5 Things to Know About COVID-19

With all the things happening now in the country and throughout the globe in regard to the Corona Virus, we would like to also help in disseminating valuable information that can help in our battle amidst this pandemic. Below are some questions you may have about it and some of the simple answers you need to know.

What is COVID-19?

The Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) has been declared by the World Health Organization as a global health risk as of 11 February 2020. It originated in Wuhan, China and made headlines across different countries around the globe as it became a pandemic. It was originally called NCOV but was officially declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as COVID-19 on 11 February in order to avoid confusion with any other types of corona virus.

The novel corona virus is part of a bigger group of viruses that cause sickness in animals and humans that usually cause respiratory issues. These respiratory problems may range from common colds, difficulty in breathing, to a variety of more acute symptoms. Some corona viruses that belong to the same family as COVID-19 that we are previously familiar with are MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)

How and Where Did it Originate?

The whistle blower doctor for the corona visus is Dr. Li Wen Liang. When he got sick, he posted in a social media platform in China saying that there is a new virus that is infecting individuals. This alarmed officials so he was detained by the public security bureau and was asked to sign a document declaring that he was only disseminating false information. A week after this, he dealt with a female patient who has glaucoma and was also infected by the corona virus. In January 10, he started to get symptoms such as coughing. The next day, he also developed fever. To avoid spreading the disease to his pregnant wife, five year old child, and children, he decided to stay in a different house. Then, he was brought to the hospital. Days later, his parents also got sick and was also brought to the hospital.

10 Days later, January 20, more people have been infected by the virus, which prompted the Chinese government to declare a state of emergency. Initially, Dr. Li tested negative for the virus. However, on 30 January 2020, his results came positive. His case worsened in 4 days until he eventually died. On Feb 11, WHO officially declared the name of the Novel Corona Virus as COVID-19 in order to avoid confusion with other types of corona viruses.

How does COVID-19 spread?

The virus can be transferred among humans and animals. These can be spread through droplets. These droplets come from the mouth and nose through human or animal breath. When a person with COVID-19 breathes, droplets fall onto nearby surfaces; tables, walls, etc. When a person not infected with the virus touches these surfaces and touches his eyes, nose, or mouth, they will allow the virus to enter into their bodies. It is also possible to inhale droplets from the air exhaled by an infected individual. This is why it is extremely important to maintain a distance of 3 feet from a person who is sick. Current studies show that, COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets, rather than through air.

What are the Symptoms?

The COVID-19 virus has a 5 to 24 days incubation period. This means that you may not immediately detect that you when you contract the virus. Incubation period is the amount of time it takes for the virus to fully develop and show the symptoms. What this means is that you may have the virus and not show any symptoms in the first few days after contact. The symptoms may begin gradually and start out mild. People infected by the virus may experience the following symptoms:

Runny nose
Nasal Congestion
Sore throat
Dry Cough
Fever
Diarrhea
Difficulty breathing (severe cases)

There are also cases of COVID-19 that are asymptomatic. This means that they are infected and aare carriers of the virus but do not show any signs and symptoms at all. They also report to feel well. This is why quarantine and social distancing is very important to ensure that we minimize the likelihood of contacting the virus from asymptomatic individuals.

What can I do to avoid getting COVID-19?

The first thing you really need to do especially during the quarantine is stay at home. However, if going outside or to high-risk areas cannot be avoided, these steps may also help:

Frequently clean your hand by washing with soap and water and disinfecting.
Cover your nose with a bent elbow or tissue when sneezing. If you used a tissue, discard it immediately.
Avoid contact with anyone who has cough.
If you have cough and difficulty breathing, go to the nearest hospital to get checked.
If you have mild symptoms, follow the above steps and stay home.
Keep a meter’s distance away from people when you need to go outside.
Do not touch your face as much as possible.
Refrain from activities that may weaken your lungs such as smoking.

We hope that you stay home and stay safe during these times of challenges. Have a good day everyone!

