Presented to the Department of English and Applied Linguistics
De La Salle University - Manila
Term 3, A.Y. 2018-2019
In partial fulfillment
of the course
In GEPCOMM C38
Term -end E-portfolio
Submitted by:
Group 8
NAVALES, Joacquin Carlo A.
Submitted to:
Ms. Leticia Dizon
August 14, 2019
Dearest reader,
This is it. This is the heart and soul of my journey throughout GEPCOMM. I have poured
endless days and sleepless nights into actualizing my visions and thoughts into these tangible
works. In these outputs, I have given focus on the sustainable development goal of providing
sustainable work to this world’s people. In such manner, these outputs not only act as the
fulfillment of my requirements for the subject, but also the fulfillment of my duty as a capable
writer who can express my opinions, ideas and suggestion about achieving the said goal here in
our country. In such manner, I present to you the fruition of my thoughts and criticalities on the
matter of lack of skilled labor within the country. Throughout my journey, I have learned the values
of strategy, criticality and empathy as I have become more and more involved with the matter as I
write down each sentence, word and letter. May you learn and be inspired as I have when I made
each and every one of these works.
This has been Joacquin Carlo A. Navales of GEPCOMM C-38,
Signing off.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Problem-Solution Paper………………………………………………………………………..…. 4
Reflection on problem solution paper…………………………………………………………… 12
Advocacy Letter…………………………………………………………………………………… 15
Reflection on advocacy letter……………………………………………………………………... 18
Panel Discussion script…………………………………………………………………...……….. 20
Reflection on panel discussion………………………………………………………………...….. 28
Communication Plan……………………………………………………………………………… 30
Reflection on communication plan……………………………………………………………….. 49
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PROBLEM-SOLUTION PAPER
Navales, Joacquin Carlo
GEPCOMM (C38)
Placino, Sofia Eloisa
Sanhi, Charlize Meg
Sebe, Hana Juniela
Shortage of Skilled Labor in the Philippines
Situation
As of late, the Philippines has experienced constant economic blunders that have hindered the “tiger
economy” from surmising its full potential. One of said blunders is the apparent skills shortage evident
across the Philippine labor force. Gropello, Tan and Tandon (2010) state that the Philippines’ increasing
reliance on the services sector is a major proponent as to why there is an increasing demand for skilled
labor in the country. The effect of this juncture carries over to date as the 6.1% GDP growth of the country
was highly attributed to the 56.2% growth of the services sector during the 4th quarter of 2018. The growth
of such a demand would indeed necessitate a greater supply to sate it; however, Gropello, Tan and Tandon
(2010) emphasize that many of the essential skills are being, rendering employers being unable to find
qualified workers to hire. Furthermore, they attributed the skills shortage to quality constraints in workers’
education and training requisites. Another attribution made was due to skills mismatch in which graduates’
skills were not apt for what employers were looking for; thus, leading them to either underemployment, or
migration to other countries. These disparities in proper qualifications prevents Filipinos from contributing
to the country’s industry; thus, resulting in subsequent effects such as unemployment and underemployment
whose rates were largely composed by 10% high-school graduates and 12% tertiary level graduates
(Gropello, Tan & Tandon, 2010, p.231). This is also a causal hindrance to the country’s ongoing Build,
Build, Build program which is heavily reliant on highly skilled laborers (Flores, 2019). Thus, the status quo
of the nation’s skills shortage reveals that the country is being bottlenecked from both an economic and
administrative standpoint. In such manner, it must be addressed at the most immediate behest.
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Problem
The lack of skilled labor in the country is currently at a rampant state. According to Philippine
Statistics Authority (2019), the unemployment rate in January 2019 was estimated at 5.2% and
underemployment rate was at 15.6%. Included in this rate are Filipinos who are 15 years and above who
are willing and able to work. This rate is concerning since this issue hinders the economy from growing.
Unfortunately, this issue is not simple to solve as there are several causes as to why there is a shortage in
skilled labor.
Migration of skilled workers, also known as brain drain, has been a long-term problem that the
country faces. Although the economic situation has changed in the last decade, this issue is still prevalent.
A country cannot develop when their own skilled workers migrate to other countries. Philippine Statistics
Authority (2018) recorded that the total number of OFWs was estimated at 2.3 million. There were more
female workers than male workers. They compromise 55.8% of the population of overseas workers. As for
occupation groups, elementary occupations was the largest with 33.8% whereas service and sales workers
placed second with 18.8%. While it is true that OFWs give economic benefits to the country through
remittances, it is not enough to solve the other economic problems. One example of this problem is the
delayed implementation of infrastructure projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program. This program
is under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration wherein it aims to improve and develop the country’s
infrastructure (Palabrica, 2017). According to the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(2017), the program is in danger as it is losing skilled workers. Skilled labor in the construction industry
means work that requires specialized training and learned skills. Now the question is, “Where are the
construction workers, engineers, and other skilled workers suited for this job?”. Most likely that the
majority of them are in the Middle East or other country gaining much salary than the Philippines. Other
country benefits from the creative and highly skilled minds of Filipino professionals. The offered salary is
a highly significant factor in deciding whether or not to work abroad especially if Filipinos have families
who are dependent on them.
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Quality of education and training turnover is also another cause on why there are skills shortages
in a country. According to Gropello (2010), surveyed employers were asked to rank the relative importance
of potential causes for skills shortages. The list included migration of skilled workers, low starting pay, job
turnover, and insufficient quality education and training. Employers ranked insufficient quality education
and training as extremely important and job turnover as very important. Quality of education and training
have highly strong constraints in the manufacturing and services industry. This insufficiency can be related
to weaknesses of the education and training institutions in the country. Gropello (2010) studied surveyed
employers in assessing the educational institutions. In the survey in assessing tertiary institutions, quality
of facilities and cost are the main weaknesses. Tertiary institutions are universities and technical institutes.
The research capacities of universities, teaching quality, and teacher qualifications are seen as strengths.
However, universities and training institutions have weak labor market relevance, poor facilities, and cost.
Public institutions lack materials and equipment needed to offer trainees. These pressing issues must be
addressed and can be solved through two solutions.
Solution 1
The migration of the intellectual labor force has been a persistent global problem for the less
developed countries. As the number of skilled workers fall, the industrial growth and development of the
country also declines. This has been the case for Pakistan where it has been reported that their immigration
rate rose by more than 50% from the year 1990 to 2000. And in 2004, the outflow of highly skilled labor
force rose from 7,681 to 15,557. To address this issue, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan
launched several counter measures to address the problem of brain drain in their country. The counter
measures include the following: Foreign Faculty Hiring Program, Reverse Brain Drain (RBD) Program,
National Research Program for Universities, and President's Program for Care of Highly Qualified Overseas
Pakistanis (Sajjad, 2011).
