UPCAT,ACET,USTET:Letter to CHED

It's the time of the year when parents of high school students and their 3rd year HS daughter/son are busy preparing for entrance exams.
Of all entrance tests, the mothers of them all are the tests of the four universities: ADMU, UP, UST and DLSU. The exams are tough and getting in are tougher because usually they admit only whose scores are the top 20%.
Why the fixation on the four?. How about the "2nd tier" colleges/universities that also offer quality education?.
It is about time for CHED to help strengthen the colleges and universities in the provinces in order for them to earned the Center of Excellence (COE) or Center of Development(COD) seal. This seal will serve as quality assurance that will serve as guide for the parents of choosing a college based in the province. This will erase the fixation to the four universities in Manila and erase the belief that quality education is based only in the NCR.
Further, the CHED should regularly published the list of COE and COD in leading newspapers and provide also copies to the top 1000 corporation for awareness purposes.
If CHED will not act on this, they are perpetuating education for the elite that will eventually result on the slow motion demise of the middle class. The class who economists believed are the true backbone of democracy

Top Universities in RP

Top Universities in the Philippines for 2010, according to Times Higher Education-Quacquarelli Symonds or THE-QS are:

1. Ateneo de Manila ( No. 58th in Asia)
2. University of the Philippines (78th in Asia).
3. UST (101 in Asia)
4. De La Salle University (106 in Asia).

Congratulations! (especially to the Thomasians who surpassed the green archers!).
May other Philippine colleges and universities aspire to be included in the 2011 THE-QS survey

Leadership 101

A student of mine asked how he will select a leader in his college organization. I asked, why is he interested when being a leader means that the number of concerns will jump and criticisms will multiply.
But I remember my old professor who said to me “"For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required." -- Luke 12:48 . Well , then it is second nature for us to seek leadership.
From working in the academe and in the corporate, I found out that there is no single "best" style of leadership. There is no set of characteristics that can describe the most “effective” leadership styles.
I also believed that leaders do not require a formal position and I as grow older it is very clear to me that leadership begins when the person start to love himself/herself and how this love is experienced by people around him/her.
This leader who emanates love is always tapping into other peoples' passion—and create an environment for innovation. This results in a world/organization/club to which people want to belong

Choosing wisely

A recent graduate is very lucky that he was offered 2 jobs from 2 corporations belonging to top 1000. In an era of joblessness, he is indeed in a very lucky situation.
His question to me is which company he will choose?. I remember an article from Fortune magazine on how to rate a company. If my memory serves me right, the following are the criteria. He need only to say yes or no:

The company is Innovative...........................
The company believes in quality
Of management ....................................

The company values long-term
Investment........................................

The company has the ability to
Attract & keep talented people....................

The products or services of the
Company is sound .................................

The financial condition is sound .................
The company is using wisely their
Corporate assets..................................

From the above scale, he can rank the 2 companies and decide wisely. Good luck to him!.
Arnel L.

Make people a priority. A Tribute to AER.

At a point where I feel that I mastered a particular job or task I always try to share this expertise with others. This is a product of my experience with my late mentor Mr. Antonio E. Ramirez whom we fondly call AER. He was our HRD Director and my boss in my 11 years stay at PILTEL Makati.
In him I learned that individuals thrive in an environment where he is recognized and supported. The weekly “To Do List”, the monthly meetings and the occasional karaoke singing were done without coercion but a passion to do things excellently. The singing included.
AER was a real mentor.
During my first month at PILTEL, I noticed he has a heart for probinsyano like me. I, coming from far away Quezon Province and Noel Dacanay from Cebu were treated by him as his surrogate sons. Maybe his UP education influenced him or maybe the three of us are kulay kayumanggi in the land of PILTEL where mestizos abound.
He never forgot my birthdays and he even handed me a gift during my wedding day.
He was a father to me. Ready to send you to training, encourage you to speak up, train you to write corporate policies, edit our letters (yes he is doing it!) and most especially to hold on to your principle.
After all of us said good bye to each other in 2001, I haven’t seen him since then. His son Ian, now based in Ireland, informed me that he passed away in 2002. My heart weeps because I can never find another one like him.
God bless your soul AER!. You may be gone but you will not be forgotten.
Arnel L. Cadeliña

Insular Life

My daughter, Alyssa, is now enjoying the college plan of Insular Life which I religiously paid for 5 years when I was working in Makati. I am very much thankful that I listened to my MBA professors that insurance companies handled by the Insurance Commission are stable compared to the pre-need firms handled by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Truly, knowledge on personal finance pays-off in the long run.

Letter to Commissioner MELO of COMELEC

Sir:
First of all, congratulations for pushing through our first automated election. Your resolved results in the first real QUICK RESULT in the history of Philippine election. May I suggest the following for our next election to be more efficient:

1. The PCOS machine should be distributed to the local COMELEC branches two-weeks before election. They can utilized monasteries, seminaries, churches, mosques as temporary warehouse guarded by PNP or by the Military.

2. The memory card should be distributed one-week before election to the local COMELEC for testing. Representatives from SMARTMATIC, accredited election watchers, political parties should be present as witnesses. The memory card should be sealed again and the boxes signed by the witnesses. Any defective memory card or PCOS machine should replaced immediately.

3. The Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) should be properly trained on the function of the PCOS machine, the system of voting and trained on time-motion techniques.

4. The PCOS machines and memory cards should be distributed to the precints 3-days before election and guarded by the PNP or military.

5. The list of voters should be posted in the precint two-days before election.

6. There should be express voting lane for senior people and physically-challenged.

7. Watchers of political parties and watchdogs should not be allowed inside the precint when voting is on-going. The BEI should be given power to expel them when needed. They will be allowed only when it it is time to print the precint result for them to act as witnesses.

8. The voters should show an ID when voting since the voters list contain no picture for proper identification. This should be checked by the BEI.

9. Setting up of PCOS and other election paraphernalia in the voting precint should be done a day before election.

10. On election day start at 6:00Am and end at 8PM. You may designate a special time for the elderly (6:00-8:00AM) and a special time for first-time voters (6:00-8:00PM).

Again congratulations.

Arnel L. Cadeliña

The battle for clean water. A call for action.

Our rivers are drying up quickly.Climate change and diminishing water supply are now wreaking havoc to millions of people around the world. In Lucena City, the huge and growing population will cause water to be dirty and unsafe to drink. Several years from now, if we will not help LUPATA amd DENR, turning on the faucet and having water pours abundantly will be a distant memory in Lucena.
Our action should be decisive this year because bringing clean water to every home is key to break the cycle of misery and poverty. We should not allow the time our children will devout hours to fetch water because this will kill their interest in developing their skills and thinking of establishing their own business. Fetching water is some kind of slavery and it is already happening in Africa where females are tasked to haul water as far as 3 km from their home. They can not go to school and choose a better occupation. We should not allow this to happen.
For those who are based in Lucena, Pagbilao, Tayabas and Lucban I am challenging you to be part of an advocacy to protect our source of water.Call me 0919-278-9171, email lenra1967@yahoo.com. Let us make the first step.

Choosing a City Mayor

I am asked by a Knights of Columbus friend who will I vote for Lucena City Mayor. I did not answer quickly knowing that the present candidates never campaigned based on platforms (the usual thing in Lucena Politics)and we never experienced (never ever!) hearing them debating on critical issues. However I drafted my own criteria to elect one:

[ ] The true public servant (mayor) stands out because he has no personal agenda.
[ ] He lives for no reason other than to fulfill the will of the people – to serve the
public interest.
[ ] He wields no power other than the strength of his principles and the influencing
force of his character.