Sources:

RATED K Episode Premeiered last 17 Feb 2020.
WHO YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/bPITHEiFWLc
World Health Organization Official Website: https://www.who.int/

COMPETAD Launches Communications for HR Workshop

23 March 2019, COMPETAD Training and Professional Development Services has conducted its very first-Quarterly HR Learning Session this 2019 at the 2^nd Floor Marsk Building in Aurora Boulevard. The workshop was entitled, “Communications for HR” which was attended by thirty HR participants from different industries. The session was facilitated by our very own, Mr. Philip Nucleus Sia I, a Certified Human Resource Professional by the International Federation of Professional Managers (IFPM).

Topics during the half-day session included a quick review on the Common Grammar errors for the HR professionals make, Email Usage for HR, Body Language, and Vocal Communications. It was a fun-filled session that was jam-packed with learning. The session was very interactive with activities geared toward engaging the participants while illustrating the learning points being shared. One of the highlights of the session was a quick demonstration and exercise for vocal communications. The participants were able to practice proper breathing exercises to help them project a fuller, more audible voice tone that they can use when public speaking. The audience also had their share of pronunciation exercises to help them sound more natural and neutral when speaking in English. Another highlight is the sharing of the concept of postural feedback, where the participants were made aware that their actions not only affect others but it also has an impact to their own body chemistry, hormonal constitution, mood, and confidence. The crowd was very engaged as they did power poses to help boost confidence and focus.

The 1^st Quarterly Learning Session was an overall success. The participants enjoyed learning during the session, with a few of them even saying that there was no dull moment during the workshop.

More About Our Quarterly Learning Sessions.

COMPETAD’s Quarterly learning sessions are tailored to the needs of HR professionals, focusing on things that HRs should know but often times overlook. The sessions are great as they are interesting, tailored to the HR profession, and very friendly to the budget-conscious learner. The sessions are only Php 799 per participant, which is also offered at Php 599 to those who take advantage of the early-bird rates. COMPETAD developed these programs in order to provide the community with an alternative way for continuous professional development for those who are new and a bit more experienced in the profession.

COMPETAD Secretariat for the Quarterly Learning Sessions, Mr. Michael Natividad, mentioned that he still feels that there is a lot of room for improvement in reaching out within the HR Community so the organization is still bringing forth more topics in the coming months. He said that with a more aggressive awareness-building effort for these value-conscious programs must be in place so they could appeal to a larger community and make the learning available to anyone, even the start-up professionals.

This year, there are four topics identified for our Quarterly sessions, which we felt are good start-off points for HR development. Communications for HR has already been completed but we still have three topics to offer: Etiquette for HR, Labor Relations Basics, and HR Professional Image. We shall release more information to you as we move forward in the coming months regarding these programs.

PhilHRG Kicks off Sigma-Design Sprint on Its 1st 2018 Learning Session

In 2017, the Philippines HR Group announced its commitment to provide consistent and quality learning sessions to the HR community throughout the year. This year, they delivered this by having its first Learning Session which was entitled “Lean Six-Sigma for HR & Design Sprint Methodology”, which was held on March 3, 2018 at D’Cup Coffee Republic located at the 2/F Pioneer St. Market Reliance Street, Mandaluyong City.

The event was attended by almost a hundred participants and volunteers. The concept of Six Sigma and Design Sprint for HR is quite young in the Philippines but, despite that, the support provided by the community is not short of overwhelming. Our invited speaker is premier in the line of Six Sigma Methodology Mr. Rex Jayson Tuozo, CIE, MBB, CMP. He talked about the different concepts of Six Sigma and its importance as a Tool for the Human Resource Professional. He taught several concepts during the session in which the crowd’s favorite was about SIPOC (Supplier, Input, Process, Output, Customer). Our speaker for the Design Sprint Methodology is Mr. Arthur Flores, Jr. who is known as the “Sprint King” was our second speaker. He talked about the 5 step methodology of Design Sprint and taught the community how to use this tool in their HR processes. Both speakers provided not only an interesting talk about their respective topics but also a quick workshop to get everyone more accustomed to the concepts and tools being introduced to the community. It was an afternoon filled with valuable information and the community can’t help but feel that they want to learn more.