The Foreign Faculty Hiring Program aims to bring back the country's skilled scholars for them to
pass on their skills and knowledge to new Pakistani teachers and students. As of 2006, an estimated number
of 250 expatriate with doctorate degrees returned to Pakistan through the help of this program. Another
P a g e 6 | 52
program that the HEC implemented is the Reverse Brain Drain (RBD) Program which makes use of the
Pakistan Education and Research Networks (PERN), a high speed internet system which connects 60
different public sector universities for collaborative research and data gathering. This program links
Pakistan with foreign universities for joint research ventures. This caused the enrollment of postgraduate
research students in Pakistan universities to increase from 135,123 to 479,800. In addition, research grants
were given to creative researchers in different fields through the National Research Program for
Universities (NRPU). Another program was also implemented to provide services and assistance to
potential immigrants through the use of an interactive website. This program is called the President's
Program for Care of Highly Qualified Overseas Pakistanis (PPQP) where opportunities are given to
immigrants to invest in the progress of Pakistan (Sajjad, 2011).
Solution 2
According to Trow (2010), as higher education institutions face a lot of demand, many challenges
regarding this issue have to do with decades of expansion and massification. Contributing to this expansion
is the higher diversity in higher education which includes types of the institution, programs offered, students
enrolled and staffs recruited (Teixeira, Rocha, Biscaia, & Cardoso, 2012). The expansion is seen as an
improvement on the education status and resulting to accommodate larger number of students.
In Europe, assessment and rankings of higher education institutions are mainly based on the
achievements in research as the research represents as a yardstick of institutional value (Henard & Ringuet,
2008). According to Studying in Germany (2019), a survey shows that 69.2% of the 4,339 participants,
which includes international students, have chosen to study in Germany. The country has a goal of hosting
350,000 foreign students by 2018. The survey includes questions asking about why they would choose to
study in Germany out of all countries. The answers showed that the free-tuition of higher education is the
reason behind their choice of Germany. Starting at the age of six, Germans will be obliged to attend the
primary and secondary schools until they reach the nine to ten years of full-time schooling in general
education schools that will still be required if the children did not receive or attend any education before
they start attending higher education. Answers also include the high-quality academic staff at German
P a g e 7 | 52
universities as the reason why they will prefer Germany. The factor that the students can also have spare
time for their part-time jobs and other activities is also one of the things that they like about the higher
education program in the country. Most of the students plan to cover the studies costs and other expenses
by working part-time. Also part of the survey is a high portion of the students who answered to stay and
remain in the country after they finish university since Germany is also a good place for better career
options.
Evaluation
The high unemployment rate started to become a big issue in the country as it does not only affect
the economy, but the lifestyle of the people as well. One of the major factors that caused to the high
unemployment rate was the lack of skilled laborers for some jobs as majority of the intellectual labor force
migrated to other countries and the skills shortage in the country is the lack of quality education and training.
The solutions provided in this paper can be used and patterned by the Philippine government to
address the problems of shortage in skilled workers in the country. Pakistan has implemented four programs
to address the brain drain in their country. The programs that they have implemented yielded positive results
wherein a large number of expatriates returned to their home country. One of the promising programs of
Pakistan is the National Research Program for Universities (NRPU). This program addresses both the
problems of brain and drain and lack of quality of education in the country. By providing financial support
for research, the students will now not opt to go abroad and instead, want to remain in their own country.
As a result, this would cause the migration rate of the country to decrease. It would also result to the return
of the country’s expatriates back to the Philippines. This program would also address the problem of lack
of quality education where the students now get to have the freedom to research all they want for the
betterment of the country.
In addition, Germany’s solution for quality education includes a good offering for higher education
which attracted a lot of foreign students. Most of the foreign students studying in Germany preferred to stay
in the country after finishing their studies but they are not seen as a threat to the German job market. Aside
from the high educational attainment, most of the German companies look for employees that are fluent in
P a g e 8 | 52
their language as well. In this way, Germans still have the advantage over foreigners, making them still the
priority for the career opportunities in Germany. With the same law implemented in the Philippines, also
known as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, the problem regarding the educational
standards can be solved as it aims to cover all the state universities, local universities and colleges in the
country. However, like what the Germans did, companies in the Philippines should also hire the Filipinos
who are able to finish their undergraduate studies with the help of the free tuition law. This will also lessen
the unemployment rate and improve the labor force of the country. It will give opportunities to other gifted
and talented students by enhancing their knowledge to contribute to the nation and improve the country’s
educational status which is the primary goal of the law. Different methods and strategies are still on process
and can be done to be able to cover all the state universities, local universities and colleges in the country
which will eventually help the standards required for the career in the future.
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References
69.2% of International Students Prefer to Stay in Germany After Studies. (2018, September 27). Retrieved from
https://www.studying-in-germany.org/international-students-prefer-to- stay-in-germany-after-they-finishtheir-studies-survey-reveals/
Efimenko, E., Roman, A., Pinto, M., Remião, F., & Teixeira, P. (2018). Enhancement and Recognition of Teaching
and
Learning in Higher
Education.
The
Impact
of
Teaching and Excellence
Prizes,99.
doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f
Flores, H. (2019, February 18). Government must address lack of skilled workers — Leni. The Philippine Star.
Retrieved June 20, 2019, from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/02/18/1894567/governmentmust-address-lack-skilled-workers-leni?fbclid=IwAR2W-gRrC00v6hLM_wWnVxtNwStAjnTZAt1rfWYyJoThiWnHKtfvucX9Ks
Gropello, E. (2010). Philippines Skills Report: Skills for the Labor Market in the Philippines (Report No. 50096PH).
Retrieved
from
Human
Development
Department
Webiste:http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/Resources/2263001279680449418/HigherEd_PhilippinesSkillsReport.pdf
Gropello, E., Tan, H., & Tandon, P. (2010). Skills for the Labor Market in the Philippines. Washington, DC: The
international bank for reconstruction and development. doi:10.1596/978-0-8213-8489-3
Palabrica,
R.
(2017).
Shortage
of
skilled
labor.
Retrieved
May
23,
2019
from
https://business.inquirer.net/237457/shortage-skilled-labor
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2018). Total number of OFWs. Retrieved June 13, 2019 from
https://psa.gov.ph/content/total-number-ofws-estimated-23-million-results-2018-survey-overseas-filipinos
PSA (2019, June 05). Employment Rate in April 2019 is Estimated at 94.9 Percent. Retrieved from
https://psa.gov.ph/content/employment-rate-april-2019-estimated-949-percent
Sajjad, N. (2011). Causes and Solutions to Intellectual Brain Drain in Pakistan. The Dialogue,
P a g e 10 | 52
VI(1),
31-55.
Retrieved
June
13,
2019,
from
http://www.qurtuba.edu.pk/thedialogue/The
Dialogue/6_1/Dialogue_January_March2011_31-55.pdf
P a g e 11 | 52
Reflection on problem-solution paper
Navales, Joacquin Carlo
GEPCOMM (C38)
Placino, Sofia Eloisa
Sanhi, Charlize Meg
Sebe, Hana Juniela
Reflection Paper – Problem Solution Paper
The situation portion of the problem essay was a section we found quite challenging to concisely
yet sufficiently present. We primarily had some trouble looking for apt statistics that fit the “ skilled labor”
facet simply because there was no direct metric that was descriptive of this issue. In such manner, we
resorted to using related statistics such as service sector growth, under/unemployment rates, and the likes.
