tI

. ) i

. , \ : . : i ' , ! \ : - ' . r l E l r F M 4 r \ A i i L M L N i P L I B L a A T O \ \ r C r l l N l i a r ( ) L l t r , r " i r l 1 l

T A B L E C O N T E N T S

I{EWS

Manag ng Corporale

Govemance in Asia

All\,{ in the ASEAN

lilh Center for

Govemance Launched

tssuEs

l/anaging Hunan fr esources:

My PersonalPhilosophy

ndoaesia's Leadership

Role in ASEAN

A Top Sleuth for the

CorporateWorld

OEVELOP E T

l\,{anaging Govemance Beformin a Large Bureaucracy

Cvc Exchange: Invenlinq

a Cooperatrve Enterprise

A 0iscussion on

Competiliveness in

Deveopment

It{0u$nY

Lfe in Camp S1\.4ART

The Bace for Ta ent

Professioralirlng

Hospital Manaqemenl:

Cha lenges inthe Ph lippine

Healthcare Systems

FEAIUNES

Taking ofi the Tie

Prolessionalising Family

Bus ness inAustralia

I{EIWONI G

All\,1 Alumni Homecom ng 2003

New Alumni Board lnducted

Einging the Associaiion

toa New Playin! Fed

Prol. Sing fuanza touches

base with Aluftni in Singapore

f or Facully Developmenl

Posl Homecoming ThouChls

and Feflections

Bemembering Edd}l(

ALUMNIPBOFILE

LFT]EBS FHOIT,{ ALUIT,lNI

CLASS NOTES

39 n rocus: eHunlr

4il covEn sroRY: THE R0AD AHIAD

tl6 rrr Atuurur ntspolse: LEA0ERSHTp LrvE I

Cov.r phobgr4b: Jos luo

123P8odcRox!'M.bticit'.PhiliPpin6'T.l'(6]2)392-40ll;39204]'/43;Telc.d(632)89'.:]34l'EnijJ&$:t�@m,|'.io�������������������������������������������in my nlnn.i in xhoL or i. pld, in Englisl or orh.r lugurgo, wnhoui prior wrift.n Frnision n prchibiRd.

Asian Instilute ol [,4aragemenlPublicaton

The Asian Manager0ctob€r2003

EO]TORIALTEAI\I

Mrdr l{irYo6 Contt orEditoFin-Chief

Joio Ma. 0. Guzfl€nEIxecutive Editor

Ploki.r shtin.Assoc ale Editor

'\i,ete 8lulistr{va0e6liloMana0 ng Editor

Shedd (rrigblk-lltndili

Section Editor

Chrininc bhno|lmrlo|tieoSamoor Raina

Shinib.liilitr S.iealA|ult0 Bhrgtt

Contribuqng Writers

JrnyflduliliArt0irector

Edan CardolasCirculation l\,{anager

ED TORIAL BOAfrO

nobeno do oc!|rDoPresident

Mrrit l{i.v.. Conft.orDean oi the Inslitule

Ms 6! C.liLrecutive l\,4anaginq D rector

lnst tuti0nal and Investor Be ations

0ulc6 c8!.claogb€cutive Director

Federation of Al[/ AlumniAssocat ion, Inc.

Gn! AlionttDirector

All\,1 Al!mni frelat ons

M E S S A G E F R

Graduation docr not nean lcating ham;zg bcbind.

To gradtute meanr to take a tE foruard anl narch wnh a clcar dnenkn and putpose

in ffi. To gradaate ako neat to nanre and det'elop intellzaully and uhc on nighty

chatlcnges and dauting tatks to nccasfully athieue uhat yu set yurselffox

Dear Alumni,

One ofthe most important concerns for any Iiving organization is to make an inquiry into is future -

what lies ahead ard what changes it needs to make to stage rhe kind ofperformance required to course

the future.

,The Road Ahead,, our them€ for this issue is more about anallzing our existing status and enabling

us to make better decisions now, tlnn about forming an accurate picture oftomorrow through forecasts

and predictions because what exisa right now does less to mirror any irrwersible trend than to represent

our current fashions of preference.

H. G. Vells once said, "Our future hismry would be a rale berween education and catastrophe"'

At AIM, in the current context, we may take this statement a bit further by replacing education with

lifelong learning. we believe that each individual is a lifelong l€arn€r and we strive ro encourage the

same by our new programs tailored to the changing demands of time.

Today, our visions and realiry are fast catching up; it is no longer merely a dream to be an institute

where people come from all walla oflife and want to make a difference. Managing Governance in

" l"rge bu..".,"r"cy ofthe Department of Blucation is as challenging and inspiring as anrhing could

be. Ar the same time, blending management with development showcases the disdnction ofour unique

faculry who stand to reason how individuals make a lasting difference to their societies

The Asian Manager today thinls fu beyond the lures ofa corporate life, he is into policy making'

he is into hea.lthcare, he is into cooperative enterprise. He is an entrepreneur who is prepared to cha.llenge

the convenrional wisdom and walk his talk. All this and much more beckons the kind of leaders we

nurture, the kind ofpeople we are associated with, and the kind ofpeople who are making a mark'

The Institure is proud ofeach and every individud who has been associated widr ir and it virtuously

acknowledges all those who live what they beliwe in, who take charge oftheir lives ard make decisions

that mattei. The Institute acclaims the leaders who live their leadership every moment oftheir lives.

My dear alumni, as we look forward to steering the course ofour Institute, may we swear that we will

not iust follow riese achievemenrs, but also surPass them in eYery way possible.

The heart ofour task now is to sustain the iourney that we had undertaken 35 years ago'

7^,^r(^W

AIM now provides you with a freeE-Mail Forwarding for Life address{EFL), which wil l identify you asa member of the AIM alumni com-munity.This dynamic l ink wil l keepyou in touch with classmates andyour school, even during careertransitions and changes in Internetservice providers.To avail of yourown personalAlM EFL, please goto www.aimalumni.org and clickon REGISTER. You wil l receive anemail from the Alumni RelationsOffice once your account has beenactivated.

Alumni's presence on the WorldWide Web includes a searchablealumni directory, the latest infor-mation on reunions and homecom-ings, a photo gallery on Homecom-ing 2003, news from alumni fromaround the world, and a directoryon Alumni Chapters. Other interac-tive innovations wil l be comingsoon. Please visit the alumni portalat www.aimalumni.org. You maylog-in the AIM alumni portal onceyou have registered for your EFL.

Connect w i th A IM a lumni in yourcity, country, company or classthrough the a lumni loca tor in theAIM a lumni por ta l .Th is i s a search-able database located in the AIMalumni por ta l . Shou ld you need anyassistance in contacting other alum-ni, please send us an email ata ima lumni@aim.edu.ph .

Find out what your classmates andother a lumni a re up to th rough thenew e-group facil i ty of the AIMAlumni Portal. Join discussionboards and pub l ish persona l andprofessional updates of your own.To help develop your class website,contact the Alumni Relations Officea t a ima lumni@aim.edu.ph .

Check out the latest developmentsof your Institute from time to timeby visit ing AIM! own website atwww.a im.edu.ph .

Update your email address ata ima lumni@aim.edu.oh orsa f r i ca@mai l . a im.edu.ph andreceive AIM's monthly e-newsletter,which wil l keep you informed aboutthe lalest developments about theinstitute and vour classmates.

Send us the latest news about yourpersonal and professional achieve-ments. We wil l be happy to publishthese plus your pictures in theCLASS NOTES section of the "The

Asian Manager'l Articles on anytopic that may be of interest to theAIM a lumni communi ty a re mostwelcome, Please send your contri-butions to aimalumn i@ aim.edu.ph.

Contact the Alumni Relations Officewhenever you change your emailor contact information. Or you mayupdate your p ro f i le in the A lumniPortal through the UPDATE PRO-FILE tab. Please call the AIM AlumniOffice to let us know if we could beof any further assistance, at (632)892-4011 local 540-541, or send anemai l to a ima lumni@ a im,edu.oh .

The challenee before usis whether #e will takestandards that areapplicable globallv andapply these ln a mannerthit thev will take intoaccount different stages ofeco no mic develo pm"ent,together with differencesi n"culture and practices.

Managing Corporate Governance in Asia

A]M in the ASEAN

Hil ls Center for Governance Launched

t

Managing Corporate Governance in AsiaKeynote address of Mr. Washington SyCip, Annual Conference

of CEOs and Dtrectors in Asra, September 4, 2003, Manila, Philippines

BEfiER GOVERNANCE IS AN AREA OF GRO\OINGimportance in Asia, especially afier the 1997 financial crisis. Itsimportance has been further heightened by what happened roENRON, Tyco, Ahold, Xerox and many other global companies.

Many ofus who have admired the western dynamism ofprofessional management, with wide shareholder base, have beenshocked to see how easy ir was for greedy executives, workingwith rop professional legal, consuhing and auditing firms, to getaround carefully set rules and regulations. [s the solution morerules and regulations or simply a higher standard ofethics andmorality for both management and their advisers?

\X/hile regulatory bodies have been quick to respond rorecent corporate developments,business has been rather slow inraking a firm stand on what irthinks is appropriate for goodcorporate governance. To get ahead start Asian regulatory bodiesrend to adopt many ofthe reg-ulations from more developedcountries l ike the U.S. and UK.The question that arises iswhether it is appropriate to dorhis? Perhaps not totally becausethe context within which busi-ness is done in Asia is differenr.With this thought in mind, I dJike ro help frame rhe direcrionfbr the discussions over the nexr one and a halfdays.

Ve are all here to talk about the emerging structure ofCorporate Governance in Asia and about global srandards andlocal practice. The challenge before us is whether we will rakestandards that are applicable globally and apply these in a mannerthat they will take into account different stages ofeconomicdevelopmenc, together with differences in cuhures and practices.At che same time, we need ro ask ourselves whether we reallywant to adapt these standards to our Iocal setting? Ideally a setofstandards should be based on the needs ofa counrrv and shouldnot hamper economic growth.

There is the Korean proverb rhat says "rzez

monkqsJizll outof trees." And I am afraid we may still fall our of our tree if wedon't define the context for the discussions of the next one anda halfdays. Ve must be careful not ro transplant practices fromthe developed west to Asia, without thinking through the differ-ences we have with chem wirh respect to corpora[e governance.

A well-known Chinese proverb goes: "Just

ar the riuer hasits source, a tree bas itr raarr.

" The roots ofcorporate governance

standards stem from Norrh America and the UK. !7e need toask ourselves if che source oIour river is indeed rhere. I submit

that there are major differences that tell me our river has a differentsource and our tree ofcorporate governance must develop itsown roots. Then there is alwap the question oftiming premaruredemocracy, when people are illiterare and hungry, have causedmore harm than good for many narions.

Following western suggestions may not always be logical.'Westerners

were shocked at the topless Balinese so that many ofthem had to cover themselves. Ofcourse, nowadays, the westernersare going topless in Bali while the natives have covered themselves.You also remember the

"bakye' and slippers were considered to

be worn only by the poor yer, with the hot summer, this is rhefashion on Park Avenue.

Ihertte: Astal ' Cort l i l : ' ; ' 'The Enrcrg,lrrg Str i

' ' . i l . '

The U.S. presidentialsystem calls for the executive,legislative and judicial branchesofgovernment to be inde-pendent ofone another toprovide a "check and balance"ro avoid abuses. Clearly thishas not worked in the Phil ip-pines as the "check andbalance" has mosr of rhe timeparalyzed government deci-sions. The very successful anti-corruption unit in Hong Kong,with authoriry which cutsacross differenr branches ofgovernmcnt, is unfortunately

not pcissible in the Philippines where, with our abundance oflawyers, everyone is "checking" each other!

At a recent meeting in Aspen Colorado, I was informedby Tom Jones, Vice Chairman ofthe International Accounting

. Standards Board, that they are studying rhe possibiliry ofa differentset ofgovernance standards for small and medium size companies.Of course, the "SME" in the western world will really be maiorcompanies in East Asia, outside ofJapan.

As I see it, there are six fundamental differences betweenthe U.S. and U.K. corporate world as compared ro mosr ofthedeveloping world in Asia:

1.The role of Government in Asia asthe visible hand that guides the economy.

Governments are significant players in the Asian economy.They acr as regulator, shareholder and are actively involved intrying to assuie economic growth. Covernments also take on therole ofchanneling economic resources in the beliefthat this isbest for the economy. Or it could be to support polirical ends.

Covernments in Asia are a major ifnot a senior partner in

nation building with varying degrees ofparticipation dependingon the country. There are scholars who say this is not necessarily

bad and that it is partly because ofthis that Asia has achievedhigh growth rates.

This is a departure from the classical model that only thefree play ofeconomic forces can assure the optimum allocation

ofresources. I personally believe that it is all a matter ofbalancebetlveen the two extremes ofallowing unfettered free play oftheinvisible hand ofeconomic forces and the guiding and visiblehand ofgovernment. lt is also important to note that the correctbalance to be struck is different for different countries.

'We need to ask ourselves what are the implications for

governancei Do the sandards that apply to corporations operatingin a freer economy like the U.S. apply in their presenr form to

economies where strong Government-Business ties exist, whereGovernment itselfis a major corporate player and where Covern-ments visibly exercise their powers to assist in the allocation ofresources? Shouldn't aly standards we develop or adapt take into

account this significantly differenr role ofGovernment in Asia?

2,The role of business asa partner in nation building.

Big business in Asia co-exists with government and is be-holden to government for access to capital or for license andspecial operating conditions. Many times therefore, when boardappointments are made, a key determinant is the connection orrelationship that the prospective appointee has with segments of

government. Guanxi, the Chinese term for relationship is not anabstract concept in Asia. It is the foundation of how some busi-nesses have to operate.

Another characteristic is that in smaller economies largeenterprises many a times play strategic roles and claim governmentprotgction in the name ofnational interest

As one ofthe studies made by AIM shows, business is

expected to play a key role in narion building in East Asia. Thequestion that arises is whether we can expect business to fulfill

this role and ifso, can we then demand ofit additional standardsofgovernalce. I propose that we look at what shape or form these .standards should take.

A related difference is that in Asia, there is a need for seniormanagers to work in a company for longer periods of time to

develop the contacts and the sensitivities to do business with

government. Dr Gordon Redding has stated that insensitivescrutiny of this process may destroy the capacity of firms in theregion to survive.

Please consider other implications that arise frorn the role

business plays in Asia. Some are so embedded (to use a popularphrase these days) in the economy and so crucial to it that the

economy is rocked if big business fails, Clearly this is not so inthe U.S. where the economy has withstood many such a shocks.

Because circumstances are that different, I urge you to findthe right balance berween imposing smndards that may be sidestepped easily by business and those standards that will helpbusiness in irs narion buildinq contriburion.

3.lha struGture of business is differcntand economic power is concentlatsd

in dominant sharoholder groups.

It is common knowledge that in Asia, the sructure of

business is different with economic power concentrated in dom-inant shareholder groups. These dominant groups can be families

or government. It is also well known that in Asia, shares ofpubliclyrraded companies are nor widely held.

Studies show four prev-alent business models based on cor-

porate structure and ownership exist.. The widely-held publicly-traded corporation. The closely-held publicly-traded corporation. The Government or state-owned enterprise and. The Family corporationGiven this categorization, there are still many who think

that key governance issues as developed in the U.S. and U.K. can

be transplanted. Are standards for widely-held corporationsapplicable to family-dominated companies?

For example, it is being proposed that for "pablicly-traded

corporationt rrith dominant shareholdat the gouernance isua center

on thote between inl)ettor and daminant sbareholdzt The protection

ofother sbarehollets is regardzd a the most citical coxcem dnd the

kq' driuers for gouenance suggcsted are. Gotemdnce ttractt reJ tbdt proride minori4' tharehol/zt

Plotection. Indzpendznce on boatds. Indzpendenice on board commixeei'This sounds good to be sure. But is it right? I am not so

sure. I am not sure for example that we can or we should insist

on independence ofa majoriry ofboard members. Is it not the

connections or the Guatxi that is more important? Arc we not

protecting the minoriry shareholders better by appointing rhose

with better connections over those who are independent?' ln most ofAsia, having a banker and a lawyer on the boards

ofcompanies enables it to arrive at quick decisions. However,

rhe new rules ofgovernance would not qualif, them as indepen-

dent directors.They say we should not chisel the foot to fit the shoe. Lets

not make the shoe ofVestern standards fit by chiseling our foot.

And ifone must give, isn't it that we should chisel the shoe, not

the foor?I do not need to remind you how diverse fuia is. Does this

mean that each country must find its own standards? Does one

size fit all? I urge that you consider this in your deliberations.Let me give you anotl.rer example. Some gurus say that for

"Family cotporatiow, the hq n gouernance is tbe profetsionalizatiox

of management. Thit is really aboat ixter-genemtinnal cbange with

the hope that succeeding gerrenltiont would we a fameuork of

goaemance to mold profetsional management tuith the sdme entle-prenearial spirit that founded the bwines ix the frst phce."

Againl I admit this sounds just right. And again I must say

that I am not sure ifI agree. There seem to be some normative

conclusions that professionalization of management and the

adherence to governance standards, Western sryle is the ideal forCortinued on p,se 9

AIM in the ASEAN

DR- \(/ ILFRIDO VILI-ACORTA,

an Asian Institrrte of Management alum-

nus, recently assumed the post olr l)epury\e . re t r r y - ( i e r re r r l o l ' r he reg inn ; l h l o .

Associat ion of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) effecrive Augusr l, 2003.

Vil lacorta is the f irst Fi l ipino to as-

sume thc post off)eputy Secretary-( l ene rJ . He u r ' nom ina red hv Ph i l i pp ine

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and

Foreign Afhirs Secrerary Blas Ople. ' fhe

I0 mrmbrr-srarcr of Lhe A5EAN Lrnani-

rnously confirmed his nomination on June18, 2003.

Villacona brings to ASEAN a stellar

. ; r ee r r p ; r r n i r r g h i ghe r edu . : t i on . I o re ign

affairs, and consti tut ional work. As an

academic ian a t De l a 5a l l e Un i ve rs i q(DLSU), he served as dean ofthe College

.rf Libcral Arr ' from I q8J- 8b and .en ior'vice-president for L,xternal Operarions for

the next seven years. He was also senror

special ist ofrhe Sourheasc Asian Minisrers

of Education Organization (SEAMEO)

Center fbr Educarional Innovarion and'ltchnology,

and secretary general ofthe

Associat ion of Christ ian Universir ies and

Colleges in Asia (ACUCA). He has servcd

as consultant to the Foreign Service lnstr-

r u re o f rhe Dep : r tmen r o f l - o re ign A l i a i n

sincc 1986. He was a dclcgate to the 1986

Consti tut ional Commission.