The Philippines HR Group has also sold T-shirts and gave away lots of goodies. They provided freebies as well from those who came from far provinces such as Quezon Province and Ilo-ilo. Inclusive in the prizes were books from Ms. Sha Nacino “Money and Me”and “Mission Happiness.” You may recall that Ms. Nacino was our guest speaker from the very first #InspireHR of the Philippines HR Group last February 2017. There were also mugs from our sponsors that were given away. Not only did everyone go home with new knowledge at hand, they also have new goodies with them. Once again, the Philippines HR Group has successfully gathered our community for another session of learning and getting-to-know session. There were several repeat attendees, and the PhilHRG Inc. Board Members are truly happy about this, too.

Attendees from the Board Members included Mr. Neil Lumacad, Ms. Nhess De Jesus-Lumacad, Ms. Abigail Hernandez, Ms. Jocelyn Morales, Mr. Michael Natividad, CHRP Ms. Joseline Alosbanos, and Mr. Philip Nucleus Sia I, CHRP, who was also the host of the program. Founder and President Mr. Darwin Rivers was also in the event and gave the opening remarks of the program. The volunteers who assisted in this event were: Lanie Santos, Michelle Morales, Bryan Aquilino, Arvin Jessy Del Rosario, Kristine Martinez Bagalawis, Marilyn Magallanes, Raul Polo Devera, Rosalie Joya, Janette Aliwanag Pagadduan; Rolan S. Cayton, Charlie Mae D. Manaligod, Haidee V. Palacio, Nica Mariz G. Ignacio, Margie M. Orate, Marvin Zoilo, Catherine B. Garcia, MBA, Brian P. Guzarem, Jesica R. Cedillo, Maria Cristina C. Lascano, Kristine Comia Mercado, Kashmire Eldrimar Alfaro, and Sheila Espadero-Saberdo. The pool of volunteers is truly growing.

The Philippines HR Group has once again proven that they are a game changer in the HR Community. Their advocacies bring quality but low cost programs that facilitate in the growth of HR professionals all over the country. This 17th of March 2018, the PhilHRG Inc. will once again hold a learning event entitled “TRAINing on Labor Law,” which will include the Data Privacy Act of 2012, TRAIN Law, Labor Essentials, and Latest Labor Decisions and Jurisprudence. More power to the PhilHRG Inc. in bringing these valuable programs available to a larger audience.

We support the advocacy of the Philippines HR Group in providing high-quality training for working professionals in the Philippines but COMPETAD is a separate entity from the PhilHRG Inc. Look up our Leadership Training Session this 2018 if you would like to have a glimpse of our programs, too.

For other training inquiries and sponsorship for any of our events, you may also call us at COMPETAD Training and Professional Development through (02)4333342 or thru (0998)5624984 to 85. You may also send us an email at training@competad.com and we will always be happy to help. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/competad

Sha Nacino Shines in PhilHRG Inc.’s First #InspireHR Event

The Philippines HR Group held its very first #InspireHR last 17 February 2018. We can remember that, in order to provide valuable services every year, the PhilHRG Inc., aka Philippines HR Group, offers new and exciting options for our community. In 2017, they have featured the Quarterly learning sessions which has amassed great success and support from you. This year, #InspireHR is an avenue to make the HR community renew its pride and excitement in our chosen career. The sessions are not focused on HR to-do lists or skills that we need for our office work. Rather it focuses on having a worth-while and meaningful work-life blending. The group notices that sometimes, the reason we are not able to do what we need to do as HR is because we do not feel empowered. #InspireHR aims to empower all HR professionals in the Philippines. The last event was provided at absolutely no cost to the community as a way of saying thank you for your support to our volunteerism efforts. It was held at the Meralco Theater in Ortigas and was attended by over 100 participants, volunteers, and sponsors.