Moreover, we had a difficulty in trying to condense enough information within a short enough paragraph
to leave ample space for the latter sections to fit with the 5-7 page paragraph. There are also a lack of up to
date scholarly articles regarding the issue; thus, the group was forced to use early to mid-2000s references
for theories and frameworks regarding the statistics of the situation. We did not find any difficulty in
communication but rather in how to paint a clear picture of the situation using different bits and pieces of
information from various same-era sources.
As for the problem section, we did not find any difficulty because when we were looking for
references, we read the articles/books. From there, we easily tracked down the two main problem which
are brain drain and lack of public training institutions. We were also able to find statistics without any
difficulty because the Philippine Statistics Authority has complete and updated statistical records. We all
worked together and were very cooperative.
Finding solutions were also tricky. We have found a number of research, journals, and articles that
could be possible solutions to the identified problem of the paper. However, not all were relevant as some
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were addressing a different problem than the group’s paper. We found a solution which talks about the
reverse brain drain programs of Pakistan. These programs were not elaborated as much so only a few ideas
were caught. For solution 2, the problems that we encountered includes difficulties in looking for examples
or findings that have solutions that may be applicable in the country and the countries that have methods
that improved or enhanced and solved the problem in the solution paper.
At first, we had trouble in identifying the most effective solution that could be integrated in the
Philippines. We analyzed each solution and came up with the solution that will take effect in the country
through dissecting them.
As aforementioned, we had a trouble with the page limit simply because the scope of the topic was
too great to encapsulate within 5-7 pages at double spacing. Moreover, we also had problems with time
management because the members of the group had varying schedules and subjects which made it difficult
to find common time between members to work on the paper. Those were merely pet peeves however, and
we were still able to work around the situation and come up with an outcome we were satisfied with. The
comments of the facilitator were also very helpful in strengthening out the formality and effectiveness of
the paper as a problem essay.
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P a g e 14 | 52
ADVOCACY LETTER
Ocampo St., Malate
Manila, 1004, Metro Manila
July 02, 2019
Hon. Isidro S. Lapeña
Gate 2, TESDA Complex, East Service Road,
Taguig, 1634 Metro Manila
Dear Hon. Lapeña:
I am a first-year student taking up Management of Financial Institutions at De La Salle University Manila.
As a student of commerce, I have been studying the present conditions of our country’s industry. My
research has lead me to find that one of the major hindrances we face today is the issue of shortage in skilled
labor. This is very apparent as according to Flores (2019), the success of the administration’s Build, Build,
Build program is impeded by the lack of skilled laborers needed to get the job done. I have addressed this
to your organization as I understand that TESDA has an existing program in place for this, and I have
suggestions that may be able to increase its efficiency.
It is known that the country’s 5.2% unemployment and 15.6% underemployment has been a factor in this
issue. These have been attributed by Gropello, Tan & Tandon (2010) to quality constraints in the country’s
curriculum as well as the skills mismatch of graduates who then either migrate or become underemployed.
This proves troublesome as our service sector, which comprises 56.2% of the country’s GDP, is inherently
reliant on the skills of labor force. I believe that leaving this issue unaddressed will eventually lead not
only to a decrease in economic performance, but also in the welfare of our people. Although TESDA has
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attempted to alleviate the issue by means of providing free online skills development courses, I still believe
that the implementation of this program may improved by simply increasing awareness about this program
and providing supplementary efforts for those who do not have access to the internet. The existence of these
free courses is not widely known by the public. By increasing the advertising of this program by means of
social media and/or television, TESDA may be able to garner more enrollees and provide them with the
necessary skills for our nation’s industries. I also suggest that TESDA should integrate these courses
alongside the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in order to complement the monetary support for the
marginalized with skills development training as well as allow them participation even without the use of
the internet inaccessible to them.
Once again, I believe that the existing program of TESDA is a potentially viable platform of alleviating the
lack of skilled labor in our nation. I only ask that awareness and accessibility of the program be improved
in order to increase the efficiency of this effort by your organization. Thank you for your consideration, and
I look forward to your response regarding my suggestions.
Sincerely,
JOACQUIN CARLO A. NAVALES
joacquin_navales@dlsu.edu.ph
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References
Department of Trade and Industry (2019, June 25). Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Retrieved from
https://www.dti.gov.ph/resources/statistics/gross-domestic-product-gdp
Flores, H. (2019, February 18). Government must address lack of skilled workers — Leni. The Philippine Star.
Retrieved June 20, 2019, from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/02/18/1894567/governmentmust-address-lack-skilled-workers-leni?fbclid=IwAR2W-gRrC00v6hLM_wWnVxtNwStAjnTZAt1rfWYyJoThiWnHKtfvucX9Ks
Gropello, E., Tan, H., & Tandon, P. (2010). Skills for the labor market in the Philippines. Washington, DC: The
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Doi:10.1596/978-0-8213-8489-3
Philippine Statistics Authority (2019, June 05). Employment Rate in April 2019 is Estimated at 94.9 Percent.
Retrieved from https://psa.gov.ph/content/employment-rate-april-2019-estimated-949-percent
P a g e 17 | 52
Reflection on advocacy letter
In writing the advocacy letter, I had a fairly manageable time with a few hindrances in terms of organizing
the ideas and the formatting of the document; all of which I was able to address in time for the final
submission. The letter I wrote was addressed to Hon. Isidro Lapena who is the acting directo general of
TESDA. Since the issue I focused on was about the lack of skills in the Philippine labor force, I decided to
address it to TESDA as they are the primary organization to deal with skills development issues.
For the introductory paragraph, I initially had a difficult time choosing the proper constituency to explain.
I did not want to just say I was a citizen of the country because I wanted it to be more specific. Thus, I
settled for my constituency as a business student from DLSU who takes interest in current key commerce
matters. I believe I was successful in properly introducing the matter at hand concisely; however, I was
unable to include my motives in the introductory paragraph of my first draft. I reconciled this by simply
stating my intention of suggesting improvements to TESDA’s existing skills development program in my
final output. I also properly revised some minor formatting details like having a consistent full block style
and fully capitalizing my name.
For the second paragraph, I did not have much trouble in clearly and concisely discussing the degree of the
problem as well as my suggestions to the director general; however, I did have some problems statistically
illustrating the skills shortage. This was because there is no current metric to specifically measure the skills
shortage simply because every industry requires different skillsets from its laborers. To amend this, I used
conjunction statistics like unemployment, underemployment and service sector dependency which are all
closely related to skills shortage, Other than that, I had little trouble formulating this section.
In conclusion, my experience writing this requirement was both challenging and rewarding simply because
I was able to hone my academic writing practices as well as learn to properly interpret related statistics in
clearly describing a situation at hand. All of these were made possible because of the comments from my
GEPCOMM professor who helped me revise and refine both my organization and format. This experience
P a g e 18 | 52
also made me feel more involved in the situation I was advocating for; thus, giving me a sentiment of
purpose for which I could fight for.
