SME PROFILE
Felta Multimedia Inc. promotes high-tech
education among Filipino children.
SME FOCUS
An exercise on thinking outside the box
A Plantersbank publication for Entrepreneurs
Arlyn Grace Guico
President of World Citi Colleges work
hard to mold Filipino world citizens.
ENTREPRENEURS IN EDUCATION
Giving education beyond the basics.
vol06 ISSUE03 june 2011
newsline
Amb. Jesus P. Tambunting receives
International Alumnus Award from the
University of Maryland.
PUBLISHER’S
MESSAGE
Building a Learning Organization
Getting an education that
goes beyond basics is highly
prized by Filipinos. Because education is seen as a stepping stone
to better things, parents will seek
out for their children the best
schools that the family purse can
possibly afford.
In this issue of SME Magazine,
we pay attention to entrepreneurs
whose mission is to improve the
quality of academic instruction
and contribute to shaping citizens
who are imbued with a thirst for
knowledge and the virtues of civic
responsibility.
Gracing the cover is property
developer A rlyn Guico, who
shares the inspiring story of the
rescue and transformation of a
run-down facility into the internationally-certified World Citi
Colleges for medical and other
specialized professions. And we
meet Entrepreneur of the Year
Philippines finalist Mylene Abiva,
who reinvented their 45-year
family business into the innovative e-DUCATION and robotics
pioneer FELTA Multimedia, Inc.
Readers will be pleased to
know that we have beefed up our
line-up of contributors and added
new sections in this issue on top
of the latest SME news roundup,
business gadgets, recommended
readings and vacation destinations.
SME franchising consultant
Butz Bartolome explains the process of thinking out of the box
to help create sustainability in
business. Josh Sweeney, a customer relations manager, offers
his insights on how social media
is changing the way companies
manage customer expectations.
Sales training expert Adrian
Miller offers a positive perspective
on competition in difficult times,
whilst financial adviser Randell
Tiongson shares his thoughts on
financial well-being and wealth
management.
It is our pleasure to share
with you this issue’s collection of
success stories and management
ideas. Through these examples,
we hope to inspire among our
entrepreneurs a thirst for new
knowledge, and encourage the
necessary discipline in the SME
sector to pursue innovation and
change.
Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting
Chairman and President
Planters Development Bank
1
staffbox
Q&A
Q: Why
is continuing education
important to you and your
business?
A: As an entrepreneur, continuing education is a key to
success and to stay longer in your line of business. We
all know that there are always new ideas, new concepts
and new strategies in running a business. Competition is
fierce and we need new knowledge to be innovative and
to think outside the box. — Oscar Sison, Franchisee,
Crystal Clear Water Refilling Station in Project 4
publisher
Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting
editorial adviser
Consuelo V. Dantes
Editor-in-chief
Bobby F. Banaag
Executive editor
Olive B. Ramirez
managing editor
Dennis P. Liuag
Associate Editor
Therese M. Gutierrez
Circulation Manager
A: My business is in distribution. We’re an exclusive
supplier of U.S. patented health and wellness products
here in the Philippines. Continuous learning in the form
of seminars or a short course is important because it keeps
me updated with the trends and technologies that may
be applied to my particular field and it helps improve
outdated processes in operations. The world is permanently
changing. This should be enough reason to be aware of the
environment and adapt to major changes in the industry.
— Louie Tomelden, distributor of Pharmanex
Bryan C. Rilloraza
Editorial Staff
Joy G. dela Cruz
Abi Abear
Eman Cruz
contributor
Isay M. Roque
Publishing Agent
Quatro Grafix, Inc.
project manager
Estelle Custodio-Piencenaves
Congratulations! You are our lucky winners for the month of April.
Please claim your prize at Plantersbank Head Office.
WRITE TO US!
WHICh is your favorite homegrown
product and why?
Send us your answer to this question through the email
address: info@plantersbank.com.ph before July 15, 2011.
The chosen answers will be published in the next issue
of SME Magazine and the lucky winners will each get a prize.
2
Design and layout
Victor Garcia
get in touch with us
Corporate Communications
Department
12/F Plantersbank Building
314 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue
1200 Makati City, Philippines
Tels: (632) 8847600 (Trunkline)
(632) 8847654 (Direct Line)
Email:
info@plantersbank.com.ph
Website:
www.plantersbank.com.ph
contents
20 Education
without
Borders
Cover Story
by kristine gonzalez
04 newsline
Plantersbank Chairman Receives
University of Maryland Top Alumnus Award
16 bizbeat
Neighborhood Commerce
by riz pulumbarit
17 lifestyle
19 save mother earth
Food for Thought
Greening the Workplace
by sarah de la cruz
by joane l. ignacio
18 health watch
Getting to Know Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome
26 sme profile
Modern E-ducation
by karl r. de mesa
by angela colet
06 sme focus
franchising
How Well Can You Solve This?
by butz o. bartolome
taxation
Exclusively De Minimis
by oliver m. beltran
information technology
29 review
Working in the Cloud
customer service
Social CRM - Strategies That
Engage: Customers Using
Social Media
by josh sweeney
book
wealth management
inspiration
Building Blocks to High Net Worth
Raise Them Well
by randell tiongson
by francis j. kong
Challenging the Business
Model Generation
sales training
human resources
What Good Competition Can
Do For Your Game
by adrian miller
Organization Development:
It’s complicated but necessary
by Schubert Caesar C. Austero
by joel pablo salud
tech
1,000,000 Like This
by kc calpo
3
newsline
Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting
receives Top Alumnus award from
the University of Maryland
Plantersbank is recognized by the
Home Gurantee Corporation as a
valued partner in home financing
Plantersbank employees run
for Mother Earth
University of Maryland fetes Top Alumni
(Standing L-R) Retired Democratic US Congressman and president, CEO and chairman of Homeland Security Capital Corporation C. Thomas
“Tom” McMillen, Kathy May, House Minority Whip-US House of Representatives Steny H. Hoyer, (seated R-L) distinguished university professor,
Economics Emeritus professor of the University of Maryland and recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Economics Thomas C. Schelling, Ambassador
Tambunting with wife Margarita , Mrs. Barbara Loh and president of the University of Maryland Wallace D. Loh.
University of
Maryland Alumni
Association
PresidentElect Timmy R.
Ruppersberger
presenting
Ambassador
Tambunting with
the award for
International
Alumnus of the
Year during the
gala dinner that
was attended by
leaders of US
industry, finance
and the academic
community.
4
The University of Maryland in
the United States recently held its
11th Annual Alumni Association
Awards Gala at the Samuel Riggs
IV Alumni Center, USA where
twenty outstanding alumni were
recognized for their outstanding
achievements in both their careers
and personal lives.
Among those honored was
Pla nter sba n k c ha i r ma n a nd
president Ambassador Jesus P.
Tambunting who was presented
with the International Alumnus
Award in recognit ion of his
exemplary accomplishments as
a business leader, diplomat and
advocate of entrepreneurship in
the Philippines.
A mb a s s ador Ta mbu nt i ng
graduated from the University of
Maryland in 1960 with a degree
in economics. He is the founder of
Plantersbank the country’s largest
private development bank
and
lead bank for SMEs. He also had
the honor of serving the country
as the Philippine Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
to the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland and
the Ambassador to the Republic of
Ireland. In 2005, he was bestowed
the Lifetime Achievement Award
by the Asian Bankers Association
and in 2010 represented the
country at the World Entrepreneur
of the Year Awards held in Monte
Carlo.
Plantersbank is valued HGC Partner
St ate -r u n Home Gu a r a ntee
Corporation (HGC) named Planters Development Bank its Valued
Par t ner i n Housi ng Fi nance
during the recent Clients Appreciation Night at Manila Peninsula Hotel. The award recognizes
Plantersbank for continuously
providing excellent and on-time
service to customers.
Pl a nte r sb a n k h a s b e e n
supporting the government’s
housing program through active
participation and enrollment of
accounts with HGC’s guaranty
facilities for more than two decades.
As the lead agency in housing
finance, HGC supports home own-
Receiving
the award for
Plantersbank
are L-R: Product
Management Unit
officer Quennie
Medrano, senior
vice president and
head of Consumer
Banking Group
Gerry Morales
and first vice
president and
Housing Finance
Department head
Susana So.
ership among Filipinos by encouraging banks and financial institutions
to lend to individual homebuyers
and housing developers.
Plantersbank joins NatGeo Earth Day Run
Plantersbank employees and
their families joined thousands
of running enthusiasts and
environment advocates at The
Fort, Bonifacio Global City for
the 2011 National Geographic
Earth Day Run. The contingent
led by SME Banking Group
head and executive vice president Fe Miranda T. Aruta is
part of Plantersbank’s ongoing
campaign to promote environmental responsibility and
climate change awareness in
the banking and SME sectors.
Plantersbank relaunches 3-year term deposit account
Premium 3, a three-year term deposit product, was recently relaunched to add to Plantersbank’s
array of products and services. The product offers a unique feature of advance crediting of
interest. The first year interest is credited on the same day the principal amount is deposited
and interest for the succeeding years is credited every anniversary date.
“Premium 3,” explains Adonis Yap, head of Product Development and Marketing
Department, “was relaunched to bridge the gap between the Bank’s two existing products,
Premium 1 and Premium 5.” Yap says all Premium products have similar features; the main
differentiating factor is the products’ maturity term.
“We wanted to give our clients the option for a mid-range term deposit. Premium 3 fills in
that need.”
With a minimum deposit of P50,000, Premium 3 offers a high, fixed interest rate per annum,
open for individual, joint or corporate accounts. As an added benefit, clients can borrow up to 80% of their deposit
sum.
With Premium 3’s instant interest, depositors enjoy big buys that truly count.
5
cOntEntS
MEfOcUS
SMEfOcUS
20 EdUcAtIOn
wItHOUt
BORdERS
cOvER StORy
by kristine gonzalez
SInG
tAxAtIOn
fRAncHISInG
fRAncHISInG
wEALtH
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tAxAtIOn
MAnAGEMEnt
of the box helps
s succeed
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tEcHnOLOGy InSPIRAtIOn
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04
nEwSLInE
17
LIfEStyLE
19raise
SAvE
MOtHER EARtH
Cloud
Competition
Competition
computing
can
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keep
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your
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toto ten
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can keep your sales
Plantersbank Chairman Receives
entrepreneurs
skills
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entrepreneurs
entrepreneurs
teenagers
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university of maryland top alumnus award
ER SERvIcE
16 BIzBEAt
cUStOMER
cUStOMER
SERvIcE
HUMAn
SERvIcERESOURcES
wEALtH
wEALtHMAnAGEMEnt
MAnAGEMEnt
three
three
steps
steps
towards
towards
financial
financial
health
health
Food for thought teenagers
teenagers
well
wellgreening the Workplace
by sArAh de LA cruz
by jOAne L. ignAciO
18 HUMAn
HEALtH
HUMAnwAtcH
RESOURcES
RESOURcES 26 SME PROfILE
e customers by mixing social media
Capture
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and
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online
customers
customers
etting to
by
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toknow
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ationship management
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06 SME fOcUS
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w wELL cAn yOU SOLvE
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how Well Can you Solve this?
29 REvIEw
Working in the Cloud
cusTOmer
service
this is a simple exercise
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myseminars
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ship and franchising.
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atatthe
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some
by jOeL
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participants
continue
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participants
participants
continue
continue
trying.
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can go around and still end
pen;
pen;
upone
with
one
can
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can
straight
go
go
around
around
lines!
and
and
still
still
end
end
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up
with
with
6
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straight
lines!
lines!
sALes TrAining
humAn resOurces
would even reach 15 attempts.