As a highlight of the event, guest speaker Ms. Sha Nacino has provided her piece of wisdom on how you can find happiness in your pursuit for success. Her topic was entitled Mission Happiness. Here, she presented 5 important G’s to achieve this: Gratitude, Goal, Growth, Gift and Gold. She said that we need to count our blessing and be thankful for the small things we have. Being thankful for the people around us also helps in achieving happiness. She also said that we need to find growth and development as this helps a lot, too, in achieving happiness. Ms. Sha encouraged everyone to give gifts to the people important to you. She said that it allows you to feel good about yourself and remove bad vibes too. We agree; after all, it is better to give than to receive. She has shared many other tips and has solicited a lot of crowd participation. Everyone truly had a great time while learning and feeling inspired during her session.

The event was a true success; thanks to the invaluable efforts of the new set of PhilHRG CORE Volunteers lead by Ms. Michelle Morales who toiled to ensure that everything is in place. Other members of the new CORE Volunteers group who made the event possible were: Janette Pagaduan, Rea Michelle Morales, Kristine Mercado, Kashmire Eldrimar Alfaro, Marilyn Centino Magallanes, Maria Cristina Lascano, Rosalie Joya, Arvin Jessy Del Rosario, Raul Polo De Vera, Jesica Cedillo, Rolan Cayton, Kristine Bagalawis, Ana Jean Abletis, Haidee Vicente Palacio, Catherine Garica, MBA, Matilde Ortiz, Margie Orate, Sheina Obejero, Shin Khan, Nica Mariz Ignacio, Annie Lyn Leonardo, Dianne Estrella, and Lanie Santos.

Special thanks to Mr. Michael Natividad, Board Member of the PhilHRG, Inc. who was the point-person for the new volunteers. He ensured that the new bloods of volunteers are guided throughout the preparation period. Other Board Members of the PhilHRG who were in the event and helped in the back scene were Ms. Jhoya Morales, Ms. Nhess de Jesus-Lumacad, Mr. Neil Lumacad, and Mr. Philip Nucleus Sia. Ms. Michelle Cordero-Garcia, President of the PMAP, was also there and was very supportive of the advocacy. The Philippines HR Group is rooting to have a partnership event with PMAP very soon. We shall keep you posted.

With many things happening in the organization, we are looking forward to many more news to come. The Philippines HR Group has already been in talks of having more membership benefits for the community and this definitely something to look forward to. Meantime, if you would like to know about other upcoming and exciting events of the PhilHRG, please do not forget to check out our Group FB page frequently. You may also send an email to philippineshrgroup@gmail.com for your inquiries, comments, and suggestions. The Calendar of events has also been posted at the FB page for you.

This article was brought to you by COMPETAD Training and Professional Development Services. COMPETAD supports the advocacy of the Philippines HR Group in providing quality but accessible training programs for the Filipino professionals.

PhilHRG Kicks off 2018 with New Volunteers and More Exciting Activities

by Nuke Sia

After the first 2018 board meeting of the Philippines HR Group last 5 January 2018, the PhilHRG gathered yet a new group of volunteers to handle some of activities of the organization. With a number that has grown to almost 80,000 online members, the need for more helping hands has increased. Last 20 January 2018, the organization has called for another meeting which was attended by 20 volunteers, 9 of which were repeat volunteers and 11 new bloods. We would like to share with you some of the exciting things that happened during the event.

Founder and President Darwin Rivers started the session by walkingthe volunteers through the early beginnings of the PhilHRG Inc and the origins of its advocacy. In the meeting were three other members of the board, Mr. Michael Natividad, Ms. Jocelyn Alosbanos, and Mr. Philip Nucleus (Nuke) Sia. The group has welcomed the new volunteers by sharing with them the new activities that the Philippines HR Group would be spearheading for the country’s HR professionals this year. The new volunteers was a mix of HR managers, HR assistants, and HR supervisors. They were hyped and energized by the upcoming activities. A short introduction session got the volunteers familiar with each other. Mr. Rivers set everyone’s expectation that all volunteers of the PhilHRG are treated equally regardless of company ranks and ages. He encouraged the volunteers to live by the values of the Philippines HR Group as they represent its advocacies and take part in its activities. The volunteers were provided a time to meet amongst themselves and create committees for upcoming activities of the organization after they were told about the activities for this year.