If nobody will pass the above criteria (woe to Lucena City!), I will rather abstain voting for Mayor.

Winners vs Losers

Winners seek answers to problems , losers see problems in every answers.
Winners are people who have plans, losers are people who have excuses.
Winners are those who see the difficult as possible, losers are those who see the possible as too difficult.
Winners tend to say “ What can I do for you?, losers tend to say “That is not my job”.
Winners make mistakes and say “ I was wrong”, losers make mistakes and say, “ It’s not my fault”.
Winners say “ This is good, but there must be something better”, losers say “ This is good because it’s the way it’s done before”.
My friend the tribe of winners are waiting for you, join the bandwagon!

SENATORS

The Senate of the Philippines after the EDSA 1 revolution was known for showmanship rather than substance. We can not hear anymore the thundering voices of Claro M. Recto and Jovito Salonga who made the Senate Hall as the bastion of quality debate and nationalistic laws.

This coming May election I am endorsing the following candidates.
May they make a difference:
1. ACOSTA, NEREUS JR. - Liberal Party
2. BAUTISTA, MARTIN - Liberal Party
3. DRILON, FRANKLIN - Liveral Party
4. HONTIVEROS, ANA - Liberal Party
5. LACSON, ALEXANDER - Liberal Party
6. MAZA, LISA - Independent
7. OCAMPO, SATUR - Bayan Muna
8. TAMANO, ADEL - Nacionalista Party

RETREAT

One benefit of working in a Catholic school is attending a yearly retreat.

This year I am so blessed to attend the 5-days Ignatian Lenten Retreat at the San Jose Seminary in Ateneo. Sr. Rose Lynn Doromal, DC, upon learning that one of her staff can not attend the retreat due to illness pitch me in as a replacement.

It was a very good time because it took some day off from home and work to engage God in quiet prayer and meditation. I reflected on the graces I received for the past year ( so many!), the problems and challenges ( equally many). The Ignatian retreat is distinct because I was provided a retreat director ( Emoy a former Jesuit seminarian) whom I meet each day for 1 hour to share fruits of my prayers.

It is spiritually uplifting especially when my feet were washed by Jesuit priests during the Holy Thursday mass and kissing the cross on Good Friday. On both occasion I felt the holy spirit descended on me.

Just in my 2nd day of retreat with the great help of being silent for more than 24 hours I realized that my strength is in General Management and Administration of a company, business or organization. This is what I am and doing it will make me happy.

On the third day I realized that in my life there is no accident. Everything that I possessed and every people that I met or will be met are part of chaotic events done by Unseen Hands. It is up to me to make it less chaotic.

During the Holy Saturday Vigil, which is the longest mass I attended because of 9 bible readings, 9 responsorial psalms all done by singing, transformed my view of the passion of Christ. From the candle lights procession up to the proclamation of Easter, I was overwhelmed on the power of a great Catholic tradition that can not be found in other denominations.

I will carry the images, the sacredness and the power of the Holy Triduum Lenten retreat until the end of my breath.

I am challenging my blog readers to experience it yourself. You may start by visiting www.cisphil.org.

DISCIPLES

For the past 23 years that I am working, I already identified three kinds of workers where an employer or entrepreneur can measure the level of commitment.
The highest kind of workers are the disciples. These people believe in what the Administration is doing and believe in the leadership of the top management.
The second type are the fence sitters. They are the wait and see types and will just stay in their office the whole day and just do their daily work.
The third type and the worst are the saboteurs . These are the people who do not believe in the leadership of the top management and at the same time causes harm to the organization.
The disciples are easy to identify because they are high-performing individuals and whose personal objectives are aligned to the organization. They will not involve themselves in office politics rather focuses on developing their competencies.
Now, look around in your office or business, who are the disciples?.

Toxic 2.0

Toxic people intoxicate the mind of others that it may result to hypocrisy.
In the workplace you can not escape meeting them whether you are in the high-rise building of Makati or in a government office in Maguindanao.
In my experience, toxic people wear their mask everyday to hide their insecurities and fear. They love to spread rumors because it is their weapon to hide their sins or shortcomings.
Literally run when you meet them in your company corridor or suffer absorbing the negativity that emanates from them.
We have three ways to avoid the trap of toxic people:
1. Have a good family.
2. Have good friends
3. Do good works
Toxic people influence the lives of others by speaking lies and deception. Do not take this road and do the opposite.
A life doing good and helping others will bring multiplier effect hence your influence is immeasurable.
Good lives can be as simple as just decency in every room.
Remember, hardships and diseases are nothing if you have Good Family, Good Friends, Good Works.

Work

Work for me is sacred. To do nothing is a blasphemy. If you will made me choose to sit down all day long versus cleaning the toilet, the latter will win hands down.
If I did my job and there is spare time to read you can find me enjoying books, magazines and all printed materials that inspires me.
I am always working and learning at the same time. This you may call work ethic but for me it is to drive away the evil of laziness and negative thoughts.
My father said hard work rules!
No doubt he was right, it is the primary rule of life!

COLLEGE

When I was in college our family was always in dire straits. There are times we have nothing to eat. I have no choice then but to work.
From the beginning I know that my strength lies in my brain and not in my fingers. So I persevered to write articles and puzzles for the college newspapers. The university paid me P600 per issue and added to that the scholarship I enjoyed being a dean's lister made me survived the high cost of college.
What is appalling today is the kids that receive all these college expenses for free from their parents, while then I worked hard to manage these things.

DEATH OR ASSUMPTION?

When I was 22 my father died. I saw him agonizing in the hospital caused by complications of diabetes. He was a good guy. He sent his children to college on a meager salary as a welder. I remember him telling me to focus on my studies so that I will not be like him. But deep inside he is my idol. His daily heroic sacrifices are imprinted in my mind.
When he died, I instantly became the head of the family. Lucky I am I was employed right after graduation at Pag-IBIG Fund. All my earnings then were used to pay the tuition of my two brothers and the rest as our food expenses. A day after my payday it was very common that nothing was left for me except a few pesos for my transportation. But I have no inkling then to blame anybody on the hardships I incurred nor being the sole breadwinner.
It is clear to me that I should put my 2 brothers and my mother first before my need.
In the end , I realized that the death of my father is something over which I have no control.
It gave a lesson though that there is always a smart way to run a life and it is to live well, do exciting and worthwhile things and be a force for good.
A life well lived is the most worthwhile goal of a person.

Best School

I was asked by a friend how to evaluate a school where he can send his children. At first, I was adamant knowingly that I lacked the rubrics. But as he insisted, I gave him a straightforward answer based on my experience as a parent of a 16 and 11 years old.

" The most effective school is the one that operates from a value system that places a HIGH PRIORITY ON PEOPLE AND RELATIONSHIPS. This school should recognize that relationships play a pivotal role in learning, teaching and administration".

The best way to see it: observe the school administrators then judge.........

Letter to the Next Philippine President

Educational Leadership: Must for the Next President
By: Arnel L. Cadeliña

To the Presidential Candidates:

Presidential elections are here again to test our ability to discern who among you deserve Malacañang. Your usual techniques of giving us promises relentlessly by infomercials, radio and print advertisements are now beginning to clog our brains. Again you are telling us that you are somewhat a messiah that will deliver us in our present ailments and predicaments. Food in every table, jobs in every family and health for all. Promises we heard from your predecessors since our republic was born after World War 2.

I don’t need to tell you that the past governments failed us repeatedly. Just look around you and decide.