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PANEL DISCUSSION
Navales, Joacquin Carlo
GEPCOMM (C38)
Placino, Sofia Eloisa
Sanhi, Charlize Meg
Sebe, Hana Juniela
Chosen Sustainable Development Goal: DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Identified SDG hindrance: Lack of Skilled Labor
[SCENE] Sustainable Development Summit, 2019
Moderator - Charlize (UN Ambassador)
Panel 1 - Hana (Economic Analyst from PIDS) → Economic
Panel 2 - Sofia (Senator) → Legislative
Panel 3 - Waxx (Board Member of Ayala) → Business
[Introduction]
Charlize: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the 2019 Sustainable Development
Summit. My name is Charlize Sanhi, an ambassador from the United Nations and it is my great pleasure to
participate in today’s panel with our guests. I would like to thank our panelists that have taken time out of
their schedule to come together and share with you information that we’re gonna be talking about today.
[Background/Problems]
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Charlize: The topic this afternoon focuses on the SDG - decent work and economic growth - specifically
on the shortage of skilled labor. This topic has been a persistent global problem affecting companies from
all over the world. A survey conducted in 2018 resulted to 44% of employers across the globe to report that
they had a hard time finding the skills that they needed. This has been the case for the Philippines with their
increasing reliance on the services sector which caused an increase in demand for skilled labor in their
country.
The shortage in skills is an effect to the quality constraints in workers’ education and training requisites, as
well as to the skills mismatch which eventually led to their unemployment and underemployment and their
migration to other countries. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the unemployment rate in
January 2019 was estimated at 5.2% and underemployment rate was at 15.6%. Included in this rate are
Filipinos who are 15 years and above who are willing and able to work.
Since unemployment was high, a lot of Filipinos migrated to other countries such as the US and Middle
East. PSA recorded that the total number of OFWs was estimated at 2.3 million. They compromise 55.8%
of the population of overseas workers. With the 2.3 million OFWs, a skill gap continues to rise in the
Philippine labor force posing a threat to their economic growth.
[Questions]
Charlize: With this background, I'd like to suggest several questions for the panel's consideration.
Firstly, how can we address the problem of high-skilled emigration, also known as brain drain? What
policies can we employ to entice the highly-skilled migrants to return back into our country?
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The next question concerns the access and quality of education of the people. How can the country cause
the educational attainment of its population to rise?
A third set of questions is what should be the focus of the countries in ensuring that enterprises are
composed of highly skilled and competent employees? Given that there are skill gaps in companies, what
countermeasures can be executed to bridge the skills gap in the workplace?
[Introduction of Panelists]
Charlize: Let me introduce to you today’s distinguished panel that will be addressing these issues.
Hana Sebe graduated from De La Salle University with a degree in Financial Management and Masters in
Development Economics. Currently, Hana has been working as an economic analyst for the Philippine
Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) since 2015.
Sofia Placino, a member of the Senate of the Philippines, has been in office for 3 years. She advocates for
making college education more accessible to Filipinos and takes part for the call on the Universal Access
to Quality Tertiary Education Act of the Philippines. She holds a degree in Political Science from the
University of the Philippines where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2008.
And finally, Joacquin Navales, a board member of Ayala Land Inc., was a graduate from the University of
Pennsylvania with a major in Business Administration and Management. He has been serving Ayala group
for the past 10 years as a director.
I don't think we could have a better qualified panel to address these issues. I won't take any more time. I
will invite, first, Hana to give us her thoughts, followed by Sofia, and finally Joacquin.
P a g e 22 | 52
Ms. Sebe?
[Panelist 1]
Hana: Thank you very much, Charlize. Good afternoon to you all.
The number of lack of skilled workers in the country continues to grow. This issue is caused by various
reasons one of which is the migration of skilled workers, commonly known as brain drain. The migration
of the intellectual labor force has been a persistent global problem for less developed countries. As the
number of skilled workers falls, the industrial growth and development of the country also declines. To
illustrate this circumstance, we may refer to the research conducted by Nadia Sajjad in 2011 regarding brain
drain in Pakistan. It is stated that their immigration rate rose by more than 50% from the year 1990 to 2000.
To address this issue, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan launched several counter
measures to address the problem.
First of these countermeasures was the Foreign Faculty Hiring Program is a project dedicated to bringing
back the country's skilled scholars for them to pass on their skills and knowledge to new teachers and
students. The second alternative implemented was the Reverse Brain Drain (RBD) Program which makes
use of the Pakistan Education and Research Networks (PERN) in connecting 60 different public sector
universities for collaborative research and data gathering. Last, is the President's Program for Care of Highly
Qualified Overseas Pakistanis (PPQP) where opportunities are given to immigrants to invest in the progress
of Pakistan.
I believe that our country can adapt to any of these programs in order to solve the issue. If Pakistan was
able to alleviate the lack of skilled workers, so can our country. We in PIDS will continue to research on
more programs that the government can implement.
P a g e 23 | 52
Charlize: Thank you for your insights Hana. Let me turn next to Ms. Placino.
[Panelist 2]
Sofia: Yes, thank you.
I agree with Hana. Besides what Ms. Sebe has mentioned, I think another factor that has a huge impact to
the employment is on the part of the different educational attainments of different individuals. Well, we are
all aware that most Filipinos only hold a high school diploma due to the expensive tuition of universities so
we really worked on the programs that will answer and solve the issue.
With the free tuition law implemented two years ago, we cannot deny that it gave opportunities to a lot of
individuals to finish their college education. As one of the strategies of the other schools, they evaluate the
qualified students to maximize the assistance that they receive from the benefit. I remember from my trip
in Germany when we visited one of their universities, they really welcome foreigners to study in their
country with the goal to host 350,000 foreigners that will also be able to receive benefits and services. They
also conducted a survey and around 69.2% of the 4,300 participants mentioned that they prefer to study in
Germany and the reason behind this is the free tuition of higher education that maybe given whether you
are a local or a foreigner. Well we know the standards of European studies right? They have this European
Qualification Framework wherein they assess students through essays, exams and coursework and some
involve a period of time working in industry or industry-related which is I think different from other
countries. After studies, foreigners even choose to stay in Germany as the country is also a good place for
better career options.
P a g e 24 | 52
Now what I’m saying is that if the free tuition in Germany is able to help their own citizens and are even
able to accommodate foreigners to study in their country, why make it impossible for the Filipinos to finish
their studies until the tertiary level? Maybe as of now, there are still few numbers that are able to receive
the benefits of free tuition but take note that the number of students gradually increases every year so stepby-step, we are able to fulfill the goal to have everyone receive full education and be globally competent
and internationally recognized Filipinos. Slowly, the government will help the schools to be like training
grounds, preparing students for their own future and this nation’s future. First is giving the students what
they should have, which is free education, then we will also work on enhancing the facilities and resources
and additional of staff to fully improve the quality of education in our country. We implemented free tuition
because we want this individuals to give chance to people and tell them that financial problem will not be
a hindrance for them to finish their studies and be able and qualified to apply and do decent jobs depending
on the field that they wanted to work. They will not feel scared to apply for jobs that require higher education
but they will feel confident instead since they can and are able to apply to a huge variety of works, whether
local or abroad.