So what is in store for 2018? A lot!

#InspireHR. There are many activities to look forward to this year. Aside from the usual advocacy to provide development and learning to all HR practitioners in the archipelago, the organization would like to bring in what we call #InspireHR. We have seen that some practitioners can perform well if they are motivated in their work. This will be the goal of #InspireHR. This will be several sessions within the year where we will invite practitioners from different industries to talk about the HR challenges, experiences, and trends that aim to excite and inspire. Contrary to the learning events where we discuss the technical and administrative aspects of HR, #InspireHR is non-technical, easy to the ears, non-brain intensive, and is aimed at building pride in our line of work. Schedules will be posted in a separate flyer at the Philippine HR Group FB page, so watch out!

PhilHRG Job Fair Event. Recruitment and pooling talents is one important aspect of the HR function. The organization has decided to provide a solid support for our community in this area. Aside from the learning sessions, we will help you gather talents from all over the country to hire for your company. The aim is to provide an avenue for our network of HR professionals to be connected to people with the appropriate skills. Not much has been shared yet about the specifics but the target date for the Job Fair is on the 19^th of May 2018. For more details on how you can participate, you may send an email to Philippineshrgroup@gmail.com or just wait for further announcement at our PhilHRG facebook page.

PhilHRG Headquarters. As the non-profit organization grew, having a place where its volunteers can regularly meet to plan out high-quality events for the community became a must. With the HR community’s support, the organization is aiming to establish a headquarters before the end of the year. This will make communications with the participants and the entire community more fluid and easier. No details yet in regard to this, but if anyone in the community have suggestions for a cost effective place for our headquarters, you may contact PhilHRG Board Members Rhonadale Florentino or Michael Natividad. You may also contact Mr. Darwin Rivers directly.

Continued High-Value but Low-Cost Learning Events. Similar to last year when the organization has established quarterly learning sessions, we will still have seminars that will be offere to the public at very very friendly prices. We have an ongoing talk to team up with one of the top universities in the Philippines to provide us with a venue for our community to hold our learning events. This is a great opportunity to continue on of the main facets or service that PhilHRG would like to give to the country’s HR.

Aside from all these exciting things to look forward to, the PhilHRG is also planning to create a website that will provide official, valuable, and timely content to keep us abreast with what is going on in the HR community. Of course there are lots more to happen and we will continue to keep you updated through our FB page.

PHRG Pursues Its Aim at A.I.M. Makati

The Philippines HR Group has just held its second learning session for 2017 last 24^th of June at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati. We can recall that aside from building the largest HR network in the country, the organization aims to provide its online members an access to value but cost effective education to enhance the HR leadership and practice in the country. This event is another milestone in the public learning sessions of the PHRG. This session’s topic was Talent Management and Organizational Development. Recalling the previous sessions in April, Mr. Darwin Rivers has highlighted that the core members and volunteers work on the advocacy out of the love of the Human Resource profession. Despite not receiving any monetary compensation for their work, they have truly delivered in this session just like every other. The speakers were Ms. Michelle Garcia-Cordero, Ms. Penny Bongato, Mr. Edwin Ebreo, Ms. Daphne Granfil and our very own Managing Director, Mr. Philip Nucleus Sia I.

Ms. Michelle Garcia-Cordero started the session with a talk about Disruptive Innovation. She highlighted that the current generation should not be thinking out of the box, instead totally remove the box. She described disruptive innovation as that which creates market and value network and eventually disrupts existing markets and value networks, displacing market-leading firms, products, and alliances. She spoke about work that were not existing 10 years ago that are highly demanded in today’s business world. She also said that there are more new opportunities as we change the meaning of work from a place we go to into something that more integrated to our daily lives.

