not the same as her needs today. Technology, the nature of work and relationships, social media, the demographics – all these and many more have conspired to make “emotional needs” more complex than it was before.

In the past, a man would go out to work in another province or state without any contact with his family except the snail mail, then comes home once a month to see the wife and children. A few days of togetherness is all he needs to show real love. Today, expectations change. You may be miles apart, but technology makes it possible for you to constantly tell your wife that you love her, in real time – and at “face time.” Failing that, she thinks you might be telling that to someone else.

REAL LOVEEven the concept of real love could differ

between men and women. Man searches for the

“right” woman (or person – lest the LGBTQIAPK or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Polygamous/Polyamorous, Kink community condemns me). When he finds the person, he’s bound to love her as she is. The man usually wants the same in return. There’s the rub!

Dr. Gray wrote, “When a woman is shopping for her partner, she looks for a man who makes her feel good, whom she cares for and loves. But somewhere, there’s a feeling welling inside.”

The woman surmises, “He’s got potential; I see it. What I could do with him. Love will overcome. I’ll just love him. I’ll just give to him, and HE WILL CHANGE.”

Men usually love women as they are. Women fall in love, hoping that they can change the men into what they want them to be.

Dr. Gray further wrote, “ … when you think maybe we’re not right for each other, maybe we’re just too different, that’s the time to remember that maybe your partner is from another planet. Men are from Mars and women are from Venus, and on these planets we have different customs. If you learn to honor and respect the customs of the different planets, then things go smoothly, but if you don’t honor and respect the customs, you step on each other’s toes.”

There is hardly a perfect man – or woman. Here’s a funny guide to Love and Relationships, for women: “1) Find a man who makes you laugh. 2) Find a man who has a good job and can cook. 3) Find a man who is honest. 4) Find a man who will pamper you with gifts. 5) Find a man who is awesome in bed. 6) Most of all, it is very important that these five men never meet.”

41Contributed Article |

Private Detective Training Course Now Offered to the Public

Truth Verifier Citizen Welfare & Security Training Academy, Inc., a subsidiary of Truth Verifier Systems, Inc. the Philippines’ first and most

awarded private detective agency, is offering its Private Detective Pre-licensing Course to the public this year starting on February 21, 2020.

The Private Detective Pre-licensing Course aims to equip companies and private individuals with the knowledge of Private Detective training. The course is a 10-session, once-a-week, 8-hour class every week of each training session, the first of which is from February 21 to April 25, 2020.

Training sessions will be conducted at the Cityland Building, Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City.

Submitted by: Truth Verifier Systems, Inc.

Truth Verifier Systems, Inc. was established in 1966 and has worked with country’s biggest companies in its needs in Private Investigation and pre-employment screenings.

This course includes all training materials and practicum sessions at cost of Php17,000. Courses include Investigative Report Writing, Surveillance Operation, Undercover Investigation, and the Lie Detector Test. The course is perfect training for those who want to excel in their investigative skills and particularly those who work in credit companies and is accredited by the Philippine National Police – Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (PNP-SOSIA).

For more information, kindly contact Ms. Edna Morada at 8635-5929 or e-mail: [email protected]

42 | Company News

International School ManilaCelebrates 100 years of Growth!

1930s American School 2nd Grade School Classroom.

International School Manila is a community composed of 2,400 students from over 100 nations, 400 multicultural faculty, and thousands

of alumni across the world. With the school celebrating is hundredth birthday on March 4, it is fitting to look back on its rich history and look forward to its future.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGSIn 1920, a group of American and British

expatriates living in Manila sought to establish a school for their children comparable to the top private schools in the US, with the added cultural education of life abroad. Thus, the then American School began at 606 Taft Avenue, in a loaned church building, with just eight teachers and fifty students from Grades 1-12. A few families loaned Spanish-style houses later, as the enrolment increased. In 1936, the American School opened the doors to its own campus on Donada Street, Pasay. (The building survived World War II and today it is home to Arallano University, with the name “Heilbron* Hall” still evident on the building. *J.P. Heilbronn, a community leader of the time, made a substantial donation of ₱5,000, for a fence to surround the property.)

1942 brought the beginning of the Japanese occupation, which forced citizens of allied countries into internment on the campus of the University of Santo Tomas, until liberation in 1945. Through a combination of resourcefulness and dedication, thirty-four students - under the tutelage of likewise interned teachers - managed to fulfil graduation requirements during those three years of internment.