Charlize: Well, thank you very much Sofia. Mr. Navales?
[Panelist 3]
Waxx:
I agree with my contemporaries here. The issue of lack of skilled workers is indeed a pressing matter we
have to address as soon as possible. The consequences of this problem extends even to us employers. It is
difficult for us to recruit personnel skilled enough to perform the work, and this costs us both time and
productivity. The opportunity costs of this issue forces most capable companies to outsource their labor
which only aggravates the problem as this reduces the amount of opportunities available for our workers
(Mohr 2019).
P a g e 25 | 52
To combat this, we at the Ayala Corporation attempt to usher inclusive labor development by providing
skills development training with the assistance of the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA). We have been able to help roughly 10,000 workers graduate from our training centers
across the nation. Our Makati Development Center subsidiary has stationed multiple assessment centers
throughout the country, all of which apply our Dual Training System which inculcates theoretical and
practical education to promote holistically applicable skills enhancement. These trainings are also
formulated in such that additional skill assessments are introduced to equip trainees with aptitude up to date
with contemporary construction materials and technology. The curriculum has been approved by TESDA
standards which ensures its viability for sustainable and professional advancement; moreover, graduation
from the program awards immediate TESDA certification as well as employment opportunities across
various Ayala Land projects throughout the country.
For the most part, we've only been able to implement construction centric curriculum, but just imagine if
we were to implement curriculum for other fields of industry. The contributions of employers through
training and opportunity can definitely help alleviate the issue, and remove the need to outsource our
production to other countries. Furthermore, this is a model that can be applied to places other than Metro
Manila to allow for at par skills training outside the capital. With this method being tried and tested within
the country, an expansion on this project is the only necessary step to amplify it into a national solution to
the problem; even better if other corporations implement it as well.
https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0312/4-ways-outsourcing-damages-industry.aspx
[Summary]
Charlize: Thank you very much, Mr. Navales.
P a g e 26 | 52
That ends our panel discussion, but before closing this forum, let me just make one observation. The
panelists all agree that the number of lack of skilled workers in the Philippines continues to grow and pose
a threat to the country. To address this issue, suggested programs by today's panel include research grants,
free tertiary education, and training systems. Right now in the Philippines there is a high demand for highly
skilled-labor and an immediate need to find solutions to address the issue and bring back the number of
skilled workers. If the right programs were to be implemented right, there may be an evident change in the
ratio of skilled and unskilled workers in the country.
Let me conclude by thanking all of our members of the panel for, what I thought was really excellent
insights into the questions that were raised and to ask you.
[Q & A]
Charlize: We are now up to the question-and-answer session. The floor is now open for questions.
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/240584/new-solution-skilled-workers-shortage.aspx
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/april-2019-decent-work/
P a g e 27 | 52
Reflection on panel discussion
Navales, Joacquin Carlo
GEPCOMM (C38)
Placino, Sofia Eloisa
Sanhi, Charlize Meg
Sebe, Hana Juniela
Panel Discussion - Reflection Paper
The group did not experience much difficulty in choosing solutions for the issue of lack of skilled
labor due to the plethora of existing remedies and researches done regarding the issue across the globe. The
group also designed the solutions in a manner that it would consult three different fields namely: academic,
legal and industrial. Two solutions were simply lifted from the group’s problem-solution paper regarding
the given issue while the third industrial solution was taken from the ideas presented by Hana Sebe in her
advocacy letter to the executive board of the Ayala corporation. The effort for this portion of making the
panel discussion was focused on further backing up the given solutions with benchmarks and evaluations
using various statistics found regarding unemployment, underemployment and other labor-related statistics.
The solutions that the group found includes the reverse brain drain program, free tertiary education,
and the training program of Ayala partnered with TESDA. Since these were programs that had already
worked in other countries and produced great results, all these solutions are feasible, workable, and
implementable. For the reverse brain drain program, specifically on the research grants, this can be easily
implemented with the proper funding and once implemented, the research done by the people may help find
solutions for the problems of the country. Same for the free tertiary education. The Philippines has already
started to do this with the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, where state universities are
free of tuition. This can be implemented not only in state universities, but with other institutions as well so
P a g e 28 | 52
that more people can access their right for quality of education. For both these solutions, the only limitations
would be if the government would allocate proper funding for these programs. The third solution has
already been implemented in Ayala in the construction sector of the Philippines. With this method already
tried and tested within the country, if this were to be expanded and adopted by other corporations as well,
it might help solve the problem of skill gap. The only problem would be if corporations would adopt this
program or not.
As for the script writing, the group did not have any problem. They got the idea from the sample
panel discussion video that Ms. Dizon showed in class. The group first made an outline before writing the
actual script. First was the brief introduction of the problem backed up with data from the problem-solution
essay. Second was the questions that the panelists must answer in their discussion. Third was the
introduction of the panelists. Last was the panelists’ discussion script and question and answer. The group
also have appropriate panel members to discuss the issue. For the academic role, Hana was a researcher
from the Philippine Institute for Developmental Studies (PIDS). For legal role, Sofia was a senator. Last
was the industrial role wherein Joaquin was a board member from Ayala Company. Their roles properly fit
with the three disciplines.
During practices, the group had a trouble of making the discussion short but complete since there
is a limited time for the whole presentation. Some information should be removed to fit the given time of
fifteen minutes but still being able to present a detailed discussion. Memorizing the lines and being able to
deliver it in a non-'scripted' manner is also a challenge to avoid being so composed and attached to the lines
and may not focus on the content or message that our roles wanted to deliver and also make the audience
interested and involved in the discussion. The group also felt some pressure for being the first one to present
but we are still able to perform a detailed presentation. Fortunately, the group did not experience any
problems which resulted to a well performed panel discussion.
P a g e 29 | 52
Group #8
P a g e 30 | 52
SKILLS and
INCLUSIVE
KNOWLEDGE
ADVANCEMENT in
PHILIPPINE LABOR
COLLABORATION,
INNOVATION.
P a g e 31 | 52
TABLE OF
04
1
06
2
09
16
4
18
5
3
CONTENTS
P a g e 32 | 52
Section I.
Strategy Overview Communication Plan Objectives
In order for the organization to successfully implement the dissemination of advocacies
and projects, it is critical that these plans are specifically pinpointed via objectives. In such manner,
the following objectives consist of how SIKAP aims to holistically address the issue of lack of
skilled labor in the Philippines.
1. To bring corporations to partner with the Technological Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) of the Philippines in promoting inclusive labor development and skills
enhancement in the workplace. (Target Audience: Corporations)
2. To develop sustainable opportunities and assistance to the employees of corporations by
providing skills development training programs and seminars with the partner
corporations. (Target Audience: Government)
3. To improve and empower the skills of the labor force by providing them with
free/subsidised workshops and seminars to help advance their competency. (Target
Audience: Workers)
4. To engage the general public towards the campaign through the posting of infographics,
job listings, and seminars that promote skill enhancement in the labor force. (Target
Audience: General Public)
Target Audiences
1. Corporations. These are the main target of the organization because they comprise most of
the labor force in the country. Recruiting and retaining the right talent in corporations are
crucial in building a sustainable and successful business. Possible business partners are SM
P a g e 33 | 52
Investments Corporation, San Miguel Corporation, Accenture. They will play a huge role
in applying the solutions advocated in the campaign.