For your millions of OFW countrymen toiling around the world, do you feel their agony of being away from their family?. Did anybody from your inner circle told you that every night as they lay down their aching back, your OFW feel that nobody cares for them?. Have you realized that the present administration, instead of trumpeting the creation of local jobs, happily announces their success of sending million OFWs?. Did you listen to their aching hearts and wounded relationships trying to be remedied by texts or long distance phone calls?. Even in their slumber have you thought that they are visited by whispers that no jobs await them when they return?.
What then you should do so that this May election will be different from the past?
Have a education agenda and be an education leader.

You are not deaf when your peers from other countries belittled our education system. Their perceptions that the middle, upper-middle class and the rich goes to rich-elite private universities while the 90% poor are either out-of-school or schooled by colleges or universities classified by foreigners as “glorified high school”. Is this reality angered you and make you determined to reform the system from day one of your office?

Have you realized from being in the top of the pyramid that the result of this imbalance is a classic phenomenon of overproduction in the absence of job production?. You don’t need to hire a prophet to predict that a social volcano is brewing to explode when million-army of educated unemployed start to be restless.

We will vote for you if you act decisively on the following education-related issues:
1. Requiring Deped , CHED and TESDA policy makers to have a coordinated
efforts to create challenging, clear content standards to guide classroom
instructions and learning. These standards can be assessed and measured by
scrutinizing classroom instruction.
2. Once a standard is set the government should develop a five-year plan to
support the research and development plan of having a national assessment.
3. Provide more funds for health care of low-income students by giving
subsidized meal programs.
4. Provide more funds to increase the budget for education.
5. Work for the increase of the salary of public and private school teachers.
Help them to have lesser income tax in order to augment their take-home pay.
6. Provide more scholarships in the masters and doctoral programs on science
and engineering.
7. Focus on the creation of jobs. Specifically jobs that will match the skills
of the graduates.

These are only seven issues and I believed there are more that can be suggested. The most important thing is that we need you to transform the education system of our country.

It is a long and difficult road but it is much cheaper than quelling armed revolution.

Again you should convince us first that the education issues, such as indicated above, will be addressed decisively. Once you decided that you will be one of us in this goal you will have my vote and once you are in Malacañang we will not waiver in watching your educational agenda. If you forgot about us and you begin to drown in the cup of power, we will march to your gate to remind you. Come hell or high water.

(Mr. Arnel L. Cadeliña resides in Lucena City. An MBA graduate of Ateneo and currently work as GSU Director of Sacred Heart College. Comments are welcome please e-mail arnelcadelina@gmail.com)

Father's Day

I have a friend laid-off of his overseas job and now stay in his home without income, savings and a remote chance to find an overseas job in the soonest time possible. His once vibrant personality is replaced by a timid and serious looks. Being jobless reaches his inner core that he began to feel useless.
How can you provide hope when everything around you seems embrace hopelessness?.
Two days ago, his son came from school crying and my friend asked why. The child said that he can not go to school anymore because his classmates teased him of having always no money.
My friend was devastated. He can take ridicule from anybody of having no money but for his son to suffer because of circumstances not his fault is not acceptable. He as a father can do something to earn money but his 7 years old can not. Who is going to act then, he asked himself.
Yesterday is Father's Day and that day he packed his bag and went to Manila to look for a new job. Not for his sake but for his child.
A man can be transform when he became a father provided that one ingredient reaches his core: love.

My dream

I was on my last day of my retreat in Lucban, Quezon. My mind is at peace and i am totally recharge. After several minutes of reading, I fall asleep. in my golden slumber, I have a dream. Let me share it with you.
A priest is very popular in his parish that his charisma attracts followers and believers. One day a poison letter is send to the bishop,priests of other parish and to lay people. The letter accused the charismatic priest of having a woman and getting her pregnant. Naturally, gossips and rumor mills circulated in the parish. The priest is devastated. For one month he refused to meet people and never say mass to any church. The poison letter is like a spear wounding his heart.
Then one day, the people is surprised to see the priest greeting people outside the church and began to say mass more passionately. The people are amazed on the transformation of the priest and they asked him how he overcome the gossips. The priest just say "I recognized that I can not please all people, that it is always possible that a leader is not a leader unless he is ready to be wounded".
After several years, the priest became a bishop and he transform his church by refusing to be served by anybody when he is invited to a lunch or dinner; he transferred his room air-con to the visitors waiting area; his room is bare only bed a small table and chair can be found; he refused to buy expensive car and rather take the bus or jeepney; he made sure that as a bishop he is a servant especially of the poor.
When he died, all parishioners weep as if a part of them died. He is the only saint they met in their lifetime.
As I wake up, I am crying because still I have to meet such priest/bishop in my lifetime.
Do you know somebody?

The Tao of Charlie Munger

Charlie Munger, 84, is Warren Buffett’s principal sounding board and co-strategist. With his help Buffett has evolved from a successful but small-time money manager to the world’s richest man, with unparalled global influence – and on the eyes of some admirers, he wouldn’t be where he is without Munger.
I am one of his loyal fan and maybe one of the few Filipinos who seek his wisdom on investing. Let me share to you Munger’s five thoughts to help investors in today’s recessionary environment:
Avoid the Middleman. Maybe we should think twice about or brokers and mutual funds. Munger says that due to its middling performance and high fees, the money management industry as a whole “ gives no value added” to its customers. “They are croupiers taking profits out of the System”.
Pick Common Sense over Math. Another knock against the pros? Their obsession with statistical analysis – “boring gravel sifting,” as Munger calls it – obscures insights about which businesses are poised to succeed. “ These people od involved computations, and they are walking right by great boulders of gold.” Meanwhile, he and Buffett “just look for no-brainer decisions…..We don’t leap 7-foot fences.”
Think Like Ben Franklin. Munger believes in educating himself deeply about, well, almost everything , “invading other people’s territory” to develop a “mental latticework of theory” to shape his investing decisions. His poster boy for this approach: Ben Franklin. “He was a self-educated man who wandered over vast territory, “Munger says. “He recognized that he needed higher math, so he went out and learned algebra….. Learn your gaps, and fill them. That’s what I do.”
Sit on your assets, if you can. . While most investors associate Buffett and Munger with finding good stocks cheap, Munger points out that quality can trump price. “If you buy something because it is undervalued, you have to think about selling it when it approaches your calculation of its intrinsic value,” he says. That’s hard. But if you buy a few great companies, then you can sit on your ass. That’s a good thing.”
Source: Smartmoney interview; recent speeches; Poor Charlie’s Almanack

Motivating people

In the corporate world and in the academe one common findings I discovered. To motivate the best and the brightest there are only 2 key factors needed:

1. You should give the best people the freedom to do his job. The high-performing people should be treated as professionals and should not be micro-managed. Because they really don't like to be managed at all. They prefer to be led, being provided with a clean set of goals and objectives and given the creative freedom to accomplish their targets. They seek empowerment that comes from a leader
who trust them completely.

2. The best people wants to have an impact and to be recognized for it. the company should always remember that their best people are passionate on what they are doing. They can easily be spotted because these best people aligned his objectives with his boss or his organization.

To motivate employees is easy, the difficult thing is having the skills and the will to do it.