GROWTHThe middle decades of the School’s history

were characterized by growth—enrolment records were topped year after year—and diversification, as expats from across the world were drawn to the elite education the School offered. As such, a bigger campus was opened in the metropolitan Bel-Air area of Makati in 1961.

The American School changed its name to International School Manila (ISM) in 1970 to reflect the growing student diversity on campus. With the move to Bel-Air came the institution of a Filipino Scholarship Program. Almost sixty years later, the Program has helped launch hundreds of careers, from entrepreneurs to humanitarians, lawyers to doctors, and everything in between.

TODAYISM is a school continuously searching for

ways that will enable it to be better. With a focus on sustainability in recent years, the school cafeteria, Kantina has been overhauled. Next year will bring about extended solar panelling, as well as the addition of a teaching kitchen and an International Baccalaureate option in Food Science. Sports and Fine Arts facilities see enhancements each year.

In addition, facilities have been added for younger students, while a Learning Support Center provides the optimal environment for those

IS Manila, Fort Bonifacio.


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who need specialist attention from skilled educators to help them in their growth.

INTEGRITY, SERVICE, MERITDavid Toze, who celebrates his 19th year

as Superintendent, now the longest-serving Superintendent in School history, speaks to the values behind an ISM education. “Integrity, as behaving to the highest expectations—even when no one is watching what we do; Service, the recognition of how lucky our community is - and how it behoves us to give back to those who are in need; Merit, the quality of getting what you deserve—of having to work for success rather than having it handed to you on a plate. Not everyone models these every day. But the more our students understand their significance, the more likely they are to become the kind of

Superintendent David Toze with entire High School.

people our world needs so badly.”

Here’s to the next 100 years of this venerable institution.

44 | Company News

Pfizer Philippines Foundation, Inc. Provides Special Service for Breast Cancer Patients

Severe traffic jams, extreme heat, rains and flooding. These are just some of the hazards that cancer patients experience whenever

they take public transportation. Through the “CARe for Cancer” program, Pfizer Philippines Foundation, Inc. (PPFI) seeks to address this problem and ease the burden of travel for breast cancer patients who are undergoing treatment. The program, in partnership with Grab Philippines and ICanServe Foundation, Inc., will provide free transportation for underprivileged patients to and from their treatment facility.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting Filipino women. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority and the Department of Health, breast cancer comprises 30 percent

of cancer cases among women. When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, the household budget needs to be reconfigured to take into account expenses surrounding the treatment of the patient. By providing transportation for a patient and one companion, the issues of—the cost, as well as the stress and distress the patient suffers regarding transportation—CARe for Cancer eliminates one worry for a cancer patient. In addition, the money she would otherwise spend on this item can be allocated for food, medicines, or other household expenses.

ICanServe, through its vast network in Metro Manila and nearby areas, will screen candidates for the program. With the initial number of patient-beneficiaries set of 50. The program will cover

Pictured left to right: (seated) Dr. James Wee, PPFI Vice Chairman; Noel Borlongan, PPFI President; Kara Alikpala, ICANSERVE Founding President; Atty. Nicka Hosaka, Grab Philippines Public Affairs Manager; Pierre Gaudreault, Pfizer Regional President, Emerging Asia; Martin Luchangco, Head, Grab for Business; Crisann Celdran, ICANSERVE Chairman. (Standing R-L) Dr. Dennis Dioko, PPFI Trustee; Dr. Mika Prasad, Pfizer Medical Manager; Menchie Auste, member, Cancer Coalition of the Philippines; Anna Mayor, PPFI Program Officer; Geoffrey Garcia, PPFI Manager; Dane Fajardo, Head of Client Success, Grab for Business; Andro Cruz, Key Accounts Manager, Grab for Business; Myrna Guibao, ICANSERVE Patient Coordinator and Marife Leon, ICANSERVE Executive Director.

→

45AmCham Philippines | March 2020

transportation for a period of approximately six months—the typical time frame when breast cancer treatments, and necessary doctor’s consultations.

Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, founding president of ICanServe, notes the importance of access to transportation in the treatment of the disease: “This gesture may seem small to some but it can mean the world to a patient and her family. Making a patient feel loved and special gives them strength to fight on. This also gives patients savings, more time to rest, heal and bond with loved ones.”

“Our motivation is for a healthier Philippines and this is our contribution to that end. This is the pilot run so there will be birthing pains, but we will evaluate the program and later, we can expand it to include other cities in the Philippines, and even patients with other types of cancers,” said Geoffrey Garcia, manager of PPFI.