Ms. Penny Bongato discussed the different facets of employee engagement. She said that we can engage our employees by making them enjoy what they do. People need to believe in what they can do and feel valued for it. Ms. Bongato said that engaging people means making them feel satisfied. As people are the biggest drivers for success in a company, she discussed that there are six critical levels to address in order to engage them. These are: Engagement Surveys and Analysis, Coaching and Performance, Employee Communication, Learning and Careers, Rewards and Recognition, and Health and Well-Being.

The next speaker Mr. Edwin Ebreo focused on the right mindset toward Training and Development. He stated that while most companies have training programs and may even outsource training services, they see it as a commodity that they can readily buy. However, he encourages that companies and HR take a look at the bigger picture. For instance, he stated there were companies who request for customer service training for the frontline staff but does not involve their managers in the undertaking. Mr. Ebreo encouraged the HR professionals to include the leaders in such because transformation can only be achieved when the leaders support it and know it as much as the rank and file.

Our Managing Director, Mr. Philip Nucleus “Nuke” Sia I, was the next speaker and he talked about how to measure training programs. He discussed the “Four Levels of Training Evaluation” that was developed by Donald Kirkpatrick. Afterward, he also gave the crowd an overview on measuring training and making proposals using ROI. He provided a sample scenario on how to compute ROI. While he said that there are times that we may not need to measure ROI, he ended his session by highlighting that if we truly want to consider training as an “investment” when presenting it to managers, businessmen, and investors, it has to be measured in the same way that we do any other investment – by the returns it gives to the company.

Ms. Daphne Granfil ended the session with a bang. She did a full training hour complete with some musical intermissions and activities to liven up the crowd. She discussed how to present a training proposal to decision makers. She said that one important way of doing it is by presenting it as a story. According to her, communicating your proposal isn’t just about your idea. It is also about how you make other people see its worth. Ms. Granfil said that preparation is the key in communicating your idea.

The Philippines HR Group is in the process of collating feedback gathered from the participants during the event but, even before they could, email has already poured in from the HR community thanking the group for the valuable session they have conducted this 24^th of June. To further forward its aims and advocacies, the Philippines HR group will hold another learning session this coming 22^nd of September and will have its 2^nd Annual HR Summit on November. The specific date for the summit has not been announced yet, but its founder, Mr. Darwin Rivers has said that they will release the information as soon as it is available.

Aside from the learning, there were raffle items from the sponsors and souvenir shirts available near the registration booth. It was a great opportunity to learn, meet new friends, and connect with others in the HR community. If you have not been part of this learning session and would like to be part of the next, you may contact the Philippines HR Group through facebook or email (philippineshrgroup@gmail.com).

COMPETAD’s 1st Cable Splicing and Termination Workshop – A Success

25 May 2016 – COMPETAD Training and Professional Development Services has concluded the very first Medium Voltage Cable Splicing and Termination in the Philippines. This training is only a few of its kind in the country.

Attended by nine participants from different parts of the archipelago, the learning event was a truly successful one. The first day was an introduction to the theories and principles behind the process of Cable Splicing and Termination while the second day was spent on hands-on training and practical application. It was a truly memorable, enjoyable, and worthwhile. All the participants added that they truly learned a lot from the session and they have also enjoyed the fun-facilitation of our trusted speaker.

Engr. Glenmar Cambri, the resource speaker for the said event, is a Senior Application Engineer of the 3M Philippines Technical Division. 3M is a world leader in engineering and technology and is a prominent brand for cable splicing and termination equipment and supplies.

At the end of the session, the participants were given an attendance certificate by COMPETAD Training and Professional Development Services as well as an internationally recognized certificate of attendance from 3M.

COMPETAD Training and Professional Development Services would be holding succeeding sessions for the Medium Voltage Cable Splicing and Termination. For inquiries, you may call us at (02) 433 3342 and at (0998)5624984 to 85. To be updated about our training and seminars, you may also like or leave a message at our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/competad.