FrancisM

We are made to contribute and Francis Magalona was one of the few who carried the banner. Our generation is marred by confusion and rebellion to authority that we viewed as repressive and protector of personal interest. Francis M songs expressed our generations sentiment and his death pierced our heart. So long Francis, we are sure you will still write and sing songs in heaven!
KALEIDOSCOPE WORLD

So many faces, so many races
Different voices, different choices
Some are mad, while others laugh
Some live alone with no better half
Others grieve while others curse
And others mourn behind a big black hearse
Some are pure and some half-bred
Some are sober and some are wasted
Some are rich because of fate and
Some are poor with no food on their plate
Some stand out while others blend
Some are fat and stout while some are thin
Some are friends and some are foes
Some have some while some have most

Every color and every hue
Is represented by me and you
Take a slide in the slope
Take a look in the kaleidoscope
Spinnin' round, make it twirl
In this kaleidoscope world

Some are great and some are few
Others lie while some tell the truth
Some say poems and some do sing
Others sing through their guitar strings
Some know it all while some act dumb
Let the bassline strum to the bang of the drum
Some can swim while some will sink
And some will find their minds and think
Others walk while others run
You can't talk peace and have a gun
Some are hurt and start to cry
Don't ask me how don't ask me why
Some are friends and some are foes
Some have some while some have most

Every color and every hue
Is represented by me and you
Take a slide in the slope
Take a look in the kaleidoscope
Spinnin' round, make it twirl
In this kaleidoscope world

Rebelyn Pitao, 20

(Evangeline Maasin Pitao, Rebelyn's mother. MindaNews photo courtesy of Rene B. Lumawag, Pixels & Cutlines)
A teacher from Davao who was abducted last Wednesday was found dead last March 8. She is just 20 years old, living the difficult life as we all experienced on a daily basis. She is a woman who committed no crime and whose only case her torturer and murderer can think of is that her father is an NPA commander. The sins of her father the criminals make sure she shouldered the pain. They mutilated her genital and stab her repeatedly with ice-pick. Rape is evident.
The church is beginning to observe the lenten season but this early we already grieved because of this terrible injustice.
If this government will not arrest the criminals they will bear the brunt of the people's anger.
What happened to Rebelyn only validates that evil still resides in the heart of those who are supposed to practice Christian virtues.
They are an abomination in the eyes of God and the murderers can never rest in peace!.

College Education = Middle Class

College education is under question nowadays. Some people bashed it as worthless while others claimed it is a waste of time and money. The thousands who graduate yearly from colleges and universities will find it difficult to land a job in today’s recessionary times. The more than 35,000 nursing students who passed the board exam recently can not be entirely absorbed by all hospitals in the country. The law of supply and demand will surely come into play and it will result to lower salary of nurses. This reality further fuelled the fire that college education will likely not give the parents the return of investment they dreamed since their child was born.
The diploma-mill-school aggravates the situation by producing graduates who do not possessed even basic written English skills.
Why I am then proposing that the Filipino youth should pursue their college education?. BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER WAY to earn a regular salary, have a formal employment and crawled to middle class but to earn a college education.
There are people who sarcastically point to us that they can earn money without completing their college. Their ultimate hero is Bill Gates who dropped out of Harvard in his 2nd year, created Microsoft and never looked back.
I always loved to point to them that they are not Bill Gates who has parents earning lots of dollars, who studied in the best and expensive private elementary and high school, who has a country that passionately reward creativity and out-of-the-box thinking and a business environment where venture capitalists abound.
The challenge is clear for Filipinos that the Philippine environment is chaotic, bureaucratic and dwells on penalty rather than rewards.
But college education can change the landscape. It can make Filipinos open-minded, challenges traditional mores, invests more, entrepreneurship focused, back democratic process and support politicians with right economic policies.
The problem is when Filipinos college graduate do not possess the above characteristics. This will validate the claim that colleges and universities failed on their sworn duty. This failure will result to a life of hand-to-mouth existence even though a college diploma hangs in the wall.
Those who love the Philippines I am sure will not allow our country to slide in the level of North Korea or Zimbabwe.
We can do it by acting as one race and with one aspiration: the creation of a middle class with characters shaped by a solid college education.

Arnel L. Cadeliña

Love =Unity + Patriotism

There is a race called Filipinos who are famous on not loving their country called the Philippines. The people spit everywhere, throw their garbage wherever they like and curse the weather when it is cold and even curse it whenever it is hot. You can find people pee in the wall, in electrical post, in jeepney tires and all places that are vacant. They are unashamed throwing their trashes in the river or in the ocean and if you will not shout at them they will even throw their refuse in the street or in front of your backyard.
These people, who are also famous to take a bath everyday even three times a day, are the same people who violates every rule indicated in the constitution down to municipal laws. If they are elected officials, they get 5 % commission on government projects and if they are appointed officials they equally appoint relatives to fill up vacant positions. The World Bank is even amazed the expertise of Filipinos on manipulating contracts.
Down south, kidnapping is common. They said they have no jobs and kidnapping is an occupation. You can bet it will land in the Guinness Book.
Foreigners are wondering what kind of race this called Filipinos. These same foreigners admire the natural resources and the potential of the people. They are wondering why this race can not move on the same direction and can not feel that they should have common aspirations.
These foreigners are telling us the truth that from the high echelons of the government down to the barangay level and even deep down to the family level we are lacking love of our country.
We say it, we sing the national anthem but we failed to put it in action.
There is only one solution on the problems of the Filipino race and that is to love our country more than ourselves. That is the secret of all countries who made itself successful.
We should not be stupid to notice it.

Blessing Prayer in a Time of Sickness

Lately some of my friends are getting sick. One is stricken with cancer and a handful are hospitalized due to stress related issues. As I browse my Catholic Digest an article by Edward Hayes caught my attention. I decide to share an excerpt of his book specifically the "Blessing Prayer in a Time of Sickness".

If you or your love ones suffer from any illness say this prayer:
Lord of health and wholeness,
your servant________________(name)
now lies sick
and desires to be restored
to the balance of good health.
Hear, O Lord, our prayers
For the healing of him/her
whom we love so much.

Remove from him/her this illness
so that, fully recovered
and restored to health,
he/she may return
with renewed zeal
to the daily life that we share.

Catholic Digest January 2009 issue page 111.

Pre-need Demons

My teeth gnashes in anger as I heard the news that three pre-need companies declared bankruptcy without any warning to their planholders. Legacy Plans, scholarship Plans and All Asia Plans announced that they can not meet anymore their obligations.
Nobody from these companies held a press conference and apologize to the public. Instead thru their media they are blaming the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the current economic recession as the culprit.
These people are the personification of Beelzebul. How can they stomached to milked the money of hardworking Filipinos for the past years? The middle class are their primary customers who skipped a little luxury in life in order to pay the premiums with the hope of providing good education for their children. Don't they feel the pain?
The SEC is incompetent in the sense that they did not monitor strictly these pre-need companies. They deserved to be fired because they failed to protect the interest of the people.
Just like the case of CAP and Pacific plans nobody will go to jail on this latest mess.
These pre-need companies are highway-robbers who inflicted the highest form of injustice. They kill hopes and dreams.
They deserve to rot in jails.

6 Eternal Truth on Investing

1. Live within your means or below it.
2. Never use a credit card and avoid the plague it is.
3. Borrow money only for education and housing purpose.
4. Never invest in stocks with the money intended for food and next years college tuition.
5. Invest money only if you have 3 months cash reserve.
6. Invest money that you will not use for the next 10 years. It will give you enough time to defeat the bear and earn a decent profit.