PPFI first worked with ICanServe in 2008 through a grant for Ating Dibdibin, a comprehensive, community-based breast cancer screening program. Since then, the program has been adopted by various cities within Metro Manila, changing attitudes towards the disease and encouraging early detection.

According to Nicka Hosaka, public affairs manager of Grab, this initiative is in line with Grab’s conviction to use technology for good, as part of its social impact program, Grab for Good. “The role of Grab is to provide the transportation to and from the hospital, for accredited patients, who will be able to avail of that service.”

Martin Luchangco, head of Grab for Business, says: “As a tech company, Grab is committed to helping society and helping the marginalized. We’re very proud to be part of this initiative.”

Andres Riedel, country manager of Pfizer Philippines and chairman of PPFI lauds this brilliant idea. “This is a pilot and I’m hoping we will be able to expand it. We are really looking forward to making this program a successful one.”

Pierre Gaudreault, Pfizer Regional President for Emerging Asia agrees. “Our purpose at Pfizer is to bring innovations that change people’s lives. Partnerships like this, using technology, will really help change patients’ lives. This is certainly something that we can replicate in other Asian markets. We look forward to seeing patients smiling as they take their Grab rides.”

“ “Our purpose at Pfizer is to bring innovations that change people’s lives. Partnerships like this using technology will really help change patients’ lives. This is certainly something that we can replicate in other Asian markets.

46 | AmCham News

AmCham Mindanao Holds GMM andLaunching of Associate Partners

The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham), Mindanao Chapter held its first General Membership Meeting (GMM)

for 2020 last January 27 at the world-renowned, Dusit Thani Hotel.

On the same occasion, AmCham Mindanao also recognized its new Associate Partners, the Dusit Hotels & Resorts and the University of Mindanao represented by Christoph Kuch, dusitD2 Resident Manager and Senior Vice President, Edgardo Castillo, respectively. President Atty. Leoncio Villa-Abrille and Christina Winton, AmCham Phil. Consultant for Corporate Partnership officiated the launching rites.

The AmCham Mindanao also welcomed its newest member company, the COHO by Vistaland, represented by John Christopher Gonzales.

The GMM's Guest of Honor & Speaker was Ms. Tanya Rabat-Tan, Regional Director of the Department of Tourism, Region XI (DOT XI). Rabat-

Tan gave the audience an update of the regional office's major accomplishments in 2019, including an increase in tourist arrivals by over 470 thousand as of 3rd quarter 2019 vs. the same period in 2018. She also communicated the government agency's campaign dubbed “Save our Spots”, promoting respect for nature, local culture, marine life, and heritage.

The regional director also presented the DOT goals and strategies for 2020 that are aligned with the department's vision of developing highly competitive, environmentally sustainable and socially responsible tourism industry. These include, among others, Region-wide Aggressive Accreditation Campaign, Cultural Hub Master Plan, Farm Tourism, Region-wide Kalutong Pilipino, Tambayayong Festival, Tourist Circuit Development, and Dive Safari.

Overall, the threefold event was a huge success with a huge number in attendance.

AmCham Mindanao Officers and members, guests: Christina Winton, AmCham Phil. Consultant for Corporate Partnership, Ms. Tanya Rabat-Tan Regional Director of the Department of Tourism, Region XI (DOT XI), and Davao City Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) President John Carlo B. Tria pose for a photo.


Edgardo Castillo, UM Senior Vice President, accepts the Certificate of Associate President from Atty. Leoncio Villa-Abrille and AmCham Manila Consultant for Corporate Partnership Christina Winton.

AmCham Mindanao President, Atty. Leoncio Villa-Abrille and AmCham Phil. Consultant for Corporate Partnership Christina Winton present the Certificate of Associate Membership to Christoph Kuch, dusitD2 Resident Manager on behalf of Christopher Wichlan, General Manager of Dusit Hotels & Resorts.

From Left: Rossano C. Luga-Public Relations and Publication Officer, Ferdinand Y. Marañon-2nd Vice President, Luis C. Bonguyan-1st Vice President, Christina Winton, AmCham Phil. Consultant for Corporate Partnership, Atty. Leoncio P. Villa-Abrille-President, Christoph Kuch, dusitD2 Resident Manager, [representative of Christopher Wichlan-Director], Edgardo O. Castillo, Senior Vice President of the University of Mindanao, [representative of Guillermo P. Torres, Jr. -Director], Cherrilyn Casuga-Director. Not in photo are Atty. Myra M. Quilatan -Corporate Secretary, Jocelyn B. Catampo-Treasurer, Benirando D. Claudio-Assistant Corporate Secretary, and Joaquin Q. Tan-Director.