PHRG’s Largest Public Event Shook the Ground at 5.6 Magnitude

Not even a 5.6 magnitude earthquake in the afternoon of the 8^th of April was strong enough to shatter the participants’ enthusiasm and eagerness to learn as the Philippines HR Group (PHRG) held its most recent and largest public event at the Philippine Bible Society in UN Avenue, Ermita, Manila. This is the second run of 1^st Quarter’s topic, “Strategies on Prominent Labor and Employee Relations Issues for 2017”. The learning session was attended by 314 participants from all over the Philippines, with some as far as Negros. COMPETAD again participated in the volunteering advocacy as a minor sponsor, with its Managing Director, Mr. Philip Nucleus Sia I, being the master of ceremonies. Our Lead Sales and Marketing Officer was also a member of the event coordination team and ushering committee.

Mr. Darwin Rivers giving an opening remark to the participants of the learning session.

The event started with some fun and games to warm up the early participants then was opened by the Philippines HR Group founder, Mr. Darwin Rivers. After sharing a little history of the organization, his message was about the passion and volunteerism of the team that has put together the event. He emphasized that the volunteers have organized it to truly give back to the community. He also invited the participants to attend the upcoming learning events in June and the PHRG Summit in November 2017.

Mr. Neil Ryan Lumacad, PHRG Core Group Member, giving a prize to a winner of the Early Bird Activities. Our Managing Director at COMPETAD, Mr. Philip Nucleus Sia I, behind them as master of ceremonies.

The first speaker of the day was the Regional Director for the Department of Labor and Employment for NCR, Atty. Johnson Canete. He spoke about the 10 new provisions of the DO174 and how it impacts the HR community. He also talked about a few cases to help everyone understand the prohibition on “Labor-Only Contracting.” This way, HR professionals will know how they can help their companies become compliant. He emphasized that non-compliance to many issues such as not paying the minimum wage requirements, not paying overtime, and other such simple regulations have always plagued the DOLE with complaints from the labor sector and he urged everyone to make a difference. Atty. Johnson has set the bar high for the event has he spoke with passion, humor, and enthusiasm that emanated and connected to the crowd.

Atty. Pol Sanggalang was second to take the stage and shared that the right mindset an HR personnel should have when disciplining employees is their good faith. He elaborated that disciplining shouldn’t be punitive, rather a means of achieving good employee relations, adequate compensation and benefits, good leadership, and supportive training programs. He said that disciplining must be embedded in the company’s policies and must be coherent with an employee’s constitutional rights. For habitual offenders he suggests that documentations of progressive discipline and evidence are a must to ensure that no rights will be violated. His session was a truly valuable and informative segment in the event.

In the afternoon, Mr. Allan Cañete, also a member of the Philippines HR Group, gave a heart-felt but entertainingly witty presentation about how companies can proactively create harmony by adopting an employee-centric culture. He highlighted that the existence of unions indicate a potential dysfunction in the corporation as its need usually arises when employees’ woes are not heard by the management. While he does not discourage the creation of unions, he offered an alternative mindset which he calls POGI (Power of Gratitude Intelligence). He said that by having a positive mindset and actively encouraging a “thanking” attitude in everyone, we can have physiological and sociological benefits both for the individual and the company that will increase the likelihood of a cooperative relationship between employee and management.

Mr. Jaime “Ka James” Estrada ended the day by sharing his experience from his four-decade long journey as an HR professional. He has shared some of his challenges and the ways that he overcame such labor relations issues in the practice of his Human Resource career. He ended his presentation with a touching video clip showing photos of his experience, which gave a melancholic throw-back feel to everyone. It was awe-inspiring.

The audience during the Philippines HR Group Learning Session on Strategies on Prominent Labor and Employee Related Issues in 2017 (April 8, 2017)

Aside from the new knowledge and ideas, the participants of the event also went away with some prizes and freebies from the event’s sponsors that included mugs, umbrellas, a book on Performance Appraisals, and Free Passes to future learning events. The event also encouraged participants to take snapshots with these three official hashtags:

#PhilippinesHRGroup, #PHRGLearningSessions, #PhilippinesHRGroupEvents

Winners will be drawn after the event and shall be posted at the Philippines HR Group Facebook Page. This has truly been a great success for the Phillippines HR Group and a milestone of great magnitude and proportions.