He also brings to the posr a deep un-

dersranding ofSoutheast Asia, since he has

been studying, wriring, publishing works,

and reaching about the region for the past

30 years. His M.A. and docroral disserra-r ion. ar rhe ( arhol ic Univcr. iry o[Ameri.ain Vashington, D.C., were about Southeast

Asia, fbr which he conducted research

in Cambodia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.

He wa. also a vi ' i t ing prolerror in uariou.

universit ies and research inst irures in rheregion. Lasdy, he served as president of

DLSU's Yuchengco Center. which con-

ducts studies on Northeast and SouthcastA \ i a and \Pon \o r \ t r . t i n i ng p rog ram. i n

Laos and other countr ies.

As part ofthe top managemenr t€am

o t -ASLAN. V i l l aco r t r r v i l l a . . i s t i n imp le

menc ing rhe v i . i on o f rh< r rg i ona l , - r r gan i -

zation. Under che leadership of Secrerary

General Ambassador Ong Keng Yong of

Singapore, rhe main rhrust is the "bui lding

o [ l n A rEAN r (onun r i r ' ( omnrun iN . Hc'rre..e. rhar rhe real iz.rr ion ofrhi ' obje.r ive

requires closer regional cooperarion as well

as bridging thc gap bctwcen thc old and

neu, member-states.

Villacorta took rhe Managemenr De-

velopment Program (MDP) at thc AIM

in 1984 .

FORMERAssoc ia r ionof SourheastAsian Nations(ASEAN) Sec-retary-(ieneralRodolfo CertezaSwerino, Jr hasjoined rhe corelaculty of theCenter for De..elopment Management of

rhe Asian Institute of Management (AIM).

Severino served his five-vear term ln

rhe A5FAN f rom 1998 ro 2002 . \ eve r i no

and the late Ambassador Narciso Reyes

were the onlv Filipinos who assumed the

posr of Secrerarl'-(leneral in the ASEAN.

Bcfore assuming the position of

ASEAN Sccrctary-General, Sevcrino was

Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs ofthe

Phil ippine.. As r mrmber olrhe Phil ippine

Foreign Sen'ice, Severino was Ambassador

to Malaysia, Charge d'Affaires at thc Phil-

ippine Embassy in Beijing, Consul (ieneral

in Houston (Texas), and:rn off icer at the

Phil ippine Embassy in Washington, DC.

Berween overseas posrings, he served as

special assistant to the Undersecretary of

Foreign Allairs anrl Assistant Secretary lor

Asian and Pacific Allairs ar rhe l)epartmenr

of Foreign Alfairs. Severino also served* i r h rhe Un i red N r i ons rnd i r r Opc ra t i on

Brorherhood Laos before his assumprron

of posit ions in government.

Severino was confbrred rhe Royal

Order of Sahanetrei - Commander by

Carnbod i r . K ing \ o rodom S ih ; r rouk i n

2002 . f hc R"v r l O rde r o f \ r hamer re r i '

a prescigious award given ro foreigners who

have performed distinguished serviccs to

the King and to Cambodia. Among ocher

honors that Severino received from ASEAN

governments was the C)rder Sikatuna, rank

ofRajah - Commander Laureate by Phil-

ippinc Prcsidcnt Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

in 2001. I 'he l 'hi l ippitres usuallv awards

rhe Order Sikatuna, rank ofRajah, to vrs-

i t ing heads of state, and Severino is the

onlv Filipino rvith the distinction who u,as

given this recognit ion.

Severino is currendy u,riting a book

on thc ASEAN, fbcusing on rcgional eco-

nomic integration in the context of the

regional pol i t ical environment and other

forms of regional cooperation. In AIM,\crsrino ha: Ic.rrrred on regional c.onomic

cooperation, the elements of indusrry and

narional comperir iveness, and the role of

rechnologr in de"elopmcnc. He con!inues

to take part in intermational conferences

dealing wirh regional inregration and co-

operation, developments in Easr and

Southeast Asia and on Southeast Asi is

linkages wirh other countries and regions.

He holds a Bachelor ofArts in the

Humanit ies from rhe Areneo de Manla

Un i v r r . i r y I I q56 ) l nd . r Va . r c r o f A r r . i n

International Relat ions from the JohnsHopkins Universiry School of Advanced

International Studies (1970).

Hills Center for

RODERICK M. HILLS, FORMER

chairman ofthe U.S. Securities and F-rchange

Commission and lfhite House Counsel ro

former US President Gerald Ford, was the

guest-of-honor during rhe launch ofthe Hills

Center for Governance held on Sept. 4, 2003

at the Mandarin Oriental Manila.The Center aims to establish a networt<

ofcorporate governance, starting wirh the

Philippines. It is joindy funded by The WorldBank and the Hills Program on Governanceand is supported by the fuian lnstitute of

Management.

Continued fmm page 7

Governance launchedHills is a leading advocate for effectrve

corporate governance. He is a partner ofHills& Stern, Attorneys-at-l,aw, and serves as the

Chairman of the Audit Committee for Chiq-uita Brands International. Mr. Hills hasserved as Visiting Professor at the Haward

University School of Law; DistinguisheoFaculry Fellow at the Yale University School

ofManagement; and lecturer at the Stanfbrd

University School of Law.The inauguration ofthe Center was

one of the highlights of Managing CorporateGovernance in Asia, a conference ofCEOs,COOs, and board directors from Asia's lead-ing companies. Hills headed ar internationalline-up ofexperts who were in Manila for

the second staging ofthis annual conference."We are delighted to have Mr. Hills in

our conference," said conference chairman

Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. "His experience in the

governance ofcorpontions and in the stew-

ardship ofsecurities Iaws is extensive and

impressive."Presenred by the AIM-Ramon V del

Ro'ario. Sr. Center for Corporate Responsi-

bility (AIM-RVR Center) and the C.V Starr

Chair in Corporate Governance in Asia, the

conference is regarded as the most important(orporate Bovernance evenl in the region.

The forum ran from September 4 to 5, 2003.

the Asia family business. There is the assumption

that entrepreneurship will somehow continue

after management has been professionalized.I agree rhat professionalization is nccessary

but I urge you ro look at this and governance for

the fimily business within the context that busi-

ness in Asia operares. l,arge businesses here operate

in a poliricized environment, there is a lor of

dependence on informal alliances, relationships

are paramount, paternalism is accepced and even

desired and the owner usually is che force behind

the business and is the liaison with government

and financial institutions. The owner and indeed

the boss i not normally questioned about his

policies and rationale for actions. I will take it a

step furrher and say rhat it has been noted rhat

it is dre family council rhat decides with the Board

being the concurring legal enriry Ofcourse the

funds ofrhe family are ar risk and very often the

liabiliryto financial institurions carries rhe personal

guarantee of the family.Vhat are rhen the governance standards

we w.rnr ro develop rhar wil l balance keeping

alive this family soul that makes the business

prosper and the need for professionalization and

governance rules on rhe orher? I submit that is

the rask in hand.

4. Professional managgrs atenot yet displacing owners trompoSitions of corporato contlol.

In rhe U.S. there is a marked separation of

ownership ofa business from its managemenr

and control. As Professor Gordon Redding has

poinred out, ownership in the U.S. became very

widely dispersed and actively traded and profes-

sional managers were looked upon to satisfi the

needs ofthe owning shareholders. Vhile much

good came from this, it also led to unbridtea use

of takeovers, hoscile share transactions, mergers

and acquisitions and rhe unethical tactics em-

ployed in the name ofshareholder value. This led

to requiremenrs of prorecting the shar€holdersfrom rhe bia. and greed ofmanagen. f1lesirr'urion

is quite different in Asia, where the interest of

management and the maior shareholders are usu_

ally identical.Clearlv then, the rules ofgovernance con-

duct needed rhere cannot be the right ones lor

Asia. In Asia, the owner manager lasts for many

years, in facr sometimes too many years, accumu_

lating the conracts, acumen, abiliry to make rhe

right compromises, developing alrr undersranding

ofthe mar[etplace and the imPortant PeoPle in

that indusrry.Owners in Asia spend decades as owner

managers oftheir enterprise and are nor worried

about being vored out ofoll'ice Unlike members

ofwestern multinationals, they don't pay too

much attention to the quanetly earnings for shares

forecasted by securiry analysts.'lVhar

governance standards do we develop

in this setting? Ve know that owners are not

THE HILLS CENTER FOR GOVERNANCE ATAIM IS Afacilatywithin the Asian Instituts ol Management inI\ranils thataimsto promote good governance withincorporations and in transactions between businessand the government. Th€ Hills Center intends to d0this by helping to str€ngthen corporate governancein tems oftransparency, accountability and inteanalchecks and balancas. lt will also endeavorto promote

transparency and honesty in business-governmentintsractions and thus h€lp foster fair c0mpetit ,on.

As steps towards these ends, the Hil ls Center wi l l :. Seekto develop consensus on whatthe leading

problems of governance are within the pravetesector and i0 transactaons between businessand governmenl;

. ldsnti lythe costs of misqoveraanceto buslness,the government and sooetY;

. Sponsor dialogus and encourage cooperationamong the p vate sector, non-governmental orga'nizations and government agencies on rsducing

coftuption and improvin0 governance;. Highlight examples otgood corporate govemance;. Draw aftention to effective measures for good

governance in government agencies.

The Hil ls Centersimsto dothesethroughthefol low-inq means:. Field research €nd interviews. lntellectual analysis. Case Studies. Forums and roundtables. Publicity, including a Web sits. Trainingr Recognit ion of model companies

The Center is supported by the Asian Inst i tute ofl \4anagement, the Hil ls Proqram on Governonce atthe Centerfor Strategic and InternstionalStudiss inWashington 0.C., andthe World Bank.ltwillbe work-ing closely with the Famon V. del Rosario, Sr AllllCenter f or Corporat8 Besponsibility.

naturally transparent since in many cases rheycan pursu€ opportuniry only in secrecy. Theyhave a paternalistic outlook over the minoriryand their employees and they expect loyalryOwners do nor malre decision' by commineeand do nor like to be questioned. But these areimmensely successful people. They decide fast,move fast and make things happen. It is theircompetitive advantage.

Maybe we should encourage these longstaying owner managers ro go on doing whatthey are good at making their business successfiand contributing ro national development. Ifso lett not make the rules ofgovernance a dis-couragement for entrepreneurship.

5. Tho difforenco! in cultursrvhero haFnotry and r€lationahipr ar€th6 found.iionr fo. doing bu!in6...

Ve all know rhat to be successful in Asiarequires an inricate network ofcontacts, thegranting (and receiving) of-favors and buildinginterpersonal trust and harmony. In the U.S.rhe slstem is much less personal and it is moreby the rule oflaw and merit. As you meet overthe next few days, you may want ro considerthat any standards ofgovernance need to takethis into account.

Should the rules we devise preserve andencourage the Asian way ofcreating synergli bydeveloping harmony as opposed to the moreconfrontarional \Testern wayl For example, theway codes ofgovernance are being drawrr upemphasizing the need for independent directorsbothers me a bit. If the codes lead more to con-frontation than to harmony, will this not detractbusiness in Asia from moving ahead speedily?Can we,and should we adopt a system or rulethar is based on and:upporrs a culrure thar i 'completely different from ours?Are governancestandards more important than rhe need for aCEO and his management team to have a srrongsupponive board, and not one that holds it backi

The challenge before us therefore is tofind a balance between those sets ofstandardsthat will allow us to mainrain our culture anoour identity on one hand and to allow a systemto evolvc rhar will be fair and just.

6. The dilfergnt rtag.got dov.lopmont and mlturity itaget

ot tho C€pit l M.rkots in A!ia.

I now come to my sixth and 6nal categoryofdifferences we have with the U.S. and U.K.

Many gurus have pointed out that Capitalmarkets in the \fest and in Asia are at very dif-ferent lwels ofdwelopment and maturity. rWhile

providing significant capital for large firms,capital markets are not readily available to themajority of small and medium enterprises rnmost economies in Asia. The rule is that BanL-

led or exrernal finance has been the traditionaland major source of6tnds lor most Asian firm,.In fact it is said rhat one cannot be an AsianConglomerare ifone does nor have a significanrinteresr in a bank.

The Capital markets in Asia are nowhereas developed as their counterparrs in the U.S.In the U.S. there is an imperadve need for raisingthe level oftrust both ofthe individual and theInstitutional Investor. This requires very highleveJs of transparency and policing.

There is a need by the United Srares, Brit,ain and other dweloped countries in the Westto be able to do business in Asia in accordancewith the rules ofthe game as they understandir. This is understandable. Bur is it desirable?

at we need to do is to look at governancestandards from the point ofview ofwhat weneed to keep our economies vibrant and ourbu-:inesses growing. Bec.ause ofirs huge domesricmarker, China has set new rules ofmultinationarparticipation in key industries. \Testern firmshave had to accept these restrictions wen thoughthey would reject these guidelines from smallercountries. \fhere else will you find a local com-pany being the partner of both General Motorsand Vollswagen, two birter comperirors?

Concluding Remarkt

Ve all tnow that globalization ofrradeand industry is a reality. We can expect more ofit, not less. And ifwe want ro be players in rhisglobal setting, then dont we need to make rhosechanges that will help us compete more effec-tively? Isnf it our task then to come up withstandards thar willallow us our,uniqueness andyet satisfy the needs of the global market place,than to rather contemplate what standards weshould adopt or adapt to?

I would like ro leave you with rhisthought. Simply saying rhese are rhe rules, let'sadapt them to our seming. Saying we shouldnot be bound by these rules because rhey arefrom the Vert and really do nor rpply here isalso easy and does not require any brains. Butthat is nor how Asia has grown. We have rhecapacity to keep what is good and learn whenwe need to. Perhaps over the next day and ahalf, we can borrow and adapt in a way thatbenefits our societies and us and not just tosatisfy a global practice.

Can we who are in positions to influencethe future ofGovernance standards find a *rynot to stifle the energy and the motivation ofthe business growth engine and yet be part ofan ever closer and smaller world order?

In the words of Milton Friedman, "There

is one and only one social responsibility of busr-ness - io lrs€ lrs resources and engagr in acriviriesdesigned rc increase its profirs so long as it stayswithin the rules of the game, which is to say,engages in open and free competition, without

deception or fraud... By pursuing a persontown interest, he frequenrly promotes that ofthesociety more effectually rhan when he reallyintendr to promore it. I have never Lnown mucngood done by those who decided ro trade forthe public good."

There is therefore a challenge ro be met.How do we motivare rhe business owners andmanagers in Asian sociery to produce more, runfaster, jump higher, give us better products andservices at cheaper prices, employ more ofus,buy more from us and at the sarne time protectsociety from the excesses ofthose few rotteneggs? To me that is one ofthe central tasks ofManaging Corporare Governance.

Another is whether or not we can findone set ofcodes ofgovernance that can balancethe rights ofthe minority, rhe majoriry, ttredominant interest, the cmployees, the suppliers,the managemenr and rhe communicy? l f nor.what standards then do we developi

And in the process offormulating rhesestandards, should we not look at the root oftheproblem and see ifwe as Asian leaders cannotrekindle basic values ofhard work, thrift, edu-cation, family, respect for elders, and respect foreducation? Are these not the ultimate governancecode? In the end maybe higher ethical standardsand better morals, for borh managers and pro-fessionals, would have avoided many oftheabuses that led to rhe surge of rules and regula-tions on governance in the last nvo years. "

I will leave you with a thought and anexample from the free trade arguments thatabound. The developed \(est wants us to openour doors to their goods and services . . . in areaswhere they have a competitive advantage. Burrhey are absolurely not open ro hrving rheirmarkets open to us in agricultural products andin the one area in which we have a clear com-petitive advantage. Thar advanrage being in theskills ofour Asian labor lfglobalization is toenable the consumer to get rhe best product atthe lowest possible cost, why cannot an Asranbarber fteely go and offer haircuts in New YorkiAnd why cannot an Asian railor easily go andstitch clothes in France?

Recendy news items ftom Fnnce indicar-ed that between 3,000 to 5,000 people dicdfrom the heat wave. Hslf of rhe deaths wereascribed to the fact that while the 6mily wenrdown to the beaches, no one took care oftheirelderly parenrs. Is rhe solution more health care,which caused rhe resignation ofthe Minister ofHealth, or more Asian family valuesi

And so I u{ge you ro make sure tlat what-ever codes ofgovernance you feel should applyin Asia, they will not pur us at a competiuvedisadvantage with our frien& and counterpansin the West. Confrontation may bring out thebest in the U.S. but harmony may bring outthe besr in Asia. Please incorporate a basic llatu€sapproach to governance. Asian values.

Perhaps betterpolici6s and pro-^cedures coulahave averted the

but ifaudi-cr$N, Dut lt auol-tors arecolludingit is even moreunethical anddifficult to stop."

Managing Human Resourcdsr lMy Personal Philosophy by Prti Sithi-Arnnuai

Indonesia's Role in the ASEAN by Rodolfo Sowrino

ATop Sleuth for the Corporate World by Rommd Orbigo

;

I

ManagingHuman Resources:My PersonalPhilosophy

Managing Human Resources is a favorite topic of mostmanagers. Having worked for Bangkok Bank (BBL) - for over40 yean, it is a topic that is very dea-r to my hearl How executivesmanage their smff- and how staff, in turn, manages their rela-tionship with their bosses - is probably the single mosr importantfactor in the success ofany business enterprise. I would like toshare my thoughts - for what they are worth - on rhis importanttopic with my peers.

fu the Executive Vice Chairman ofBangkok Bank, I am,frrst ofall, a professional manager, and, therefore, a humanresource person. And, as an executive officer ofan organizationofabout 20,000 employees, I am, at the same time, a user ofhuman resources. Consequently, it is only appropriate that Ishould discuss the topic of "Managing Human Resources" bothas a human tesource person, myself - and as a user ofhumanresources.

As a Humal Resource

I like to consider myself as a professional worker oftheold school. At school or college, I was not taught courses on

By Piti Sithi-Amnu.iExecut \,€ Vce Chairman & Adv sor1o the Management Comminee

Bangkok Bank P!blic Co., Ltd.

human resources or anl.thing of drat sort. The word "personnel"

was already considered quite bombastic. The emphasis then wasthat ifone were to be employed, one was considered ro be mostlucky and one would work hard, be honest and reliable. So,when I joined Bangkok Bank some 4l years ago (after a shortstint in a family tin mining business), I was equipped with acenain amount ofknowledge, a strong body full ofenergy and,ofcourse, a willingness to work very hard, to be honest at alltimes and to be a reliable person. In other words, and addingall three attributes into one word - to be responsible.