ATENEO MBA ALUMNI BATCH 2001

MASTER IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION - 233 graduates
(STANDARD PROGRAM BATCH 2001)
ADAPON, GLORIA M.
ADOREMOS, MA. ZARAH B.
AGUILA, RANDOLPH Q.
AGUSTIN, ERWIN C.
ALARCON, RUBINA R.
ALCANTARA, IMELDA C.
ALCARAZ, MARIE GRACE L.
ALVAREZ, EDWIN C.
ANCENO, EDGAR P.
ANG, ELEANOR GRACE T.
AQUINO, ANN MARIE JARDIN P.
ARAÑES, MARY CLARE B.
ARMADA, LETICIA C.
ARROJADO, ALLAN R.
ASI, MARIA CECILIA M.
ATENCIO, FRANKLIN G. JR.
BADINAS, ERLINDA V.
BALCOBA, MARIA EDITHA B.
BALISACAN, ELMER B.
BAÑARES, RUBYROSA G.
BARCELONA, GENARO P.
BARCENA, JAN ARVIN S.
BATARA, MONICA EMELDA T.
BAUTISTA, ANDRE JOSE C.
BELTRAN, JOANNA C.
BISCOCHO, EDNA G.
BONGALA, SAMMY E.
BONGCAS, GIOVANNI D.
BULATAO, MICHAEL PHILIP M.
BUNYI, MARK ANTHONY V.
CABAÑES, FATIMA MARCIA S.G.
CABER, ANNA MARIE A.
CABRERA, MARIA CARIDAD O.
CADELIÑA, ARNEL L.
CANTO, ROWENA M.
CARANDANG, FLORENCIO R.
CARTONEROS, CYBELE B.
CARVAJAL, MARIA THERESA M.
CASIÑO, MARIE PATRICIA G.
CASTILLO, ANGELITA A.
CATALAN II, EMMANUEL M.
CATINDIG, VERONICA T.
CHAN, NELSON S.
CHEN, HIRONG
CHOA, ALLAN T.
CHUA, MARY GRACE L.
COCHIEN, HEINRICH YOKOGERI S.
CORTEZ, DOLOR S.
CUSI, FERLIZA P.
DATU, MARIA NOREEN N.
DE GUZMAN, ERLINDA B.
DE GUZMAN, MAUREEN CECILIA T.
DE LEON, CHERYL S.
DE OCAMPO, FR. HENRY C.
DELA ROSA, TEODORA B.
DELLOMAS, BONIFACIO N. JR.
DE VERA, DENNIS I.
DIAZ, JOEL N.
DIAZ, MARY RACHELL R.
DINEROS, CHERYL R.
DOMINGO - GONZALES, ROMINA PRISCILLA F.
DOROS, EDWARD R.
DUFOURNAUD, MARIA DOLLY B.
EKO SUSETYO, KURNIAWAN
EUSTAQUIO, AILEEN R.
EVANGELISTA, MA. COLEEN B.
EVANGELISTA, MARY RUTH E.
FERNANDO, JOEL S.
FINEZA, MA. ANTONIA T.
FLORES, BARBARA KAREN T.
FONTANILLA, MARISSA M.
FRANCISCA, LAMSARULLY JUDITH
FUNELAS, HERBERT E.
GAAC, SOCORO CARIDAD L.
GAGATIGA, JENNELYN A.
GAJISAN, MARIA ELENA A.
GALVAN, JESUS G.
GARCIA, ANNA LIZA E.
GIRON, REGINALD R.
GO, JENNIFER C.
GOC - ONG, JUDITH T.
GOH, RAZIEL B.
GOMEZ, VITUS GERALD Z.
GOSECO, GERARDO ALFONSO S.
GUERRERO, JANET P.
GUERRERO, MARY JANICE C.
GUEVARRA, NOVA A.
GUEVARRA, ROMELA V.
GUZMAN, EMILIANO A.
HERMANO, JOHN O.
HIPOLITO, BONITA M.
HIPOLITO, HELEN J.
HIZON, KRISTINE A.
HUSSAIN, MAQBOOL
IBE, MILAGROSA D.
JACOBA, JANINA ROSA V.
JALBUENA, LAURA MARY ALLEN D.
JAVIER, ALBERTO FERNANDO A.
JAVIER, JOSEPHINE D.
JOAQUIN, ROSENDA RHODA C.
KILALA - MURALLON, BRENDA C.
KING, ULYSSES S. JR.
LAMADRID, PAOLO R.
LAO, ALEXANDER M.
LAYUG, JENNIFER N.
LEDESMA, MARIA KATRINA SELINA L.
LEE, MICHAEL GEORGE M.
LEYNES, MAIAH ANGELA R.
LI, HUI MIN
LIM, JOHN HUI KIANG N.
LINGAD, ENRICH H.
LIUSON, JOYCE C.
LOPEZ, MYRA V.
LOSTE II, AUGUSTUS ROMUALDO D.
LUIS, CATLEYA S.
LUNA, JOY C.
MADLANGBAYAN, MELANIE S.
MAGANA, LIZA LIBERTINE L.
MAGBAYAO, DONALD M.
MAGDALENA, NINA MARIA
MAGLALANG, AMILLIE A.
MAGNO, ELFIN JAY E.
MAGTOTO, ARIEL L.
MALACCA, SANTIAGO S.
MALLO, MELVIN P.
MAMIIT, NOEL M.
MANALANG, JO - ANN MARIE C.
MANALAYSAY, ELIZA R.
MANALO, CRISELDA K.
MANALO, VINCENT PHILIP P.
MANAS, EDUARDO G. JR.
MANCILLA, DENNIS G.
MANGUERRA, RHODA C.
MANIO, ROWENA JOY D.
MANUEL, RUEL A.
MANUEL, SAHLEE RUTH S.
MARCELINO, ORLANDO ANTHONY C.
MARTIN, ENRIQUE R.
MASAGCA,IVEE R.
MEDIODIA, NOEL G.
MENDOZA, JENNIFER H.
MENDOZA, MARY MABEL L.
MIJARES, MA. VINA PAMELA M.
MIRALLES, GILBERT F.
MONTE, MARIBEL V.
MORALES, EDEN D.
MORENO, HAZEL S.
MORENO, MHELISSA A.
MUSTERA, MA. CORINNA U.
NACIANCENO, RENE S.
NAPIGKIT, ALFIE P.
NAVARRA, JINA P.
NEPOMUCENO, NILO PAUL H.
NIEVA, MARIA LUISA O.
ONG, COLETTE H.
ORDOÑEZ, CAESAR M.
ORDOÑEZ, JONATHAN S.
ORTIGAS, RAFAEL B.
PADILLA, RAQUEL G.
PALAD, BRENDA ROSELLA E.
PALENZUELA, MARILOU ANN F.
PALISOC, MARY ROXAN L.
PALO, PHILIP MARTIN P.
PAN, ARLYN V.
PANGALANGAN, FAY ANN A.
PANGCOG, MELVIN L.
PARAYNO, CARMINA RAISSA S.
PASIMIO, GEMMA RITA CECILIA N.
PATIÑO, ELIZABETH V.
PAULINO, MONICA B.
PEÑA, EMILIANO D. JR.
PEREZ, YVONNIE G.
PUALENGCO, MARRIANNE S.
QUEBRATA, NERIZZA C.
QUINSAY, SOUCI HANNAH Q.
QUINTOS, ROBERTO B.
RAMOS, EVA MARIE S.
RANGA, FILOMENO M. JR.
RAYOS, CECILLIE T.
RAZAL, MARIA IMELDA S.
REJANO, VLADIMIR V.
RELONA, AMELIA
REYES, MA. LOURDES U.
RILLORAZA, MYLA U.
ROBEL, JOSEPH ERIC L.
RONQUILLO, MARY GRACE C.
ROSALDO, ALDINE H.
ROSALES, JOSEPH FERDINAND L.
RUFO, ROWENA O.
SAENZ, ELOISA MA. VICTORIA L.
SALVADOR, EMELBIN M.
SALVADOR, RODA C.
SANDOVAL, BERNADETTE C.
SAÑEZ, AMELOU T.
SANTOS, BERNARD R.
SANTOS, DONABEL B.
SANTOS, GISELA ILONA D.
SAYSON, MA. BELLA R.
SAYSON, MARIA ASSAMPTA C.
SIA, MARY JEAN R.
SIA, SUSAN ANGELI M.
SICAT, MA. RITA LUISA S.
SIMBULAN, LYNNE C.
SORIANO, PATRICIA B.
SOSA, MERLIE A.
SUAREZ - CONCEPCION, MA. RONORA
SUNTAY, MA. ANGELICA C.
TAALA - BUNTUA, CATHERINE
TAE SOON, KIM
TAN, JASON PETER P.
TAN, MARK LAWRENCE V.
TAN, ROCHELLE T.
TOLENTINO, ROWELL C.
TRINIDAD, LORENA C.
TRINOS, MARIE ANTONIETTE V.
VELASQUEZ, ROCHELLE D.
VELILLA, SHEILA MAE M.
VENERACION, MARIA GORDIANA K.
VICENCIO, RAOUL FERDINAND S.
VIGO, CHRISTINE S.
VILLENA, MA. VIVIENE L.
WIDYADMONO, VENANTIUS MARDI
WISCO, IVY JOY P.
WU, MEI - LI
YAM, MA. AMELIA AMORA
YANGA, MICHAEL S.
YBAÑEZ, CARINA M.
YU, ELMER J.
YU, MICHAEL S.
YU, ORLANDO B.
YUE SUI
ZARA, EMMANUEL G. JR.
ZARAGOZA, EDGAR A.