2. Government. The main government agency that will be handling this is TESDA. They will
be the one providing the training system which instills theoretical and practical education
to promote overall applicable skills enhancement. Graduation from the program awards
immediate TESDA certification and employment opportunities with partner corporations.
3. Workers. They play the role of decision-makers in this campaign because they will be the
one benefiting from the campaign. They will be informed about the problems in skills as
well as be informed about the programs that could enhance their skills because they are the
ones who work in corporations.
4. General Public. Audiences could be of any gender and age, since the campaign would be
about skill gap and how we can address the problem. They will serve as influencers in
spreading awareness of this problem and solution through various platforms such as
Facebook, G-mail, Twitter, etc.
Desired Action
1. Collaborate with TESDA to bridge skills to labor
2. Invite participants to join training programs and seminars and become potential future
employees of the partner corporations
3. Enhance the participants’ abilities and skills
4. Educate the right skills for job offerings/positions
5. Coordinate with partner companies to improve the overall standard of the labor force in
achieving the goals of the corporation
6. Innovate new ideas for the industry
P a g e 34 | 52
7. Develop a strong and highly improved labor force
8. Generate the right kind of skills needed/required by the corporation
Section II.
Communication Platforms
The organization recognizes the importance of utilizing effective communication platforms
in order to deliver the essence of the advocacy to the target audience. Since SIKAP aims to target
four separate entities namely: corporations, government, workers and the general public, then it
would only be sensible to choose a universal platform wherein these four entities tend to
collaborate and communicate amongst themselves - the internet. In such manner, the organization
has identified three main communication streams that operate within the jurisdiction of the
internet. These are as follows:
1. Website Articles (G-Mail and social media based)
The organization aims to utilize the reference to various pertinent website articles regarding
the status, outlook and opinions of key personnel as a springboard upon which the target audiences
may be better informed about the state of lack of skilled labor within country. The organization
plans to release references at least once a week in order to keep the target audience updated about
the said matter. This not only aids in information dissemination but also pushes traffic towards the
authors and publishers of the reference that SIKAP will share. This is a very flexible means of
communication as it can be implemented through both social media and e-mail; effectively
targeting the audiences who use either of the two platforms. These website articles will be shared
on a weekly basis, and shall vary from discussion articles to editorial opinions from professionals.
Target Audiences:
•
Corporations
P a g e 35 | 52
2.
•
Government
•
Workers
•
General public
Facebook
Facebook has become the primary platform of communication for the majority of Filipinos
in this day and age. Corporations, governments, and laymen all come together on this singular
platform in order to communicate and receive messages; thus, this would be an ideal
communication platform for SIKAP to share its advocacies on. This platform will allow SIKAP
the liberty to utilize text-based, image-based and/or audiovisual-based advertising paraphernalia
in order to captivate and subsequently educate the audiences who are able to see said content.
Moreover, Facebook’s convenient feedback and messaging system may allow audiences to
communicate directly with the organization in the case that they express interest to work with
SIKAP. The platform shall contain infographics on pertinent information regarding the status of
the country’s labor force, messaging advocacies that will stick in the minds of the target audiences,
and video presentations that will provide the necessary updates and/or proposals for addressing the
issue. It will also act as a means by which the organization may solicit assistance from willing
volunteers in order to actualize the “three-step plan” of collaborating, educating and innovating
the modern Filipino worker.
Target Audiences:
•
Corporations
•
Government
•
Workers
•
General public
P a g e 36 | 52
3.
Twitter
Similar to Facebook, Twitter is also another major social media platform utilized by a
considerable majority of Filipinos. Twitter houses similar flexibilities with Facebook inasmuch
that media in various forms may be disseminated through it; thus, helping SIKAP captivate its four
target audiences by means of attractive and persuasive media content. What sets Twitter apart from
Facebook however is the nature of expression utilized by users of the platform. Twitter-users are
generally more passionate and expressive on the platform mainly because it acts as a hub for
opinionated expression; something which Facebook is not well known for. This may allow SIKAP
to reach out to truly passionate audiences who may take an interest in improving the case of lack
of skilled labor within the country. The contents of this platform will be similar to that of the ones
to be implemented on Facebook. It will also act as a means by which the organization may solicit
assistance from willing volunteers in order to actualize the “three-step plan” of collaborating,
educating and innovating the modern Filipino worker.
Target Audiences:
•
Corporations
•
Government
•
Workers
•
General public
P a g e 37 | 52
Section III.
Messaging
SIKAP aims to advocate concern, urgency and effort towards addressing the issue of lack
of skilled labor within the nation. In such manner, the following litany enumerates the various
topics of concern which the organization aims to make profoundly known. These articles have
been collated from various authors who either are experts on the matter, or investigate the matter
professionally. The matter of discussion has been divided into three parts relative to the
organization’s target audiences, these are : TESDA and the government, private companies and
workers and job postings. Thus, said articles are as follows:
Article Topics
Topic 1: TESDA and Government
Idea 1: This article showcases the vow of TESDA to continue its TVET program.
Article Title: TESDA vows to continue strengthening quality technical and vocational education
and training (TVET)
Link: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1062031
Idea 2: This article talks about TESDA graduating more construction-related students and
partnering with DOT for its “Train to Build, Build, Build" program.
Article Title: TESDA eyes more construction-related grads in 2019
Link: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1062634
Idea 3: This article talks about the implementation and content of TESDA’s “TESDAbot
Lahat” program.
Article Title: TESDA intensifies “TESDAbot Lahat” program
Link: https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1023196
P a g e 38 | 52
Idea 4: This article is about TESDA’s additional program in shoemaking to revive the
footwear industry.
Article Title: Tesda to include shoemaking in certification program, says Marikina mayor
Link:https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/08/12/tesda-to-include-shoemaking-incertification-program-says-marikina-mayor/
Idea 5: This article tackles the ongoing proposal for an increase in salaries of government
workers.
Article Title: Studies ongoing for proposed gov't employees' pay hike: Department of Budget and
Management
Link: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1075823
Idea 6: This article is about the new Salary Standardized Law made by President Duterte
to increase the pay of government workers.
Article Title: Duterte to Congress: Pass new law on gov’t workers, teachers salary hike
Link:https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1144993/duterte-to-congress-pass-new-law-ongovt-workers-teachers-salary-hik
Topic 2: Private Companies
Idea 1: This article is about Ayala Land’s partnership with TESDA for its Training for
Work Scholarship Program.
Article Title: Ayala Land develops technical skills through MDC-TESDA tie-up
Link:https://business.mb.com.ph/2017/02/10/ayala-land-develops-technical-skillsthrough-mdc-tesda-tie-up/
Idea 2: This article is about Cynthia Villar’s livelihood projects where training courses will
be offered for free.