' During those early years ofmy employmenr, there wereno - or ifany - very few "head hunrers". And, as only one ofthenumcrous workers totally unnoticed by management, no headhunter bothered me! During my first five years with rhe bank,it was work, work, work, and more work, And, as more workassignments came my way, I was given my first taste ofbeing a

. user ofhuman resources. Human resources given to us werereferred to as "luk nong" in Thai, the literal translation being"little brother" (or "sister"), which actually means "helper" or"assisunl'. My only thougha then were to be an honest employee,an employee who my "luk pee" (elder brother or sister) could

depend upon at all times and one who would deliver more workresults than were given. As for the assistants, they were not"luk nongs" but younger brothers and sisters. And I was happybecause I was well compensated. And, as no head hunters

bothered me - probably because I had no MBA - I had onlyone thing in mind and that was to work hard, very hard so asto gain the confidence ofmy superiors.

As I climbed dre ladder ofleadership, I was given the rareopportunity, in those dap anyway, to attend managerial courses,the first ofwhich was at the Asian Institute of Management(the extension of Harvard Business School for Asia in Manila).And it was here that I first became aware ofthe term "Human

Resources". And it wes the beginning, or should I say the awak-ening, ofmyselfas a rcsource person as well as a user ofhumanresources. And it was also the beginning ofa learning processwhich has never stopped.

Nowadals, howevet things are different. These days,employees - human resource persons - are asking themselves,and their employers, questions, such as:

. Am I being fairly compensated lor the work andresponsibilities given?

. Wry an I not given proper credit tor work perlo.med?

. Why are my peers compensated with retnuneralionconparable to mine vvfien they deliver so rnuchless results?

. Why is it that I have such a heavy woll load whenmy peers have less?

. Wry do I have to work more than 12 hours a day when. the other guys work lessthan eight?

. Why do my peers come in at 910 10 in the morlingand getaway wift it?

' ls my work appreciated?. ll my work is appreciated, why is il then that rry

superio.s keep silel|t?. ls horesty a vi.tue or a sort ol Etupidily?

I am certain that there are many questions and querieswhich human resource persons would like to put forward totheir superiors/employers. The above are just a few ofthe hun-dreds ofunanswered questions which have crossed my mindduring my years as a resourc€ person. And yet, like most humanresource persons, I have never once been bnve enough, or shouldI say arrogant enough, to have put these questions forward.I should have and I am sure I would have been given somesatis&ctory answe$. But I did not, and I am the one to be

blamed. I would suggest to those ofyou who have similarquestions which I had, to ask so as to receive answers and beat oeace with vourselves.

As a User of Human Resource

As a user ofHuman Resources - ald I must confess thatI use quite a ferv - I must first ofall thank my superiors atBangkok Bank for sending me m the Asian Institute of Man-agement where I first heard the term, "human tesources", and

thence to Harvard Business School, where the subject of human

resources was deliberated upon at great length. I have heardmany man€ement gurus speak on this subject. And yet, quite

frankly, I am still confused.You see, I am known at the bank as a tough guy as far as

principles are concerned. I know I am tough as far as rules andreguladons are concerned. I am what you call the "I scratchyou, you scratch me" rype ofboss. I can bend with a small breezeif given the proper explanation. I am considered by my peers

to be fair and genuine. My subordinates describe me as a "nict

guy'' and that I am fair and always walk in the middle of this

management road, ti(4rether this is a compliment or a weaknessI guess some day I will be judged when I am no longer dre boss.

Everything will be in the open then! As managers, we shouldalways look at the rwo sides of the coin: First ofall, we arehuman resource petsons ourselves - and, on the other hand,we are also users ofhuman resources. Remembering, therefore,rhose ouestions we asked ourselves earlier as a human resource

person, I would now suggest all users ofhuman resoutces takeheed oftheir subordinates' needs and these are as follows:

. . They need a pat on the shouldet - not o.tce in while hioften enorgh;

.. They need to be compensaled at a level conmenauntewith their overall pedomance. And thisshould be donebelore being asked tor;

. They ate important to yout oryanizations whalevertheif level - whether they are drivels orcle*s - ri0ht upto youltop lev8l exerulives;

. They are tie mosi uselul ol all company assets and,as such, ne€d lo be trc8ted wift CARE {Considenlion,Aflection. Respect & Equalily);

. They expectlaimes3 io rervards 83 wellaslsirncas inthe meting od of punishmem by lheit superiors;

. They are each a unique individual and so each should beapprcached in a dilferenl way and mannar

. They are notto be manipulated lor this willresuh inltecreatiorl ol group powe]which is nol bedeticialto anyorganization;

. They need lo be tBinod to accepl change;

. They w8nt clear-cut insuuctiotls so they can csny outtheii duties successfu lls

. They need to be given sutficiert suthoritY aod tusi in ordotto make your organizataons grorx.

To be an efficient leader and user of human resources, it ismy belief that wery use! wery boss, every employer needs totake heed ofthe followine:

To lead - by deeds and by setting an example;Instill into our employees a sense ol sell-sacrilice;Acceptthe lact thal our people need to be coaxed;Give ftem the best guidancethere is;Take care oflheircareer development andadvancementRealizethey rced our altenda[ce, ou] attenlion andourconfidence;Remembertftal our people need recognition forsuccess{ul Performance;Reward perlomers. in kind of by promotion;To explain organizational changes andtheirmerits,and the need tor them to acceptlftese changes;Givethem opportunitieslo perform and to grow andaccept more respomibilities;Tell ttem tiat when ftey grow, we grow together andtogether we plosper

Whether you are a human

resource person yourself

or whether you are a user

of human resources,

I would submit to you myo

humble formula

To summarize my personal philosophy on the subject ofhuman resources, I like to use my own theory (strictly my owninvenrion) of the formula:

(rJ!z,

rVhich means WORK AND \iIARMTH. Take the firstsyllable ofthese two words, join them together and you can seethat they internvine wirh one another as ifone cannot live withoutthe other. They are, in fact, inseparable. And, to me, they carryone meaning - the consolidation ofwork and warmth.

l7hether you are a human rcsource person )ourselfor wheth-er you are a user ofhuman resources I would submit to you myhumble formula - "V'".

It should work, but only if tle users of human resoulcesare open-minded and only ifthe human resource people themselvesare sincere and receptive. It will surely fail, howevet ifall theseplayers think only ofwhat ti?illiam Shakespeare once wrot€ -

that, "the fault lies only in our stars, not in ounelves". Shakespeareshould have wrinen more on Human Resources, but a]as, in thosedays, there were only masters and slaves.

Having said so much about our role as users ofhumanresources, I would like to suggest a related aspect which I thinkis most relev"ant. And that is the fact that most users ofhumanresources who are also proprietors of their businesses, althoughthey agree on the importance ofhuman resources as an asset,they sdll manage their organizations as ownen ald not as managers.And, unfortunately, as owners, they make themselves believe thatthey aqually own these human resources - "body and sou.l"- as well.

And so, as a user ofhuman resources myselfl I thereforcventure to make the following recommendations:

lfyou arc a human resource person youneltbe a fathel to you. people;be a contessolto those who cone to yqu loradvice;always give a second chance;be a good listener:never, never reprimand a subordinate in lhe presenceol his peers no matter how sedous lhe ollense;be receptive tolhe opinions otyour enployees.

It you arc an owne/proprielol:your most trustwo.lhy human resource assel mightnot be those neaaestlo you;invest in the development olyour people for lheywill in tum double ortriple your investnenvprofits;recoqnize the fact lhat you may "own'their bodiesbutthatyou will never own their minds:always give praise when praise is deseNed.

L

Indonesids Leadership Role in ASEAN

HEN THE ASIAN FINANCIAL CRISIS OF1997-98 sent Indonesia into a political, economicand social upheaval, people began to wonder: with

Indonesia in a state of turmoil and weakness, will the Associationof Sourh East Asian Nations (ASEAN) now be without a leader

and thus flounder on the shoals ofglobalization and geopoliticaluncertaintyi The premise ofthis question was that Indonesia,

until the troubles ofthe late 1990s, had been the "leader" ofASEAN and could not be replaced. Another version of this question

was that without Soeharto nobody would be leading ASEAN.Let us examine the nature ofthe leadership that lndonesia

has exerted in Southeast Asia - and the perception ofit.My view is that Indonesils leading role in ASEAN was

manifested not in dre assenion oflndonesia's will on the association

or in Indonesia's domination ofthe region by reason ofsheer size

and power Quite the contrary, Indonesia took care not to dominateand throw its weight around or to be seen as doing so. Rather,lndonesiai importance arises from the impact on the region from

irs domestic as well as foreign policies, its international inf'luence,and the judicious applicadon ofits diplomatic skills.

Before ASEAN. there was ASA, or the Association oFSouth-

east Asia, one of a number of limited attempts at regionalism

since the 1950s. ASA was set up by Malaysia, the Philippines and

Thailand in rhe early 1o60s ro work out cooperarive programsamong the three countries and provide a venue for regular meetings

among their foreign ministers for the purpose ofbuilding confi-

dence and promoting closer relations among the three nations.

It also served as a counterweight to the Malay-based, shortJivedMAPHILINDO of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines,

which had been an attempt to subsume the bilateral disputes and

suspicions among the three. It so happened that all three ASA

members were battling communist insurgencies at home, whileIndonesia was trying to strike a balance at home between the

Indonesian Communist Party and the mainstream of the countryt'armed forces. At the same time, the conflict in Indochina was

heaflng up.Following the political upheaval of 1965 and the launching

ofthe New Order in lndonesia, the new leaders in Jakarta decidedthat they would ioin the resr of non-communist Southeast Asiain common purpose. However, it was not to be a simple matter

oflndonesia joining ASA. After all, Indonesia was b1' far rhe largest,rarc in rhe regic,n - rn population. in rrer. in resources. in grostnarional product, and in military power. It had also been an

clc,quent articulator of1'hird-World positions in many inrernationalforums. It had been a founder and leader ofthe Non-Aligned

Movement, having hosred the 195 5 Afro-Asian Conference in

Bandung. It was now cmbarked on a historic national transfor-marion. [f lndonesia was to be part ofa regional organization, it

had to be a charter member. Thus it was that Adarn Malik, then

foreign minister ofthe new gov-ernmen! at that time, went aroundo the capitals ofthe ASA members,and Singapore, which had just

separated from Malaysia, to talkabout the for-mation of a new or-ganization for Southeast Asia.

Founded in August 1967,ASEAN initially followed the panernof ASAI organizational structure. lthad no central secretariar. Instead,its affairs were run by a network ofnational secretadats. Its work wascarried out in several economic and

By Rodolto C. SovorinoFormer SecretaMcenera . PSEAN

cultural committees. Indonesiis panicipation gave the new regional

association weight and subsence in regiona.l aFairs and in the world.

In a speech that I gave in August 1999, I observed:"'{4rat Indonesia brought to ASEAN at the time of its birth

was something rhat gave it weight, strength and direcdon, some-

thing indeed that made ASEAN possible. This was the transfor-

mation ofpolicy and attitude that Indonesia underwent and thar

brought it in step, along with the rest of non-communist Southeast

Asia, with the demands ofthe times. Indonesia, by 1967,had

transformed its economic policies and its attitude toward its

neighbors and the world at large. The new prioriry was develop-

ment, and whatever it took to achieve it, domesticdlyor internationally. A large dose ofpragmatism was the order of

the day.

( ( T-r llil,lJ'ili'.Ji.?l:'l;'i;'Iff;:.."..,l<!

h,d .,,t .d ttt move ro one that uas market-

J---I dtiu.n..*porr-orienred and open ro loreign

I rrade and investmenr. lrs foreign policy had

^ shifted from one that was confrontational

toward its neighbors and defiant ofthe !/est to one rhat placed

great value on cooperation with its neighbors and good relations

with the world beyond, including the Vest"Vithout

such a transformation ofeconomic and foreign

policy in Indonesia, ASEAN as we know it, would not have come

about. lflndonesia had mainrained a relatil'ely closed economy,

relying on commodirv exPorts, resorting to import-substitution

and dominated bv stare enterprises, the degree and kind ofeco-

nomic cooperation and inregration that we have today would not

have been porsible. A5EAN would not haue been .rpen to and

plugged into rhe global economv the wa,v rhat it is now lflndonesia

had kept to,its narrowly nationalistic posture torvard the world

and retained its suspiciousness roward irs neighbors, che level of

murual trusr and regional idenrio that are rhe kev to ASEANT

success could nor have been atrained.

"This is the importance oflndonesia toASEAN, rather than one man's leadership orIndonesia's size alone. There is no sign that thisbasic policy orientarion oflndonesia or its fun-damental commitment to regionalism has di-minished despite the political changes that thecountry is undergoing.

CC t the same time,after the turmoilof 1965 and, 1966,Indonesia madeclear its continuedadherence to anational poliry of

ethnic, racial and religious tolerance, ofunityin diversiry that had kept and continues tokeep - the nation together. This had a reassuringeffect on its would-be partners in ASEAN, allofwhom, in one form or another, to one degreeor anorher. were blessed wirh ethnic diversiryand rhreatened by ethnic division. Any erosionofthis policy ofrolerance in Indonesia wouldhave ignited fears ofconragion in its neighbors,which might have led them to seal themselvesoff from lndonesirn influen.e. Divisiveness inIndonesia might thus have led to unbridgeableregional divisions in Southeast Asia."

This is rhe regional dimension of rhe in-ter-ethnic and inrer-religious conflicts that haveerupted in recenr times into violence - to besure, sporadic and localized violence. Such con-flicts have a.lready raised conceru in neighboringASEAN countries.

In that 1999 speech, I went on: "More-

over, Indonesia, in its wisdom, allowed itselfto wield its already considerable weight inthe world in the new context ofASEAN. Inthis way, ASEAN has been able to avoid theproblem.of some other regional associations,which a.re hampered and burdened by the dom-inance of their largest members. Insread, Indo-nesiat international influence, prestige andactivism, magnified by its new internationalistposrure, were ro be placed in ASEAN s rervice

at rhe United Nations, in the Non-AlignedMovement, in the Group of77, and in otherinternational forums."

It has been pointed out more than oncethat one ofASEAN's strengths is that its largestmember has been carefirl not ro throw its weightaround and is perceived not to do so.

I then remarked:"ln terms ofstyle and approach, the Indo-

nesian insistence on rzrerlauanh and mafahatfirmed up the preference of dre odrer SourheastAsians for consulation and consensus as the mtx.refor regional decision-making. Any other modewould have made agreement in ASEAN muchmorc dificult. if nor impossible. rarher r har easierand more quickly, as some superficial media andrcademi. commentaries arserr rhese da1s. Thishas come to be known as rhe ASEAN way, which

has put ia samp on the ASEAN Regional Forumand the Asia Pacific Economic Forum.

"The Indonesian concept ofnational re-

silience and regional resilience reinforcing eachother strengthened the Sourheasr Ari.rn convic-tion about the close linkage berween politicalstabiliry and economic development at borh thenational and regional levels."

Apart fiom these leading substantial, ifsubtle, conrriburions oflndonesia to the char-acrer md progress ofASEAN. rhe perceptionof Indonesian leadership of the association arosefrom the high-profile role that Indonesia hadplayed in international and regional affairs. Fordecades, lndonesia had been a thoughtful andarticulate advocate ofcenain positions on globalissues like nuclear proliferation, arms controland disarmament, the environment, thc Nonh-South economic divide, the qucstion of Pa.les-t ine, marit ime quesrrons, and United Narionsmatrers. Since Indonesia's positions on theseissues generally reflected the vicws ofmost ofASEAN, as well.as rnost ofthe Third riforld,

Indonesiat highly visible and audible advocaryofthem was taken, justifiably in most cases, asar.indication of ASEAN leadership.

In regional affairs, Indonesia hosted thefirst ASMN Summit, in I 976 in Bali. It camelorward ro hosr the new ASEAN Secrerariar in

Jakana when the Bali Summit agreed to esablishone. In 1987, when a series ofcoup attemps wasthreatening the government of Philippine Pres-ident Corazon \uino just as ir was preparingto host the thind ASEAN summit, it was PresidentSoeharroi dection ro override securiry adviceand anend the Manila summit that moved theother ASEAN leadcrs to go ahead with it.

Indonesia organized, hosted and for themost part managed the long-running series of"informal workshops" on Managing PotentialConflict in the South China Sea. In thc searchfor a settlement of the Cambodian question rnthe late 1980s, Jakana took the initiative ofhosting the 'Jakarta Informal Meetings," withthe long-time Indonesian Foreign Minister AJiAlatas in the chair and working strenuouslybehind the scenes. Those meetings paved theway to the convening of rhe Paris peace confer-ence of 1991, co-chaired by Alatx and hisFrench counterpart.

The Paris conference led to United Na-tions-supervised elections in Cambodia in July1993. Thosc elections and the politic.al maneu-vering rhat followed eventually resulted in acompromise rwo-parry coalition governmentin Phnom Penh. That government collapsed inviolence in 1997, on the eve of Cambodia'sadmission into ASEAN. As a result, ASEANdecided to defer Cambodiat membership whileadmiaing Laos and Myanmar. lndonesia's Alatarwas named to lead the rrar*a - with the Philip-pine arrd Thai foreign ministers being the other

members - which ASEAN mandated to helpin finding a way out of the impasse. Cambodiafinallyjoined ASEAN in 1999.

In the early 1970s, the Organization ofIslamic Conference (OIC) beg:n trying ro bro-ker a settlement benveen the Philippine govern-ment and a separatist group in the sourhernPhilippines. Vhen, in December 1976, thePhilippine Government and the Moro NationalLiberarion Front (MNLF) conduded theTiipoliAgreement, the OIC assigned a "Cornmittee

ofFour" to supervise the implementation oftheagreement. The four were Libya, Saudi Arabia,Senegal and Somalia. None war from SoutheasrAsia. At the 1991 OIC foreign ministcrs' meer-ing, Indonesia succeeded in arguing that it wasnot righr for the committee dealing with ttresouthern Philippines question to have none ofits members come from rhe region where rhePhilippines belongs. The committee was en-larged to six, with Indonesia and Bangladesh asthe additional members. Indonesia assumed thecommitteet chairmanship in 1993. (The com-mirtee has since rhen been enlarged to eighr,with tle addition ofBrunei Darussalam in 2000and Malalsia in 200 I , both ASEAN members.)In that capacity, Indonesia, in particular Alaras,worked rirelessly and lr ir-h parience and sagaciryto bring representarives ofrhe Philippine gov-ernment and the MNLF together, hosting sev-eral meetings in various places in lndonesir.until they reached a senlement in I 996. Soehanoand Alatas reponed this achiwement in uiumphto the 24th OIC ministerial meeting in Jakartain December of that year Subsequently, Indo-nesia took a leading role in supervising the ar-rangement on rhe ground in Mindanao. To thisday, Indonesia continues to be active in the OICon the southcrn Philippines question, an effortnow led by the current foreign minister, HassanVirayuda, who has been involved with the rssuefor many years.

ne could say thatthe Jakarta Infor-mal Meetings andparriculatly Indo-nesiat role in thetoika for Crmbo-dia came about onthe basis oflndo-nesia's leading placr

in ASMN. However, the Sourh China Seaworkshops, the Paris peac€ conference xnd rh€mediarion ofthe southern Philippines problemwere, stricdy speaking, not ASEAN endeavors.Nevertheless, all these were events critical rr)Southeast Asia, and Indonesia's role could beascribed to its leadcrship position in ASEANand in regional affairs.