DECLARATION OF FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT

There is a Declaration of Independence that every freedom loving people look forward to. It means to them freedom from colonial powers, tyranny or dictatorship. In the Philippines it was proclaim twice, in June 12, 1898 and July 4, 1945. Our country right after 1945 was never occupied again by foreign powers. But since independence day , we are still not free. Not of foreign dominations but of financial ignorance.
This new year, as my contribution to the Filipinos who would like to unshackle the chain of financial ignorance, I drafted the DECLARATION OF FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT . The purpose of which as your guide and as my New Year’s gift to you.

DECLARATION OF FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT
By: Arnel L. Cadeliña
1. I will find a job or create my own job as a starter to build wealth.
2. I will use my income to build my own house.
3. I will develop more skills to earn more, live within my means, save and invest not less than 10% of my income.
4. I will prepare early for my retirement by investing in diversified portfolio,
5. I will learn more about mutual funds and stocks.
6. I will teach my children on how to handle their finances.
7. I will support locally made products and competitive Filipino enterprises.
8. I will manage my budget and debt proactively.
9. I will not spend on things that are not needed in order to have a 3 months cash reserve.
10. I will always spend money that will have a positive impact on my family and my community.

(You may share this DECLARATION OF FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT to all Filpinos you know around the world. Just acknowledge the author. You may e-mail me arnelcadelina@gmail.com )

Para sa QNHS section JPM get-together

CLOSING REMARKS
Ang high school daw ang pinakamasaya sa lahat kasi wala ka pang masyadong alalahanin sa buhay except lang magpacute sa crush at kung paano pagkakasyahin ang baon. Ang buhay natin sa Quezon High ay simple lang kasi mayroon tayong tinatawag na common denominator sabi ni Mr. Basañez. Ang pagkakatulad nating lahat ay galling tayo sa hirap. Maaring ilan sa atin ang may kaya ang pamilya noong panahon na iyon pero kung susuriin higit sa kalahati ang pumapasok na pamasahe lang ang baon.
Ang section na JPM ang mukha ng kabataang nagsisikap umahon sa kahirapan. Kung di ako nagkakamali lahat tayo pumasa sa NCEE. Lahat tayo ay nagsikap magaral sa kolehiyo, mayroon nag working student, mayroong pinagsabay ang kolehiyo at trabaho, at mayroong nagtrabaho muna bago nagkolehiyo.
Ang section na JPM ngayon ay iba na ang mukha. Bukod sa tayo ay tumaba at maaring tumaba din ang ating wallet. Pero ang hiling ko lang at maaring hiling ng lahat na sana ay huwag nating kalimutan ang ating pinanggalingan. Galing tayo sa hirap kaya dapat tayong tumulong sa nangangailangan.
Iba ang darating na 2009. Ito ang taon na madarama natin na ang ating kumpanyang pinagtratabuhan ay kaunti lang ang kikitain at kailangan nilang magtipid. Ang taong 2009 din ang taong ang mga negosyante ay madarama na ang kanilang customer ay kumokonti dahil din sa pagtitipid.
Ano ang kailangang gawin ng bawat isang JPM.
1. Sa mga kakaklase nating may negosyo huwag mahiyang humingi ng tulong sa bawat isa, Kung kailangan ninyo ng bagong customer sabihin sa yahoo group natin. Kung kailangan ng payo sa negosyo mag-email. Iwasan lang ang pag utang, alam nyo na ang resulta nyan pag hindi nagbayad. Huwag mahiyang i-announce kung anong klaseng negosyo mayroon ka at huwag ding mahiya na mag-endorse ng produkto.
2. Sa mga kakaklase nating nagtratrabaho sa mga kumpanya, doblehin ang sikap sa trabaho para hindi matanggal sa trabaho. Pumasok ng maaga at umuwi ng late. Laging bigyan ng impormasyon ang inyong mga boss para lagi kang maalala.
3. Pag mayroong bakanteng trabaho sa ating mga kumpanya, i-announce sa yahoo group. Tulungan natin ang naghahanap at maghahanap ng trabaho.
4. Pag mayroong parents, kapatid o sino mang mahal sa buhay na namayapa i-announce sa yahoo group para madalaw ng bawat isa. Mahigit na tayong 40, kailangan nating damahin ang pagmamahal ng bawat isa bago pa tayo tawagin.
5. Dapat mayroon tayong kumpletong directory ng bawat isa, Telephone number, cellphone number, address, kursong natapos o kung ano negosyo o expertise para madali ang ating komunikasyon.
6. Huwag kalimutan ang ating adviser na si mam JPM. Tayo lang ang nagpapasaya sa kanya. Lagi natin syang alalahanin kung mayroon tayong get-together.
7. Huwag nating kalimutan ang Quezon High. Kung kaya nating mag-ambagan ng P300 sa ating get-together, kaya din nating magdonate ng tig P200 sa isang taon para sa scholarship. Ang P8000 ay malaki ng bagay sa Quezon High.
Ang 2009 daw ang susubok sa katatagan ng bawat Filipino. Pero ang section JPM sigurado ako kaya natin itong lampasan, kasi galing tayo sa hirap at dahil ayaw na nating bumalik doon, nagigi tayong matapang na harapin ang anumang pagsubok sa buhay.
Salamat at mabuhay ang JPM!