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e can have 3 attempts and
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and
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will not be uncommon to see
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3
them jump waving their pens and
them
them
jump
jump
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their
their
pens
pens
and
and
shouting “Yes!” i remember giving
shouting
shouting
“Yes!”
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i remember
i remember
giving
giving
a seminar for entrepreneurs in
a aseminar
seminarforforentrepreneurs
entrepreneursinin
tagbilaran, Bohol. even when the
tagbilaran,
tagbilaran,
Bohol.
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even
even
when
when
the
the
exercise was over, about 50% of
exercise
exercisewas
wasover,
over,about
about50%
50%ofof
the participants were still drawing
the
the
participants
participants
were
were
still
still
drawing
drawing
lines. after the solution was given
lines.
lines.
after
after
the
the
solution
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was
was
given
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on the board by an exuberant
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participant,
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continued. there was an answer
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that made me think: “this is how
that
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me
me
think:
think:
“this
“this
is is
how
how
we are as entrepreneurs, we will
we
weare
areasasentrepreneurs,
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wewill
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try
try
and
and
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try.”
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and franchisors.
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and
franchisors.
franchisors.
by buTz O. bArTOLOme
66
Given business challenges,
they will keep at it; they will try to
find solutions to the challenges. At
times, they pause provisionally and
they go back and give it another
shot again and again until they
get to a solution. This is the very
reason why they stand out and
they are labeled entrepreneurs and
franchisors.
T h i s e xe rc i se i s c a l le d
Thinking Outside the Box.
The exercise determines one’s
ability to look outside the confines
of structures or simply to look
beyond the usual way things are
done. The instructions did not
include a prohibition to go beyond
the circles. One can only connect
all the lines by drawing lines
beyond the circles or going outside
of the box.
But why is this so important?
Sustainability in business
means being innovative, and
this implies an entrepreneur’s
openness to try new things even if
no one else has done before. This
achieves for a business distinct
features that differentiates it from
others particularly from its direct
competitors. In fact, if we carefully
look at founders of very successful businesses, one will find an
entrepreneur/founder that will not
have second thoughts at trying
new ways even if the risk was high.
Henry Ford of General Motors
wanted to give each American
family a car when cost was so high
and only the rich and famous could
afford a car. Ray Kroc had visions
of opening McDonald’s stores by
the hundreds and thousands at
the time when he was closing his
first eight franchisees. These are
founders who dared look beyond
where they were and committed
themselves to accomplish what
they envisioned.
A fter yea rs i n fra nc h ise
development, I have personally
witnessed how entrepreneurs
c ha l lenged a nd con f ronted
barriers and walls they found
themselves in. From single stores,
they innovated, they dared tread
on untrodden paths and no matter
what it took they just kept pushing
and trying. Until one day, thinking
outside of the box gave them many
stores and even hundreds for most
of them. These thinkers outside of
their boxes are: Edgar “Injap” Sia
II of Mang Inasal, Julie Gandionco
of Julie’s Bakeshop, Richie Cuna
of Fiorgelato, Tess Ngan Tian of
Lots’A Pizza, Bards Montanido of
Chicharrific, Paulo Tibig of Vcargo,
Sarah Salcedo Soriano of Baliwag
Lechon Manok, Jose Magsaysay
of Potato Corner, Ted Ferrer of Generika, Mark Gorriceta of Freska,
Mercedes Pelaez Mejia of SLERS
Cafe, Josie Sy of Peanutworld,
Fiona Hilario of LayBare, Rossana
Llenado of Ahead Tutorial, Kaye
Garcia of Hot Pink, Rowena Matti
of Galileo Learning, Rommel Juan
of Binalot, Neil Delgado of Aquabest, Freda Co of RBX, Kamela
Seen of Plato Wraps, Manny
Tuason of Bayad Center, Marta
Matute of Marta’s Cakes, Lance
Sarvida of El Buono, The Katigbak Brothers of Brothers Burger,
Carlos De Guzman of Sangkalan,
Margaux Salcedo of Nana Meng’s,
Joey Concepcion of Go Negosyo,
Chit Juan of EchoStore, Rommel
Bautista of Fino and countless
ot hers. T hese ent repreneurs
remain on their toes and have their
eyes set beyond walls and circles.
At their most unguarded moments,
at their most challenging times,
they refused to complain but rather
remained focused on their vision.
Their challenges, their walls have
to be conquered and have to be
surmounted.
The business journeys of all
these entrepreneurs are testimonials that achievements can
be attained with a free spirit that
will risk beyond borders. It is the
entrepreneurial spirit that will keep
them committed to their business
despite having achieved success
with hundreds of stores under its
trademark. I would like to particularly mention Tita Julie Gandionco.
In the most recent Franchisees’
Convention in Cebu in February
2011, she was present and attended
all the sessions. Before and after
sessions, she was busy talking to
as many franchisees as possible.
As the founder of Julie’s Bakeshop
and with over 600 stores operating,
one will expect her to have retired
at a ripe age of over 80. But she was
still at the Convention, showing the
same commitment even after 25
years.
I also recalled that while Ray
Kroc was in the hospital shortly
before he died, he was still talking
with his Regional Managers on
the status of the McDonald’s stores
which has reached thousands.
These are legacies of entrepreneurs
who will not want to follow what the
rest will do. While retirement is the
usual fare of many, these entrepreneurs will look beyond retirement
and discern on what they can still
do for their business.
Because they took the risk to
venture beyond barriers, their
entrepreneurial spirit will be their
legacy to the present and future
generations.
So have you connected all your
lines? If you have, you can email
me at philfranchiseguru@gmail.
com and we will send you a surprise. Just maybe you have that
entrepreneurial spirit in you.
By the way, the book “Is Franchising For You?” shall soon be
available on e-book format. It will
be distributed in Amazon and
iTunes.
Armando “Butz” O. Bartolome is the president of
GMB Franchise Developers, the country’s pioneer
franchise development company. His extensive
experience in franchising and management
consultancy has earned him the title “franchise guru
of the Philippines.” His weekly column, “Franguru
Speaks”, comes out every Monday in Business
Mirror. Butz may be reached at philfranchiseguru@
gmail.com.
7
sme focus
taxation
Exclusively de minimis
By oliver m. Beltran
With the issuance of Revenue
Regulation No. (RR) 5-2011 by the
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR),
the provisions of RR 2-98 and 3-98
relevant to the exemption of de
minimis benefits from income tax
from compensation and from fringe
benefits tax (FBT) have been drastically amended.
Section 2.79(D)(3)(d) of RR 2-98
defines de minimis benefits as
those “facilities or privileges given
or offered by an employer to his
employees, provided such facilities
or privileges are of relatively small
value and are offered or furnished
by the employer merely as a means
of promoting the health, goodwill,
contentment, or efficiency of his
employees.”
The BIR enumerated certain
benefits that it considered de
minimis as provided under RR
2-98 and 3-98. However, the list
was interpreted in such a way
that other benefits not specifically
mentioned therein would still be
considered de minimis so long that
the aforementioned benefits are: a.
of relatively small value; and b. offered/furnished by the employer as
a means of promoting the health,
goodwill, and contentment of his
employees.
The BIR has been guided by
these tenets in the issuance of various confirmatory rulings affirming
the nature of different benefits as
de minimis although these were
not included in the enumeration
under RR 2-98 and 3-98. In fact,
the BIR even declared that the enumeration of de minimis benefits
under RR 3-98 is illustrative and
non-exclusive (BIR Ruling Nos.
DA-003-02, January 2, 2002, and
8
DA-335-03, October 7, 2003).
Un for t u n ate ly, w it h t he
issuance of RR 5-2011, this is
no longer the case. Now, due to
the clause introduced under RR
5-2011, de minimis benefits refer
exclusively to the following:
monetized unused vacation
leave credits of private employees not exceeding 10 days
during the year;
monetized value of vacation
and sick leave credits paid to
government officials and employees;
medical cash allowance to
dependents of employees not
exceeding P750 per employee
per semester or P125 per
month;
rice subsidy of P1,500 or one
50-kilogram sack of rice per
month worth no more than
P1,500;
u n i for m a nd c lot h i ng
al lowance not exceed i ng
P4,000 per annum;
actual medical assistance (e.g.,
medical allowance to cover
medical and health care needs,
annual med ical /execut ive
checkup, maternity assistance,
and routine consultations) not
exceeding P10,000 per annum;
l au n d r y a l l o w a n c e n o t
exceeding P300 per month;
e mploye e s’ ac h ieve me nt
awards, e.g. for length of service or safety achievement,
which must be in the form of
a tangible personal property
other than cash or gift certificate, with an annual monetary
value not exceeding P10,000
received by the employee
under an established written
plan which does not discriminate in favor of highly paid
employees;
gifts given during Christmas and major anniversary
celebrations not exceeding
P5,000 per employee per
annum; and
daily meal allowance for overtime work and night/graveyard
shift not exceeding 25% of the
basic minimum wage
Ultimately, at present, all the
benefits granted to employees that
are not provided under RR 5-2011
shall now be subject to income tax,
and accordingly, to withholding
tax on compensation income.
With the exclusive enumeration provided under RR 5-2011,
the BIR did not only amend RR
2-98 and RR 3-98. RR 5-2011 also
effectively revoked a considerable
number of confirmatory rulings
that pronounced certain benefits
(i.e., benefits that were not listed
as de minimis under RR 2-98 and
3-98) as de minimis.
A relevant case in point would
be BIR Ruling DA-(ECE-020) 39809, where the BIR stated that by
reason of the non-exclusivity of the
enumeration of what constitutes de
minimis benefits, meal allowance
– although not given on the occasion of overtime work – may still
be added in the enumeration of
what are considered de minimis
benefits. In terms of the de minimis
threshold for meal allowance,
the ceiling for benefits of similar
nature under RR 8-2000 should be
used as guidelines.
In another instance, the BIR declared through BIR Ruling No. DA336-06 that the performance in-
centive award given to employees,
although not included in the list
under RR 3-98, is also considered
de minimis benefit.
Fur ther more, as prov ided
under RR 5-2011, flowers, fruits,
books and similar items of small
value given to employees during
special circumstances, such as on
account of illness, the celebration
of marriage, and the birth of a
baby, among others, are no longer
considered de minimis.
In the case of daily meal
allowance, RR 5-2011 effectively
limited and relaxed the rules at the
same time. Daily meal allowance
of up to 25% of the minimum wage
will now be considered de minimis
benefits under two conditions: a.
on account of overtime work; and
b. if given to employees on graveyard shift.
Prior to RR 5-2011, the BIR
(e.g. BIR Ruling No. DA-250-02)
considered meal allowance not
exceeding the 25% threshold
as de minimis even if such were
not granted in relation to overtime work. Under RR 5-2011, it
is stressed that the grant of meal
allowance not for overtime work
shall cease to be considered as de
minimis benefit, and is therefore
subject to income tax.
Nonetheless, meal allowances
of employees working at night/
graveyard shift are now considered
de minimis benefit. This is
certainly good news to call center
agents, service crew of fastfood
chains, security guards, as well as
hotel and hospital personnel.
I n con nec t ion w it h t he
foregoing, it is also important to
take note of other ways wherein
similar benefits that are no longer
part of the exclusive list of de
minimis benefits may still be
exempt from FBT and/or income
tax.