Davao City Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) President John Carlo B. Tria raises a point during the open forum portion of the event.

GMM's Guest of Honor & Speaker Ms. Tanya Rabat-Tan Regional Director of the Department of Tourism, Region XI gives an update of the regional office's major accomplishments in 2019.

The AmCham Mindanao President Atty. Lencio Villa-Abrille swears in John Christopher Gonzales of COHO by Vistaland, its newest member company.

48 | AmCham Foundation News

AmCham Foundation Aids Victims ofTaal Eruption

The eruption of Taal Volcano on January 12 came as a big shock to residents of the volcano island in the center of Taal lake.

This huge explosive eruption – so unexpected – brought death, devastation and, at the least, great disruption to the surrounding lakeside fisheries, farms and many towns, including the city of Tagaytay, a favorite of tourists – local and foreign.

In the aftermath of the eruption of Taal volcano in Batangas province, 100% of the residents from the nearby towns evacuated to several different identified evacuation centers, with little more than their clothes on their backs.

In response to this crisis, the American Chamber Foundation Philippines, Inc. (ACFPI) mobilized resources among the American Chamber of Commerce member companies. A part of the response was the initiation of the ACFPI Mobile/Crisis Kitchen Project, supported by funding from SCJohnson & Son, Inc., Texas Instruments, The Fraternal Order of the Eagles, John Forbes (for US Corp), Ford Philippines and Mr. Morgan McGilvaray.

With this support, ACFPI provided meals for 2,900 individuals affected by the eruption in collaboration with Pusod, Inc., volunteers from International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), and Luntian Republika Ecofarms, the latter two from Silang town in nearby Cavite province. .

Aside from the Mobile/Crisis Kitchen Project noted above, the AmCham Foundation, through the Ford OBW Fund, donated eight sacks of rice, 36 (6000ml) bottles of water, as well as assorted medicines and vitamins, to support Gawad Kalinga's Soup Kitchen for the affected families of the eruption in the GK areas in Batangas.

Also, a free medical mission was conducted on January 24 in GK Keppel Eco-Village, Brgy. Inicbulan, Bauan, Batangas. The medical mission

catered to the GK affected families as well as those evacuees sheltered in the GK villages. A total of 118 adults and 98 children (216 patients) availed of the medical services, and all were given free medicines and vitamins. This medical mission was made up of nine volunteer physicians, six Ford employees, five Ford Scholars, 15 Gawad Kalinga leaders, and 2 ACFPI staff.


Through this funding, ACFPI also donated assorted medicines to Queen Mary Hospital, Inc., Batangas for the hospital’s own free medical mission to be conducted at the Ibaan Elementary School, Batangas.

AmCham Foundation Taal Response Update:American Chamber Foundation Philippines,

Inc. (ACFPI) continues to provide meals to individuals affected by the Taal volcanic eruption. On February 22 ACFPI partnered with the I AM SCOTT group of volunteers for the implementation of another project. A total of 400 individuals were given packed meals in Barangay Buso Buso, Laurel, Batangas.

When Taal volcano reverted to the lower danger level of 2, some of the evacuees returned to their homes. However, there are still a few who were made homeless, by the eruption and also lost their source of income. The lightweight materials of their homes caused them to collapse due to the volume of ashfall, and the rain that followed turned all to heavy mud There is a much needed major clean up and disposal of the ash fall remains in some areas. Furthermore, having experienced - and survived - such a cataclysmic event has left many families traumatized.

However, it is hoped with the resiliency of

the Filipinos in times of crisis -and the help and support of dedicated civic organizations and other concern groups the victims lives will improve.

amchamfoundation

50 | Feature

“Easier to find Rebels than Pangolins”: Philippine Marines By: Gregg Yan

“It’s easier to find rebels in these mountains than pangolins,” grunted a sergeant from the Philippine Marine Corps.

Last month, battle-hardened Marines from the 3rd Brigade joined researchers to find pangolins in the dense, rattan-tangled jungles of southern Palawan.