Thus, in rhe 1970s, the 1980s and partofthe 1990s, Indonesiat activisr diplomaic rolein international and regional political bsues and

Indonesiat position in ASEAN today willbe defined by how effectively and construc-

t f . t f I t

tlvelv lt adclresses tne two maln ltems on

the region's current agenda - regional eco-nomic integration and domestic reform.

events stamped it as ASEANT leader Today,however. alrhough. a: in orher regional .rssocia-tions, tensions persist between and withinASEAN member-states, the most critical decrsronfacing ASEAN is not diplomaric in the classrcsense, but how deeply and in whar way ro moveregional economic integration forward. At thenational level, the isue is how deeply and rapidlyreforms are going to be undertaken - corporate,financial, economic and, ultimately, judicial andpolitical reforms.

In rerms ofregion.rJ e.onomic integrarion.

Jakarta has remained fairhful to its commitmentsin the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) arrd odrerASEAN economic agreements, and it has gonealong with proposals for further deepening re-gional economic integration, an enterprise essen-tial for atrracting investmenrs to rhe region, fos-tering efficiency, and stimulating economrc ac-r iviry But. becau:e ofthe,,evere setback rh:t i r 'economy has suffered in the past five years, andbecause ofits internal political concerns, Indo-nesia has not been ar rhe forefronr ofmoves roexpand the frontiers ofregional integration; thehesirancy and the appre-hension, panicula.rly on theparr ofthe private sector,have been palpable. Thelead role in economic in-tegration has fallen toSingapore, aldrough it has,not surprisingly, been quitediscreet in public about it.

Clearly, leadership,or at least full and enthusiastic participation, onthe part ofASEANi biggest nation and largesteconomy is needed ifregional economic integra-tion and the reform ofinstitutions that governnational economies the most critical items rntodayt ASEAN agenda - are ro make the kindofrapid progress that the times call for

Rapid technological advances, economrcglobalization and heightened competition drctatethat Southeast Asian countries move away fromsystems in which business is conducted andwealth created largely on the basis ofpersonalrelationships and cozy networks of politicrans,bureaucras, tlcoons and financial establishments.They must now operate more within a frameworkofrules and institutions and allow the marLetgreater play. This means human resources mustbe developed for both technology and manage-menr and institurioru built and created - politicaland judicial inst i tut ions as well ar economic.This also means fostering the stabiliry and'rrengrh. as well as legit imacy. ofrhe srate.

In relation to lndonesia, I declared in myAugust 1999 address:

"ln the regional context, a transformatronin Indonesia is, once again, required, ifASEANas a whole is to negotiate the transition. . . (A)s

in 1966-1967, how lndonesia manages its owntransition and its own affairs could have a pro-found impact on ASEANT future.

"Some political and social untidiness canresuh from the opening-up and growing plural-ism oflndonesian sociery But Indonesia willlikely emerge from it all a more stable natron.Only a stable Indonesia can continue to contrib-ute significantly ro ASEANT steadiness andbalance. Only a stable lndonesia can connnueto play a leading role in international affairs,which has been one oflndonesiat principal con-tributions to ASEANT international influcnceand prest€e.

"lndonesia will probably regain its steady

growth, this time by building and re-buildingand srrengthening its vital instirurions - thelegislarure, the courts, the economic and Gnancialsupervisory bodies. rhe law-enforcement agencies.dre political panies, the corporations, tlre bankingsJ'stem. How Indonesia gets back on dre road ofgrowth, arrd ro what extent, will obviously influ-ence rhe rest ofSoutheast Asia.

"How Indonesia handles military-civilianrelations and the role ofthe'military in politicscould have an influence, too, on parts ofSouth-east Asia and beyond. How lndonesia managesdiversiry and how ir accommodares erhnic aspi-rations and rcgional inrerests in the nationalpolicy and in the national economy could havean impact, in unforeseen ways, on some ofitsneighbors, on the stability of rhe region, and onASEAN itsclf Others in the region will closelywatch how Indonesia deals with issues ofhumanrigha and political participadon."

Thus, lndonesiat position in ASEAN to-day will be delined by how effectively and con-structively it addresses the two main items onthe region's current agenda - regional economicintegration alrrd domestic reform. As the regiontlargest economy, Indonesia has to take an actrveand leading role in pu"hing ASF-AN\ economicintegration forward, overcoming its diffidenceand hesitation. Its leadership has to project avision ofthe next stage in ASEANT economrcintegration. At the same time, its interdal reformsand its strength and stabiliry as a state, whichhave such an impact on many ofits neighbors,need to be expeditiously and vigorously pursued.Included in this is how Indonesia undcrulcs the

institutional and poliry reforms necessary for itseconomy to recover in a sustainable and stableway. Another important factor is how Indonesramanages the delicate and difiicuh balance amongthree poliry principles adopred by rhe currenrdispensarion in Indonesia:

he maintenance ofethnic andreligious diversity and mutualtolerance, which has been thehallmark ofthe Indonesian policy

and Indonesian governance since the narion'sfounding;

The fighr against extremism and is violentmanifestarions; and

The observance ofthe rule oflaw arrd re-spect for human rights.

In early 1ears, lndoneria\ acrire commirmenr ro ASEANT purposes and the uansforma-tion ofits domestic economic and political sy.,."'pur : defining vamp on r-he arsociarions direcrionand character Similarly, today, a leading Inao'nerian role in rhe process of regional economicinregration and the efficacy ofits domestic rans-

formation - at this stage, stillhighly uncertain and ex-tremely diffi cult propositions

will be crucial to ASEANTfuture course as well as to thewellbeing of the Indonesianpeople.

In the comingmonths, Indonesia will havean opponunity to define therole that it will play inASEAN at this crirical stage

in its existence. In June, it will rake over thechairmarship of Lhe ASEAN Sranding Commir-tee, steering ASEAN cooperation in political,securiry

"functional" and organizational affairs,

including the activities of the ASEAN RegionalForum. In October, President Megawati Soekar-nopurri wi l l chair ud hosr rhe ASEAN summirin Bali and its sequels, ASEAN! meetings withrhe leaders of China, Japan and the Republic ofKorea, together and separately, and with thelrime Minisrer oflndia. ln July 2004. lndonesiawill be chairing and hosting the ASEAN Minis-terial Meeting, the ministerial meeting oftheASEAN Rrgional Forum. and ASEAN! meetingswith the ministers ofits Dialogue Partners. Andin September 2004, Indonesia will host theASEAN Economic Ministers meeting and leadASEANT work in economic integration andcooPeration,

It remains to be seen whether in theschigh-profile positions Indonesia will exercrse atrue lcadership role in ASEAN or merely chairits meetings.

Rodolfo C. Sertino it on the f tl, ofthc,AanIrutitutc of Managnent in Manih and uat snntDccmber 2002, bated in Jaharu at Semtary-Gencnlof thc ,*sociation ofSoutheart hidn Natioa.

col lud ing i r is even more unerh i .a l and d i f f icu l r ro \ rop. Efo i Mi l l " , . rhe\e ca\e\ only h ighl ighr . rhe

i " * -a, trranrDarencv and accounrabilirv. He himrelt has his lair -r

As managing director, his roles and responsibilities cover

various areas. He manages the day'to-day operations, oversees a

staffof 12, and meets with clients on a regular basis. As a corporate

investigator, one ofhis most vital tasks is to manage the sources

of information in the f ield lor *:eir ongoing cares.

He proudly asserts, "ln

order to conduct investigations, one

musc rely on a network ofpeople who can supply pertinent infor-mation. Based on my numerous con[acls, I can acquire any rypeofinformation I need for any case."

It really sounds racher easy for him, since he got a headsrartin security and investigation in his home country ofCanada, whenhe joined the Program Review Unit ofthe Toronto Police Service.After graduating from AIM, Miller seriously considered joiningthe Singapore Police. However, he eventually chose his currentpost because it is "never boring." Something new and excitingalways crops up. And of course, the biggest enticers were the

responsibilities of managing his own staffand the rewardsthat come after doing a really great job.

For Miller, some qualities separate good investigarors

from the pretenders. A really good investigator would

have the guile and the ability to pretext convincingll

He is a mult i- tasker who can juggle various cases ar on!e.

He is reliable and can be trusted in confidence, like a lawyer.He is both a team player and an independent worker Lastbut not the least, he should have "street smarts" much

\Vith the various demands ofhis role as a managing director,it is amazing rhat Miller still finds rime to pursue his Doctoratein Business Administration from the Universiry ofSouthern Queen-sland in Australia, while anending ro the needs ofhis wife Marianne,who's expecting their f irst child, a boy, this September 2003.

He stresses that the DBA and his official duties reinforceeach other "by allowing me ro understand the practice and theoryofbusiness at a higher level." His innate desire to acquire knowledgeand learn new things is very sttong, reinforced by his educationAt AIM.

Indeed, Miller is a man on a mission. As a corporate investi-gator, fe offers companies and individuals only one thing: resultsand solutions. For iforganizations stay healthy, het helping ensurethe birth of a corporate environment where enrit ies l ike Enronand Vorldcom will be a thing ofthe past. By Rommol R. oaiso

ATOP SLEUTH FORTHE GORPORATE WORLDFOR ANY BUSINESS-EDUCATED PERSON. THE

words Enron and \Vorldcom bring to mind large'scale bankruptciesand accounting fraud that can be traced to the very top oftheir

respective organizations, Investors lost a sizeable value oftheir

stocks, retirement funds were erased, and the faith of people in

corporate governance was eroded. With such negative impacts of

these high-proiile business cases, there is at least one good result:

more and more companies are becoming proacrive in protecting

their interests and see rhe value ofconducting due diligence and

corporate investigations. According to Allan J. Miller (MDM !7),managing director of Pinkerton Consulting in Malaysia,business has definitely picked up in the bankruptcy andlitigation areas. He stresses that the situations at Enronand Worldcom "involved inside jobs and collusion onbehalfofstaffand auditors. Perhaps better policies andprocedures could have averted the crisis, but ifauditors are

share ofrecent high-profile cases. First is the embezzleme"t I\ 007.of US$5 mill ion by a company executive who diverted a largeamount ofcash ro vendor-relatives. Her cache was sent overseas.where it was traced and subsequently frozen. The second caseinvolves an expatriate managing director who absconded withmill ions of company funds. The money was wired to a Swissaccount, but he too got caughr and is now behind bars. Third isa major conflict-of-interest web that entangled staff memberswho established their own companies to stifle comperirion fromother suDpliers.

IMILLEB ADVISES INVESTORS TO BE WARY OF WARNING,signs, so that they will notice early on that a company is in trouble oris being fleeced 0f itsfunds. An increase in rumors aboutone or moreindividuals suspected olfraud, embezzlement or conllict-of-interestis the firstsign. Second ls the sudden acquisition of wealth by anyone"wifioutadequate explanation" or beyond his earning capac ity. Anotherimportantwarning sign is a sudden drop-off in sales eilher across-the-board or by a group ofindividuals.

Companies usually keep these cases secret fearfuloffie negativeeffects that bad publicitywill bring, such as a steep drop in stock pricesand the loss ot key corporate and individual accounts. Thus,it is advisable that clients look for an appropriate security consuhantearly on so that the situation can be addressed before anything be-comes public.

The investigative work can coverthree areas: Corporate Inves-tigation, Security Consuiting, and Due Dil igence. A Corporate Investi-

gation requires a l0t of planning so thatthe suspec(s) involved mustnot have any inklinq that an investiqation is taking place. Databasesearches, the procurementot sDecil ic records and surveil lance canconfirm or denv a suspects involvement.

Security Consultinq identifies potential riskst0 an organization,be it physical or procedural. Company premises can be checked tominimize the risk oftire, sabotage, and pilferage. Security consultantscan workwith developersto integrate safe security measures in com-pany premises, such asthe installation 0faccess controls and closed-circuittelevision or CCTV. To minimize procedural risks as a resuh oldisasters reminiscent ol the World Trade Center tragedy in September2001, plans must be in place so that affected companies can recoverand restart ooerati0ns immediatelv.

Due Dil igence involves the conduct of pednent backgroundchecks on companies and individuals. Information wil l be obtainedt0 conclude whether a subject can be trusted in anytype ofventure.

If this viewpoint of 'all roads leadineto Manild is not drastically changedin the near future, then the currentproblems will onlv be compoundedIeavins public education furtherbehinf,

^each passing yeq."""-1gj

hzn

t f

the near future,

20

24

Managing Governance Reform In A Large Bureaucracy by Jutn Miguol krz

Civic Exchange: Inventing A Cooperative Enterprise bY Chri.ting Loh

A Discussion on Competitiveness in Development by Frankio Roman

n

Consider this. No appointed Secretary ofEducation hasserved for more than three years since the first EDSA-inspiredPeople Power Revolution of 1 986. Since then, the average tenurehas been 24 months. In a bureaucracy that goes on hold awaitingword ofthe priorities ofeach new secretary, this means stoppingand re-starting every two to three years.

Consider this, too. A complete budget cycle for publiceducation from problem identificadon and planning to actualimplementation nkes two years. Thus, a new department sec-retary barely has dme to initiate new policy when a new appointeecomes on board to review such policy. Often, policy and reforminiriarives wirher and die during rhe review process.

Consider this, funher A child's basic education is a ten-year exodus. One or two year reform will not succeed withoutlong-terrn institutional support and leadership. \X/hile a depan-ment secretary may have a long view to education, given thehistory ofleadership in the department, there has not been anyguarantee of long-term implementation.

Thus the key to improvement in a nationt educationoutcomes lies with high performing schools. Critical to successfirleducation reforms that suppon ard sustain such high performingschools, in turn, is the provision ofan enabling environmenrby well-managed schools divisions.

The challenge for Philippine public education then is rochange a prwalent mindser from "all roads leading to Manila"to "the buck stops here (in the principal's office)." Arrd the keymanagement task is ro create capaciry at rwo key levels.

At the level ofthe school, the role ofthe principal as rhelocal chiefexecutive must be dweloped and their capacity asinstructional leader strengthened. Principal empowerment isabout principds making local decisions good for their schoolsrather rhar wairing for national department instructions.

At the division lwel, the role ofthe superintendent mustbe reengineered from rhar ofadministrator (e.g. consolidatingschool reports for the regional offices) to thar ofsfiaregisrand business unit leader Superintendents must be made r€spon-sible for creating enabling environments for effective schoolsto operate.

MANAGEMENT PARADOXESAT fHE DEPAI?TMENf

The Philippine public school system was established in

January 1901 by the Philippine Commission as a departmentofpublic instruction under the American Colonia.l Governmenr.While schools had been established during Spanish era by religious onden, they were neidrcr organized as a system ofeducationfor the general public nor did they have a form ofreguladon toestablish similar standards wherever schools were set up.

Three weela after Manila was occupied by Americar forccs,seven public schools were opened, each handled by a soldierassigned to teach English. By 1901, the colonial governmenthad set up 22 more schools with a total enrolment of4000studenc. To teach these students. 1074 American teachers from47 states arrived to take up posts all over the country They

became known as the Thomasitesafter the U. S. Transport Thomas,which canied $e largest contingentof509 teachers and arrived in thePort of Manila on August 23 ofthat yeat. (Mary Racelis andJu.dyGline lck, editon, Bearer ofBenerohnce: The Thomasitet andPubhc Edxcation in the Pbiltppines,Anail Publishing Inc., Manila,2001.)

Very quickly, Filipino parenrtook to public schools and to ed-ucation in general, By 1904, over

By Ju.n Miguel LuzUndersecretary, Depanmentof Education (Phil ippines)

50,000 students were in school with another 23,000 turnedaway for lack ofspace. To respond to this in l9l l, the legislaturecreeted 4,4O4 elementary schools for 355,722 students. In lessthan a decade this number tripled reaching a million pupils by1922. By the stan ofthe 1930s, the enrolment stood at 1,213,71 Ielementary pupils that constituted only 37olo ofall school-agechildren. By then, 3,404 high schools had also been establishedwith a mtal enrolment of 17,335 students. Julian Encarnacion,"From the Days ofthe l-akans to the Coming ofthe TransportThomas" in Tales of the American Teachers in the Philippines,Geronima Pecson and Maria Racelis, editors. (Reprinted inBearers of Benevolence)

Today, the Department is the largest in the governmentbureaucracy. A total of41,388 schools are administered andpaid for ftom the nationd budget ofwhich 36,759 ue elenenanyand 4,629 are secondary serving 12.1 million elementary pupilsand over 5.1 million high school students nationwide. As ofschool year 2003-2004. The number ofhigh schools is acnullyovet 5,000 ifhigh school annexes are treated as separate schoolsbeing separate campuses themselves. 456,317 teachers (337 ,082elemcntary I19,235 secondary) and over 40,000 non-teachingpersonnel are organized into 2,260 school districts under 176school divisions reporting to 17 regional offices.

The Department's budget is the largest ofany nationalagencies yet 90olo is earmarked for salaries and benefits withonly 7olo for maintenance ald other operating expenses and 3olofor capiml ouday and the building of needed infrastructure andthe purchase offurniture, textboola and other instructionalmaterials.

In such a highly centrdized bureaucracy, a number ofmalagement paradoxes manifest themselves.

One, while principal empowermenr is a prioriry few prin-cipals have any foundadon in management. Most rose throughthe ranks following an established career path: classroom teacherto master teacher to teacher-in-charge to principal. Litrle intheir education or training prepares drem as managers. Steepedin pedagogy, many run their schools as if they are runningclasstooms.

Two, the schools divisions is the level for assembling criticalmass in tAe system. It is the level where synergies can be crearcdby aligning education resources in two directions: horizontd

integration, especially at the elementary level where central schoolscan serve as resource hubs for smaller oudying schools, and verticalintegration where high schools can work with fewer elementat'schools. Yet very little ofthis happens because the training ofsuperintendents is on administrative procedures rather thanon managemenl,

Three, management expertise is in fact lodged in regionaloffices which over the past three decades have been where localdecisioru are made. Under the new law on ba.sic educarion, however,regions are now to play a support and oversight role rather thanone ofcontrol and implementation. Here, a change in mindsetis likewise required.