In BIR Ruling No. DA-350-04
dated June 25, 2004, the transpor-
© Gunnar3000 | Dreamstime.com
tation allowance being given to
customer service representatives
are not compensation subject to
income tax and consequently, to
withholding tax on wages in accordance with RR 2-98 for the reason
that:
transportation allowance is
for ordinary and necessary
traveling and representation or
entertainment expenses paid
or incurred by the employee
in the pursuit of the trade,
business or profession; and
the employee is required to
account/liquidate for the foregoing expenses in accordance
with the specific requirements
of substantiation for each
category of expenses pursuant
to Section 34 of the National
Internal Revenue Code. The
excess of actual expenses over
advances made shall constitute taxable income if such
amount is not required to the
employer. Reasonable amounts
of reimbursements/advances
for traveling and entertain-
ment expenses which are
pre-computed on a daily basis
and are paid to an employee
while he is on an assignment or
duty need not be subject to the
requirements of substantiation
and to withholding.
O t her benef it s g iven to
employees that may not be subject
to FBT include those given as
required by the nature of or
necessary to the trade, business or
profession of the employer and if
the grant of such benefit is for the
convenience of the employer (Section 2.33 (C) of RR 3-98).
Lastly, RR 5-2011 also serves as
confirmation that any amount of
de minimis benefit in excess of the
P30,000 threshold of “other benefits” received by rank-and-file and
managerial employees shall be
now considered as compensation
income and is therefore subject to
income tax on compensation.
The author is a senior manager at Punongbayan &
Araullo, a member firm within Grant Thornton International Ltd. For comments and inquiries, please
e-mail Cathy.Quilantang@ph.gt.com or call 8865511.
9
sme focus
wealth management
Randell Tiongson, RFP, is an advocate of Life
and Personal Finance. He is the Director of
the Registered Financial Planner Institute
Philippines in the USA and the Co-founder
of www.income-tacts.com, the country’s
premiere personal finance online forum. He
is also a columnist for the Philippine Daily
Inquirer.
Building blocks to high net worth
Millionaires don’t always earn
their money overnight; they often
get there via hard work and shrewd
investment. Many of us don’t mind
doing the former, but it’s the latter
that often stymies those who need
a little chat from a mentor to know
where they can start.
As a financial adviser and the
director of the Registered Financial Institute of the Philippines,
people have come to me asking
what’s a good investment, and
when to stop throwing good money
after bad. I usually give twelve
simple guidelines, and people can
put into practice the first three or
six steps depending on what financial point in their lives they may
be when starting out. If you’re just
starting out on the road to financial
health, set these three goals to
achieve in 2011: positive cash flow,
savings goals, and building your
capacity to invest.
I never tire of speaking on the
topic of personal finance, even
after 20 years in the financial
services industry, which is why I
agreed to be tapped by UCC as one
of their key speakers or beacons
© Otnaydur | Dreamstime.com
10
for exclusive dialogues in a series
called “Beacons of Change: Coffee
Collaboration.”
The first step is making more
money and/or spending less, in
essence achieving positive cash
flow. You can do this by increasing
the ways you get active or passive
i ncome, or decreasi ng you r
expenses (especially after you
identify non-essentials you can
defer to another date or do without). Positive cash flow involves
earning more money or spending
less money, although the ideal state
is doing both.
Savings goals involve setting
up your emergency fund (equivalent to at least three months’ worth
of expenses) then other funds
for your short-, medium- and
long-term needs (ex. a new car or
vacation abroad, further studies
to advance in your career, retirement). Building a separate fund for
investments will take time, but so
will your capacity to decide which
investments are good for you.
T hose who at tended my
previous talks told me that it was
an “eye-opener” as they learned
things they had previously overlooked or ignored in their quest to
financial well-being. Education
is an investment not only for your
children (if you have any), but also
for yourself to gain an edge in the
market or workplace. I advise you
pay close attention to building your
skills, whatever the job or position
you hold. Education is an investment. Build on your competence.
In fact, education could be what
sets you on the road to earning
more money.
Like the parable of the talents
in the New Testament (Matthew
25:14-30), each of us is given something we can use to invest and grow
exponentially, rather than hide
and bury it in the ground. So if you
have Php100,000 what can you do
with it to make it grow even more?
Assuming that you already have an
emergency fund and no debt, you
should determine your investment
objective and time frame as well as
assess your tolerance for risk. From
there, you can explore what investment works best for you, from time
deposits or treasury bills (lowrisk), to mutual funds that have
both bonds and stocks in the fund
(medium-risk), to high risk ventures such as the stock market. In
the UCC Vision Logbook, I recommend that beginners should practice with small amounts. Taking
risks can be very profitable, but
being good at it requires practice.
Whatever your goals are, you
have to become a no-nonsense
investor, because great investment opportunities can be losing
poker games if one does not pay
full attention to what is going on. I
also caution many people against
putting everything they have in
a high-yield investment, because
one should only take risks when
you already have savings and nonrisky investments to fall back on.
Following my advice may
take some discipline and attention to detail, but if one believes
in making money work for you,
after all the hard work you put
into earning it—you’ll be part of a
generation that’s working smarter,
not just harder. Based in New York, Adrian Miller is the
president of Adrian Miller Direct Marketing,
a sales training and consulting company
that provides customized, results-driven
training programs to companies worldwide.
AMDM’s programs focus on the techniques
and skills needed for building new business
and retaining existing business, resulting in
increased ‘ROA’ (Return on Attention). She can
be reached at amiller@adrianmiller.com.
sme focus
sales training
What Good Competition Can Do For Your Game
My sons played hockey for a pretty
intense travel team and each
weekend we trekked up and down
the Eastern seaboard to play the
other teams in our league. As with
most sports, some of those teams
were really fantastic and others,
well, fair to middling sums it up
best.
And while it sure was nice to
score an easy win against a weaker
team, the repercussions of that win
were not that pretty.
What do I mean? Well, playing
the weaker opponent “allowed” my
son’s team to play a lazy game with
skaters out of position, inattentive
defense and well, the skills that
they honed in their many hours
of practice were just not evident.
They won but at what cost?
Their lazy play often carried
over into the following game and if
they found themselves once again
playing an aggressive and competent team, they sometimes had to
regroup and scramble to get themselves into gear to play competitive
hockey.
I see the very same thing
happening with some of the sales
teams that I train.
When the going is easy, when
leads are handed to the reps by
a sales support department and
when closing becomes, well, a
slam-dunk, sales skills become
soft and inattentiveness and laziness begin to rear their ugly head.
There is no passion, skill or
urgency in the selling process
because there doesn’t have to be.
Like picking low hanging fruit, the
business just falls into your hands.
© Nurangirl | Dreamstime.com
Sales skills...”real” sales skills...go
stale.
I know that business is tough
now and the mere idea of an easy
sale is so very tantalizing. But perhaps there is something good to
come out of this difficult time.
The business environment
demands that every sales person
keep honing his or her skills in
a meaningful way. Picking low
hanging fruit is no longer much
of a possibility. There is too little
business out there and too many
excellent competitors vying for
the same clients. Yes, excellent
competitors, the type that keep
you putting out the very best work
product that you can.
And while getting an easy win
is okay once in awhile, a steady
diet will only serve to weaken your
skills and allow your competition
to win more than you’d like.
11
sme focus
information technology
Working in the Cloud
by kc calpo
Cloud computing has become
mainstream in recent years, and
while most consumers have had no
problems embracing it, few small
businesses in the country have
actually leveraged on this technological development.
What is cloud computing?
In a nutshell, it’s a technology
that takes away the lim itations that come with having
physical, location-specific and/or
resource-challenged data centers,
particularly hardware maintenance and high service costs.
What happens is that instead
of relying on a single machine to
12
create and store data, working
“in the cloud” will put that data
in remote computers/servers in
multiple locations and ease the load
taken on by a computer or a network of units whenever the stored
data is called up and worked on.
The Cloud isn’t exactly the new
kid on the block. If you have an
e-mail address, use online storage/
database services and Internet
applications, and sync your data
across different platforms, you’ve
already been acquainted with
cloud computing.
Your familiarity with cloud
computing can be carried over
into your small business. Instead
of maintaining computers with
large storage capacities and high
processing demand, you can check
out different cloud computing
services that have low monthly or
yearly fees, minimal downtime,
and tailored service offerings to
suit your needs. The Cloud also
underscores collaboration and productivity: you and your local and
international clients can access
pertinent files anytime, anywhere!
But like most things, the
Cloud also has its share of problems. Issues regarding data
privacy/security, reliability and
performance have been noted and
publicized. Also, headlines like
the April 2011 Amazon Elastic
Computing Services (EC2) outage
and the resulting downtime of
various popular websites only
emphasize critics’ arguments. Incidents like this show that although
cloud computing can be a boon for
businesses, entrepreneurs must
also have contingency plans.
Some of the most popular cloud
services include the aforementioned Amazon EC2 (which is part
of the Amazon Web Services line),
SugarSync, Box.net, VMWare,
Dropbox and Google Apps for Businesses, all of which offer different
user plans and capacities. IBM’s
Philippine Outpost also has its
“Smart Business Desktop Cloud”
end-user service.
Considering the cost of buying
and maintaining hardware for data
storage, it is certainly an attractive
alternative for SMEs to explore the
benefits of working in the cloud.
sme focus
customer service
Social CRM - Strategies That Engage
Customers Using Social Media
by Josh Sweeney
Social media has quickly evolved
from being a trendy buzzword to
become the primary method of
online communication today.
According to Nielsen, a global
information and media company,
unique visitors to Twitter increased
1,382 percent year-over-year since
2009.
But how can businesses use
social media at the enterprise level?
Enter Social CRM, a mixture of
social media and CRM (customer
relationship management).
Social CRM is loosely defined as
“the business strategy of engaging
customers through social media for
building trust and brand loyalty.”
There are four Social CRM
practices that businesses should
incorporate into their sales and
marketing strategies: personal
connections, brand monitoring,
citizen marketer tracking, and
enhanced support.
Personal Connections
Personal connections are one of the
most obvious and important CRM
applications. A common practice
is for sales people to note personal
details about their clients in their
sales management database. This
allows for information to be called
at will, such as a client’s birthday,
favorite bottle of wine, children’s
names, hobbies, and more. But this
information can become stagnant
and out of date, quickly.
To solve this problem, CRM
professionals have begun integrating, or syncing, CRM systems with
social media applications such as
Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
For example, the GetSocial
Twitter Pro Module allows a sales-
person to open up a client record and
view the client’s last 20 tweets he or
she posted to Twitter. If a client posts
“I’m still in bed trying to get over the
flu,” a salesperson can immediately
send a get-well note and set a follow
up within a week to inquire about
the client’s health.
Brand Monitoring
Brand monitoring is an important
activity in every marketing department. Twenty-five percent of search
results for the world’s top 20 largest
brands are links to user-generated
content, according to a recent study
from Marketing Vox and Nielsen
BuzzMetrics.
Customers take to social media
avenues to praise, criticize, review,
and give feedback. The companies
who pay attention and interact with
these clients have the opportunity
to create favorable impressions and
therefore increase the amount of
leads they can input into their sales
funnel.
Citizen Marketer Tracking
Identifying citizen marketers is
one of the most cost effective and
beneficial ways companies can boost
promotions and marketing in the
social landscape. Citizen marketers
are users and consumers who love a
product so much they are spreading
the word without any tie to, or
request from, the product’s company.
Companies who identify citizen
marketers can link the messages
spread across social media platforms
to a grading system which highlights the most active and positive
consumers.
Tracking this activity in a CRM
system allows for a manageable
method of integrating these citizen
marketers into marketing and sales
promotions and programs.