Pangolins are scaly mammals which slurp ants and termites with their sticky tongues. Caught for traditional Chinese medicine and acknowledged as THE most illegally-trafficked mammals on Earth, they’ve become global icons of how animals face extinction via the illegal wildlife trade.

TRAFFIC estimates that around a million pangolins have been traded through 67 countries in the past decade, prompting a global ban which is too often skirted by smuggling rings.

The belief that pangolin scales – in reality made of keratin (the same material as hair and finger- and toe-nails) –have some mystical, medicinal powers, dates back centuries. “No one pays for powdered

fingernails, but traditional Chinese medicine believers spend a fortune for powdered pangolin scales, which are no different,” says Dr. Sabine Schoppe, an expert on the Philippine pangolin. “Legal prescribed medicines are cheaper and more efficient alternatives. It’s time to leave old traditions behind and opt for more sustainable solutions.”

Due largely to poaching, the population of the Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis) has plummeted by as much as 95% since the 1980s, locally making it critically-endangered – one step above extinction.

“The illegal wildlife trade is run by organized syndicates with their own systems for capturing and smuggling pangolins, so we must tighten security,” explains Atty. Edward Lorenzo, USAID’s Protect Wildlife crime prevention advisor. TRAFFIC records 667 Philippine pangolins apprehended by authorities from 2001 to 2017, with 10 live animals recovered at a checkpoint in Tagaytay City, just last June.

Baby Pangolin by Gregg Yan (Juvenile, First Record)

Corporals Hacking Rattan by Gregg Yan


Some of the recovered animals came from other countries. In April 2013, a Chinese poaching vessel rammed into the Philippines’ famed Tubbataha Reefs. Found aboard were 2870 dead pangolins. (Not widely reported)

“DNA tests conducted on the pangolins, all confiscated off Tubbataha in the 2013 sea vessel ramming incident, revealed they came not just from Palawan, but Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. This proves that illegal traders source their contraband from all over Southeast Asia,” explains Dr. Mundita Lim, executive director of the Asean Center for Biodiversity. “Efforts to combat the trade cannot be undertaken separately, at a country by country level, but through coordinated action at the regional level.”

Tens of thousands of pangolins are also caught in Africa, where four of the eight pangolin species live. In April 2019, 25 tons of scales from an estimated 38,000 African pangolins were confiscated in Singapore, the largest haul in history.

USAID’s Protect Wildlife Project is working closely with the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development and the Katala Foundation to assess pangolin numbers in mainland Palawan. It is funding a dozen ground surveys, each covering 200 hectares and thirty five camera traps to catalogue wildlife have also been deployed.

So far, the ground survey team has found only two pangolins for 2019 – attesting to their rarity and secretive nature. Pangolins spend most days →

Gregg Yan and Marine Sergeants

Night Patrol by Gregg Yan

Seized Pangolins by Gregg Yan

Sgt. Balutan by Gregg Yan

52 | Feature

Gregg Yan is an award-winning environmentalist and adventurer who has worked with some of the biggest names and organizations in the environmental movement. In 2013, he was awarded by Reader’s Digest Asia as one of the most trusted people in the Philippines. In 2016, he was recognized by Asia Pacific

Business Insider as the top advocacy communicator for the Asia Pacific Region. For this story, he spent 10 days with Marines and scientists in the jungles of Palawan, where the only bath he took was in a river, under the watchful eye of a cobra. But they did find pangolins.

quietly hiding in earthen burrows, rotting stumps or high in trees, emerging only at night to feed.

The Marines, some of who are Marawi veterans, embraced the idea of helping save wildlife. “These searchers spent six months just to find two pangolins,” notes Sgt. Darwin Balutan, who served in Jolo and Basilan. “It seems there aren’t many left.”

The troops all vowed to protect Palawan’s pangolins. “We’re often in the jungle, but it’s our first time to notice how much wildlife there is in the Philippines,” says Sgt. Norman Pintor. “The conservation community can count on us.

Team Photo Before Insertion by Gregg Yan

We’re proud to serve our country whatever way possible.”

amcham.mindanao

54 | Contributed Article

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19):What it means for your Business

On January 30, the first imported case of the COVID-19 was confirmed from a 38-year-old Chinese national who arrived in the Philippines

on January 21 from Wuhan coming from Hong Kong.

As this health situation continues to rapidly evolve, it is important that organizations know the right information on the virus and are equipped with ways on how to protect their employees while ensuring business continuity and productivity.