Four, the rolc ofthe central office should be one of policy-making and standard-setting; in short, education managementand leadership, Yet, a major part ofthe central officc continuesto be about implementation and direc. administration rangingfrom centralized procurement to payroll servicing to direct con-tracting ofservices. Many ofthese should be devolved to the region,schools division, even the school level.

SETTING AN AGENDAgOI? THE PI?ESENT

ystem reform in such a bureaucracy will have tofollow a path ofevolution rather than ofrevolutionbecause ofthe problem ofshort-term leadership arrhe top. For reforms to be sustained, a system-widebuy-in by the bureaucracy is necessary In a short

period ofdepartment leadenhip, a Secretary therefore has a limitedwindow ofopportuniry to persuade the bureaucracy to adoptreform but with no guarantee oflong-term implementation, muchless sustainabiliry.

In September 2002 following the abrupt resignation oftherhen Secretary ofEducation, Edilberto de Jesus was appointed bythe President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with barely 22 months tothe end ofthe Administration. Unlike the prwious secretary, de

Jesus brought in only rhree high lwel oficials and two staff. Thenew secretary's view was to lean heavily on the bureaucracy andthe middle-level managem€nt (bureau directors, regiona.l directors,and center heads) and not to stop current plans ald programs norto undertake any wholesde review ofthese, but rather to allowrhese to continue subject to an on-going review "on the fly''.

At the time ofhis appointmenr, the first quarter ofthe schoolyeer had already elapsed and changes or reforms that would havean effect on schools would be disruptive rather than helpful.Furthermore, the budget for the following year was already subjectto review in Congress and due to be passed into law by the endofthe year. Thus, the new Secretary set out to use the 22 monthsleft in the current Administration as a window ofopportuniry tolay a foundation of reforms that would serve as a platform fortake-off in July 2004 when a new Secretary ofEducation wouldbe appointed and would have the possibiliry ofa fi.rll six-year term.Crirical to laying such a platform was to put in place system-widereforms that would free the succeeding secretary from having torevisit these and instead focus on the most imoortant aspect of

the task: education outcomes.The critical task was how to align various units within the

Depanment along common goals and an agenda. Within the firstthirry days, following a range ofconsultations throughout thecountry with different stakeholders, a limited Twelve-Poinr Agendafor Basic Education was crafted that would serve as the roadmapfor the next 22 months. Following the 20-80 rule, the agenda wasthe attempt to limit the focus ofcommon efforc to areas that, ifdone well, would address the majoriry ofconcerns and producemaximum results.

Organizing such an agenda and working for a buy-in suggesarhe need for a well-thought out game plan. The game plan featureda number ofmanagement elements:

l. Set a common agenda. Vith a clearly stated twelve-pointagenda, the message ofpriorities was communicated to a widelydispersed bureaucracy who were encouraged to act on local prioririesconsistent wirh the national agenda.2. Focus on common goals, Qualiry education as the sole missionof the department and every school was emphasized with weryopportuniry to share testing resul$ to drive home the point.3. Provide for delivery in a predictable way. Department ordcrsand memoranda stressed the manner by which education servicrswould be delivered.4. Focus on results. Every opportunity was taken by the Secretaryto look at education outcomes rarher than inputs. Managementcommittee meetings with regional directors looked closely at testresults and both high performing schools as well as specific prob-lems, such as non-readers and high dropout rates.5. Monitor, No system succeeds without monitoring and super-vision. Standard setting and qualiry control require continuousmonitoring and refi nement of processes.6. Incentivize. \X/hile salaries and benefits remain frozen in thenational government, the team toot pains to look at ways toincentivize school performance through recognition and otherawards.7. Report back to stakeholders. As the largest public enterprise,great effort has been made to reach out, communicate with, andconsult the various stakeholders, both within the bureaucracy andthe community-at-large. Every level ofthe department has its ownprofessional organization with whom the secretary has dialogued.Arnong the organizations with whom regular dialogues have

becn held are: Philippine Public School Teachers Association (and

other teacher associations, both school level, division-wide andregional); Philippine Association of Secondary School Adminis-trators, Philippine Elementary School Principals Association,Philippine Association of Schools Superintendents, PhilippineAssociation of District Supervisors, Philippine Association ofEducation Supervisors, and the newly-formed Education Network.

EUILDING A PLATFOI?M, FOI? THE FUTUI?E

In a situation thar requires great change but given limitedtime, one must think ofinstituting reform as akin to running a

mile. "Fast-tracking" reforms (i.e. treating reform as a one hundred

meter dash) has led to poor results overall in the recent Philippine

experience. Such reforms drive change from above, "accepted" by

a pragmadc bureaucracy as "instructions" to be followed, but easily

dropped during r-he rransition period ber*een secretary appoinrments

As in running a mile, stratery plays an importa-nt role in winning

reforms. The miler must have a survival strategy as well as a strategy

to win. The first lap or leg is about starting strongly and establishing

position vis-i-vis the race leaders (setting the agenda). The middle

leg (next mo laps) is about pacing. The miler must settle into a

groove thar allows him to stay on course, either as front-runner or

within the pace-setters, with enough reserve for the frnishing kick.

Falling too far behind dissipates resources to catch up; taking off

too early burns up reserves far too quickly to frnish well. The last

lap must have a strong finishing kick ro have any chance ofwinning.

The de Jesus strategy has been to lay a strong platform for

reform to survive. Foundation work in education is essential because

ofthe generational nature of rhe task. A child entering grade one

needs ten yearc to complete basic education An investment in a

single year musc be sustained over the education career ofthe child.

Hence, education reform rnust be done in a building blocla minner,

srep-by-step annually. cumularive over rime.Thus, continuiry is critical. Since secretary-appointees have

such short lifespans within dre education department, the imponance

ofthe bureaucracS notably schools and divisions, cannot be under-

estimated. They are in fact rhe lynchpins to education reform and

will provide both rhe institutional mechanism for reform as well as

its memory

LOOKING FOI? SYETENArrlDE SoLUTIONS

The story for education reform does not end here' however.

It is a nwer-ending quest for solving society's problems as well as a

continuing search for qualiry outcomes. A system as centrally-

managed as rhe Phil ippine Departmenr ofEducation has ro undergo

a metamorphosis into a less-centrally managed, ifnot fully dev-

olved, system. For too long, too, the conce.n has been with providing

access to education for all. Thit. howeuer. ha.s been ar the expense

ofqualiry The magic grail for Philippine education now is about

qua l iq .In a system witi average to mediocre returns to sociery, however'

there have been pockets ofexcellence sprinkled throughout. One

ofthe esks for reform is to identi$ these pockets and to explore

two questions that bewilder us in the management ofthis system.

First, how do pockets ofexcellence survive and sustain them-

selves in an environment that is not entirely supportive ofsuch work?

Second, can these pockets ofexcellence become or provide

system-wide solutions for other schools and divisions?

This combination of sustainability and replicabiliry is what

constitutes "best practice". The key to quality governance in any

education system is to take these best practices and make them the

norm for all. Many have been developed locally by regular classroom

teachers and principals. Ifthey work in isolation, why couldnt they

work for the entire system? After all, the moment oftruth in education

occurs in the classroom and the school

A Deliver oualily Education1. Refine the Basic Education Curriculum

'. Review refine the BEC. English. Science and Mathematics. l\,4akabayan (social studies)and Filipin0. Reading {by Grade 3)

2. Address the rcsource shortages directly. Schoofbuildings and classrooms. Sch0ol-building repairs and maintenance. Teachers. Textb00ks and instructional materials

3. Establish a system for susta inable teachertraaningr Summer teachers' tra in ing.In-servicetraininq

4. Principa I empowerment (transfer a uth0rity tothe schools)

. The Principals' School {management courseor PrinciPals)

5. In\€st in improving education outcomes in Mindanao. Programs t0 increase participation and

achievement rates in l\,4indanao. Program t0 develop and strengthen

l\.4adais education in l\rindanao

Raisc additional rssourc€s lrcm |lon-brdgstary soulcesFrom the private sector

. Adopt-a-schoolprogramFrom parent-teacher-community associations(PTCAIand local government units(local schoolboard funds)

. National Sch00Js Maintenance Week(Brigada Eskwela)

. National Textbook Delivery Ptogram(Textbook Count)

. D ETxt {Department 0f Education textmessaging service)

Proletsionalizing lhe D€pED olganizalionlmprove teacherc' welfare

. Better paynll servicing

. Clean up of the automatic paylolldeduction scheme 0f high interest lending

. Professionalization 0f the DepEDPrcvident Fund

Procurement reforms. lmproved procurement standards

and processes

. Manualization of processes10. MIS rgforms

. Basic education inf0rmation system

. Human resources informati0n system

. lvlaterials resources informati0n system11. Financial management system reforms

. New Government Accounting System

. Direct Belease System to schools divisions12. Re-establishment of the National Educators

Academy of the Philippines (NEAP}as themanagement tra ining arm of the Department

D. Nsw Priorities13. Be-establish a nati0nal achrevement testing

systemi Elementary level. Secondary level

14. Establish a junior high school bridging program. Pre'high school program to bring up

c0mpetency levels 0t elementary graduatesin English, math and science

1 5. Special proqrams t0 improve English proficiency. For teacher/mentorsr For students at all levels

B,

7_

G,8.

Civic Exchange: ItInventing A Cooperative Enterprise

E\ ' L -R \ 'OR( ;ANIZA I ' I oN NT . ,E I )S A I } L ] S IN t -SSconccpt. ( i iv ic F-xchlnges conccpr is rr crcetc a rhink rank thlr

c.trr l r

intcl lccttr l l clpiral using e cooperarive structrrre. Everv

iclel l lso hes irs r inrc- l 'he concepr ol l conrmLrl ir , , think t:rnk

usinq e coopcrlt ive srructure nrev rvel l bc r ight for the t ime inl long Kong. rvhcrc thc peoplc must *ork hard to lelrn hou to

sovrrn themselves. Since 199-, Hong Kong hes bccn r spccir ledministnt ive region of the People's RcpLrbl ic of ( lhina. I ' reviouslr ' .es r Bri t ish colonr,, Honq Kong bccamc adcpr rr doing business

but irs pcoplc <1id not heve e cfr:rnce ro m.rke pol ir ic:r l decisionsfor rhemseh'es. Since 199-. Hong Kong has hld ir herd t ime

Icarninq horv to sovern. ( i iv ic Erchrnqes goel is to help doclop

the cirr is ceprcit l in pirbl ic pol icv and thc conrmunitr:s capecirv

to bc nrorc plrt iciparorr:' l

he iclea ofe cooperarivc enrerprise is ncu' lbr I iong Kon{.aes *,el l . ln rr:rcl i t ionel cnterpriscs. rhe nroti te is l inanciel renLln.In .r cooperativc soci ir l cntcrprisc. the rnotjvation is ro meet soci l l

By Christine Loh,C E O C ! . E r . f a f q c

needs. ( l iv ic F-xchenge is.r nerwork of pcoplc *rrrkinq rogcrhcrfbr comnron gc,l ls through thc structurc of ln cnrcrprisc.

$i/c staltecl *rrlking bcfirre rvc h:rcl tfrc flnlnces sorred out.

Indeecl. on clav onc. thc rwo co-fbundcrs. Lisr I lopkinson ancl

I , had rvhat ue bel ieved rvas rhe r ight conccpr. ir scalrh ofknosl-

cclec, r i rvide social net*ork ofcontrcts, but no f ' rnenci:r l cepirel.Si 'e uould heve been bogged do*n i frve had lookcd at thinqs

from the l inancial cnd f irst rather than f iom thc sork that rr,c

r, 'entcd ro do. I t rvas l ikc start ing out journ$ on a srrel l path rhatuc f i l t cornfortable uith befirre branching out onro rhe m:rin

rold. Using conrmonsensc ancl intuit ion slrs csscntial to kcep

uelking fonl 'ard.

Thc idea ol-a coopcrativc rcf lccts our clcsirc i i rr pcople ccrrvork roitether to promotc social change. \{ 'c resirect incLividual

ebi l i rv encl bel ieve in irs nruit ipl icet ion throLrgh torking rvith

eech other. \ !e uenr ro run en equit.rblc org.rniz. l ion. shere thc

benefi ts prot luccd arc f l i r I cl istr ibLrtcc]. \ \ t uant dccisions co

be taken democratically. Ve believe that we need to remain open-minded and flexible at all times so as to be sensirive to social needsas well as to new ideas.

This enterprise is now just over a year old. Ve believe we arecreating a unique approach to developing public policy where wecombine research, thinking, experiment, and building stakeholderconsensus in a practical and participatory manner. Even thoughCivic Exchange is a young organization, the key individuals havebeen involved in public policy for some time. Secing-up CivicExchange represented the next step ofour collaboration.

Our Mission Statement says something about us. We wantto advance policies that are economically efficient, socially just,locally appropriate, environmentally sensitive, and spirituallyrewarding. Ve believe these gods are practical and possible. Policiesthat ignore any one aspect are simply not sustainable, Ve are notwide-eyed idealists but we do have strong values, which guide uswhen we examine possible policy options. Our mission guides usroo in the way we operate and manage Civic Exchange. We hopepeople enjoy working with us and find the experience fulfilling.

As an organization, we operare as a non-profit cooperative.'We

have a 'pancake' structure and we do not intend to create ahierarchy with the inevitable recurrent costs that goes with it. Ourgoal is to remain flexible and nimble. We want to find a workableway that keeps operating cosrs low bur yet can produce a high levelof useful work. In other words, the organization itself is an exper-iment in civic cooperation. This kind of'super light' structure alsoreflects the realiry ofour times where hierarchy and a manyJayeredstructure make the organization lumpy and slow.

rVe put together projects, which we believe are importantbur neglected, together with the 'Thinkers, Researchers and Facil-itators' in our network to ensure that rhere is a high lwel ofownenhipamong the team members, Where fi.rnding is required, Civic Ex-change will seek support for them. As a non-profit organization,we are able to call upon resources, which we do not have to payfor at a commercial rate. We even get'freebies'in terms ofgoods,services and most importantly, people's intellectual dme. CivicExchange is entrepreneurial - we use wery available resource at ourdisposal to create the highest value. People give us their time becausewe can provide an effective platform for them to put their energyand experience to use for the public good. People give us financial ,support because they think we can make a difference.

'We want to convey our ideas to both general and specialized

audiences because that is a way to advance change through informedcitizenship. Our srrategy is to influence the influential by puningsolid research and good ideas to them. Ve speak frequendy at allgpes ofgarherings, such as addressing the legislature, chambers ofcommerce, professiond institutes, universities and schools, com-muniry groups, as well as international audiences.

There are three aspects to the way we work;

"Thinking" & ResearchAs a public policy think enk, much ofour work is thinking

about public policies and how we can help to make sense ofcomplexissues and find better soludons to challenges and problems.

'\07e would like our research papers to help reFrame policy

debates and help policy makers make the right choices by providingthe tools and information they need. Very often, it is importantand useful to be able to provide solid background information on

specific subjects for general and stakeholder groups so that theycould have in one place a comprehensive document about the issueat hand. From that base, it becomes possible to introduce alternativeperspectives and solutions, Many ofour papers synthesize otherpeoplet good ideas since there is no need to reinvent the wheeleach time. We look for worldwide examples to find good ideas,which may be adapted for local and regional conditions.

'We also integrate stakeholderJearning as well as consensus-

building worlshops as part ofour "thinking" and research processsince it is vital to leverage everyone's ability to make better choices.These processes also help people to focus and reflect on the mostcritical issues.

Strategic InfluenceFor social change to take place, we need to opente on many

levels. Whilst our research papers and workshops are important,it is also essential to be able to put ideas directly to decision-makersin the public and private sectors. Our influence comes throughlong-cultivated connections with public sector oflicials, politicians,business leaders. NGOs. educators and decision-makers in otherfields. Our strategy is to influence them direcdy. We have providedprivate briefings to them as well as to leaders on the internatio-nal stage.

The activities we promote, such as those under the CleanEnvironment Campaign, are designed to produce muldple resuls.Firstll they enable us to see how things work, or dont work, inpracice, which enables us to give better policy advice on how rodo things, such as a simple activiry like a beach clean-up, or im-provement. Secondly, they give us opponunities to work with manyorganizations, which is an effective way ofinfluencing them, Thirdly,they are excellent public education projects in themselves.

Education. Ve use our research and projects to educate and oureach to

a wider audience. A piece ofwork aimed at decision-makers couldbe simplified and re-packaged for students, for example. Funher-more, we are active in providing general information about thecivic landscape to help people navigate the political process and toparticipate. The Civic Exchange "Environmental Pilot Site" is anattempt to use the subject on environment and see ifwe can createa simple but engaging website that explains environmentd issueswithin the local and international political, economic and socialcontexts.

Ve have an active student internship program. \ e welcomelocal students as well as those from overseas. Civic Exchange hasestablished arrangements with Vellesley College and the WorcesterPolltechnic Institute, both ofthe US, who send us students in thesummer and winter, respectively. We encourage our interns to takeup a piece ofresearch that interests rhem and we act as their super-visors. Their finished work is then published on our website in asection devoted to the interns' work. We have had some incrediblebrighr, positive and en€rgetic young foll6 with us during thefirst year. ,

We hope to continue to grow as individuals and as a nerworkofpeople working together for social progress. Civic Exchange isa vehicle to help us experiment with the issues ofour time withina lighweight structure that emphasize speed, creativity and stake-holders collaboration.

A Discusslonlt-\on Lompeutlveness

in DevelopmentTHE FOLLOWING WRITE-UP SUMMARIZES A SENES

of conumatiorc fwm Jul 21-25, 2003 beween Dn. Andrto W'ametand Frankie Roman on the general topic ofcompctiiaeness, aespoased by Micbael Polter and itt ?hce in economic datelopment

Dr. An*eu lYamq, Hantdrd Uniuersiq Ph,D, in Economia,is a consulunt with James E. Austin '4ssocians (AA). JAA is a'Va

h i n gto n- b aed srat e gi c ma n age me n t det'e lop m en t c o w u bing

frm specializing in dtaehping and energixg economiet h bas morethan 400 projecx in otcr I 00 countrils in ahnos 20 yeats ofuorbing

concepts- rivdry and the response to threats, seizing opponu-nities in the value chain, and lately, clustering; these notions,once implemented, might imply consoli&tion of market powerby individua.l firms or clusters offirms, at the expense ofthe "rest

of the industry'. Vhile the concepts went well with the privatesector, they required some transfomation to fit into the devel-oPmenr PersPectiYe.

