Employer's group revived in Cebu

     The article below was one of the articles that got published when I was an intern for Cebu Daily News (CDN).

   CDN takes pride in the fact that they are the only independent paper in Cebu. As an intern, I was assigned to the business beat. I considered that one a blessing because it enabled me to "rub elbows" with very influential and interesting people from the business sector. They're interesting because I find them very down to earth and friendly, and that they also have interesting stories and perspectives which is worth thinking about.

   

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Employers’ group revived in Cebu

By Roviel Villa
Cebu Daily NewsFirst Posted 10:01:00 05/19/2009

A group of Cebuano businessmen are reviving the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop) Cebu chapter, which had been inactive in the past decade.

“I saw the need and the challenge,” said Jose Ng, vice president for the Visayas of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Ng yesterday led a group of businessmen in the relaunching of ECOP's local chapter, which was last active in 1994.

Ng said Ecop can help Cebu businessmen, who are hit by the global economy crisis, by advising them on how to deal with management and labor-related problems.

Ng said he was challenged to revive Ecop's local chapter after seeing the steady growth of Ecop's two other chapters outside Manila

The Ecop Cebu Chapter has 26 members.

They now share the responsibility with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which took up the slack left by Ecop local chapter in implementing programs, seminars, awards and lectures with the help of Ecop's national chapter.

Organized in 1975, Ecop, which is a private and non-partisan organization, aims to unify employees and employer's organizations in order to safeguard and enhance employers' interests in all areas of labor-management relations.

One of Ecop Cebu's priorities is to invite more employers to join the group.

Ng said part of the chapter's goal is also to consult with different organizations to make sure that the seminars and forums they'll be organizing are relevant.

Ecop Cebu also plans to implement a local award system, which encourages employers to upgrade their standards to meet standards of the International Labor Organization.


Originally from: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/enterprise/view/20090519-205851/Employers-group-revived-in-Cebu

Your First Job (a book review)

   Ever tried "googling" for your name? I did, a lot of times. And I'm so happy that aside from my social networking profiles, some articles that got published in one of Cebu's local dailies end up being republished in the Internet. And since the shelf life of Internet posts are very short compared to  the newspaper, I decided to include in my blog those articles that got re/published online.

   The article below was published back when I was still in second year as a requirement for our feature writing class. This was also originally a book review I did for OMF Lit Cebu, while undergoing internship as a marketing assistant.

   Junior Chamber International (JCI) Cebu Mactan Channel posted this review on their web site, which got syndicated by Google's search engine, and so I end up getting reacquainted with one of my previous write-ups. For the original post, here's the link: http://jcicebumactanchannel.com/content/view/455/1/

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   You got the job you wanted.

   Congratulations! Now what?

   If you're thinking of how to make it in the workplace and turn your job into a career, then Your First Job: A Practical Guide to Success has what you're looking for.

   Read on as author and speaker Nelson T. Dy shows you not just how to survive, but to succeed. Listen to advice and help from those who have climbed the career ladder and made it to the top. Be inspired by Dy's candid sharing of his own professional ups and downs.

   A corporate executive and facilitator on workplace and relationship issues, Dy's view of work is positive and he sets your perspective straight from the first chapter. He engages the reader in a personal, candid conversation about everything that goes on in the workplace: failure, success, happiness, frustration. Dy also addresses issues of advancing professionally vs. compromising integrity, office politicking, getting promoted, and relating with co-workers. 

  Your First Job draws from Dy's own work experiences, and also features the insightful contributions of ten topnotch Filipino executives, including Alex Castillo, Tony Meloto, and Ardy Roerto. 

  The stories—and secrets— shared by these successful Filipino executives are a perfect booster for the neophyte or even the shiftee. Dy even admits that his own career path could have been smoother if such insights were available to him when he was just starting. 

   Your First Job also includes a bonus chapter on call centers. Know more about this booming industry and find our if it's the thing for you. You'll learn more through interviews with call center executives and agents who share their stories and observations. 

   Nelson T. Dy's Your First Job is the perfect gift for the fresh graduate, or the helpful guide to a friend in between jobs. It's an insightful book for those shifting to another profession or switching to another post. 

A rich collection of top executives' life stories, a wealth of tried-and-true principles—Nelson T. Dy's Your First Job is truly the practical guide to help you go beyond surviving to thriving in your career!

KNN PopDev: Juan-ted

   A year ago, I got an invitation to be part of the Kabataan News Network (KNN) through their Population Development workshop in Manila. The timing was great because within that week, my classmates and I were also scheduled to be in that area for our media tour. Since it involves video production, I took the opportunity, not really aware of how they do things. 

   I remember signing in their application data, putting "producing comedy and short video skits for the Catalyst Youth ministry" in the bureau assignment field. Ate Ros, one of KNN's producers, replied by saying "specify exactly what you do." She needed me to specify my tasks so she can know what I know of doing. So I listed camera handling, conceptualizing and video editing as my skills.

   I had a great time in the workshop, although at the same time it gave me a reality check of how much I don't know regarding video production. After the harsh reality check our class got from visiting the mass communication program of UP-Diliman, what I got from KNN was a heavy one. But necessary, because it made me realize that even though my school is not meeting the expectations I have, God has allowed me to learn from other sources, and professional at that. It was a blessing, although it was hard to get by.

   What helped me cope up was the fact that most of the workshop's participants were Bisdak, and I quickly made a lot of friends. I was also able to make friends with the participants from Luzon, though not all of them. The night outs we had, the great hotel accommodation coupled with a heartwarming breakfast buffet, and the pranks we did to other participants was very memorable. The last night party in our hotel room was a great conclusion to my KNN experience.

   I learned a lot from the workshop. I came out learning a lot, after being somewhat humiliated of my lack of knowledge during our field work. And the video posted below was the result of that. I'm looking forward to doing something with KNN in the future, but I doubt if that will happen again knowing that the Cebu bureau of KNN is dead and that I am already over aged to be a KNN reporter. But wishing wouldn't hurt right?

And I Wonder If I Can Still Write

   Creative writing?

   Give me a break. Or should I say, I've been taking a long break?

   I somewhat envy my classmates who get to do some writing every now and then, no matter how I (and they) tell me that it is exhausting. Oh yes, I do agree, I've been through that before. But then again, it is still enjoyable and rewarding.

   After taking up an entrance exam for a writing company, I just know deep inside that I've been collecting rust rather than being a well-oiled machine (writing wise). And hearing nothing from the company after almost a month just hurts--I admit--my ego.

   I've been writing through my journal, but it's a different thing. It's raw and too shabby. With no regards for technique (and or writing flare), I've been subjecting myself to it, that I'm finding a hard time to write a simple reaction paper, and make it come out as if a writer wrote it.

   Which led me to do what I just did. Blog this entry. And delete the previous blog I made. I'm having a fresh start, clicking the refresh button and starting from scratch. My intention from my last blog site was focused more on money making rather than self expressing. (I didn't make money though, I've not been too keen to update it regularly, and was even the venue of a failed experiment.)

   Don't expect me to write so well though. I still have to re-acquaint myself with writing. I also decided to do something extra, like post my experiments in videos and design. I'm not a professional, but I like doing it.

   So where was I again? Oh yeah, creative writing. This may not be creative writing, but this is writing, and this is a start. I can't promise to do a masterpiece right now, but at least I am writing. And for that, I want to smile. ^^,