8 Ways to Recession Proof the Filipinos

The corporate casualties are mounting: Lehman, AIG, Citigroup, Ford, Chrysler, GM. Countries are applying for loan: Iceland, Georgia and Pakistan to name a few. This is the recession we are now facing and it is wise to face the truth. The truth that life will be more difficult before it will get better.
In my beloved Lucena City where I am currently based, the word recession is known only to a very few people. These are the well read and those with investment in mutual funds and stocks. These few people, however , are already feeling the pinch because the value of their investment shrinks by 40%. You may correctly say that they are becoming poor as the days march.
How can we recession proof our family and our finances? Are there ways to shield us from this big R?
Some experts say yes but these experts are based in USA or in Europe and hardly apply to the Philippine environment. Let me share my views as my share to you my dear readers and to the million of Filipinos who are clueless at the moment:
1. Protect your job. This is the very first thing that you should do. This is the reason why you and your family are still eating 3 times a day. Do not be a candidate for retrenchment, lay-off or right-sizing. (Different words but same meaning: reducing company cost by firing employees). How will you protect yourself?. Do your job excellently, be an active contributor and surpassed your to-do-lists by doing more. Report early to work and stay late if necessary. Inform your boss of your accomplishments. There is no other way but to make yourself a brand that can be easily recalled.
2. Protect your health. All of us know that being hospitalized cost an arm and a leg. The hospitals will squeeze every penny that you have. It is better to buy healthy foods now than to buy medicines for your disease. Meat everyday? Think twice. Lambanog every night?.Noooooo way!.
3. Protect your wallet. What I mean is spend below your means. If you can follow the 10% rule of paying yourself first you can be in a better financial position than the rest who spend 100% of their income. Those who have discipline and can save 20% of their income you are part of the few Filipinos who knows how to protect their wallet.
4. Protect your investment. Those who are willing to buy stocks you will find the price so low that having a time horizon of 10-20 years will surely provide you a harvest of profit. Those who are willing to buy stock mutual fund this is the right time to invest. You just practice peso-averaging. Those having stocks and mutual funds right now, I sympathize with you for suffering heavy losses. But if you need the money for the next 20 years, why weep? Time is on your side.
5. Protect yourself. If you have children below 15 years old it is a must for you to have insurance. You don’t need the expensive whole life insurance. Term insurance will do and it is cheap. How will your family survived if you will be hit by a lightning while reading this article?.
6. Protect your home and love ones. Be sure that you are drinking clean water and eating food not heavily exposed to chemicals. Maintaining your house to make it a sanctuary of peace and love is a necessity. If you can repair your house to save money do so. But if you don’t have the skills and safety is not assured outsource it to the expert. Just make sure they will not over charge you. It is a paramount to have a house where you can recharge your body and it is only possible if the roof is not leaking.
7. Protect your faith. In this time of uncertainty you should be certain on your faith. Those people who profess that they belong to a religious group have s strong tendency to carry on despite any kind of difficulty. The power of prayer can move mountain, heck, it may move the value of your stocks also.
8. Protect your skills. In this era of technology, skills are kings. The more skills a person have the more chance of earning more money. Err on the side of the kings, get more skills.
If you are paid to think protect your brain. Read a lot about your trade, perfect your grammar, learn how to pronounce properly, learn how to present your ideas and yes answer that Soduko. Likewise if you are paid to use your hands protect it by all means necessary. Wear safety gloves, rest it when you are tired and make sure to make your fingers intact because severing it will make your employer think twice of keeping you. Whatever your source of power and income it is absolutely wise to nurture it.

Always,

Arnel L. Cadeliña

(You may e-mail the author at arnelcadelina@gmail.com)

In Defense of the Teaching Profession

Many people, noticeably parents who seek good teachers for their children, despised the teaching profession. They mocked the measly salary of the teachers though they are the most honest professionals I ever met. They scoffed the teachers uniforms though they are highly respectable than the Generals and the politicians. They laugh at the long hours the teachers spend preparing their lessons though they are silent when corrupt people extorted money from them.

These are the warped values some parents possessed.

They want the best teachers for their children but they turn their nose up at the teachers who spend on the average 8 hours everyday to help their children understand the world. These parents are the same earthlings who bashed the teaching profession.
Where did this prejudice came from?.

I am a product of public school from elementary to high school. The teachers I met retired, most of them, with a little retirement pay. But their care and teachings are imprinted in my mind that they are never erased by anybody or by any circumstances.

In other country specifically the Scandinavians countries, the teachers are highly respected and better paid because their government and their people knows the tremendous effect of the teachers to mold their future scientists and businessmen. All kinds of benefits and accolades are given to them because they know that without them they surely will not come out with world class products like Nokia, Ericsson and Volvo. They know that teachers play an important role in hitting their GNP, GDP and Per Capita target.

In this country, the true heroes are the OFW’s and the Teachers. But the teachers should be rank higher because they can make a President or scientist out of our children.

But if some parents continually scorned them, that the hurting sinks deep, I will not be surprised with the result………… zombies out of their little emperors with a brain size of a pea.

You may e-mail the author at arnelcadelina@gmail.com

Back to Thriftiness

Back to Thriftiness
“ It’s a belt tightening out of necessity, but I predict and hope that one would begin to embrace thrift as a path to sustainable prosperity…It’s not just poorer people or lower middle class. This is an across the board effort to get your house in order for the seven lean years”. David Blankenhorn of Thrift: a Cyclopedia.

The financial crisis sweeping the globe is changing the habit of the Americans. Gone are the days of buying whimsically anything that suits their taste. “Eating in the fancy restaurant?”. Later. “Buying Gucci?. Not today. “Plasma TV?”. No way. “New car?”. Kidding me.
What is happening now awaken the Americans that they are drowning in the sea of debt. The Americans saving rate is zero. They are over leveraged by $1 to $33.(Meaning for every dollar they earned they borrowed $33.). They have no choice now but to be thrifty or else they will go bankrupt.
They are now feeling the pain of their unregulated market fuelled by credit cards.
For the Filipinos who are not earning much as the Americans we are also suffering but on a different level. But it is also time to visit the value of thriftiness.
Our ancestors before the Europeans came have a high regard on thriftiness. Somewhere along the way it got lost. It is time to instill it back to our minds and to our souls.
Before buying any high ticket items such as appliances or car. Save First and be thrifty.
Before your 10 month old baby go to college. Save First and be thrifty.
Before you get married. Save First and be thrifty.
Start with you. We can not find a real good role model.
The government?. Sorry. Our government is one expensive and one of the most inefficient in Asia. If you will take seriously the controversial Macapagal Boulevard, the fertilizer scam, the Eurogenerals and the countless charges thrown at Malacañang you can conclude the absence of thriftiness and self-restraint.
The church? Hmmm. Maybe. But how can you reconcile it when the youth sees their Bishop,Minister or pastor driving a P1M car.
The job losses rampaging in America will hit our shore sooner or later. The announcement of CITIGROUP that they will axe up to 52,000 jobs including their Philippine unit is a testimony that we will not be spared.
Thriftiness is not an option but a necessity.
We have nowhere else to go but up and thriftiness will carry us there.

You may e-mail the author at arnelcadelina@gmail.com

Galoc Oil

In the land of misery, one good news will make you ecstatic. The discovery of oil in Galoc, Palawan is one news that could be considered a blessing that somewhat help in easing the pain of the soul and of the body.
According to the Department of Energy the Galoc Oil Field is expected to produce an average of 17,000-20,000 barrels of crude oil DAILY, equivalent to about 6% of the country's requirement.
This means the country will save millions of dollars in import costs.
PETRON is the first buyer of the crude oil from Galoc.
The question now is how the government will spend the savings. Hope the next President will allocate it to the improvement of education.