So where does rhe dwelopment-orientation lie in the conceptand methodology of competitiv€ness?

Comperitiveness as applied to thedevelopment field is defined as a processthat results in susrained increases inproductiviry that, when applied to manyindustries, in turn generate over the longrun, improvements in the standard ofliving ofthe country. So far, so good, butthe definition more or less applies to anyapproach to economic development.Using traditional business jargon, what

"diferentiates" competitiveness from otherapproaches to economic dwelopment)There may be two differentiating factors.One factor espoused by the

"competitiveness movement" is that de-velopment and development projecs

lacked a 'ttrategic man€ement" orientation- a gap which

competitiveness, with its frameworla and methodology, couldfill. The argument was that the field and its projects, were "too

macro" (currency depreciation), 'too large" (dam-building) or"too micro" (poverty-alleviation projects masked as "income-

generating" activities).The "niche" ofcompetitiveness lay in analJsis and stratery-

formulation at the industryJwel, The beliefwas that the adap-

tation of "business-school" tools, such as SV/OT, Key SucccssFactors, Benchmarking, and the array ofPorterb frameworks,especially-des[ned for industry and country andysis, wouldresult in major improvements in project implementation and inturn lead to faster economic growth,

The use ofclusters was the second differentiating factor.According to Porter's recently established Institute for Strateryand Competitiveness, "clusters are geographic concentrations of

By Dr. Flenkle Ro|nrnChief'ot-Party of the Thailand

Comp€titiveness Init ati!€ andRegional Competitiveness

Advisor for the South East fuiaCompetit veness Initiative

in Latin America, ,4tia, Ajlica andEdstem Europe. Dx rll'arner workeduith Jeftey Sdchs and Michael Porterand. ha a pmpeobe on both economictltnd $ldtegic nanagena2lDx Frankie Roman abo uorks with

JAA, and he is cwrently on baoe fromthe hian Institue of Marragemen4 aregional graduate rcbool of busines,esablihedfour dzcadzs ago, with oaer25,000 alumni in its dzgree and nor.degree programs. Dr Ronan is ChiefofParry ofthe Tbaihnd Competi-tirenesr Initiatbe, and concunentlyRe gio n a I C o mp e ti tit' e n e st Ado is o r fo tthe Soath East ,4sia Com?etitiaene$Inhiatiue, a projectfvndzd by tbe United States Agenq for Intena-

tional Dnelopmcnt (USAID). Dr. Roman is ba:ed in Banghok buttnaek to Vict Nam and Cambod.ia as part of hi.s worh.

How Competitiveness in Development Got Started

Competitiveness has about a decade-old "marriage" withdwelopment, starting around the early-1990s and picking upmomenum by the mid-1990s.

Its roots began in the late 1970s and in 1980, when thenow-acknowledged

"guru" of competitiveness, Michael Poner,published his first of three books on the subject. The businesscommunity and the private sector were his "primary targetmarkem", and his approach to competitiveness when translatedto the development field, sdll bears this fundamental focus oninitiatives led by private-sector, For example, to mke three basic

interconnected companies, specialized supplicrs, service providers,

and associated inst i tut ions in a parr icular f icld !hat are Presentin a nation or a region".

Parenthetical l l ' , note that when l lortcr publ ished his third

book in 1990, a cluster was onlv one out of four factors in his"Diamond

Model" orl t national comPetit iveness, and i t rvas then

called "related

and supporring industr ies". Porter expanded the

use ofclusters in a fourth book, wirh an art icle on ciusters and

competir iveness. Furthcrmore, l)orter 's inir ial research focused

on cxisring clustcrs u, i th a long tradit iol ofworking together'

f iom ceramics in l taly to print ing prcsses in Cermany His inir ial

research also focused on dcveloped countr ies, l ike the Unired

States, wirh a cliversiw ofgeographic clusters, such as automobiles

in Derroit, enterrainment in Holhv'ood/[,os Angeles. and finance

in Wall Strcer/Nerv York.

Developing countries also had industries rvith a long tradition

ofworking togerher. but manl lacked the "depth"

ofrclationships

ofa total cluster, rvhich includcd a core product and the rclatcd

and supprring industries. So the application ofthc clusrer concept

and methc,dologv to development still eschewed "cluster-crcation",

especiallv governmcnr-induced "artificial'

clusters, such as export

processing zones, or industrial estates, or free trade areas. Howcver,

clusrer work of ien rcquired "clustcr-bui lding" - start ing rvith

the loundation ofa core industrywith spccif ic f i rms making and

sell ing products and services to specif ic rnarkets, borh local and

foreign. ' l -he other srakeholdcrs ofa clustcr, such as the rclated

accivities in applied rcscarch and design, education and labor skill

development. spccial ized equipmenr and packaging suppliers,

had ro be brought into the cluster over t lme.

In any event, bv rhe mid-1990s,

multilareral organizations began writing

about and using the concept and

methodologv ofthe cluster For instance, \the Asian Development Bank and

Vorld Bank published papers on

subject. UNIDO u'ert further bv aP-

plying thc cluster approach to other

countr ies, notablv small and medium

scale enterprises and industr ies in

India, and by designing a program ,2.*'';ll,il'liir'lillt3,",,L""' '/opmcnt Administrator". USAID in-

cluded comperit iveness as one ofi ts

programs under economic growth and

oevclopment.

By the turn ofthe new centurv,

several organizarions working in the

deuelopment f ield beg.rn u. inB clu.tcr.

in thcir projeccs. Two consultants from

Monitor Corporation, a management

consulting companl', independent from

bur i nvo l v i ng Po r te r . we re acc i ve l l en -

gag.d in clu' ter-deuelopment *ork. and

wrote a book on the subjecr. The

eponvmou. tounder ofJAA alrerdy had

prcvious establ ished a "privatc-sector

dev r l opmen t l r ame* o rk (PSDF) and

a "manual

for action in the private scctor" (N4-{PS), so the clustcr

approach fit well with JAA. Other organizations used the cluster

as parr of e detelopment toolbox, several websites on competi-

tiveness appeared and featured cluster work, and there rverc the

beginnings ofa "competit iveness movcment", with cluster meth-

odolog,v es an imporlant elemen!.

How a Cluster Works

Dr. Varner provides this simple but i l lustrarive storv, or

parable, about how a clustcr works.

Assume that lhere arc two farners- A & B. Farmer A is

more producrive than Farmer B. I fsomeone *cn( to Farncr B

and advised him to use a better plow, or to keep the bcsr seeds

fbr the next harvest, that advice *ould consti tute standard con-

sult ing. Orr rhe other hand, supposc (hat somcone else anall"zed

thc rvork ofboth farmers, and concluded rhat e trr.rck would help

both rhcse farners-by reducing spoi lage. improving t ime-ro-

market, and so on. Suppose f irr ther that neither iarmer could

aflbrd to pav fbr the truck but that both o1'rhern could buy i t .

and dre consultant successfully persuaded both llrmers to under-

take thc purchase.'l

hcrcfore, rhe tllo tlrmers havc fbrmeci a cluster, and thc

consultant is a cluster f)ci l i tator, since the ibcus is on helping

borh larmers. The truck u'ould increase the productiviry as well

as the incomes ofthe two farmcrs, lnd thc cconomv would show

a ner gain, pcrhaps because the producc thit was previouslv spoilcd

and endcd up as animal feed could norv be sold to the market,

and perhaps because turnovcr would increase over thc vear $'ith

/\

I4

q7

2

rhe constant use ofthe uuck.The story may be extended. Suppose that the rwo farmers

then persuade the local government to build a "farm-to-market"

road. That activity would constitute a clusterled initiative. One ofthe mantras of competitiveness is thar "cluster strategy leads, andgovernrnent policy enables". Note that the road might constitutea government subsidy if it only benefited the two farmers. Howevetone would assume that this road would benefit orher farmers andnon-farmers as well. The point is rhat the "cluster" has offered amumally acceprable ".va.lue proposition" by saying to the government,in effect, that-- "!7e did our part. !7e bought a truck. Now canyou do your part? Build the road." The story may be extended yeragain. Discussing what kind oftruck is needed, what size, for whatneeds, and so on. This discussion carries duster work beyond strategzlormularion and ro project implemenrarion.

And the story may be extended one more time, with thequestion: V4ro will drive the truck? The answer is at the heart ofthe issue ofcluster leadership. A cluster is not aa automatic mech-anism that can be left on its own. Quire the contrary: it requirescommimed and dedicated leadershipto survive and grow. Clusrer leadershipfocuses on the good ofthe whole; mostCEOs ofindividual firms are con-cerned with their own growth andprofitabiliry. Cluster leadership mustconsider long-term strategy; mosrCEOs are concerned with day-to-dayoperating issues-increasing sales,keeping costs down, etc.

A cluster has not mer rhe test ofsustainability until ir has survived morethan one business cycle. The initialengagement with a cluster often startswith at least a neutral attitude amongthe participanrs, such as "It seems likea good idea. lrt us give it a try." The cluster generates more interestand enthusiasm ifone or more action plans result in rangible "quick

wins". However, a cluster does not negate the business cycle; adownturn is inevitable, the cluster runs out of"quick wins", rheorher init iatives have a longer "payback period". iarricipana rhenfind less time for the cluster meetings. It is at rhe downturn-stageofthe business cycle that cluster leadership is tested. A cluster mayslowly die as fewer panicipants atrend meetings that become moreinfrequent. On the orher hand, the leadership ofrhe cluster mayexercise its powers ofpersuasion to keep the cluster togerher.

The recently concluded "one-wo punch" ofthe Iraq-plus-SARS crises put clusters to the tesr. For example, before the crisis,the tourism cluster was discussing long-term issues ofchanging themix ofourisa, developing sustainable rourism that did nor degradethe environment and stretch the "carrying

capacirf' oftourist areas,increasing the income from tourism to the local communities. Theduster regarded these issues as imponart and beyond the capabiliryofa single operator in the industry. However, during and immediatelyafter the Iraq-plus-SARS crises, the acention shifted to urgenrresponses and remedies such as cost-cutting, price reduction, shonerwork-weel<s, seeking government assistance, and so on.

Aldrough borh *re war and the disease have come and gone,th€ pardcipants are srill focused on the interests ofrheir individualfirms and show little inclination to revive the cluster. The clusterleadership has to repeat to the participants the basic importanceand rationale for the cluster: there are stratesies that are worthunderraking because they significantly benefir rhe whole clusrer.even ifno single firm in the cluster can successfully implementth€ strategres.

Condusion: "Find the Tiucks"

Competitiveness in development in essence is all abour findingthe trucls-value-adding strategies that increase producdvity andeconomic growth. The cluster is a mechanism for pooling resourcesto "get the trucks".

In economicjargon, competitiveness ald clusrer work are allabout redressing marker failure by collecrive acrion ro generare joinrgains, (Due to word-limitations, specific examples ofjoinr gainswill have to wait for another article.)

In practice, this approachmakes cluster work borh easy andhard. The work is easy because it canfocus on "trucks" - strategies andinvestments that benefit the wholecluster (or at least more rhan onemember) but which require the co-operation ofthe participants roachieve value-adding gains. Com-petitiveness in development throughcluster thus requires a subsrantialdegree ofcooperarion. On the otherhard, cluster work is hard, becausemutually beneficial gains are not al-ways apparent-the trucks are notthat easy to find, and because success

on joint gains often requires a sustained commitmenr and a long-telm PersP€ctrve.

Cluster work requires a combination ofprocess and output.The process part-getting participants togetheq establishing trustand building relationships, identifring rhe cluster leaders, is anecessary but not a sufficient condition. The goal is not to builda cluster. The goal is to increase productiviry, through the clustermechanism, The output ofthe cluster process should result intangible and quantifiable gains, admittedly probably very crude-ly estimated.

A cluster that is active and meets often but cannot generate'rruck" is linle more rhan a social club. On r,he orher hand, wirhourgood process work, rhe cluster participants may not feel any senseofinvolvemenr and ownership mwards a particular "trucli'. Forinstance, ifa strategy was imposed by rhe governmenr, then theparticipants will not be inclined to "take care ofrhe truck"- thatis, to properly implemenr the strateg;z and the truck will quicklywear out or break down, with limited gains for all. A good processcannot exist without a tangible output, and vice-versa. To conclude,the uust and relationship-building process and the value-addingstrategies work together to sustain competitiveness in development.

Life in SMARI is [ke a camp, Veffavel light, we keep poving. It's thel-ourney that counts because.we go'from

destination to destinailon.I" ape with that lifesryle, we have[.pi d"i ori^t rotional 6tructure flatanA flexiblE z

Life Ln Camp SMART by N.poleon lflzareno

The Race forTalent bY Sam.6r Raina

Professional izing HospitaL Management:

Challenges n the Ph l ippine Healthcare Systems

by Joel Garci.

n

By Nopoleon L. N.z.rsnoSN4AFT CEO & Pres d6nrMBM 73

Life in Camp SMART(Speech drliuered to the Managem€nt Association of the Philippina May 29, 2003, Hotel Intercontinental Manila)

QUITE A FE\r WERE SURPRISED \rHEN SMARTwas named Best Employer in the Philippines for 2003. SMARTmay be known as an aggressive marketing company. But mar-keting power is not what a lovable employer make. SMARTmay be known for its technical innovations. But being techdoesnt make us a people-fiiendly company. Surely, there mustbe more to SMART than a hard-driving and workaholic rep-utation.

I-et me be the first to admir that SMARI, as an employer,demands much from managers ald employees alike. Atrd wecompensate and reward them in like measure. We see ourselvesas a competitive company. We like to outdo the comperition.'We

strive to surpass ourselves. Seniority does not count formuch in SMART. Perlormance does

That may sound harsh, even hearless. But such harshnessis not without reason. In the era ofglobal compedrion, to excelis to sLrwive. High performance isnt jusr a-n ideal. It is a necessiry.Otherwise, your dap as an employer, let alone as an outstandingemployeq are numbered. That is both the curse and the chal-lenge of our age.

For that reason, our people policies and programs havebeen shaped by the overriding need to keep the organization

' in fighting form. Let me explain.

High Performance CultureThe founders ofSMART knew they had ro fight giants

who were entrenched in rhe market and had vastly superiorresources. They knew that to succeed they had to outwit, ourmaneuver and out-run the comperition.

So they devised strategies and tactics designed to changethe rules ofthe game in rhe cellular industry. To execute theseplans, they built an organization ofmavericks willing to takeon giants.

It was not easy recruiting good people for SMART in

the early days. Ten years ago, nobody knew whar SMART was.It was just an ambitious upstart wirh no track record.

Still, SMART managed to get the good people it neededto start. This was a case ofless being more. The early recruitsremember they were interviewed in the same large Spartanroom where the president ofrhe company and his seniormanagers were busy holding meetings. The engineer who nowmanages our switches remembers that - when he showed upfor his firsr day ofwork - he didn't have a desk. He had ro userwo large cartons.

But SMART's fresh recruits didnt mind all rhat. '*4rat

macered was the commitment ofco-employees to the company,and the excitement and urgency with which they pursuedtheir tasks.

Common VisionIn this Darwinian fashion, SMART assembled a group

. of like-minded people dedicated to a common vision. Ifyouwanted a nice office and a comfortable job, you didnt joinSMARL But ifyou were excited by the rhought ofbuildingthe No. 1 mobile phone company in the country and relishedthe prospec offighting it out with a formidable incumbentdespite great odds-yes, you joined SMART.

That was the band ofpeople who established a traditionofhard work and relentless, rapid innovation thar has poweredthis company m the top. Being the third operaror to enrer themobile business, Smart had to come up with new ideas, Nowthat it is the market leader, Sman continues to embrace heretica.lideas aimed at changing the status quo. Ler me go through afew ofthose ideas.

Remember the man with a baseball bar. Het the fellowwho said you could actually use a cell phone for as low as P120a month. That was PriceBuster In mid-1994, ir was a srunningoffer. The nearest plan ofthe marker leader cost five rimes as

much. PriceBuster changed rhe business model ofthe industry So, naturally, a critical question that I have to pondel as

and opened up a much broader market for mobile phone services. CEO is this: How can this culture ofhard work ard innovation'We

stepped up rhe pace ofinnoretion when Sman set up stay dive and well? How can you do tlat even as the organization

iu GSM service in 1999. A key part of our strategy was to vasdy grows larger and tie business more complex?

expand the use of rcxr messaging which - as weryone here knows There are many differcnt asPects to that question. But let

- is hugely popular amo.rg Filipi.tor. In line with this, Smart me focus on how weve addressed this challenge through our

has developed literally hundreds of SMS-based services which people policies and programs.

today we are still launching at the rate of one a week, Flrt lnd FldibL

[otld ffi Life in SMARI is like a camp Ve travel light, we keep

Along rhe way, we've scored a number ofworld fints. Heret moving. Itt the journey that counts because we go from desti-

a lisr ofsome ofrhem: nauon to destination. To cope with that lifesryle, we have kept

. The country's first ponal for mobile services ca.lld SMARI Zed. our organizational structure flat and flexible. The entire organi-

. The world's first zation - all 5,000 of

i]ffiii.l'#;i:"" Life in SMART is tike a €mp.we travel h"jllll.l'"iii,,3Hi+';3# light we keep moving. lt's the iourney

0""'1'5, *n.,.,;Jiil',1j;Il;j"u. that counts because we go from desti- ;f.i:i';:.!ifl'"liv.J,r'? c<r s* natign tO deStinatiOn.TO COpe with that puzledbecausewhenperSlM. I looked around the

l'r"i".o"",,rr-o., lifestyle, we have kept our organiza- offi..,r"o,,ld.tfind

il'Jil:f.1il."il,"Jk tional structure flat and flexible. f.?S.:f';.y'powerful SMS service. w€re none' The only

. The *orldt first phone-ro-phone reloading service that offers one with a tide in the entire organization was me - the President

top-ups for prepaid phones for as low as P30. It's called SMART and CEO. And that's because it's required by law. Everybody

n"aay fo"a. else was a "Head". "Head" ofthis or "head" ofthat One fellow

Relentless rapid innovation - rhe ability to take unonhodox, may have I 0 people under him, while another has a thousand,

out ofthe box ideas and work long da;n and long nights to turn Doesnt matter' they are all called "heads"'

rhem into market-winning servicis - tlfs has been the key to I remember telling Annette, my HR head, this was weird.

SMARTi; continuing success. \rhy don't we have titles for people? I soon changed my views.

