Monthly Archives: October 2019

Business, Training

12th ALCUCOA Annual National Conference

(October 9, 2019, Diamond Hotel, Manila) Today, I was honored to speak at the 12th ALCUCOA Annual National Conference on the topic, “Industry and Academe Partnership: Insights into the Future of LCUs and its Graduates.” ALCUCOA is the accrediting arm of the Association of Local Colleges and Universities (ALCU).  

Addressing the audience of top school officials, faculty, curriculum leaders, researchers and stakeholders from various LCUs and affiliated academic and tertiary education institutions from all over the country, was a bit daunting as it brought memories of my childhood, growing up in a family of academicians.  But then, I thought, I have to share with them the perspective of industry.

So, forge ahead I did as it was a great opportunity to highlight the need for industry and academe to work together to bridge the job skills gap, and to ensure that graduates are equipped with 21st century skills to be globally competitive.  Of particular importance is the need to improve English Language Skills as this is the global language for business.  It is sad that currently the English Language Proficiency of Filipino graduating students is declining, and I urged the audience to do what they can to stop the decline and keep this critical competitive advantage of the Philippines.

I presented possible partnership models, like those of Amcham, Accenture, Ayala.  The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) has developed an extensive Industry-Academe Playbook, which IBPAP members and partner schools can use.  I encouraged the audience to establish ties with IBPAP to ensure that we have skilled and industry-ready workforce.

ALCUCOA presented a post-humous award to Prof. Tomas B. Lopez, Jr., Former President, University of Makati and Former President, Association of Local Colleges and Universities (ALCU).  I remember Tommy, whom I knew from AIM days, as an affable fellow who was great at communicating his ideas.  From the accolades extended him, it was obvious that he was much loved.

I trust that the audience will take heart and work together with industry to address the job skills mismatch, unemployment and underemployment in the country.  As DOLE Acting Undersecretary for Worker Protection, Joji Aragon said, “We need specialist workers, not technicians.  We need to produce graduates who are fierce in this competitive environment, and who are trained with deep, useful skills in the growth areas.”  ALCUCOA President and Executive Director, Dr. Raymundo P. Arcega, CESE acknowledged the challenge which Usec. Joji and I presented, and said ALCUCOA will take heed and collaborate with industry to ensure that graduates are job ready.   

I shared the career journey of Michael James Hamlin at the conference, as an example of the challenges that our graduates face in getting jobs, and finding their niche in the work world. Michael James is an excellent example of a young man who studied in the province, and worked his way up the ladder, securing additional certification in money laundering and financial crime to excel in the IT-BPM industry.
Tourism, Training, Travel

5th TIBFI Human Resource Congress

(October 6, 2019, Baguio) When my friend Tinette Capistrano asked me to participate in the 5th Tourism Industry Board Foundation, Inc. (TIBFi) Human Resource Congress, I readily agreed, having been part of the first four summits.  This biennial event brings together government, industry and academe to discuss how to make our human resources in hospitality and tourism globally competitive, a focus close to my heart.

The Forum, themed “Tourism and the 4th Industrial Revolution: The Future of Jobs,” took place October 3 and 4 at the Technohub in Camp John Hay, Baguio.  The topic assigned to me was “Essential English Skills for Tourism Jobs in the 4th Industrial Revolution.”  Aside from discussing how crucial English Language Skills are in Tourism, I also shared how our English Language Proficiency in the country has been declining over the years due in part to changes in the medium of instruction.  

In 2016, Hopkins International Partners, where I serve as chairperson, released the Nation’s English Report Card.  Hopkins International Partners is the official Educational Testing Service (ETS) preferred associate and exclusive representative for TOEIC, TOEFL ITP and TOEFL Jr. in the Philippines.  This showed alarmingly that the average English Proficiency of Philippine college students was B1, which is lower than the target set for Thailand and Vietnam high school graduates.  The results were based on a sample of 10,000 Filipino graduating college students who took the Test of English for International Communication or TOEIC. I dare say there were several in the audience who were surprised to learn the real state of our English proficiency. 

To stop the decline, the Government Academe Industry Network (GAIN) is working on a number of initiatives, such as holding annual conferences focusing on the need to ensure that Filipino talent are equipped with 21st century skills; crafting a National English Roadmap together with the Commission on Higher Education; speaking at different fora to draw attention to the problem; and lobbying for the adoption of international standards in English Language Proficiency, as well as, a National English Act for Global Competitiveness of the Workforce.  We are ecstatic that Sen. Pia Cayetano has filed Senate Bill #62: Providing for an Educational Roadmap Towards Global Competitiveness and Human Capital Development, and we hope that both the lower and the upper house will see this through into law so that the Philippines can retain the global advantage of our human resource.

At the Congress, I was fortunate to meet Ms. Maeve O’Brien who spoke on Training and Development of Human Capital for Future Tourism.  I appreciate the efforts she has put into setting up a progressive tech-voc school in Laos that prepares students with hard and soft skills, including Tourism English, so that they can work in global tourism jobs and break free of poverty.  Her subsequent proposal for more Public Private Partnership to create not-for-profit, revenue generating TVET in the Philippines is commendable.

The panel discussions were quite interesting, particularly the one where representatives from industry, academe, and labor discussed the importance of rationalizing On-the Job Training

and Teacher Immersion Programs for the Tourism Industry.  Ably moderated by Dr. Christina Aquino, the panel was participated in by Mr. Hessel Larcia, president of the Peninsula Manila Labor Union; Mr. Ramon Cabrera, General Manager of The Manor at Camp John Hay; and Ms. Jenelyn M. Magpatoc, CGSP, MHRD, Dean, School of International Hospitality and Tourism Management of the University of Baguio.  While there are many exemplary OJT programs being conducted by reputable institutions, I was aghast to learn that there are some programs that take advantage of the students to use them as profit generating labor rather than to actually impart knowledge to them. 

Indeed, there is still much that we can do to prepare our Filipino talent for global tourism jobs, and I laud the TIBFI Board led by Dr. Christina Aquino as chairperson, and Ms. Anabelle Ochoa-Moreno as Congress Chair and TIBFI vice-chair, for organizing a successful and impactful HR congress to push this initiative forward.  Congratulations!