Forecast for 2009

Next year is the year of living dangerously. The wall street and main street bloodbath will hit the bottom and everyone breathing in this planet will be shaking their head in accepting the fact that the day of stock gains and profit boom will not return quickly.
Here are my forecasts:
1. The new U.S. president will find it difficult to reverse the damaged done by the subprime, housing and investment crisis. He will be more insular protecting the economy of U.S. rather than giving aid to the other country. We will expect the new U.S. president to create jobs for the Americans (of course!) hence deportation for illegal immigrants and tighten entry of new ones.
2. There will be less remittance going to the Philippines if there will be retrenchment next year. If the companies in U.S. and Europe start to tighten their belts in order to survive the first thing that they will do is to cut operational costs. They will not hesitate to fire employees. Call centers, shipping, logistics, air lines, tourism will be the first to be hit by this belt tightening.
3. The $700 B package approved by Bush will not stimulate financial credit and there will companies that will still go under. Companies who borrowed in dollars and whose loan will mature for the next 3 years will find his boat rocking ferociously. With the advent of less customers and higher interest rate, it can bring the boat down.
4. Jobs will be available for those who got skills that others do not have.Technical skills will be favored instead of a sloppy college degrees from a sloppy colleges.Skills in electrical , electronics, automation, alternative energy, design will be highly sought by selective employers.
5. Philippines will still find itself in the bottom of the economic heap in southeast asia. The perception of corruption, poor infrastructure and low quality of education are issues that can not be erased by the current Malacañang occupants. She will be at the helm until 2010 and we have nothing to do but pray.
6. The Philippine economy is saved by the remittance of OFW. There will be less inflow of dollar or euro investment next year and the stock market will still be in the bear mode.
7. The Filipino family will find it more difficult to send their children to college. With the continuos rising cost of food, transportation,and utilities every filipino family will face a tremendous challege in 2009.
The predictions may sound gloomy but it is what I perceived as the reality of 2009.
But predictions are predictions.
It may come true or it may not. Still the future is in our hands and the antidote for gloomy things are actions.
Yes Og Mandino is right. It is better to act than be an spectators.
Let your nose be bloodied.

Arnel

Quezon Del Sur

Last July 2, 2007, I wrote in this blog my opposition on the partition of Quezon.Next month Quezonians will vote in a plebiscite to decide if we adhere on dividing Quezon into two.
Quezon politicians and the church (no less than the Bishop) are involve and the people are starting to get confused.
Understanding the herd mentality of Quezonians, many will vote based on what their politicos or priests endorsed.
It is time for the people of Quezon to vote based on the merit of the proposal and decide what is good for the province.
These are the 7 questions that we should answer before voting. Scrutinize if the questions are explained to you.

1. There is direct evidence judging from existing data that dividing provinces will spur economic progress. Yes ( ) No ( ).
2. There is a research done by economists that dividing Quezon into two will mean less bureucracy, less headcount, less capital and operational expenditures and less corruption. Yes ( ) No ( ).
3. There is a research done by DOLE or any independent firm that dividing Quezon will mean additional jobs locally. Yes ( ) No ( ).
4. There is a research done by DTI or any independent firm that dividing Quezon will create more small and high scale industries. Yes ( ) No ( ).
5. There is direct evidence based on an intensive research that dividing Quezon will transform Quezonians into a hardworking and enterprenuerial people. Yes ( ) No ( ).
6. There is a direct evidence based on intensive research that dividing Quezon will produce political and economic leaders that will put Quezon Province interest first. Yes ( ) No ( ).
7. There is a direct evidence based on intensive research that dividing quezon will attract local and foreign investments. Yes ( ) No ( ).
Check your answer:
6-7 No ----- Ditch the proposal.
4-5 No ----- Again ditch the proposal.
1-3 No ----- Maybe you can vote Yes but can you handle the truth?

Go out and vote.
You are given the freedom to send this article to anybody, to everybody who will vote on the November plebiscite.

David H. Maister

Today I would like to feature one thinker that influences me. Mr. David H. Maister, one of the world’s leading authorities on the management of professional service firms.

In 2002, he was identified as one of the top 40 business thinkers in the world (BUSINESS MINDS, Financial Times/Prentice Hall.)

For twenty-five years he has advised firms in a broad spectrum of professions, covering all strategic and managerial issues, building a global practice that finds him spending about 40% of his time in North America, 30% in western Europe, and 30% in the rest of the world.


A native of Great Britain, David holds degrees from the University of Birmingham, the London School of Economics and a doctorate from the Harvard Business School.

He began his teaching career at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and then joined the Harvard Business School faculty, where he taught courses in managing service businesses from 1979 until 1985.

One of the research that Maister contributed for business that catapult him one the helm of my favorite thinker is the 9 Statements for business to profit. These 9 are:

1. Client satisfaction is a top priority at our firm.
2. We have no room for those who put their personal agenda ahead of the interests of the clients or the office.
3. Those who contribute most to the overall success of the office are the most highly rewarded.
4. Management gets the best work out of everybody in the office.
5. Around here, you are required not just encouraged, to learn and develop new skills.
6. We invest a significant amount of time in things that will pay off in the future.
7. People within our office alwyas treat others with respect.
8. The quality of supervision on client projects is uniformly high.
9. The quality of the professionals in our office is as high as can be expected.
If you notice Maister is very particular on employee attitude as we all know it can make or break the organization.
Cheers to Maister!

WORLD DAY FOR DECENT WORK

Today, October 7, 2008, is designated by UN as “World Day for Decent Work”. For all Filipino workers toiling in the Philippines and other countries, we all have one aim and that is to lift ourselves and our family from the pangs poverty and hunger. It is our aspiration in our working lives to have a decent work that is productive and provide fair income. We long for security in the workplace that we can not be fired unjustifiably. We aspire for a social protection that will help us when we are old. We look for decent job that provide us personal development and an environment where we can express our concerns without being penalized. These are what decent work means to all of us.
But sadly the global financial crisis will result in tossing the meaning of decent work and making us accept or be grateful in having any kind of work at all. Our working class is stuck in the survival mode since the founding of the country.
We need to pass the survival mode and jump to creative/inventive mode in order for us to have a decent work that will help us develop self-respect.
Having any kind of work just to survive is a survival mode hence not a good work because it does not bring self-respect. It does not give a degree of autonomy.
I am praying for a day when all of Filipinos are enjoying the creative/inventive era where Filipinos are not treated by their employers as a resource or a commodity that can be manipulated.
(you may e-mail the author at lenra1967@yahoo.com)

DOMINO EFFECT

We always think that Saving for college is priority for Filipino parents, right? Wrong. Almost 80% of parents I interviewed said that they spent more on transportation and foods than they set aside for college.
Parents are borrowing more than ever to put food in their table than savings for college. Over the past five years the cost of tuition fees rose by the average of 10% annually. It is very common to pay P45,000 per semester in UST, P60,000 per semester in ADMU and DLSU and P20,000 in UPDiliman. The high cost of college became a heavy burden for a Filipino family that hinders them in sending their children to the “best” school. The moneyed class has no problem because they can pay but they did not know that the current situation is an injustice that will haunt them also.
The high cost of tuition fees prolong the rule of the elites and fail to uplift the masses out of the debilitating poverty. It is only education that will equalize everything and it is not happening right now.
Whether the elite graduate from his elite schools and he is surrounded by people of abject poverty these elite will also be affected economically. The purchasing power of the people surrounding him is low that the chance of setting up and succeeding in business becomes highly unlikely. If they work in a corporation they can not get a high salary because his company has few customers to attract.
In short, lifting the poor out of poverty will benefit all of us economically. The poor who rose out of poverty will construct their own house, send their children in private school, spend their money in the mall, and employ people. It is a domino effect.
Here’s a thought: Skills are now much needed for the country to survive. A country that possesses skills and knowledge has comparative advantage to those who have none. This will make the country powerful and the people more productive. If we deny or will not provide the skills and knowledge to the masses we will always be at the bottom of the heap, economically.
(you may e-mail the author at lenra1967@yahoo.com)