The COVID-19 was identified in January 2020 as the cause of an outbreak of pneumonia originating in Wuhan, China, last December 2019. Around 25% of cases in China were severe and fatalities have been recorded.

ABOUT CORONAVIRUSESCoronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some

of which can infect people. Some cause mostly mild illness, such as the strains responsible for some common colds. Others can potentially also lead to severe, or even fatal, disease - such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which continues to circulate in some parts of the world.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak was caused by a coronavirus. It caused severe and fatal disease but is no longer in circulation.

The natural reservoir for coronaviruses is thought to be animal hosts. New strains that emerge from this reservoir, infect an ‘intermediate’ host, and from there lead on to infect people. The viruses may then be capable of being transmitted from one person to another. Some are efficient at human-to-human transmission, while others are not.

SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19While the illness is still being studied, it is known

that the common symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath and difficulty of breathing. It is

By: Dr. Irene Umayam

important to note however that these symptoms are not limited to the COVID-19. Respiratory illnesses and pneumonia caused by other organisms (including bacteria) and other viruses (such as influenza) can cause these symptoms.

COVID-19 can cause severe illness, and some infected people have died. It is possible that people with underlying health conditions are at higher risk for severe disease.

HOW DOES COVID-19 SPREAD?Authorities are continuing to investigate the source

of the infection and how this new coronavirus spreads. Transmission is possibly happening via two routes:• Environment-to-human: Preliminary information

suggests that the novel coronavirus is zoonotic or transmitted from an animal source to humans. The initial cluster of cases appeared to have a common source of exposure - a local live seafood and animal market.

• Human-to-human: from a sick person to others who are in close contact. In general, coronaviruses spread through infected respiratory droplets, just like other respiratory infections, including colds and influenza. A sick person expels these droplets when they cough, sneeze, or talk. Others can get the disease via contact (direct or indirect) with these contaminated droplets.

WHO IS AT RISK FOR INFECTION?The disease can be transmitted from person

to person, but it is not yet known how easily or sustainably it spreads. Scientists are studying the data as it becomes available. Most people infected so far have been in or traveled to Wuhan, China. Some of the initial cases reported having visited a seafood/animal market, which may have been a source of exposure. In some cases, people who have had close contact


with infected people, such as their family members or caregivers, have contracted the virus.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ORGANIZATIONS?We advise all organisations to continue to monitor

this outbreak, proactively communicating with your people to explain the ways to prevent infection, review and implement your plans for pandemic and other infectious disease outbreaks.

WHAT ARE SOME PRACTICAL TIPS TO PROTECT OURSELVES?• Avoid potential exposure. Practice good hygiene

measures and safe food practices.• Avoid direct contact with animals (live or dead)

and their environment. Do not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with droppings.

• Keep some distance from people who are obviously sick.

• Maintain good personal hygiene. Wash your hands frequently. Carry hand sanitiser for use when soap and water are not readily available. Avoid touching your face.

• Ensure food, including eggs, is thoroughly cooked.

• Do not travel if you are sick. Note that some locations have implemented screening, and travelers may face quarantine and testing.

CAN WE STILL TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE PHILIPPINES?As of 30 January 2020, several flight operators have

announced temporary suspension or the reduction of flights on routes serving China amid travel restrictions imposed in the country to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. We advise travellers to defer all travel to Hubei province due to official travel restrictions in place in some cities, the potential for further sudden restrictions on departure, and the risk of quarantine

at their next destination. Members should also defer travel to other areas of China as advised by their local national authorities. Even in the absence of such advisories, members should consider deferring non-essential travel to the rest of mainland China based on their own considerations and risk assessment.

HOW CAN I ACCESS THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE COVID-19 FROM INTERNATIONAL SOS?

As this is a rapidly evolving health situation, it is advisable to constantly check on the latest information. Our Medical Information and Analysis Team are compiling first-hand information from our on-the-ground teams in China and globally. We have created a website which provides these updates as well as the services we are providing to clients and members on a 24/7 basis – sections are open to the public and easily accessible via InternationalSOS.com.

About International SOSThe International SOS Group of Companies is in the business of saving lives, protecting your global workforce from health and security threats. Wherever you are, we deliver customised health, security risk management and wellbeing solutions to fuel your growth and productivity. In the event of extreme weather, an epidemic or a security incident, we provide an immediate response providing peace of mind. Our innovative technology and medical expertise focus on prevention, offering real-time, actionable insights and on-the-ground quality delivery. We help you meet compliance reporting needs for good governance. By partnering with us, organisations can fulfil their Duty of Care responsibilities, while empowering business resilience, continuity and sustainability.