P a g e 39 | 52
Article Title: Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG) eyes
livelihood projects for dairy, coconut products
Link: https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2019/0221_villar1.asp
Idea 3: This article is about TESDA’s partnership renewal with Robinsons mall in bringing
tech-voc programs closer to the public through Robinsons Land's Lingkod Pinoy Center.
Article Title: Robinsons Malls renewed partnership with TESDA
Link: http://www.tesda.gov.ph/News/Details/2451
Topic 3: Workers and Job Postings
Idea 1: This article is about the occupational shortages and surpluses in the Philippines.
Article Title: Rise in jobseekers, dip in vacancies– Philippine Statistics Authority
Link:https://www.rappler.com/nation/192880-more-jobseekers-fewer-vacanciesphilippine-statistics-authority
Idea 2: This article talks about Duterte’s call for OFWs in Kuwait to go back home where
domestic workers are willing to go home, while skilled workers are not.
Article Title: Leave Kuwait? Domestic helpers willing, but not the skilled workers
Link:https://www.rappler.com/nation/201456-leaving-kuwait-ofws-domestichelpers-skilled-workers
Idea 3: This article is about the 2019 unemployment and underemployment rate in the
Philippines.
Article Title: Philippine employment figures improve in April 2019
Link:https://www.rappler.com/business/232324-employment-rate-philippinesapril-2019
P a g e 40 | 52
Idea 4: This article talks about the demand for construction workers in the country and the
reason for it.
Article Title: Engineer, construction worker vacancies in-demand but hard to fill: DOLE
Link:https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/06/19/engineer-construction-workervacancies-in-demand-but-hard-to-fill-dole
Daily/Weekly Messaging Topics for Social Media
Since SIKAP aims to diversify its messaging dissemination, the percentage frequency of
distributing the content above. The messaging shall be done on a weekly basis so as not to saturate
the audiences with too much content regarding the matter. The topics to be discussed are as
follows:
Stories from TESDA (35%)
TESDA is the country’s primary institute for developing educated technical aptitude for
the Filipino worker. In such manner, collecting testimonies regarding the success stories of
TESDA assisted individuals will be a useful juncture since the three-step plan of SIKAP
greatly involves the administration of TESDA developed and certified curriculum. This
will comprise 40% of the organization’s distributed messaging as the proponents find
testimonials to be a truly encouraging and persuading form of publicity.
Job Postings (30%)
Job postings are a vital source of opportunities for any workers. In a society where
unemployment and underemployment are prevalent economic issues, SIKAP aims to play
its part by distributing information regarding available opportunities in the country’s
industries. The organization aims to publicize job postings that are in line with the available
P a g e 41 | 52
TESDA taught fields, and will soon evolve into full-on collaborations with corporations
once the three-step plan of SIKAP has been fully actualized. In this manner, the
organization may be able to exert effort towards solving the issue even in the development
and preparation stage of its grand plan. This shall comprise 25% of the posts published as
the organization finds it to be a significant matter which can further persuade audiences
that SIKAP really is involved in both theory and practice regarding the issue.
Workshop Announcements (25%)
Workshop announcements, which will be developed in collaboration with TESDA and
participant corporations shall comprise 25% of published posts on the organization’s
platforms. This not only targets willing participants from the labor force who wish to
enhance their skillsets and participate in the country’s industries, but will also target
corporations that aim to build a skilled labor force in collaboration with TESDA and who
are willing to join the cause of SIKAP.
Inspirational Posts (10%)
Lastly, inspirational posts shall comprise 10% of published content since the organization
believes that motivating the labor force is composed of both tangible and intangible
encouragement. By targeting the attitude and beliefs of the target audience, the
organization seeks to appeal to their empathy and hopefully build a sense of willingness to
participate in SIKAP’s programs and advocacies.
P a g e 42 | 52
Key Dates
August 2019
August will be the start of planning for the main events next year. This is where the
organizers will look into different companies who are willing to collaborate with TESDA.
In line with this, they will also hire professionals who will give out seminars.
•
August 12 - Crowdsourcing of companies and professionals for the workshops and
talks
•
August 27 - Develop marketing strategies to successfully reach the target
audiences
September 2019
This month focuses on orienting the companies on what they will do with TESDA. They
can give ideas on what activities can be implemented in SIKAP’s campaigns.
•
September 9 - Orientation of Companies
October 2019
P a g e 43 | 52
In October, the organizers, together with the chosen professionals, will develop modules
for the workshops and courses. They will plan out what topics will be discussed and also
the execution of activities.
•
October 14 - Developing Modules
November 2019
This month focuses on looking and canvassing for venues. The organizers will also plan
out on resource mobilization wherein they can ask for sponsors or organize events to raise
funds.
•
November 8 - Resource Mobilization
•
November 30 - Search for venues
December to January 2020
Since the months of implementation is coming close to these months, the organizers will
handle some trial sessions so the actual implementation will run smoothly.
February 2020
After the trial sessions, the organizers will take into considerations the necessary
adjustments and improvements for the betterment of the implementation
•
February 19 - Make the necessary adjustments
March to May 2020
These months are the final implementation of the project wherein interested workers can
enroll into different workshops and seminars held by various private companies and
TESDA. In addition, job postings will also be made available.
P a g e 44 | 52
Section IV.
Campaigns
Labor Day 2020
Every May 1, hundreds of Filipino laborers come together to voice out their strong love
and dedication to work as well as the rights that comes with. This day is also the chance to bring
out the forefront issues of laborers such as fair remuneration and labor export policies. SIKAP
encourages and invites people around the country to join the annual job seminar and training in
preparing them for the jobs that require high-level skills.
Activities
Labor-a-cry
•
An event where people will be gathered for a little introduction and information about how
the organization works and how will it help them get employed
•
Participants can be informed about the event from the posters and social networking sites
of the organization
May the first be with you
•
The first day of the main event which also happens on May 1, 2020
•
The goal is to train and engage the participants in various activities and simulations that
may happen in the workplace
•
From the famous quote “may the force be with you”, partner companies are present to help
provide the necessary skills and requirements that are expected in the workplace to improve
the labor force of the country and be able to produce skilled workers
Kawanggawa para sa Manggagawa
P a g e 45 | 52
•
The continuation of the May 1 event that still involves trainings and seminars and
participants will also have the chance to be immersed and located at the partner
corporations
•
The immersion may last for 1 month to fully assess and develop the skills and abilities of
the participants
SIKAP, TULONG, SULONG
•
The last day of the event held by the SIKAP organization which will result in an enhanced
and improved skilled labor that are ready to produce a globally competent Filipinos
Budget Allocation
The organizations will have an initial capital of P1,000,000 to supplement all the necessary
requirements to be able to help a lot of Filipinos in enhancing their skills and abilities to match the
required skill in labor. The initial capital was provided by the founders of the organization. The
organization will also be accepting sponsor and/or donations from partner organizations and
corporations which will be used to further enhance the resources and the facilities of the training
activity and also be able to accept more participants in future events.