Enhanced Support
The phrase, “the squeaky wheel
gets the grease” is multiplied exponentially on the internet. Companies
that quickly identify an unhappy
customer can act swiftly to rectify
the situation and alleviate the anger.
This can reduce damage that would
potentially have a significant impact
if it went viral throughout social
media outlets.
Social CRM also allows businesses to go one step further in the
presale process. For instance, one
prevalent problem in presales is that
a consumer uses a trial, can’t figure
out how to do something, then gets
frustrated and abandons the product.
W it h a Tw it te r ac c ou nt ,
consumers can easily post questions about the product. Enhanced
support through monitoring for these
questions will increase the likelihood of a sale and increase positive
perception.
Marketers and sales managers
have barely touched on the potential of using social media during
the sales process. CRM integrations
help to narrow this gap and shorten
the technology learning curve. As
the web (and how people use it) continues to evolve, CRM systems and
integrations will as well.
Josh Sweeney is an expert CRM consultant and
founder of ALT-Invest, the premier SugarCRM
consulting company in the Southeast. He teaches
business clients and other CRM professionals how to
enhance and expand CRM capabilities that maximize
revenue and increase profits. To learn more about
increasing customer engagement and generating
sales, visit http://www.ALT-Invest.net/.
Article Source: CSM Magazine.
http://www.customerservicemanager.com
13
sme focus
inspiration
An international speaker, trainer and consultant, Francis J. Kong has been featured in many
major business conventions and conferences
both here and abroad. He trains under Maximum Impact of Atlanta Georgia as well as the
Ziglar World Training Company in London. He
is a broadcaster, columnist and author, with 11
books under his name.
Raise Them Well
From the book Three Little Words on Life, on Love and on Laughs
by francis j. kong
They say insanity is hereditary …
You inherit it from your kids!
Raising kids is no walk in the
park, I never knew that; I thought
I’ve read all the books on the subject and I was really prepared for
it. But still, I sometimes get the
feeling that I’ve failed even after
delivering my best. And I’m telling
you, the feeling could be very frustrating.
I’m blessed. Indeed, I am. God
has given me three very good and
beautiful children. I’ve noticed
that they carry within them Godly
values. Though, like me, they fail
every now and then, the strength
and goodness within triumph over
the moments of weakness that
manifest from time to time.
I wish that parenting was as
easy as posting a set of rules on a
bulletin board, or dispatching a
memorandum to all concerned,
expecting immediate compliance.
© Soupstock | Dreamstime.com
14
But it just doesn’t work that way. I
wish that all I have to do is to get
them to listen, understand and
obey these ten rules for teenagers so my life would be simpler
and I can die in peace. Before I
say anything further, why don’t I
share with you these ten lessons for
teenagers?
1) Life is not fair. Get used to it.
The average teenager uses
the phrase “It’s not fair” 86
times day.
2)It’s not your parents’ fault if
you mess up. You are responsible. This is the flip side of
“It’s my life” and “You’re not
my boss.”
3) Before you were born, your
parents weren’t bor ing.
They got that what paying
your bills and listening to
you.
4)The real world won’t care
as much about your selfesteem as your school does.
This may come as a shock.
5)If you think your teacher is
tough, wait until you get a
boss.
6)In some schools you’re given
as many times as you want
to get answer right. Standards are set low enough so
everyone can meet them.
This, of course, bears not
the slightest resemblance to
anything in real life – as you
will find out.
7) Flipping burgers is not
beneath your dignity. Your
grandparents had a different word for burger-flipping.
They called it opportunity.
8) Sorry, you won’t make P120,
000.00 a year right out of high
school. And you won’t be a
top executive or have a car
phone, either. You may even
have to wear a uniform that
doesn’t have a designer label.
9) Work is not divided into
semesters and you don’t
get summers off. Not even
spring break. You are expected to show up every
workday for eight hours, and
you don’t get a new life every
ten weeks.
10) Good luck. You are going to
need it – and the harder you
work, the luckier you will get.
Very practical and downright
sensible. Problem is, you don’t
just post these lessons on your
refrigerator and expect your kids
to become successful overnight.
Some old fashioned quality time –
and I do mean spending hours after
hours of sticking close to them,
helping them, being positive and
being interested and genuinely listening to what they’re saying. Well,
all these are required in order to
raise Godly kids.
Teach them the fear of the Lord
and don’t exasperate them. Make
them feel important, too, because
they really are. Hug them, kiss
them, but most importantly, pray
for them. There are things that all
the world’s wisdom and facilities
could not achieve that prayer can.
I don’t know about you, but
I sure pray for my kids every day.
Kids can be difficult and raising
them is no easy job. Now I know. It
took me all these years to figure out
the truth. For I was once a kid, too,
you know!
Schubert Caesar C. Austero is the 2011 President of the Peoples
Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP). He is also
human resource management practitioner, an academician, a writer;
and a social development activist. He is also an Organizational
Behavior professor of the Human Resource Management Program
at the School of Management and Information Technology of De La
Salle-College of St. Benilde, and continues to run special programs
for HRM managers . Twice weekly, he writes an op-ed column for
the Manila Standard Today (Are We There Yet?). You can reach him
via email: pmap@pmap.org.ph.
sme focus
human resources
Organization Development:
It’s complicated but necessary
by Schubert Caesar C. Austero
President, People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP)
Let’s face it, Organization Development (OD) is probably the most
misunderstood and least appreciated
of all human resource management
functions. To this day, a number of
misconceptions persist about the
function and the term OD has never
been universally clear. For example,
most people still tend to confuse
organization development with
organizational development failing
to note the inherent differences between the two. The joke is that if you
ask 10 OD practitioners about what
OD means, you would most likely get
10 different responses.
Talking about OD is like revisiting the children’s fable the
Emperor’s New Clothes – very few
people really understand what it is,
but no one is willing to admit it. Thus,
it is hardly surprising that anecdotal
data revealed that whenever human
resource management professionals
mentioned OD in management meetings, most line managers thought the
reference was to the condition associated with drug abuse.
It doesn’t help of course that there
is a dearth of resources on OD in this
country. A niece who was pursuing
graduate studies recently whined to
me about the scarcity of reading materials on OD. One would think that
it’s a new field of study or discipline
rather than something that has been
there for at least seven decades (Kurt
Lewin’s breakthrough model on the
change process, Force Field Analysis, was developed in the forties, current OD gurus Thomas Cummings
and Christopher Worley started publishing their models in the eighties). I
was floored down, for instance, when
a friend showed me the materials
she had on OD, which were the early
Addison-Wesley series published in
the seventies and eighties (which
were really articles stretched out to
comprise very thin books).
Thankfully there are now quite
a number of books on the subject although they are still relatively more
difficult to come by. The law of supply
and demand may be at play here as it
seems there is little demand for OD
books. People see OD books as gobbledygook which further validates
the perception that it’s a function
that’s difficult to understand.
To my mind, the challenge, really,
is for kindred spirits to help sell the
concept of OD. One way to do this is
for OD practitioners to metaphorically step down from their ivory towers
and start talking the language of
business. I mean no disrespect to OD
practitioners but there is the wrong
perception that OD is exclusively
for people who eat complications for
breakfast and expect others to have
the same level of enjoyment in doing
so. There’s also the prevailing notion
that OD is esoteric and the processes
used are often unconventional.
But a large part of what remains
to be done is in the area of making
people understand that organizational change – and necessarily,
change management – is, contrary to
myth, not a simple nor is it a natural
process.
Furthermore, many people think
that OD is applicable mainly for
major changes and consequently
think of OD programs only in terms
of major transformational efforts.
The analogy that experts use is that
of the wind surfer who waits for the
next big wave to come along to hold
him aloft rather than harnessing the
power of small waves to understand
the physics of surfing.
There’s also the challenge of
establishing a more direct link between OD and certain business results. We all agree, theoretically, that
OD should lead to performance gains
via various structural, process and
human capital-related interventions.
But the relationship, particularly in
the local context remains inchoate.
And sadly, most of the best practices
in the local setting have tended to
focus on the change process issues –
the how – rather than the results. In
short, we need to begin showcasing
best practices that illustrate a clear
business case for OD in the local
context.
And finally, there’s the notion
that OD must be a separate and
distinct function in HR in the sense
that there has to be a box in the table
of organization that says so. In reality, the competencies required to do
OD may be specific and distinct, but
it can be embedded in various HR
functions. In fact, there are experts
who maintain that sound management practices may be considered
OD provided there is deliberate and
integrated effort, commitment to
the optimal use of all organizational
resources, clear and explicit assumptions, a total systems approach and
anchored on a specific set of values
or philosophy.
15
More people are staying at home and helping community businesses grow.
Neighborhood Commerce
by riz pulumbarit
The uncertainty brought about by
the global recession has resulted
into downsizing, carpooling, staycation and a new catchphrase that
is slowly creeping into our lexicon:
new localism.
E and M Bakery, a community store in Pasay City, sells the
usual bakery fare like the sliced
tasty bread, the soft monay, and
of course, the best-selling pan de
sal. People from the neighborhood
flock to the bakery every morning
to buy their bread.
Solidaridad, a small bookstore
owned by famous author F. Sionil
Jose, is a favorite of local writers
and bookworms in Manila. Despite
its modest size and its lone branch,
the quaint shop has been in business since 1965.
Just like E and M Bakery and
Solidaridad, many small businesses such as car repair shops,
cafes, medical clinics, fitness clubs
and specialty shops are thriving,
thanks to the local communities
that support them.
US Journalist Joel Kotkin says
that the premise of new localism
is this: “The longer people stay
in their homes and communities, the more they identify with
16
those places, and the greater their
commitment to helping local businesses and institutions thrive, even
in a downturn.”
Capturing the Baby Boomers
Kotkin notes that the “stay-athome trend appears particularly
strong among the significant
number of aging boomers” (baby
boom era after World War II is from
1946 to 1964). Members of this age
group stay “close to family, friends,
clubs, churches and familiar
surroundings.”
Walking inside the numerous
re s t au r a nt s i n BF Home s,
Paranaque City, a middle-class
residential community and the
biggest subdivision in Asia, one
would notice that early morning
customers are mostly senior and
almost senior citizens. Residents
in this Manila suburb just walk,
bike or take a short car trip to the
community’s shops.
The Internet and Home-based
Professionals
Another factor that contributes to
new localism is technology. The
Internet has made the relatively
new breed of home-based employ-
© Maryvein | Dreamstime.com
ees and entrepreneurs a growing
sector. Instead of spending time
and money to travel to the urban
business districts and malls, they
find it more convenient to purchase
online, buy from the corner grocery
store, order pizza from the nearby
restaurant or walk to the salon for
an afternoon manicure.
The aging population, the
high cost of living and the trend of
home-based businesses—all these
factors contribute to the decision
of people to stay home. This is a
good sign for those establishments
already in the neighborhood.
lifestyle
Planning for a productive office meeting should be detailed down to the food.
Food for Thought
by sarah de la cruz
The stressful workplace environment leaves little or no time for
employees to pause and read
through the nutritional facts on the
wrapper of their food. Often, they
just go ahead and eat whatever is
available.
Anna Maria Rosaldo of the
National Nutrition Council says
that food during meetings should
be “the ones that will make you
alert and awake.” The fare should
help boost focus, energy and
performance of participants.
Different foods will have
var ying chem ical effects on
our brains. Pizza is a favorite at
meetings but it results in lethargy.
The high sugar levels in donuts
and pastries induce drowsiness
and inattention.