Download A Copy of Your Slide

If you have been redirected to this page, you may have been part of the recently concluded Learning Event on Strategies on Prominent Labor and Employee Related Issue in 2017 last March 25, 2017 of the Philippines HR Group. As part of their core volunteer group, we would like to thank you. Please click the Philippine HR Group logo below for a copy of the slides on the said event:

We look forward to seeing you on the next upcoming events!

PHRG Launches Quarterly Learning Sessions by Ely Joy Abenio

Philippines Human Resource Group held its first-ever learning session entitled “Strategies on Prominent Labor and Employee Related Issues for 2017” last March 25, 2017 at Ortigas library, Pasig city. The event gathered different HR gurus and experts that included Atty. Marisa Garcia, Atty. Jericho del Puerto, Mr. Allan Canete and Mr. Jaime Estrada to share their insights and knowledge about the current HR issues.

At the beginning, Mr. Darwin Rivers, founder of PHRG, welcomed the delegates with a quote, “Being successful is having the right mindset”. He then shared milestones in the history of PHRG; where it started off as a Yahoo group but now has 43,076 strong members in Facebook.

“Harmonious labor relationship and motivated workforce is equal to productivity, profitability and better terms and conditions,” Atty. Marisa Garcia said. Our first speaker, Atty. Marisa Garcia discussed the importance of HR personnel as a bridge between employees and management, furthermore, she added that, “a real HR knows the laws and has a heart”. Later on, “Penalty must commensurate to the offense”, Atty. Jericho del Puerto said during his talk. Atty. Puerto’s lecture supported Atty. Marisa Garcia where he talked about the avoidance of illegal dismissal and that penalty of dismissal has to be justified before doing so.

Before second part of the event, excitement heated up as the speakers entertained questions from the delegates, Ms. Penny Bongato, Success mentor and trainer also sharedsome HR insights based on her experiences.“What if there is ‘no return to work’ filed and employee doesn’t return?” one of the delegates asked. Atty. Garcia and Atty. del Puerto answered that you cannot file any dismissal against the employee because there is no documentation.

As the seminar continued, Mr. Allan Canete, the third speaker, said that, “union is a symptom of a deep organizational dysfunction”. He gave pieces of advice not on how to avoid union but to promote an employee-centric environment. He added that “before you can be customer-centric, you have to be employee-centric”.
“There’s no forever but for me, HR is forever”, Mr. Jaime Estrada said. He imparted his experiences as seasoned HR mentor and how he was able to maintain the harmony in their organization by giving an importance to culture, and that culture is the one that binds us.

Mr Danny Pancho entertained questions after the last two speakers. One of the delegates asked about engagement activities. “The team building should be relevant to the problem. It’s not just for fun. It should be aligned to business directions, focused on the mechanics” Mr. Allan Canete replied. Another question was raised from the delegates was, “what advice can you give for a young HR professional?” where Mr. Jaime Estrada replied, “Don’t stop learning, it’s not a matter of fad or fashion – show to people that HR is a noble profession”

The 1st leg of the Philippines HR Group Quarter Learning Sessions 2017 ended successfully – from the choice of venue to invited speakers, everything was arranged accordingly. Speakers were more than ready to attend to the queries of the delegates and their field of expertise perfectly matched to the current HR issues. The PHRG learning session was an interactive session where delegates can openly ask questions and speakers will gave answers based on the updated labor laws. “Cliché as it may seem but this is the turning point of your career” Ms. Rhonadale Florentino, secretary of the PHRG said as she closes the event. This is only the beginning of PHRG’s mission to share HR knowledge and build networks through its learning sessions. If you have not taken part on this event last March, never miss the opportunity to grab your seats on PHRG’s 2nd learning session this coming April 8 2017. One HR, one voice!

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If you would like to see snapshots of what happened in this event, please watch the video below.