To protect your workforce, visit www.internationalsos.com.

Dr. Irene Umayam is a Coordinating Doctor of International SOS based in the Philippines. She has been helping organisations fulfil their Duty of Care obligations to their employees by ensuring that they are safe and healthy wherever they are in the world.

56 | Company News

In photo: Malabon and Quezon City elementary schools showcase Christmas lanterns made out of recycled waste materials during a contest and exhibit under the Pag-asa sa Basura program at Panghulo Main Elementary School in Malabon. From left to right: P&G Philippines Corporate Communications Manager Charm Banzeulo, World Vision in the Philippines Corporate Engagement Specialist AJ Renomeron, and representatives from Malabon and Quezon City elementary schools.

P&G Philippines drives recovery and recycling program

As part of its commitment to take progressive action to aid in mitigating plastic wastes, leading consumer goods company Procter

& Gamble (P&G) Philippines and World Vision Development Foundation Inc. have successfully implemented Pag-asa sa Basura, an environmental sustainability program that aims to collect and upcycle plastic sachets into school chairs, trash bins and other useful products.

Pag-asa sa Basura has partnered with 26 public schools in Malabon and Quezon City for the collection of used plastic sachets and plastic bottles in their respective communities. Within the first three months of the program alone, the schools were able to recover over 2.3 million plastic sachets and more than 700,000 hard plastic bottles. In return, students received incentives for every sachet and bottle collected.

The program, aside from enabling plastic recovery and recycling, aims to promote the importance of proper solid waste management. P&G and World Vision rehabilitated the schools’ materials recovery facilities (MRFs), and trained teachers and students on proper waste segregation, upcycling and circular economy.


→

“As we continue to take progressive action to mitigate plastic wastes, we aim to champion sustainable innovations through our brands and manufacturing and empower Filipino communities to be part of the solution through recycling, upcycling and other waste diversion initiatives. The Pag-asa sa Basura program is one of the ways we collaborate with stakeholders and consumers for environmental sustainability,” says Anna Legarda-Locsin, P&G Communications Head.

P&G and World Vision’s program was able to orient over 3,000 students and teachers in Malabon and Quezon City on RA9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Law. Alongside the workshop, Pag-asa sa Basura helped establish 21 Solid Waste Management Committees in Malabon and five committees in Quezon City, equipping students and faculty members to practice waste management more effectively inside their campuses and homes.

“P&G and World Vision helped significantly reduce the amount of plastic wastes in our community through recycling and upcycling. More importantly, this program motivated our students to practice proper waste segregation in their homes as well,” says Catmon Integrated School Malabon YES-O Coordinator, Genmart Alejandro.

About Procter & Gamble P&G serves nearly five billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Duracell®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, Wella® and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

P&G and World Vision are expecting to recover more used sachets and bottles in the coming months and prevent plastic wastes from ending up in oceans or landfills.

“The success of Pag-asa Sa Basura inspires us to find more ways to be a stronger force for good and force for growth in the country. We will continue to collaborate with our partners to inspire positive impact in society and the environment,” adds Locsin.

Media Contact:Procter & Gamble Philippines Green Bulb CommunicationsCharm Banzuelo Guio [email protected] [email protected] +639178218507

58 | Company News

Converge ICT cited as Philippines’ “Fastest Growing Fiber Internet Service Provider”

Converge ICT Solutions, the broadband services provider behind the

country’s first pure end-to-end fiber internet network, has been cited as the ‘Fastest Growing Fibre Internet Service Provider’ by the International Finance Awards.

The recognition comes from the London-based global business and finance magazine, International Finance. According to the publication, Converge ICT is recognized to be true to its mission to upgrade the overall digital experience of the country. International Finance also lauded the company’s growth from the grassroots to become a budding powerhouse provider of pure end-to-end fiber internet.

Since the launch of Converge ICT’s fiber packages, the Philippines saw a steady and noticeable internet speed improvement. According to the world-renowned digital delivery network Akamai, the Philippines’ average internet speed in the third quarter of 2016 was only at 4.2Mbps. By the first quarter of 2016, Akamai reported the average download speed in the Philippines has increased by 135.90 percent to 18.66Mbps.

One of the most recent milestones of Converge ICT is the introduction of the country’s first 400Gbps backbone built by ZTE to augment

existing domestic network capacity. This allows 400G per channel at 64 channels or the equivalent of 25.6Tbps at capacity.