To avoid repeating the same
mistakes in your own office, here
are some healthy food suggestions
© Rafer | Dreamstime.com
for your next meetings. Rosaldo
recommends that instead of heavy
meals, go for light, even easy-toeat food choices like fruit salad,
shredded corn, banana fritters,
and fish or veggie sandwiches. As
for drinks, coffee is a top pick and
that’s fine because it keeps one
awake, but Rosaldo says a better
alternative would be fruit juice.
Fast food isn’t such a bad idea
if you will only take time to study
the menu. Even near-the-office
food stops would have some good
buys to offer. KFC has fix-ins like
shredded corn and coleslaw and
Greenwich offers macaroni salad.
Convenience stores like 7-Eleven
and Ministop have ready-to-eat
healthy sandwiches. And coffee
shops like Starbucks and Coffee
Bean & Tea Leaf also offer healthy
fruit and tea drinks.
It’s common to forego lunch or
snack breaks to attend a meeting.
If it’s in the office, assign somebody
to carefully plan the meal that will
be served. This small effort can
produce significant inputs from the
team during the meeting.
17
healthwatch
An inflamed carpal tunnel produces numbness, tingling and pain in the first three
fingers and thumb side of the hand.
Getting to know Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
by angela colet
Barely a year after working
professionally as a baker, I
experienced a general sense of
weakness in my hands and arms.
And what I initially believed to
be fatigue turned out to be early
signs of the progressively painful
hand and arm condition called the
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
The carpal tunnel is the area
in front of the wrist, where the
Median Nerve passes through.
According to the American Medical Association, “repetitive movements of the hand and wrist can
cause inflammation of structures
that surround the Median Nerve.
The inflammation may compress
this nerve, producing numbness,
tingling, and pain in the first three
fingers and the thumb side of the
hand a condition known as Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome.”
Other symptoms include pain
that radiates from your wrist, up to
your arm and your shoulder, and
down into your palm or fingers,
especially after repetitive use. The
hands feel weak, and there is a
tendency to drop objects.
Aside from repetitive use,
other factors that may cause this
debilitating condition are the
anatomy of the wrist, age, weight
and some health problems. Studies
also show that CTS occurs twice in
women compared to men.
Wit h i nc reased computer
activity among professionals, more
18
people are now suffering from
CTS. There are however, certain
occupations wherein this condition
are most prevalent. These are
computer operators, chefs, dentists,
hairdressers, tennis players,
musicians, medical professionals
and teachers.
The Mayo Clinic suggests
some precautions you can take to
prevent developing Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome.
Be con sc iou s about t he
amount of force you use when
performing tasks. Oftentimes,
we use more force t han
necessary—gripping a pen too
hard, typing with unnecessary
force, etc. Do not overwork
your muscles by working your
hands more than you need to.
Ta k e f r e q u e n t b r e a k s .
Regularly stretch and bend
your wrists gently, but not to
the point of bending the wrist
all the way up or down. Proper
posture ensures that your neck
and shoulder muscles are
relaxed. This will eventually
lead to relaxed muscles in your
arms, hands and fingers.
Use ergonomic gadgets to ease
the stress on the hands while
typing. A wrist rest for the
keyboard gives support to the
wrist area when you are idle
on the computer. An ergonomic
mouse reduces the strain on
your index and middle fingers,
© Jcjgphotography | Dreamstime.com
and a split keyboard keeps the
wrist in a position that is less
stressful on the hand muscles.
Treatments for CTS range
from taking frequent breaks or
wearing a hand splint to the more
radical treatments (often used for
severe cases). These treatment
procedu res i nc lude physica l
rehabi l itat ion sessions, ora l
medication to revitalize the nerves,
or, as a last resort, an operation
which increases the space in the
carpal tunnel to ease the pressure
on the median nerve. In any case,
consulting with a hand doctor to or
specialist is recommended.
Save Mother earth
After the home, the next place that you should turn green is your office. Here are
some quick fixes courtesy of the World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines.
Greening the Workplace
by joane l. ignacio, wwf-philippines
Green is now in vogue, but what’s
next after your home is already as
green as it can be?
Of course, your second home—
the office—comes next.
A lt hough
“g r e e n”
or
“sustainable” buildings also use
resources like energy, water,
var ious mater ials and land,
each component is utilized more
efficiently than those that are just
built to code. Green designs are
characterized by better air quality
and maximized use of natural light;
both have been proven to improve
health, comfort and productivity.
The United States Green
Bu i ld i ng Cou nc i l developed
the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED)
system that serves as a guide
and rates green buildings. The
Starbucks LEED Certified Drive
Thru at Bonifacio Global City is an
example of this.
Upon reviewing 60 LEED rated
buildings, the Massachusetts
Te c h n o l o g y
Col laborat ive
found that, when compared to
conventional buildings, green
buildings were 25-30 percent more
energy efficient, more likely to have
the capacity to generate renewable
energy on-site, and were more likely
to purchase grid power generated
from renewable sources.
So how does a building become
green? Well, an intention like this
has to be in the plan right from
the get-go. Materials are chosen
based on procurement, quality,
env i ron menta l i mpac t, a nd
sustainability. Consultants also
come in to implement methods by
which workers and professionals
are guided during and after
construction. Upon completion
of required fit-outs, continuous
monitoring takes place to make
sure the green goals are met.
Since equipment performance
will always wane over time,
maintenance is a must to keep
environmental impact small.
So your building is already
up and let’s say it didn’t really
comply with LEED standards.
Well, although that’s not your fault,
it doesn’t mean you have to put a
damper on your eagerness to help
the environment. Here are a few
quick fixes for your place in the
office cubicle-verse:
Use a power strip. Leaving any
technology plugged in still
uses up electricity; it’s called
phantom drain because it still
consumes 10-60 percent of full
power. A power strip lets you
turn off all gadgets plugged
into it.
Opt for technology that bears
the energy star or comes with
eco-mode. These allow your
equipment to run on less
power.
Make the most of daylight.
Arrange your space in such a
way that light from windows
can brighten up your place, or
the entire room for that matter.
Go paperless. You don’t have
to print all those documents! If
you must print, use both sides
of the page, or use misprints as
scratch paper.
L it t le t h i ng s c ou nt s o
remember to reuse those paper
clips, fasteners, folders and
envelopes!
Although tempting new tech
upgrades keep mushrooming
out of nowhere, resist the
urge to nix yours unless what
you have is no longer energy
efficient. Repair what you can,
and, in the event that you badly
need an upgrade, freecycle.
Bring your own tumbler or
mug so you don’t have to keep
taking plastic cups when you
take a trip to the office water
dispenser.
19
COVER STORY
Education
borders
Diplomas are not a guarantee to success and fulfillment. But good
education lays the groundwork for a promising future. Arlyn Grace
Guico, president of World Citi College, is an advocate of preparing
students for life in the real world.
by kristine gonzalez
photos by arthur abraham
20
Arlyn Grace Guico, World Citi Colleges President
21
When we had the new facilities,
we had to invest heavily
in the training. We had to build
a new culture and hire the best
in the field.
Behind the quiet confidence lies a
heart that seeks to give light where
it is needed. Arlyn Grace Guico
did not see herself in the field of
education, much less president of
a system of colleges. “When I was
young, I dreamt of becoming a
pharmacist and then a doctor,” she
begins. “I wanted a small business
at the vicinity of my home, treat
people, take care of my husband,
and look after my children.” That
was her plan. “God had another
purpose for me,” she says.
Guico’s simplicity comes from
growing up in the province and
not in the big bustling metropolis
where she now resides. She
c omplete d e le me nt a r y a nd
h igh sc hool i n Pa ngasi na n,
before moving to Manila, where
she studied pharmacy at the
prestigious University of Santo
Tomas. She mar r ied Ra mon
Guico Jr., who was working in the
construction industry at the time.
Six children later, the Guicos were
offered a dilapidated four-story
building along Aurora Boulevard
in Cubao that was known as the
Quezon City Medical Center and
Colleges.
It was here that she found her
greatest challenge: running a
crumbling hospital and school. It
was a school that would eventually
help students reach their highest
potential.
Not for the faint of heart
It was 1985 when the Guicos
acquired the building, which was
on the brink of foreclosure. “At
that time I saw the potential of the
property. It was a good real estate
investment. Because I didn’t have
a background for it, I didn’t think
of the business side of the hospital
22
Patrick Guico, VP for Education, World Citi Colleges
and the nursing school. We were
actually hoping to resell it and
make a profit,” she admits.
But the political climate was not
friendly to the real estate industry.
The Guicos were forced to run the
100-bed hospital and its nursing
school.
Breathing life into the ailing
medical center was not in anyway
easy, especially when she had to do
it alone. Her husband was called
into government service, leaving
her to run the institution singlehandedly. Guico discovered new
things about herself.
“I was 32 years old, I didn’t have
experience, and I had just given
birth to my youngest,” she recalls.
“Morale in the hospital was very
low. Nobody wanted to be a part
of this institution.” But run it she
did. And it clearly took strength of
character and abiding faith.
“I prayed, ‘Lord, I am just a
housewife and You have called me
to lead an institution. How could I
lead doctors and teachers?’ It was
then that I realized the challenge
was given to me because I could
do it with Him,” she says. “It would
be a shame for me not to accept the
challenge.” Her faith is admirable
when you consider the amount
of work that had to be done, and
the number of hats she wore at
this point in her life. When asked
about how she was able to balance
C
A) Quezon city
branch - 960
Aurora Blvd.,
Quezon City
b) CALOOCAN
BRANCH - 461
William Shaw
St., Grace Park,
Caloocan City
B
so many roles, especially the role
of mom, Guico smiled. “Since this
was our business, I could bring the
kids to the office and spend time
with them.”
Building World Citi Inc.
Guico was forward-thinking in her
decisions and determined to bring
confidence back to the hospital. “I
knew that to improve the morale
and retain the good people, I had
to build and improve on the facilities.”
Undaunted by the enormity of
the project, she discussed things
with her finance officer, looked
at the projections, and took out a
huge loan. This led to the construc-
tion of a 15-storey hospital, which
was country’s first medical hotel. It
started the trend for other hospitals
to create hotel-like medical institutions.
But it was a never-ending round
of rebuilding, reeducating, and
reinventing. This time, she focused on what makes a school and
its graduates succeed—people.
“When we had the new facilities,
we had to invest heavily in training. We had to build a new culture
and hire the best in the field.”
The growing pains were necessary for a school that would change
the lives of many. To educate an
individual is a privilege that most
schools forget. But Guico never lost
A
c) ANTIPOLO
BRANCH - 156
M.L. Quezon Ave.,
Antipolo City
sight of this. To provide students
with the fundamental and practical education and make them
front liners of demanding careers,
the college expanded its roster of
courses.
“Aside from Nursing, we offer
degrees in Pharmacy, Biology,
Chemistr y, Physical Therapy,
Medical Technology, Radiologic
Te c h nolo g y, Nut r it ion a nd
Dietetics, and Psychology,” she
says. They also offer courses in
Midwifery, Respiratory Therapy,
Hea lt h A ide, a nd Med ica l
Transcr iption, with many of
their graduates now successfully
employed here in the Philippines
and all over the world.
23
We’re Filipinos and therefore we
need to rise above the throng. We
want the World Citi student to be
known as a man of character. A
world citizen, as we call it.
In 2001, as a tribute to worldc lass Fi l ipi no professiona ls,
Quezon City Medical Center and
Colleges became World Citi Inc. Its
twin institutions are now known
as World Citi Medical Center and
World Citi Colleges (WCC).
Developing world citizens
Her youngest son, Patrick, now
manages the school. With a degree
in psychology from the Southern
New Hampshire University, he
brings new energy and a new
chapter to the school’s evolution.