On sustaining the Best EmploYer of theYear Award for the coming years,,,

The key challenge is this: how do we keep reinventing ourselves? With reinvention comes renewal and this

sustains the passion for excellence and innovation.This is both difficult and at the same time unavoidable. In the

mobile business, constant change exerts relentless pressure on organizations. Developments in technology have

the potential to suddenly make oxisting busin€sses obsolete. Market preferences can change swiftly and createnew unexpected opportunities. By keeping our organization attuned to these threats and opportunities, SMARTcan retain its dynamic organizational culture and the youthfulness of its spirit.

Ann Ma.grrat V, StntiagoHead, Human Resource Management Division

Incorporrtod in 1991, Smart Communication3 Inc.servicos providor with ov.r 9 milllon subscdb€la as3ubsidiary of th6 l.rgost Philippine tolocommunacataon

|SMABTI i. th6 Philippinos' lo.ding wirole33of February 2OO3. SMART i3 a wholly ownodcarrbr, th€ Philappino Long Di3tl|nc€ Compary.

Restructura, restructureA flat organization makes it easier to restructure as the

need arises. This has been very helpful to us because we havehad several major reorganizations in the past three years, Reor-ganization is also facilitated by the fact that we do not havejob descriptions. \X/hat we have are defined roles. !?e prefer tokeep things flexible, to allow room for adjustments and gro*th.

'l7ithin our lean organizational structure, we create a lot

ofad hoc teams, often to punue priority projec$. Team membersare drawn from various ranls. Senior executives work shoulderro shoulder with specialists and supervisors. After the projectis done, people go back to their usua.l roles, Such ad hoc bodieshelp keep dre entrepreneurial spirit alive widrin the organizarion.This has enabled us to "act small" within a large organization.

Select the convert€dTo reinforce rhe culture ofinnovation, we like ro recruit

the converted. We have skewed our selection process to favorthose who like to work under pressure. We look for flexibility,for capacity to wander but not get lost, for agiliry in adjustingto rapidly changing conditions.

\Ve pay close attention ro the attitudes ofpotential man-ager recruic. Can they work with just accountabiliry and targetseven without a definite job description? Those who are strictly8 to 5 personaliries, we gently steer to workplaces other thanSMARI.

Those who are hired are put through culture buildingprograms. This consiss ofa series of fun and interactivegames that help build a sense of teamwork and that providenew employees a glimpse ofthe history and traditions ofme company.

Promote from within'We

also like to promote from within. Up to 40olo of oursenior executives, 53olo ofmanagers and 600lo ofour supervisorshave risen from the ranks.

To support this process, we have, since the year 2000,been using the competency based performance manatementand career developmenc framework. Under this setup, eachemployee knows what he is expected to deliver, the competencieshe needs to develop, and how he can map out his career in theorganization. Then, we provide our people training - lom ofIt. There are technical and skills training programs and thereare people management training programs. There are ampleopportuniries to learn.

As a result ofthese efforts, our people tend to stay. Ourattrition rate is 67o. That compares favorably with rhe industryaverage ofabour l0 to l2o/o. \X/hy do they stay? [n one surveyconducted amongst SMART employees, respondena said tharthe reasons for sraying - in order ofimportance were: "The

culture, the challenge ofthe job and the salary." Vhen newhires are asked what attracted them to SMART, the reasonsgiven - again, in order ofimportance were: "The culture,rhe opportunities, the compensation."

T:ansparency and perfotmanco

An essentid aspect ofthat culrure is transparency. Despiteour size and the fact that our employees are dispersed all overthe country we take pains to "listen to the sounds ofrhe forest".

The entire management committee, including me, spendsa great deal ofdme talking with our people. In the past threeyears, weve held several cascade sessions to discuss major changesin policy or organizational structure. We just finished one cycleduring which the ManCom met with all 5,000 employees ofSMART in l1 sessions in different parts ofthe country I alsohave Kapihan session with groups ofmanagers for more in-

depth discussions.Ve've learned that transparency drives performance.

Everybody in the company knows what our key annual perfor-mance targets .ue. People keep track of how we do every quarter'That's because their variable incentives are based on the com-pany's performance. Variable pay can be significant: Up to 40olooftoal pay. People have a powerfirl incentive to help thecompany hit its targets,

In the middle ofall this, believe it or not, we find timeto feel like a family. An employee who is sick is sent flowersand personally visited. \(4tenever a personal loss is experienced,families are consoled and supported. Every year, we close downone resorr or another so that SMART employees can have funwith their families. This year, it was Enchanted Kingdom.

\Ve also have time to serve our communities. We havebegun dweloping vaiious community service programs thattap the talents ofour people. They are eager to volunteer theirservices for programs like setting up a wireless engineeringeducation course in selected schools around the country.

How do I do my job as a CEO in such a self-propelledorsadization?

You've heard about how CEOs should set directions andrhen gtt out ofthe wayi Well, I do that very often. You have

also heard how CEOs should put the right people in the rightjobs, give them the resources they need, and then get out ofthe way. I have done that too.

. But today, in the age ofglobalization, jobs are not forever.Business models change as fast as they are validated. 'Vhere

before the CEO could run a business simply by heading it, byadministering it, now he must motivate his people and lead

them. His task is to inspire people to jump out ofbed eachmorning and report for work - singing.

That - I must confess - is a terrilying thought becauseI cannor hold a note. So, how can I possibly teach people rosing going to work!

Actually, I do not inspire my people. They inspire me.The dedication ofthe men and women of SMART inspire me

to work hard. Their contagious enthusiasm for a new product,for a new sales drive, lifts me up. The quiet resolve written in

their faces wh'en they commit to new and higher targets getsmy juices running and convinces me that what before wasbeyond our reach is now achievable. Yes, it is my people whoinspire me. And I consider myself a very lucky CEO.

The Race forTalentBy S.m.d R.in., MB 2OO3

TALENT HAS NE\,'ER BEEN DEARERIIn todayt hlper-competitive knowledge driven global

economy, in which access to capital is no longer measured in

terms ofscarcity, one factor of production sdll sits on top ofrhe ladder ofscarce resourccs. This factor ofproducdon is'ralent' or specifically managerial tdent.

In our knowledge-based economy, vdue is the producto0knowledge and information. Companies cannor generateprofia without the ideas, skills arrd alent ofknowledge workers,

and they have to bet on people - not rcchnologies, not factories

and cenainly not capital. In this economy, success{irl companieswill be defined as those that can attract, retain, and make the

besr use of the creative knowledge of its workers.

Why is talent hatd to findEvery executive worth his salt knows that hiring and

retaining key employees are tedious tasla. Irrespective of thesize ofa corporation, three market forces define the scarciry oftalenr. First, a more complex globally integrated economydemands more sophisticated talent with global acumen, mul-ticultural fluency, technological literacy, entrepreneurial skillsand rhe ability to manage increasingly delayered, disaggregatedorganizations. This multidimensional skill set is hard to findin the first place. Second, the emergence of efficient capitalmarkets has enabled the rise ofmany small and medium sizedcompanied that are increasingly targeting the same people

sought by large corporations. More ard more ta.lented peopleare leaving the security ofa stable corporate career for thechallenges and rewards ofentrepreneurship, Third, job mobiliry

is increasing. According to a survey conducted on 50 senior

executive search professionals by a leading consulting firm, an

aver€e €xecutive today will work in five companies, and in

another ten years, it might be seven. These forces have collecrivelyleft companies scrambling and fighting to recruit top talentany' to retain them to ensure growth and continuiry

Indeed, the chasm betweer rhe demand and supply of

manageria.l talent has nsver been wider Companies worldwide

are engaged in a war for talent thar will remain the defining

characteristic ofthet competitive landscape for decades to

come. And, as rnore and more companies come to undersandthis new paradigm, there will be a greater demand for talent.

This has led to a Race for Talent, where th€ success orfailure ofa firm can hinge on its abiliry to attract, retain and

motirate key employees. Funher, the race for talent will accel-erate as economies become globalized and talent flows to cor-

poritions and countries where it can most flourish.

'What can companies do about it

In the theatre oftaledt, there are rwo major players, the

employer or company and the employee or the knowledge

worker. ln 1998, McKinsey & Company undertook a studythar bought fonh the dearth oftdent in top US corporationsand what can be done to develop and retain talented workers.As per the,study, the war for talent can be won iftalent man-

agement is made a top corporate priority. Then, to attract and

retain the people you need, corporations must create andperpetually refine an employee value proposition: This is essen-

tially the senior management's answer to why a smait, enelgetic,

ambitious individual would want to come and work wirh yourather rhan with the team next door. That done, you must turnyour attention to how you are going to recruit great talent andfina.lly develop, develop and develop! Companies also would haveto accept the new rea.liry: rhe market and not the company, willuldmately determine the movement of employees, especiallykey employees. The old goal of HR managemenr - ro minimizeoverall employee turnover-needs to be replaced by a new goal:to influence who leaves and when. This market driven strategybegins with the assumption that long-term, across the boardemployee loyalry is neither possible nor desirable. The focus inthis approach shifts from broad retention program aimed at allemployees to highly nrgeted efforts aimed at particular employeesor a group ofemployees.

What can employees do about itAn employee can, through planning and medculotu execurion

catapult himself or herself into the select band of employees thatcompanies will bend over backwards to retain and develop. Ofcourse, this planning and execution is based on the assumptionthat an employee has the basic management skill ser.

Employees can begin by seeking "career securiq/'. ln thepast, a secure job at a reputable firm was all the career maaagementyou needed. Howwer, no company can guaranree job securityany more, so it is up to you to manage your career. Update yourskills; build relationships; and keep abreast ofchanging economicconditions. Career management is important in good times. It iseven more imponaat in uncertain rimes. Gaining "career securiry"would involve the development ofskills and relationships thatwill make you marketable to employers, both current and furure,even ifyour position is downsized,

\What can you do to enhance your career security? Here aresome suggestions:

Plan Ahead, Career management requires a long-term ob-jective and dre discipline and commitment to achiwe thar objective.Identifr what your career goals are, and take steps to meet rhosegoa.ls. Focusing on cdeer straregy, not iustjob security, will allowyou to make career decisions independent of the current economicuncertainry. Don't pass on an opportunity that will further yourcareer growth, ifit's the right fit.

Choose the Strategy that is Right for You. How much riskand uncertainry are you comfortable with? A lot of the answerto ihis question will dictate your career strategy. Are you a srart-up material, thrilled with the prospect ofhigh returns and unfazedby uncertain cash flow? Or do you need a stable, steady incomein order to sleep at night? Recognize the risk factor when jobhunring and pick a compaly thart light for you.

Be Proactive. In order to meet your career goa.ls, you haveto proacrively seek out the training, experiences, and relationshipsthat will help you achieve rhose gods. Even ifyou have your dreamjob in the perfect compaay, it is importanr to avoid complacency.Economic conditions and the fonunes ofany company can changevery quickly, and you want to make sure that you are not caughtin the pinch. W'ork toward success, but be ready for change. Pursue

training to ensure your skills are up-to-date and in demand. Readand research to keep abreast ofwhat's happening in your industry.Network constandy so your professional suppon group and conacsare current. Taking these steps, even when times are good, willbetter prepare you for a downturn.

Maintain Perspective. Ifyou have recently experienced alayoff. or ifyou fear rhar one is imminenr, rry to maintain yourperspective. Experiencing a corporate downsizing can be a gut-wrenching experience, but many potential employers find valuein pmple that can live rhrough the experience, and come out witha positive attitude. Pick yourselfup, brush up your resume, andput on a smile. tVhen you seek new opportunities, make sure thatyou reflect on the positive aspecc ofyour experience, rather thanthe unpleasant side, and be prepared ro ralk about the valuableexperience you gained.

For both companies and employees, the key is to start now.The race for talent may seem like a crisis, but like any crisis, ittalso an opportuniry to seize - or squander,

AIM and the race for talentAIM is a good case study to undentand the concept of talent

attraction and management and why talent is so importanr in aknowledge economy. The intrinsic value ofAIM as an educationalinstitution resides in the minds ofthe faculty and the students.As AIM measures its success in terms ofthe difference and con-rribudon that its students make to sociery it is imperative rhatAIM attracts the mosr talenred students for its courses.

However, all orher things being equal, talented students areanraoed and will continue to be attracred to AIM, if and only i[they are given the opportuniry to study under top-class AIMfaculry This then leads to the question: What can AIM do roanrait, retain, develop and manage talented faculry? Top faculty,being the benchmarks in their respective areas, are scarce rcsourcesthat n€ed to be nourished in ar enabling environment. Ir is theobjective ofAIM to provide rhis enabling environment that wouldattract and retain these faculry by means of career progression,regular industry exposure, sponsorships for further educarion,

. competitive compensation and a healthy working environment.Top class faculry not only acract top studcnts, but also

engage in new research and material development which enablesthe school to achieve its research and development objectives.Funhet as mlent anracts talent, hiring and retaining these faculrywill act as a magnet to other top class faculty who rnay not bepersuaded to join AIM in the first instance. This then leads to aniterative loop in which the centrifugal force is the commitmentofAIM to attracr and retain talent. The eventual outcome ofrhisprocess is rhat AIM is recognized as an institution that breeds,dwelops, incubates and nourishes talenred individuals who makea difference in their communities.

Wlnnins th. rrlenr warlor wom€n - Harvard Busin.ss F.vi.wA mark.t driven.ppro6ch to r6iaining t6l€nr - HEruErd B6in..s R.viflCapitalV..sutT.l.nr - Hary.rd Su!in.6. R.vidThe wgr lor rel.nt - Mcxi6w OuanorN

Comporing in rh. r.c6 lor tal.nr - PlV

Pro fes s i o nal izing H o sp i talManagement: Challenges in thePhilippine Healthcare Systems

By Jool Grrci., MHSA

AFRIEND ONCETOLDME"'CHOOSINGTHEzuGHTroad is first and how well or fast one can run on it comes second."Enter Asian Hospital and Medical Center (AHMC) . The foundersofthe hospital made a bold decision to construct a faciliry forFilipinos who demand better healthcare services. Yes, the choicewas bold, even risky, but this decision was made for the solepurpose ofgoing down the "right road."

This 258-bed tertiary care facility with an adjoining 145-unit medical office building was established to improve the facilitiesofhandling patients and the qualiry ofcare given to parients.This is the simple philosophy of Dr. Jorge Garcia, the foundingchairman. l-ooking at the bigger picture, Asian Hospital was builtro set a higher standard and to challenge its competitors to takerhe same initiative to improve their facilities and services. Afterall, who benefits from good competition? The patient.

Perception

The new, hotel-like AHMC can be easily perceived as beingunaffordable. Arsuments can be made on both sides but we

believe in one simple philosophy -"Y6u get what you pay for."Metaphorically, ifone enters a 5-star hotel, he should not expect

3-star rates. The healthcare population has to understand, tharifthey are going to get better qualiry care, they have to pay forir. The realiry is rhat fuian Hospital has very comperit ive ratesand when people take a tour ofthe faciliry the perception ofbeing expensive suddenly goes out the door. Furthermore, theorganization is continuously committed to serving the entirecommuniry which includes the under-privileged. lVhen travelingdown our road, we will from time to time assist people who needa "ride" even though it is unlikely they have the means to pay fortfansPorraalon.

The people pat (car)

Although Asian Hospital is a state-of-the-art faciliry it isthe people yho provide the qualiry service. Everyone, from thephysicials, nurses, medical technicians, pharmacists, engineers,administration and even housekeeping, plays a role in caring forpatients and their families. \fhen traveling down our chosen

It is not enough just to build new facilities,l . l . l .

De lt a nosPltal, outpailent surgery center or a

clinic. In terms of healthcare delivery, a new

generation of managers will play an important

role in the Philippine healthcare system.

road, I would like to compare the various departments ofAHMC to that of a car. Our departments are comparable rothe engine, the doon, the uansmission, or the wheel. Eachpart is distinctive; yet each part plays an important role ofg€tting us where we want to go. As we drive down the road tobecer healthcare, weryone has one focus: rhe patient. Thepatient is the inspirarion behind our motto ofa roral healingenvironment. So no matter how complex each of the depart-ments tends to be,everyone realizesthat working to-gether m serve thepatient requiresteamwork and un-derstanding of ev-eryone's role. Ev-eryone knows weare driving a newcar that was builtfrom scratch, Theride may not be assmooth as wewould like it to be but nevertheless we are moving forward,A.long the way we mu$ b€ constantly reminded that our em-ployees play a vital role to our patient-care philosophy. Theyconvey what we stand for and their work mirrors what weintend to achiwe by being a first rate facility, Our employeesensure that the idea ofthe hospital's existence fiom generationto generation becomes and remains a reality.

The local Philippine setting (the bumps, twists and turns)

Now that we have our ca-r and traveling down our chosenroad, the bumps, rwist and turns come from understandingand adapting to the Philippine healthcare setting. rVe are notthe U.S., Canada or even the U.K. - we are the Philippines,Unlike our industrialized allies. our roads seem to have morcbureaucracy, red ape and less discipline. Being a new trendsetter

and being dif-ferent some-flmes Posts agreater chal-lenge to a cul-ture that isadamant tochange. In itsinfancy, AsianHospitd dsohas its fairshare ofoper-ational issuessuch as nuning

turnover, keeping good maintenance, being financially viable,having a positive attitude and focusing on continuous qualiryimprovement. The key to handling all the bumps that comealong the way is adap.ation and discipline. We should learnftom other healthcare wstems. analr"ze it and see what can beapplied to our local market.

In navigating our obsecles, Asian Hospital will never

Founded in 1994, Asian Hospital Inc., started out with one basic objective: to build a facil i ty of world class standards.

The dream became a reality when Asian Hospital and Medical Center (AHlVlC) opened,its doors on May 1 1, 2002.

Located in Fil invest Corporate City, Alabang, this 258-bed hospital sits on 12250 sq m of land and is connected by

a sky-bridge to a seven-storey, '145-unit Medical Office building that houses doctors'clinics and outpatient services.

With a medical staff ot 1,000, Asian Hospital has recruited top doctors from all over the country as well as in the

United States.

Adopting a patient-centered philosophy in a total healing environment, Asian Hospital not only hopes to raise the

level of care in the Phil ioDines but also to remain the standard setter in Southeast Asia for manv vears to come.

...the Philippine Healthcare setting... is one

of the most compassionate, family-centered, and

family-focused healthcare systems in the world.

drive offthe road or turn back. We can learn from our past, butwe:hould never rurn back. \X/hy? Ve as an organizarion owe irto all our patients to provide the best care possible. Healthcarein general is a tough business and many organizations may tendto side-skirt tough issues. Asian Hospital is dealing with all itsissues directly no matter what lies on our "road". Now there isno exact equation for keeping werybody happy, but there is afocus in our organization on giving rhe best cere witl no shorrcuts.Critics might argue, "But this is the Philippines and what youpractice in the United States does not apply here." !7e respondby stating, "There should be no excuse to strive for what's bestfor the patient." This is a common goal that all healthcare insti-tutions sharc wherher you reside in the US, Europe, or the Phil-ippines. It's a matter ofadapting a positive philosophy and rein-forcing it. In the long run this will eventually help smoorhen thepotholes and bumps.