Rent expense
P70,000
Advertising expense
P150,000
Representation expense
P110,000
Food and transportation expense
P250,000
Research and Development expense
P250,000
Equipment expense
P170,000
P a g e 46 | 52
Section V.
Results
The organization has plotted the following hypothetical results of the communication plan on a
per-year basis for the next three years of operation and/or implementation. These values have been
conservatively generated, but are high enough to ensure that the communication plan will be
successful in its endeavor. In such manner, the plan is as follows:
PLATFORM
FACEBOOK
2019
PAGE LIKES
5,000-10,000
PAGE
55%
ENGAGEMENT
PAGE
100%
RESPONSIVENESS
TWITTER
TWEET LIKES
ACCOUNT
VERIFICATION
RETWEETS
MENTIONS
FOLLOWERS
POLL RESPONSES
G-MAIL
2020
2021
20,000-40,000 70,000-100,000
75%
100%
100%
100%
500-700
tweet
n/a
per 1,000-5,000 per 8,000-15,000
tweet
per tweet
n/a
Verified
by
2021
500-700 per 1,000-5,000 per 8,000-15,000
tweet
tweet
per tweet
1,500
4,000
12,000
2,000-3,000
5,000-10,000
15,000-20,000
400-500 per 800-1,000 per 2,0003,500
tweet
tweet
per tweet
AVERAGE OPEN 40%
RATE
AVERAGE
100%
RESPONSE RATE
AVERAGE
30%
AUDIENCE
FEEDBACK RATE
60%
85%
100%
100%
50%
75%
P a g e 47 | 52
Sample Infographic Mock-up:
P a g e 48 | 52
Reflection on communication plan
Group 8
GEPCOMM (C38)
Navales, Joacquin Carlo
Placino, Sofia Eloisa
Sanhi, Charlize Meg
Sebe, Hana Juniela
Reflection on Full Communication Plan
In the making of the communication plan, the group first thought of what our organization name
was going to be. The name should be related to the labor force which is the goal of the advocacy. After
brainstorming and coming up with various possible names, the group finally came up with the organization
name SIKAP, which stands for Skill and Inclusive Knowledge Advancement in Philippine labor. We
wanted that when you hear the word SIKAP, the audiences would know right away that it was related to
the labor force. Before starting to write the communication plan, we first decided to identify what our
campaigns and activities were going to be. The group did not have any difficulty in looking for partner
organization since during our panel discussion, we had a solution about Ayala partnering with TESDA in
providing vocational training to individuals to enhance the skills of the labor force. With that, we decided
that we wanted to further push this solution with other industries as well. The group was able to maximize
the time for classroom discussion to come up with the outline of our paper.
P a g e 49 | 52
Writing the first section was quite a bit challenging, but at the same time exciting. We had to first
think of specific objectives that fit the vision for our organization. We came up with four general objectives
at first then narrowed it down to become more specific. More than that, we also had to keep our target
audience in mind in writing the objectives. We picked the best audiences that were most suitable for our
topic. Writing the desired action part was easier. Once we had our objectives and target audiences ready,
the desired actions came out naturally since the foundation was already laid out. The most challenging part
of writing this section was during the beginning stages. Having to come up with what our goals were took
us quite some time, but once we had our main idea, writing this section was not difficult. Coming up with
these goals felt like what we have been advocating was finally being put to action.
As for the communication platforms, we did not experience difficulty in choosing which platforms
to use. Since we are living in the digital age, we thought that the best way to relay our advocacy was through
the use of social media, specifically Facebook and Twitter by posting website articles related to our topic.
These platforms would targets all of our desired audience. Using these platforms would allow our group to
have the liberty to make infographics and projects about our topic. Since the majority of the Filipinos use
these social media platforms, a wide range of target audience would be reached.
The third section was a bit challenging since we are not sure about what to put. The communication
plan powerpoint was a bit vague. For the website articles, we have some questions considering that from
the sample, they have seven articles. What we did was we have three major topics and under these topics,
there are seven supporting articles each. The messaging frequency was also difficult to come up with since
we are also not sure what to put. What we did was we assigned percentages on our desired web postings.
The percentages were based on the frequency of postings. Le dates was the easiest to do since we had
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already drafted it for the advocacy infographic planso. We just had to add and put in concrete definitions
on what we will do on each of the assigned month.
Similar to the strategies and objectives, it is also important for the campaigns held by the
organization to be timely and measurable. Since the action of the organization is related to labor, we decided
to arrange and organize the time of the event on the first of May, which also happens to be Labor Day in
the Philippines. A lot of people celebrate that day by attending job postings and seminars. The group
decided to come up with events that are in line with these activities to encourage and invite a large number
of participants and be able to help them with the plans and strategies made by the organization. In order for
the activities to stand out, the group came up with an idea of adding some catchy names and programs to
also get the attention of the public. It is important that the names of the event to match the activity to be
done for that day. Thinking of names for the events became a little challenging since it should be understood
by the audience just by hearing or reading it. For the budget allocation, the group did not have any
difficulties in setting the budget for the different actions and items or materials needed since the group
already had an experience in budget allocation from their finance and accounting related subjects. The only
problem encountered with budget allocation is that the group did not have an estimate number of
participants so the budget for expenses such as food, equipment and rent for the venue were hard to estimate
since the fixed number of expected audience is not identified.
In the results portion of the communication, the main difficulty was in creating realistic and feasible
forecasts. All the platforms to be utilized are mainly based online, which made it convenient to quantify
forecasts as said platforms provide readily available metrics such as likes, follows, tags, retweets, etc. The
group had a difficult time in forecasting how the organization would improve within a three year span of
operations. The given values are based conservatively off the performance of non-profit organizations that
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also utilize Internet-based communication methods. Moreover, the group decided to utilize a three year
span as a benchmark for giving forecasts as the proponents find the annual method to be the most
comprehensive basis. The group learned the value of optimism in making this section as the proponents
struck a balance between conservativity and ambition in generating the values presented. This also explains
why values become increase at greater rates for each year that passes by. This also taught the group the
value of strategic thinking as the values presented were based on how the group envision operations would
strategically be implemented in a manner that lives up to said expectations.
The infographic was one of the most challenging portions of the communication plan to formulate
as the group. The difficulty in this portion was mainly on how the editor would graphically lay out the
information in an enticing and uncluttered manner. In the layout process, the editor-member had difficulties
in creating a thematic design in coherence with the overall aesthetic branding of the SIKAP name. The
color scheme of the infographic was selected in such manner that emphasises the Filipino factor of the
organization as it is a foundation made by Filipinos for Filipinos. Moreover, the fonts the editor-member
utilized were carefully selected so as to give importance to emphasis and visual impact for the contents of
the infographic to be easily absorbed by the viewer. Overall, the group learned the value of thematic
aesthetics and branding in the creation of the infographic as it gave great importance to how the visuals
indeed impact the information dissemination amongst 21st century audiences. Moreover, it also emphasized
the value of creativity and enthusiasm as it is apparent in the infographic that the members poured their
soul and visions into how they want SIKAP to be viewed amongst the targeted audiences in the most
visually appealing way possible.
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