The college mottos—(1) educating
without borders, (2) moving the
Filipinos within global reach, and
(3) developing world citizens, were
his brainchild.
The World Citi College culture
gives students a key ingredient to
success: critical thinking. Aside
from academics, Patrick focuses
on “values and holistic education
- educating the man as a whole. If
the core is secure, they can meet
the challenges in life,” he says.
“Filipinos have received a lot of
discrimination abroad. Which is
24
why we need to keep our integrity,
have a sense of nationalism,
and keep our identity,” says the
younger Guico.
On leaving the shores of the
country, the Guicos encourage
their graduates to stay, but cannot
blame them if they take advantage
of good opportunities for a better
life that come their way. “This is
why World Citi Colleges stresses
entrepreneurship in its courses.
Maybe graduates can put up a
pharmacy, a clinic in their hometown, or a business in medical
transcription. We want to give options so that they are not limited,”
Patrick stresses. He benefitted
from a good education that made
him effective in the school’s operations—from the academe and from
exposure to his mother’s management style. He has an understanding of people, a fresh approach,
and the passion to give World Citi
students a worthy education. It’s no
wonder he makes the best man for
the job.
“We’re Filipinos and therefore we need to rise above the
throng. We want the World Citi
student to be known as a man of
character. A world citizen, as we
call it,” explains Guico. This is
reflected in their philosophy and
credo: Called to serve, called to
care. When asked what he wants
to impart to World Citi students,
Guico quotes national hero Dr. Jose
Rizal. “Study, study, and think over
well what you have studied. Life is
a very serious matter. It goes well
only for those who have intelligence and heart.”
Thinking ahead
Education is a serious business
to get into. An educator needs
an appreciation of lear ning,
decisiveness, and a lot of heart.
T he col lege is cer t i fied by
International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) for its
Integrated Management Systems
(IMS) which confirms the WCC
system in quality management,
environmental management, and
health and safety management
meet and adhere to stringent
international standards.
Arlyn Guico once again saw the
opportunity to expand the college
and bring the World Citi education
system to more locations: Antipolo, Caloocan, Nueva Ecija, and
Guico’s home province, Binalonan,
Pangasinan.
Planning ahead for WCC and
thinking about the future is part of
the school’s principles. This time,
she already knows a bank that was
supportive of entrepreneurs. “We
couldn’t afford the mortgage, so we
approached Plantersbank,” she enthuses. “Thanks to Plantersbank,
we now have five campuses. The
capitalization for the schools came
from the bank, and it’s now a big
school. We have Plantersbank to
thank for that,” she says.
Growth was inevitable. World
Citi Colleges (WCC) now includes
World CIti
Colleges offers
courses in
Nursing and
Allied Medical
Profession, Hotel
and Restaurant
Management,
Tourism,
Information
Technology,
Accountancy,
Criminology and
Aviation with the
goal of producing
globally
competitive and
business-minded
Filipinos.
Hotel and Restaurant Management, Tour ism Management,
Information Technology, Business
Administration, Accountancy,
Elementary and Secondary Education, and Criminology to the roster
of academic degree programs.
They even ventured in the aviation
industry through WCC Aviation
Company, which offers education in aeronautics, aeronautical
engineering, aircraft mechanic
and flight attendant, and airline
services through Sky Pasada and
FBO services.
Lessons in life
Hav i ng been a n academ ic
administrator for more than 20
years, Arlyn Guico says that
students looking for good education
should consider a school’s “brand”
name only secondary to his
intentions and future goals. The
more important question from any
student would be: What do I want to
be in the future?
“Begin with the end in mind,”
she quotes author Stephen Covey.
“Know yourself first and what
you want to be in the future. Then
choose the school that can give you
the training you need and that best
fits your own values.”
“Some parents insist that their
children take courses they don’t
want. That’s not good,” she stresses. “If that’s not their passion, they
will be unhappy.”
Guico and her husband followed this principle in raising
their own children. All six are now
successful in their own careers in
aeronautics, hotel and restaurant
management, and education. Each
has a hand in running the family
business as well.
“Behind every great man, they
say is a woman,” says Patrick. “My
mom was behind the whole family.
She ensured that we get the right
foundation and perspective in life.
With that, we’ll be on the right
path.” When asked to describe his
mother, he says one word to sum it
all: “She’s a supermom.”
Beneath the blinding glitter of
success, Guico’s greatest achievement is remaining true to herself
and her path. She lives a balanced
life and knows what fulfills her.
“God is good,” she says with reverence. She still has her pharmacy,
but it is connected to the now fif-
teen-story hospital. And while she
has seen to the development and
growth of the school, she remains
conscious that it is a business that
affects people’s lives.
If life has purpose and meaning, then our goal must be to
educate ourselves ever more fully
to that meaning. And this is truly
education without borders. Guico
remembers an incident in church,
when an alumnus of the school
tapped her. “I didn’t even recognize her. All she said was, ‘Ma’am,
you don’t know how you have influenced my life.’ And I was very
thankful then, that I was given the
opportunity to make a difference,”
she says.
World citi colleges
QUEZON CITY CAMPUS - 960 Aurora Blvd., Quezon City,
Philippines 1109
Tel. No. 913-6367 / 913-8380 loc.485
Mobile No. 0917-5968545
ANTIPOLO CITY CAMPUS - 156 M.L. Quezon Ave., Antipolo
City, Philippines 1870
Tel. No. 630-3647 / 506-7350
Mobile No. 0917-5968559
CALOOCAN CITY CAMPUS - 461 William Shaw St., Grace
Park, Caloocan City, Philippines
Tel. No. 367-8562 / 367-9110
Mobile No. 0917-5968543
25
Mylene Abiva of FELTA has made
learning more fun with new tools,
new equipment and an army of
loveable robots. Modern
SME PROFILE
E-ducation
In the pre-Internet days, primary and secondary level teaching mostly involved two
things: a blackboard with chalk and about as much performance flair as an instructor
could muster. The pitfalls of old-fashioned chalk talk are many and entertaining
avenues for classrooms were always a welcome addition. FELTA Multimedia Inc. is a
company that knows this all too well.
by karl r. de mesa | photos by rick lopez
26
Born from the combined names
of Felicito and Teresita Abiva,
Felta is a local company that
has sourced and distributed top
quality educational and training
materials and a range of products
to cover almost every subject in the
Philippine elementary and high
school curriculum since 1966.
After running the business for
34 years, the couple passed on the
reins to their daughter Mylene. “I
joined the company in 1989 but it
was only in the year 2000 when I
took over as president and CEO,”
she narrates.
The young Abiva is undoubtedly qualified for the position
given her passion, hard work,
achievements and leadership
qualities, which were evident
since her student days at the elite
De La Salle University in Manila.
She is also adept in international
trade relations, having worked four
years as director for an American
firm before joining FELTA.
But being the third child in a
close-knit family, with five other
sisters and a brother, Mylene
finds herself in a tricky situation
where she has to strike a balance
between growing the business and
coping with family issues that turn
up every now and then.
“There’s no easy road to
family business succession,” she
says. “There are a lot of personal,
emotional and professional gaps
that you have to address and still
maintain the family harmony.”
Her initial step was to instill
a culture of professionalism in
the family corporation. “I always
remind the Board that we have to
run our family business in a professional way,” she explains. They
also engaged the services of the
Ateneo Business School to help develop the family succession plan.
Within a decade, this second
generation entrepreneur of the
Abiva clan (owners of the Abiva
Publishing House) grew the range
of products being offered by
FELTA. The company introduced
slides, DVDs, CD-ROMS, simulation software, digital education,
and became a pioneer in robotics
in the Philippines.
“I call it E-ducation because
that will be the future.” With her
vision, Mylene turned the name
FELTA into an acronym, which
stands for First in Educational
Learning Trends Always.
Destined partnership
A former president of the Philippine Marketing Association
(PMA), Mylene is also the founder
and current president of the Philippine Robotics Olympiad. In 2009,
she became a finalist in the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year
in the Philippines (EOYP) awards,
which included Plantersbank
chairman Ambassador Jesus P.
Tambunting.
But, it wasn’t their first time to
meet each other.
“I met him when I was 18 years
old. I was president of AIESEC
(A s s o c i at ion I nte r n at ion a le
des Ét ud ia nt s En Sc iences
Économiques et Commerciales)
and I gave a presentation in front
of Rotary Makati for a microfinancing project to support small
entrepreneurs in Pasay. After
the presentation, Ambassador
Tambunting approached me and
asked if I would like to represent
the Philippines in the International
Rotaract Convention in Vienna,”
Mylene recounts. “I will never
forget him because it was an eye
opener for me that I could represent
my country at such a young age.”
When they were reacquainted
at the EOYP ceremonies, this time
as entrepreneur awardees, Mylene
saw an opportunity to partner with
Plantersbank.
“These big banks do not
understand the needs of an
entrepreneur,” she explains. “I
need to maximize my collateral
because I use it for my capital.” At
that time, FELTA had an existing
loan from another bank, which was
over-collateralized, prompting the
decision to shift to Plantersbank.
Entrepreneurship woes
“It’s no joke to be an entrepreneur,”
she confesses. “You have to be
tough. It takes vision, guts and endurance.”
Mylene recalls her backbreaking experience in 2001
when the company struggled
in the aftermath of the Asian
financial crisis. The new CEO
LEGO
MINDSTORM
NXT 2.0 robot
remembered how she had to push
her boundaries and her creativity
in order to sell their inventory of
imported products.
“Those were the darkest moments when I really had to pray,”
she admits humbly.
The experience tested her wits
and loyalty to the family business.
“I had to resort to different distribution channels just to get my stocks
moving. It was a long climb.”
With her faith, inner strength,
and entrepreneurial sense, she was
able to get past all the obstacles,
proudly wearing her battle scars.
“I make sure that everybody in the
company, family members sitting
in the Board and employees know
this story so they have a sense of
pride and love for the company.”
She also tells entrepreneurs,
“SMEs, don’t lose your humor!”
And she means it, especially in the
toughest of times.
Taking risks
In 2002, despite uncertainties, the
beauty and brains CEO took a bold
risk by introducing LEGO robotics
products through the Philippine
Robotics Olympiad program.
“We have so much brainpower
that is untapped and unrecognized,” she enthuses.
Robotics was new to the market
but it was fairly easy to attract
young children to the concept.
Among the models displayed in the
FELTA office is the LEGO MIND-
27
Even if the market
is not yet ready, we should
not be afraid to introduce
something new.
STORMS NXT 2.0 robot. Under
a foot tall, the model with thin
arms and a bemused adorable face
brings to mind the animated film
character Wall-E. The robot zips
forward in response to the sound of
clapping hands, and enthralls the
adults and kids alike.
From the first eight schools that
joined the inaugural Philippine
Robotics Olympiad in 2001, the
annual competition now draws
teams from 400 schools and has
brought honor by winning five
gold medals in the World Robotics
Olympiads for the Philippines.
“My vision is to integrate robotics into the school curriculum. With
more schools investing in LEGO
kits and joining competitions I can
say that after nine years and many
tears, it is finally coming true,” she
says with excitement.
Suffice to say, Mylene’s hard
work has given FELTA a unique
ach ievement of re-i nvent i ng
science education in the country.
“We call it learning by making.
Students create something and
learn at the same time.”
But her vision doesn’t end
there. Just last year, FELTA, in
cooperation with the Department
of Science and Technology, hosted
the World Robotic Olympiad in the
Philippines, making the country
the first and, so far, only developing
country to have done so.