The backbone is considered a boost to major businesses and institutions such as business process outsourcing companies and financial institutions, which require high capacity connectivity or bandwidth. The rollout also allowed individual subscribers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to enjoy faster connection without any data cap for high bandwidth capacity.

Converge ICT received the award onJanuary 31, 2020 at Waldorf Astoria, Bangkok, Thailand.

About Converge ICT Solutions

Converge ICT Solutions is the leading fiber internet and digital consumer-centric services provider in the country. It is the first to run a pure end-to-end fiber internet network, providing Filipinos simple, fast, and reliable internet connection. Converge ICT Solutions is ISO and CE2.0 Certified.

onverge ICT Solutions, the broadband services provider behind the

country’s first pure end-to-end fiber internet network, has been cited as the ‘Fastest Growing Fibre Internet Service

by the International

The recognition comes from the London-based global business and finance magazine, International Finance. According to the publication, Converge ICT is recognized to be true to its mission to upgrade the overall digital experience of the country. International Finance also lauded the company’s growth from the grassroots to become a budding powerhouse provider of pure end-to-end fiber

60 | Organizational Sections

| Members' Birthdays

APRILMARCH

Fausto R. Preysler Jr. Edmun Liu 2

Patricia Celis 3

Simon McGrath Gregorio Gerry F. Fernandez

5

Gregorio Ortega

Rick Dols Daniel Rosenberg 8

Jeffrey Sosa Corazon Dela Paz-Bernardo

9

Melanie Pagaragan Aniceto V. Bisnar, Jr. 10

Jose Mari L. Chan George Davies 11

John Brian Pallasigue

Andrew Ramos Matilde Ortiz 14

Roland Dela Cruz 15

Felino Palafox Jr. 16

Henkell Henrison Ong Hoa 18

Jose P. Leviste Jr. 19

Rick Santos 20

Myra Quilatan 23

Makiko Takaoka Christopher Wichlan 24

Braulio Lim 26

Vicente P. Mercado 27

Rynor Jamandre 28

Jon E. Kaplan Jose Ingles 29

Tom De Bruin 31

Judah Hirsch Mariska Martha Olalo 1

Ferdinand Stolzenberg 2

Maria Necita Geronimo Melder M. Relator 3

Arthur Aycardo 4

Alwin R. Sta. Rosa Victoriano S. Go 5

John Rice Samrinder Nehria 6

Bill Mallory

Robert W. Blume 7

Nick Gitsis Roberto F. Batungbacal 8

Brittney McClary 10

Mildred Ramos Ferdinand Marañon 12

Cyril Natad 14

Charina G. Ocampo Cheryl Edeline C. Ong 15

Marie Elenita Olmedo Anders Hallden 16

Kelly Koch 18

Ian Frederick Grist Francisco Villanueva 19

Geenette Garcia Sheila Marie Lobien 21

Alberto D. Lina 23

Kenneth Go 24

Rebecca Ann K. Sy 25

Efren P. Belarmino 27

Roseller Lopez Jerlyn Bernal 28

John F. Drake 29

Gemma Baz 30

62 | Organizational Sections

Index to Advertisers

FILIPINO-AMERICAN MEMORIAL ENDOWMENT

AFFILIATE OF THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC.DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF WWII HISTORY

www.� lipino-americanmemorials.org

Belrewmond Corporate Center .............................................. 03

BDO Unibank, Inc. .................................................................. 11

CalEnergy International Services Inc. ................................. IFC

Capital One Philippines Support Services Corp. ..................37

Chevron Philippines ..............................................................IBC

City Service Corporation......................................................... 13

Converge ICT Solutions ......................................................... 58

Crown Worldwide Movers, Inc. ............................................. 09

dusitD2 Davao ......................................................................... 23

Emerson Electric Asia Ltd. - ROHQ ...................................... 25

John Clements Consultants, Inc. ........................................OBC

Kittelson & Carpo Consulting ................................................ 15

Marriott Hotel International ................................................... 07

Oakridge Realty Development Corporation ........................ 43

Orion Support, Inc. .................................................................. 45

PMFTC, Inc. .............................................................................. 61

Quantity Solutions, Inc. ........................................................... 29

Regus Tech Centre .................................................................... 17

Truth Verifi er Systems, Inc. ..................................................... 39

World Vision Philippines ....................................................... 27

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