Youth, ages 10 to 18 from 22
countries, participated in a geeka-thon competition that involves
programming and building your
robot to perform particular tasks
from pole climbing to lifting objects. The Philippine team bagged
two gold medals, one silver and a
bronze.
“That’s a legacy that we were
able to achieve and it’s heartwarming and rewarding to hear
1,200 delegates say that it’s the
28
best ever,” she shares with a big
smile.
Social responsibility
FELTA’s pioneering endeavors
have likely inspired a new crop
of you ng Fi l ipi no sc ient ists
a nd eng i neer s. “T hat ’s ou r
contribution to nation-building, a
new generation of critical thinkers
and science-or iented youth,”
Mylene explains.
For the last nine years Mylene
herself has shepherded, taught
and changed the lives of 3,600
kids through the science of LEGO
robotics. She does a lot of field work,
reaching day care centers even in
far-flung areas of Mindanao. “It’s
more than fun for me,” she says.
“It’s really an advocacy.”
Feedback from their partner
schools indicate that the science
aptitude levels of students have
risen and that, almost 90 percent
of the time, the students take up
an engineering or science-related
course when they go to college.
FELTA’s loan account helped
fund the state-of-the-art science
equipment for the Quezon City
Science Interactive Center, a joint
project of the company and the
Quezon City government that will
benefit students of public high
schools.
“Since the city has a Technohub, we would like to encourage
students in Quezon City to go into
engineering, science and IT courses,” she explains.
Other FELTA products
FELTA’s product line is certainly
impressive. The company offers
p r o f e s s i o n - s p e c i f i c DV D s ,
multimedia packages, plasticized
anatomy models of humans and
animals for laboratory use, a
comprehensive collection of 12
DVDs covering Philippine history
and culture from the Stone Age
to the Post-War era. Among its
top-of-line offerings is a lifelike
programmable robotic infant for
caregiver training.
FELTA’s products are not toys or
for entertainment, so they will not
be found in retail stores. These are
especially made available for use in
schools and by educators, FELTA’s
main customers for 45 years.
More recent ly, upcom i ng
F ELTA products lean heavily towards digital education. “I
challenge myself to always offer
something new for our educational
market,” she shares. “Even if the
market is not yet ready, we should
not be afraid to introduce something new.” With FELTA’s innovative and
captivating products, and an
innovative thinker at the company
helm, it isn’t surprising that
Filipino students will eventually
turn their interest in science into a
lifelong, professional passion.
FELTA Multi Media Center
#18 Notre Dame St., Cubao Quezon City
Tel. Nos.: +632 912-1397; 438-1756
Email: felta@pldtdsl.net
Website: www.felta.ph
revieW
BOOK
book
Learn what it takes to create business
models that will remain relevant ten
years from now.
tech
What your online friends, fans and
followers can do for your business.
Challenging the Business
Model Generation
by joel pablo salud
Business Model Generation by
Alexander Osterwalder and Yves
Pigneur—co-created by 470 practitioners of the craft in 45 countries—
is a book of timeless principles of
success in business. It is in itself a
handbook of tools and techniques
designed for the visionary at heart,
or the creative beginner.
Designed by Alan Smith of the
Movement, the volume is set on
a string of colourful and vibrant
layouts that make for easy reading
without sacrificing substance and
content.
The book is simply a defense of
the business model, how it ought to
be understood and implemented in
this generation of do-as-you-please
young Turks. “The Business Model
Generation will teach you how to
systematically understand, design,
and implement a new business
model—analyze or renovate an old
one.”
The book’s goal, primarily, is
to instruct on the fundamentals
of business model crafting by first
abandoning old, outmoded thinking. The idea is to create business
models that will remain relevant
five to ten years from today. As old
guards face the threat of upstarts in
the world of business, reinventing
one’s self may not be enough to set
one on the road to success. It takes
time, focused energy and thinking,
and a whole lot of creative juices to
accomplish the important leap.
To define terms, the business
model, according to the book,
“describes the rationale of how an
organization creates, delivers, and
captures value.” Simply put, it’s
the “building blocks that show the
logic of how a company intends to
make money.”
The book specifically mentions
nine building blocks that make a
business model both successful
and relevant. The authors define
these key building blocks as crucial to the overall understanding
and implementation of business
models.
Take for example the creation of prototypes—nearly an
outmoded craft at the onset of
the computer generation. Today,
the prototype can be “anything
from a rough sketch of an idea on
a napkin to a detailed Business
Model Canvas to a field-tested
business model.” That prototypes
of business models are required in
today’s generation speaks loudly
about an old yet successful approach to designing new and innovative ideas on canvas.
According to the authors, “Business model prototyping stands for
an uncompromising commitment
to discovering new and better
business models by sketching out
many prototypes—both rough and
detailed—representing many strategic options. You can experiment
with different prototypes at different levels.”
The idea of prototyping business models and strategies grew
from the principle of Jim Glymph
of Gehry Partners: “If you freeze
an idea too quickly, you fall in love
with it. If you refine it too quickly,
you become attached to it, and it
becomes very hard to keep exploring, to keep looking for better. The
crudeness of the early models in
particular is very deliberate.”
Explaining the rigors of economies of scale to the advantages of
economies of scope, the book turns
every stone and clears away the
cobwebs that have made “disruptive new business models” such
a challenging idea among young
executives today.
The authors said it simply:
“Business model innovation is
hardly new… But the scale and
speed at which innovative business models are transforming
industry landscapes today are
unprecedented… Now is the time
to understand and to methodically
address the challenge of business
model innovation.”
29
tech
1,000,000 Like This
by kc calpo
Nowadays, very few people spend
money without weighing all their
available options. As such, it’s the
product or company that has the
winning combination of effective
marketing, a pristine track record
and positive word of mouth that lures
in more consumers.
Marketing has evolved in the
last few years. Consumer opinion
has become more influential, with
online activity slowly superseding
“old-school” print and television
campaigns. Philippine firms are
combining online marketing with
word-of-mouth advertising by letting
consumers take the reins through
social media.
Search engines like Google and
Yahoo, as well as social networking
sites (SNS) like Facebook, Twitter,
Foursquare, Tumblr, GetGlue and
WAYN.com are just some of the most
popular websites that people go to for
information on what’s new and cool.
One can think of SNS as the
digital extensions of a popularity
contest: a product or service that
gets the most views and thumbs
ups will bring in the most revenues.
Each recommendation from someone
in your network will tell you that
the person has vetted a product
or a service, and got quite a good
experience from it.
The second Digital Influence
study by global firm FleishmanHillard highlights the capability of
friend referrals and the availability
of online information to influence
consumers’ buying choices.
Fi nd i ngs show t hat “i n
addition to viewing the web as an
important and reliable research and
communication tool, users often
incorporate the medium into their
decision-making process.” SNS and
blog sites influence a wide range of
30
decisions including “where to eat
for lunch, what brand of equipment
to buy, or what’s on sale.” Easy
access to product reviews, travel
destination ratings, etc. empower
consumers, enabling them to make
better decisions. But the study
also confirms that not all referrals
a re heeded; “caut ious t r ust”
pushes people to cross-check their
information sources.
Given that a person spends an
average of 13 hours a week online
and that the surveyed countries
from the said study placed a high
importance on the Internet, it’s
safe to say that there are a lot of
opportunities for companies and
marketers to seize.
Many small businesses rely on
Facebook (specifically, its “Like”
button, fan pages and tagging
function) to promote their offerings.
The number of likes, fans and
comments increase website traffic
(example: Sporting News got a 500%
traffic increase in 2010 through
Facebook), which translates to
customer engagement and sales.
You can link your Facebook,
Twitter and Foursquare accounts
to your corporate blog. In addition,
accredited third-party software
and mobile apps may be utilized for
promotions and corporate updates.
Discounts, witty copywriting, search
engine optimization, web analytics,
and prompt interaction with both
prospects and brand loyalists will
also boost your online visibility and
approval rating.
But more than winning the
approva l of a m i l l ion on l i ne
consumers, remember that in the
real world, what matters the most is
the quality of your product or service.
This will be the foundation of your
small business. Maintaining high
quality standards will keep your
customers coming back for more
since they know that they can trust
your brand. On top of this, it is these
customers who will spread positive
word about what you offer, and their
referrals will be the icing on top of
your cake.
tax calendar
june 2011
2 Thursday – LAST DAY OF
SUBMISSION
·Engagement letters and
renewals or subsequent
agreements for financial
audit by independent CPAs
for FY beginning August 1,
2011
6 Monday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING/FILING &
e-PAYMENT/PAYMENT
· 2000 - DST for May 2011
SUBMISSION
· Summary report of
certifications issued by the
President of NHMFC (RA
7279) for May 2011
8 Wednesday – LAST DAY OF
SUBMISSION
·Transcript sheets of ORB
for distilled spirits, wines,
fermented liquor, tobacco
products, oil, automobiles,
and cigarette paper for May
2011
10 Friday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING/FILING &
e-PAYMENT/PAYMENT/
REMITTANCE
· 1600 - Withholding VAT/PT
for May 2011
FILING & REMITTANCE
· 1601C, 1601E, 1601F and
1602 - Withholding return
on compensation, EWT and
FWT for May 2011 (noneFPS taxpayers)
· 1606 - Withholding on
transfer of real property
other than capital assets for
May 2011
DISTRIBUTION
· 2306 - Certificate of VAT/PT
withheld for May 2011
· 2307 - Certificate of
creditable PT withheld for
May 2011
SUBMISSION
·Transcript sheets of ORB for
mineral products for May
2011
·A sugar cooperative’s list
of buyers of sugar for May
2011, together with a copy
of certificate of advance
payment of VAT made by
each buyer appearing on
the list
·Information return on
releases of refined sugar by
the proprietor or operator of
a sugar refinery or mill for
May 2011
REMITTANCE
· PhilHealth - ME-5
contributions for May 2011
· SSS - R-5 contributions for
May 2011
14 Tuesday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING
· 1601C, 1601E, 1601F and
1602 - Withholding return
on compensation, EWT and
FWT for May 2011 (Groups
B, C, D and E)
FILING
· SEC - AFS for FY
ended February 2011
by corporations whose
securities are registered
under RSA or SRC
REMITTANCE
· HDMF - M1-1 contributions
by employers whose names
start with letters A to D for
May 2011
15 Wednesday – LAST DAY
OF
e-FILING/FILING &
e-PAYMENT/PAYMENT
· 1702 and 1702-AIF Annual ITR and AIF
for corporations and
partnerships for FY ended
February 2011
· 1704 - IAET for FY ended
May 2010
e-PAYMENT
· 1601C, 1601E, 1601F and
1602 - Withholding return
on compensation, EWT and
FWT for May 2011 (all eFPS
groups)
FILING & PAYMENT
· 1707A - Consolidated CGT
return for shares not traded
in the stock exchange for
FY ended February 2011
e-FILING
· 1601C, 1601E, 1601F and
1602 - Withholding return
on compensation, EWT and
FWT for May 2011 (Group
A)
REGISTRATION
· Bound computer-generated/
loose-leaf books of accounts
and other accounting
records for FY ended May
2011
e-SUBMISSION
· Summary list of machines
(CRM-POS) sold by
machine distributors/
dealers/vendors/suppliers
for TQ ended May 2011
SUBMISSION
· PEZA - AFS filed with the
BIR on May 16, 2011 by
PEZA-registered enterprises
for FY ended January 2011
· PhilHealth - RF-1
remittance report for May
2011
20 Monday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING/FILING &
e-PAYMENT/PAYMENT
· 2551Q - PT for TQ ended
May 2011
FILING & PAYMENT
· 2550M and 2551M - VAT
and PT for May 2011 (noneFPS taxpayers)
DISTRIBUTION
· 2307 - Certificate of EWT
for TQ ended May 2011
REMITTANCE
· HDMF - M1-1 contributions
by employers whose names
start with letters E to L for
May 2011
21 Tuesday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING
· 2550M and 2551M - VAT
and PT for May 2011
(Group E)
22 Wednesday – LAST DAY
OF
e-FILING
· 2550M and 2551M - VAT
and PT for May 2011
(Group D)
23 Thursday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING
· 2550M and 2551M - VAT
and PT for May 2011
(Group C)
24 Friday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING
· 2550M and 2551M - VAT
and PT for May 2011
(Group B)
REMITTANCE
· HDMF - M1-1 contributions
by employers whose names
start with letters M to Q for
May 2011
27 Monday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING/FILING &
e-PAYMENT/PAYMENT
· 2550Q - VAT for TQ ended
May 2011
e-PAYMENT
· 2550M and 2551M - VAT
and PT for May 2011 (all
eFPS groups)
e-FILING
· 2550M and 2551M - VAT
and PT for May 2011
(Group A)
SUBMISSION
· Summary lists of sales/
purchases by VATregistered taxpayers (noneFPS taxpayers) for TQ
ended May 2011
· Sworn statement of
manufacturers or importers
on the volume of sales
per brand of alcohol and
tobacco products for March
to May 2011
28 Tuesday – LAST DAY OF
FILING
· SEC - AFS for FY
ended February 2011
by corporations whose
securities are not registered
under RSA or SRC
29 Wednesday – LAST DAY
OF
e-FILING/FILING &
e-PAYMENT/PAYMENT
· 1702Q – Quarterly ITR for
TQ ended April 2011
30 Thursday – LAST DAY OF
REGISTRATION
·Computerized books
of accounts and other
accounting records in CD-R,
DVD-R or other optical
media, and affidavit on the
post-reporting requirements
for CAS for FY ended May
2011
· Manual books of accounts
and other accounting
records for FY beginning
July 1, 2011
e-SUBMISSION
· Summary lists of sales/
purchases by VATregistered taxpayers (all
eFPS groups) for TQ ended
May 2011
SUBMISSION
·Inventory list for FY ended
May 2011
· Sworn statements of
automobile manufacturers,
assemblers or importers for
first semester of CY 2011
· Sworn declaration of
gross income received
for the current year by
professionals as of June 30,
2011
· BOI - Transcript sheets of
ORB by qualified jewelry
enterprises for FY ended
May 2011
· PEZA - ITR filed with the
BIR on June 15, 2011 by
PEZA-registered enterprises
for FY ended February 2011
PAYMENT
· LGU - Payment of real
property tax second
installment for 2011
REMITTANCE
· HDMF - M1-1 contributions
by employers whose names
start with letters R to Z for
May 2011 June
july 2011
4 Monday – LAST DAY OF
SUBMISSION
·Engagement letters and
renewals or subsequent
agreements for financial
audit by independent
CPAs for FY beginning
September 1, 2011
5 Tuesday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING/FILING &
e-PAYMENT/PAYMENT
· 2000 - DST for June 2011
SUBMISSION
· Summary report of
certifications issued by the
President of NHMFC (RA
7279) for June 2011
8 Friday – LAST DAY OF
SUBMISSION
·Transcript sheets of ORB
for distilled spirits, wines,
fermented liquor, tobacco
products, oil, automobiles,
and cigarette paper for June
2011
11 Monday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING/FILING &
e-PAYMENT/PAYMENT/
REMITTANCE
· 1600 - Withholding VAT/PT
for June 2011
FILING & REMITTANCE
· 1601C, 1601E, 1601F and
1602 - Withholding return
on compensation, EWT and
FWT for June 2011 (noneFPS taxpayers)
· 1603 - FBT for CQ ended
June 2011 (non-eFPS
taxpayers)
· 1606 - Withholding on
transfer of real property
other than capital assets for
June 2011
e-FILING
· 1601C, 1601E, 1601F and
1602 - Withholding return
on compensation, EWT and
FWT for June 2011 (Group
E)
SUBMISSION
·Transcript sheets of ORB for
mineral products for June
2011
·A sugar cooperative’s list
of buyers of sugar for June
2011, together with a copy
of certificate of advance
payment of VAT made by
each buyer appearing on
the list
·Information return on
releases of refined sugar by
the proprietor or operator of
a sugar refinery or mill for
June 2011
DISTRIBUTION
· 2306 - Certificate of VAT/PT
withheld for June 2011
· 2307 - Certificate of
creditable PT withheld for
June 2011
REMITTANCE
· PhilHealth - ME-5
contributions for June 2011
· SSS - R-5 contributions for
June 2011
12 Tuesday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING
· 1601C, 1601E, 1601F and
1602 - Withholding return
on compensation, EWT and
FWT for June 2011 (Group
D)
13 Wednesday – LAST DAY
OF
e-FILING
· 1601C, 1601E, 1601F and
1602 - Withholding return
on compensation, EWT and
FWT for June 2011 (Group
C)
14 Thursday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING
· 1601C, 1601E, 1601F and
1602 - Withholding return
on compensation, EWT and
FWT for June 2011 (Group
B)
FILING
· SEC - AFS for FY ended
March 2011 by corporations
whose securities are
registered under RSA or
SRC
REMITTANCE
· HDMF - M1-1 contributions
by employers whose names
start with letters A to D for
June 2011
15 Friday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING/FILING &
e-PAYMENT/PAYMENT
· 2200M - Excise tax for
mineral products for CQ
ended June 2011
· 1702 and 1702-AIF - Annual
ITR and AIF by corporations
and partnerships for FY
ended March 2011
· 1704 - IAET for FY ended
June 2010
e-FILING & e-PAYMENT/
REMITTANCE
· 1603 - FBT for CQ ended
June 2011 (all eFPS groups)
e-PAYMENT
· 1601C, 1601E, 1601F and
1602 - Withholding return
on compensation, EWT
and FWT for June 2011 (all
eFPS groups)
FILING & PAYMENT
· 1707A - Consolidated CGT
return for shares not traded
in the stock exchange for
FY ended March 2011
e-FILING
· 1601C, 1601E, 1601F and
1602 - Withholding return
on compensation, EWT and
FWT for June 2011 (Group
A)
REGISTRATION
· Bound computer–
generated/loose-leaf books
of accounts and other
accounting records for FY
ended June 2011
e-SUBMISSION
· Summary list of machines
(CRM-POS) sold by
machine distributors/
dealers/ vendors/ suppliers
for TQ ended June 2011
SUBMISSION
· List of medical practitioners
of hospitals and clinics for
CQ June 2011
· PEZA - AFS filed with the
BIR on June 15, 2011 by
PEZA-registered enterprises
for FY ended February 2011
· PhilHealth - RF-1
remittance report for June
2011
19 Tuesday – LAST DAY OF
REMITTANCE
· HDMF - M1-1 contributions
by employers whose names
start with letters E to L for
June 2011
20 Wednesday – LAST DAY
OF
e-FILING/FILING &
e-PAYMENT/PAYMENT
· 2551Q - PT for TQ ended
June 2011
FILING & PAYMENT
· 2550M and 2551M - VAT
and PT for June 2011 (noneFPS taxpayers)
DISTRIBUTION
· 2307 - Certificate of EWT
for TQ ended June 2011
PAYMENT
· LGU - LBT third installment
for CY 2011
21 Thursday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING
· 2550M and 2551M - VAT
and PT for June 2011
(Group E)
22 Friday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING
· 2550M and 2551M - VAT
and PT for June 2011
(Group D)
25 Monday – LAST DAY OF
e-FILING/FILING &
e-PAYMENT/PAYMENT
· 2550Q - VAT for TQ ended
June 2011
e-PAYMENT
· 2550M and 2551M - VAT
and PT for June 2011 (all
eFPS groups)
e-FILING
· 2550M and 2551M - VAT
and PT for June 2011
(Groups A, B and C)
SUBMISSION
· Summary lists of sales/
purchases by VAT
registered taxpayers (noneFPS taxpayers) for TQ
ended June 2011
· Sworn statement of
manufacturers or importers
on the volume of sales
per brand of alcohol and
tobacco products for April
to June 2011
29 Friday – LAST DAY OF
FILING
· SEC - AFS for FY ended
March 2011 by corporations
whose securities are not
registered under RSA or
SRC
REGISTRATION
· Manual books of accounts
and other accounting
records for FY beginning
August 1, 2011
SUBMISSION
· Sworn statement by every
lessee, concessionaire,
owner or operator of mines
and quarry, processor
of minerals, producer or
manufacturer of mineral
products for the first
semester of 2011
REMITTANCE
· HDMF - M1-1 contributions
by employers whose names
start with letters M to Q and
R to Z for June 2011
Courtesy of Punongbayan & Araullo, the Philippine member
firm of Grant Thornton International, a leading international
organization of independently owned and managed accounting
and consulting firms. For more information log on to:
www.punongbayan-araullo.com
31
smebillboard
Centro Manufacturing Corp.
Introduces GREEN BOX
Business growth does not always have to entail higher operating costs
or a bigger carbon footprint. Anticipating and handling the demand for
cost-effective and reliable logistics solutions, Centro Manufacturing
Corporation introduces the Green Box Composite Aluminum Van.
This next-generation aluminum van is superior to its predecessor
in weight and strength. It is made of a new lightweight and non-toxic
aluminum composite material that eliminates the need for interior plywood
panels, making it one of the lighter and more eco-friendly truck bodies available in the market today. And although
the material is lighter, it is strong enough to withstand winds of up to 155 mph. The Green Box is fire and impactresistant, watertight, and rigid under heavy load. Its weight ensures more cargo can be delivered each trip, which
cuts expenses on gasoline, toll fees, vehicle maintenance and overtime.
Luggage and More Opens for Smart Travelers
The first and only luggage storage facility in the Philippines is now open for
business. Luggage and More, located at NAIA Terminal 3, offers all smart
travelers the opportunity to maximize their time when traveling, sans the
weight of their bags on their shoulders. Passengers waiting for their flights
can make the most of their time instead of just waiting around in the airport.
Luggage and More can store bags of any size and number, with enough
space for up to 300 items per day. With thoroughly-screened employees, 24/7
CCTV coverage, and comprehensive insurance, Luggage and More offers
its clients convenience and peace of mind at reasonable parking rates. For
more information, contact James Matias at +63 (917) 625-1205 or +63 (922)
879-7305, or email at jigs.promolabels@yahoo.com.
MANNY O SIGNATURE WINES BAG ANOTHER FIVE INTERNATIONAL HONORS
Cebu-based winemaker Manny O garnered yet another five awards at the 2011 San Diego
International Wine Competition, raking in a grand total of 14 international honors for all seven
signature wines. The most distinguished of the bunch is the full-bodied Sumiller, a single
varietal wine produced from Monastrell vines from Spain, which won five awards in 2010 and
2011 from prestigious wine festivals in Spain, Germany, Hong Kong, and San Diego.
Discipulus Blanc, described as a refreshing and fragrant white wine, collected
three marks of distinction, while crisp and fruity Agapitos Rosé gained two awards from Hong
Kong and San Diego. The other four signature wines, Bibulus, Agapitos Branco, Discipulus
Syrah, and Celebrus, have each been bestowed an honor in international wine competitions
in France, Hong Kong and San Diego.
Manny O Signature Wines are available in over 60 restaurants, hotels, and stores in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.
For more information, visit www.mannyowines.com.
32