Ifthere is an1'thing to be said about the Philippines Health-care sening, it is one ofthe most compassionate, family-centered,and family-focused healthcare q,stems in the world. Not wen theU.S. can come close to this qpe ofsetting. Globa.lly, Filipinos arerenowned for theirhospitality, care andcompassion; thus, ittranslates to a bemerreputation within theservice industry Yes,there is a big differ-ence in salaries to thatof the indusrrializedcountries; howevet, ifyou take away that component, the teamworkand drive in the Philippine setting is very exceptional and aboveall, it is patient-focused. VGen it is patient-focused, it is family-focused. Having the family (and enended family) involved in thecaring ofpatients is something unique and found only in thePhilippines. This is something all Filipinos can take pride in andit is here rhat we have an unquestionable advantage over ourforeign counterparts.

The big picture, future challenges, possible trends (differcnt roads) ,

There arc a number ofnew hospitals on the drawing boardor in the various stages ofplanning and construction. It will beinteresting to obsewe how the Philippine market handles a posibleoversupply ofinpatient beds. kt us assume that all rhese projectsget offthe ground and are completed. This by no means guaranteesthat they will all be successful. Looking ahead, here are my pre-dictions and chdlenges for the Philippine Healthcare system:

(l) Five to ten years down the road, you mighr see thedevelopment of "health systems". More beds and newer facilitiesmight not translate into better care.

'\i?ill newer facilides continue

to be built in Metro Manila? Vill there be other facilities builtin Cebu or Davaoi Or will Manila continue to be the preferredplace for specialized treatment? Could the Philippine Market seean over supply ofbeds? Ifso, you will see a growing number ofhealth affiliations among hospitals, you might wen see hospitals

buying other hospitals and/or clinics. The competition to fill thesebeds will be intense because of the financial oblieations associatedwirh keeping them open. The concepr ofrtre lrand-alone" reniaryhospital could possibly be phased out 10-12 years from now.

(2) The debate will go on whether or not physicians makethe best directors for hospitals. Physician directors are commonin Asia; however, as pressure builds to sustain profitabiliry andimprove operations, outside help from rhe business sector willcrrtainly follow As a result, more refined programs geared towardshealthcare adminisrradon will be needed.

(3) The healthcare educational system will go through amodest change. One can expect more "non-physicians" to takeup a Masters degree in Hospital Administration, which in turnwill evolve into a Masrer in Health Services Administration orMBA-gpe degree. It is not enoughjust to build new facilities,be it a hospiel, outpatient surgery c€nt€r or a clinic. In terms ofhealthcare delivery a new generation ofmanagers will play animportant role in the Philippine healthcare sysrem. In order totrain the future administrators ofthis country various schools willhave to look at their curriculum and adiust the curriculum to

meet the latesthealthcare trends.

(4) Vith theU.S. nursingshonage expectedto last for the next1 0- I 5 yea-rs, allhospitals will bechallenged to keep

the good nurses from going abroad. The Philippines will sdll bethe largest suppliers ofnurses overseas, however, watch out forTaiwan, China, Thailand and Metnam, which are investing heavilyin teaching English. The Philippines may still hold an edge overits Asian neighbors when it comes to speaking and writing skills,bui the gap will definitely lessen.

Staying on top: have we reached the end of the road?

In healthcare, the road(s) will nwer end for hospita.ls suivingto give the best patient care. Ve will continue to stdve to be b€mereach day in our profession, in our service. As the saying goes,"The one thing constant in healthcare is change." For AsianHospital, gening to the top is the easy part, staying on top is thebigger challenge. This might a.ll depend on what roads one chooses.Referring back to the car analogy, the person behind the wheelis the Asian Hospital CEO. This person is driving the new cardown the "right" road. He is testing the handling of the car asit navigates the bumps and turns, steps on rhe gas or slows downto see what trouble might lie ahead, and will make sure there areadequare funds to maintain ard drive the car. He will be the keyon looking ahead and seeing ifthe road is clear or might chooseto go dowir another road. Once the path is chosen, he is the keyto getting the organization up to speed. Over time rhe driversmay change but the challenges remain the same. There really isno end, only more roads to choose from.

t\ ttlI

f!'

*

F

II

F

€

*

t'l

*

*

t

*

.:,.

*

rl'

If,t

l(

;TE":)1'J

ibl-. r

Bhutan

Bhutan, the Land ofthe

Thunder Drason or Druk Yul,is not only one of the leading

countries in environmental

preservation but also one of

the ten bio-diversiry spots ln

the world and one of the 221

global endemic bird areas.

endemic bird areas. Many parts ofcountry have been declaredas wildlife reserves, and its eco-systems shelter some oFthe most

exotic species ofthe eastern Himalayas with an estimated 770species ofbirds and over 50 species ofrhododendron (Bhutan\

national flower). Bhutan's rare and exotic faunas include the

Takin (Bhuen's nationd animal), Himalalan brown bear, snowleopard, golden Langur, timid blue sheep, red panda and dger.Bhutan, historically named the "Lho

Jong Men Jong' or "Sourhern

Valleys of Medicinal Herbs", breeds a variety of herbal andmedicinal plants, carnivorous plants and rare orchids.

Bhutan's indigenous population is the Drulpa. Three main

ethnic groups, the Sharchops, Ngalops and the Lhotsampas,make up the Drukpa population. The Ngalongs in the western

and cenrral regions are the descendants ofTibetan immigrantswho arrived in Bhutan from the 9th century The Sharchops,

recognized as che original inhabitants ofBhutan,live in the east

of the country. The third group is known as Lhotshampas, which

represents the Nepali speaking ethnic group.Dzongkha is Bhutan's oflicial language. More than 20

different languages, which include Tibeun and Nepali, are spoken

in the councry. English is the medium ofeducation so as to

facilirate contact with che outside world. Tiaditional knowledge

and educarion as well as religious learning are given high prioriryto ensure that Bhutan's cultural heritage,indigenous medicine and the ancienr skillsof thankha painting, architecture,handicrafts and music continue toflourish, Educarional, a.s well as social,opportunities are not affeced by rank orby binh. Bhutan has never had a rigidclass system. Bhutanese women enjoyequal rights with men in every respect

Bhuranese culture and traditionalIifesg,le remairs uery much inracr. Thoughurban communiries have developed, themajority ofBhutanese people still live nsmall rural villages. More rhan 90olo of

I N F O C U S

MODERNIZATION AND TECHNOLOGICAI AD-vancemen$ have swept the world but one place high in theeastern Himalayas remains hardly touched by che hands of time

Bhutan.Landlocked in the Himalayan mountain range, nature has

found im way to safeguard Bhutan's rich natural environmentand to preserve its centuries-old culture and rradition. This

Buddhist nation is geographically isolated between India andfibet. Its 47,5O0xquare kilometer territory which is about the

size and topography of Swirzerland, forms a gigant ic sraircase

between the narrow lowland region ofthe south and the toweringHimalayan peals ofthe north. Bhutant central region, the mostdensely populated region of the kingdom,is dillcult and dangerous to reach fromthe south due to a 2,000-meter high charnof mountains interspersed with jungle-

covered gorges.The prevailing Buddhist ethos,

which values the natural environmenta: sacred. has helped prererve Bhuran sprisrine environmenr lor generations.Bhucan, the [and ofthe Thunder Dragonor Druk YuJ, is not only one ofthe leading

countries tn environmental ptesenationbut also one ofthe ren bio-diversity spotsin the world and one ofthe 221 global

its population has agricultue and forestry as its main livelihood.

To keep the traditional culture alive and as a mandate ofthe

government, Bhutanese people wear the traditional clothing tlat

has been worn for centuries - the gho, a long robe tied around

the waist by a small belt called a kera, for men and the kira, an

ankle length dress made from beautifully colored and finely

woven fabfics with traditional patterns, for women. Western

clothes are strictly banned in public.The Drukpa discipline ofthe Kagyrpa school, a branch

of Mahayana Buddhism, is tJre nation's official religion. Dzongs

are th€ massive foftress-monasteries which serve as the adminis-

BhutanFast Facts

[ocation: Southern Asia,betw€en Ch na and lndiaArea: 1 ia147,000 sq kmwate.0 sq km /and 47,000 sq kmLand boundaries: total 1,075 kmha rde r cou ntr i es Chlna 4J A kn,lndia 605 kmClimate: va ries; tro pica I insolthern plains;coo wrnte6 andhot summers in centra vall€ys;severe wrnleTs ano c00l summersin Hirnalayasl{atural resources: timbethydropower, gypsLrn, ca ci!rncaTbrdePopulation: 2,1 39,549nole otherestrmat€s lange as lowas 810,000 (July 2003 est.)I{ationslitF rorrr Bhutanese(singularand plura )adjective: BhuraneseE$nic groups: Bhote 50%,ethnic Nepalese 35%(inc udes Lhotsampas -. one ofseveral Nepalese ethnic groups),indigenous or rnigrant tr ibes 15%Religions: Lamalstic Buddhist75%, Indian- and Nepalese,inf luenced Hinduism 25%Off icial [!||guage: DzongkhaGovommont typs monarchy;special trcaty relationship withtn0taCapiralThirnphuIndependence: 8 AugLst lg49(trom India)llational holiday: National Day(Ugyen WANGCHUCK became firsthereditary k ng), 17 December(r 90i)Constitution: no writtenconsti tut ion or bi l lof r ights;note - the King commissioned acommittee to draft a constitutionin 2001, but has yet to be approvedLeg.lslstem: based on Indian lawand English common law;has notaccepted compulsory ICJjurisdict ionExocutiw bmnch: chlef of stateKing Jigme Singye WANGCHUCKlsince 24 July 1972)e/ectbrs. nonehead of government: Chaman ofthe Council of Ministers Lyonpo

rrat ivc herdquarrers end arc rhe fbcus of sccularan<l rel igious authoritv in eech distr ict. Buclclhisnrpermealcs cvcr! xspect ofBhutan socien'and physl vi tal role in i ts culrulal. erhical and sociologicaldevelopmcot. Approximatclv nvo,thirds ol rhcpopulat ion pracricc cithcr l)rukpa Kaevupr olNingmapa Budcihisn. \Xlhi lc BhLrtanese oial l f i i thscln rvorship freelv, Bhutans las' l i rnits this r ighrin practicc. Religious convcrsions are prohiLri tcd,. r n . l . i r i r e r r . o l n r \ c r L r i r n , . r nJ t o r . r gn n r i $ i , ' nJ r i . 'may not proseh.t ize. Thc govelnrnent onl l al lou.sBuddhist rel igious texrs to enrcr rhe counrry.

Bhrrtar'.s fornr ofgovernmenr is dre onh L)em,oclat ic Monarchy in the g,orld. His Nlajesn.King

Jigme Singvc V'engchuk is Bhut:ur s f irurrh king-His tathcr rlhom he succec<led. Jigme Dorji V/ang,chrrk, ruled fbr 20 years ( l 952- 1 c)72) end wasconsidcrcd rhe Farher of Modern Bhuran. Hcpioneered thc plocess of dcm ocrarizarion and l ib-eral izarion in the countrv. L)uring the Chinescinvasion ofTibct in 195.1. rhe king real ized rharBhutan necdcd to emerge f iont isolat ion and tomakc a giant leap to rnodcrnization. Bhutan ar rhatt ime did not have profissionals or ski l lc<1 r lorkers;r r . r d i r r . , r t J . Ju . . r t i , ' r r r v " ' un l v g i r c r ' i r r r r nn r , r t r i r r :rhe onlv mcans oieccess (o Bhucan rvas rrv roaclantl tclccommunication. broaclcrsr media antl fostalserwice u,ere virtudly non-existenr. ln 1961, Bhutenembarked on its five-year devel,rpment plan. Infra-structural cxpansion in road,bui lding, relecommu-nication, education ancl manpowcr training wasgiven topmost prioriw. \X/hcn

Jigme t)orj iVirng,chuck died in 19-2, Jigrne Singve V'angchuk assumed his father's mantle ofbrinsinq abour sc,cial, h . r ngc -u r J e . o r rom i . . l c vc lop r r ' e ' r ' r r r r l r ; ' r . r n i r r qBhutant ancient tradir ions. hcri tagc and culruralidenti ty-

I t rvas onlv in 1974 rhat Bhuran opcncd i tscloors ro dre ourside uorld. \ , :sLcrn, Central and

tastern Bhutln arc opcn ro visirors. Bhuren offcrs

grcat opportunir ies for trekking. - l ickking

in Bhutanis a fair lv recenr devclopncnt, ahhough rhe Hima-l . r r . ' ' h r ' , . r 1 " . ' r . l r r l J " l , , r r g . . r . ' r r J r r r g . ' r r r . r . r i , ' r .to rhe W'estern wrrr ld f_or trekl<ing end mountain-eering. Thc Bhutan lburisrn ( lorporlt ion i . imitecl(B'l CL) created thc f.:rnous Snorvmar

'liek , rvhich

has Lrecomc an inrernarional standlrt lFestivals in Bhutan are also popular rvirh

' o r r r ' r r . Thc ' r t i ' r i r ; i . . " l ' i . l r r r . , ' l ' , r ns r c i . , r ' " r r 'af lairs to tourists, are holv spir iruel evenrs. TheTshcchus held in Thinrphu, I 'aro and Llumdrangere the most popular

' l lshechus dedicarcd to ( luru

Rinpochc arc celebrated for sevcral days and high-l ightccl * i th classical, rcl igious-basecl dances.

i n " ro r J rhU r r rg . r r i v c i n r l ' . r . t . o1 I n r r f l \ n r on

Bhtttans culturc and environrncnt, lhc sc,rcrrrrrrcr lhas adoprcd: vcrl cautious:rpproach ro rhe r lcvcl-opnent of tourism in thc kinsdom. Independenrtravel is nor pcrm issible, :rnd rourists arc not pcr,nri t tcd ro wander about rhe countrv and to visi tr \ , , l z . , n q . , , r n r n r r r \ r \ ' r \ \ . I l u r r , r . r . r , ' L r r i , r . , , r r

al lou,ed into the dzongs but nor into the innersancruarics during rshechus. l i ips to Bhutan alepre-planned, prepaid, and guided package rours.1 " 1 ' r . t . r ' r t l r r e r t ' ^ t . , f r . l i E r c , u ' . r r r r . l r i r i e ' o lI lhurenese lnt iques, l lhuranese eudrori t ies str icth.nronitor and prohibit i rems ro bc takcn out ot rhecountly if they have nor bccn officialh certifled :rsnon-anriques.

Bhutans splendor:rnd mysten'has bccn un,cloeked.1bdey, BhLrtln srrolls tolvards rhe modernworld on i ts ou,n terms despirc rhc spccd of mod,erniz:rr ion. l t rravels the middle path ro batenccenr' ironnrental ancl rradit ional consenation an<1ccononric clevelopment. Having l ivcd in scclusionfbr manl, merrv ve,rs, onc thing is ccrtain, as Bhuranenrbraces the futurc, i t r l i l l continue ro cl ing tothc past.

tL,

i:

:

E

Royal Institute of Management and

deva oo^ Fn r o { bLS | l p5s f . _d g . d . neS a^o s ]5Le rot aud t; and astly ofganizational development thatincluded work management p an, perforrnance evaluat on system and also soc al market ng p an enhanc ngthe mage of the inst i tute

- f e A l \ . 4 Lo s , l r ng ea^ wd5 .on posFo o

sen or prolessors and a research associate While atR M, a Technica Work ng Comm ttee was lormedw th faculty and staff as i ts [ .embers. In t a ly, theoff ic a contract was for a period of two years, d videdinto four phases. Apart fro.n A M team's v s t to F Mn each phase, aaentor ng courses were a so organ zedat AIN/l for the TechnicalWork ng Com.n ttee Theseexchanges ass i s ted i n no t on l y demons t ra t ng t heA M expert ise n teaching, research, and consu tancybut a so faci tated the transfer of ski ls and techno ogy.

The re at onsh p, however, cont nues to f lour shwrth intefactions and exchanges between the twoinst lLrtes at vanous forma and nforana eve s Dur ng

r h a , d f a M , \ / a > . < r h o r . h r v o

been s teady n f ow o f s tu 'dents frorn Bhutan n var ousprograms atAlM includ ng thef agsh p Masters n Bus nessM a n a g e m e n t ( M B M ) p f og ram A f te r comp e t ron o fcou rses , many s IUoen l s goback and j o n R M as f egu a rf acu l t y members . One suchmember rs Pema Wangdhee,a gfaduate of 200G2001 batcho fMas te rs n Deve lopmen t

Management {MDM) program who s currently work' g a . l e . - u e r a -d C r rF f Coo 'd i - a ro Co -m, . ca lo . sUnrt at Rl[. ,4. Fef ect ng on h s days at A M, he says,"

t has been a truly worthwh e exper ence for rne tobe assoc ated w th AIM am glad that I successfu ycomp e ted MDM tha t was made poss b e t h roughthe AIM RIM inst tutrona Inkage l t s s mp y a magn i f i cen t exa .np le o f ns t i t L r t ona i nkages Bes ideslearnrng and acqu f ing ski l is n deve opment rnanagement f e d, learnt ma ny th ngs about A M partrcLrJa r lyts met culous tTarn ng methodo og es and technrquesAs a facu ty of management nst tute now, the re e-vance of AIM educaton s rrefutaby immense for me"

As t he coun t r y t r eads g radua l y n t s pa lh o fnat onal happ ness, t rea zes i t has a ong way to goAdds Pema on an op t m s t c no te , "O f cou rse , ou rGross Natrona Happrness parad gm w I preva andmateria ze one day. However, we need to locus andcontr bute on

' oca happiness f irst And R lvl s already

do ng that "

Khandu WANGCHI.JK {sirEe IAugust 2001) cab,hef Council olMinistels (Lhengye Shungtsoolnominated bythe monarEh, app.ovedby the National Assembly; membeEsetue fixed, five-year tems;note - there is alsoa BoyalAdvisoryColncil (Lodoi Tsokde), membersnominated by the monarchLegirlativo br.nch: unicameralNational Assembly or Tshogdu(150 seats; 105 elected from villageconstituencies, 1 0 rcprcsentrcligious bodies, and 35 aredesignated by the monarch torepresent govemment afld otiersecular interests; nembers sorvethree-year terms) e/ectbrsr localelections last held November 2002(nextto be held NA 20051Judicial br.rch: Supreme Courtof Appeal (the monarch); High Court{judges appointed by the monarch)Political pr.ti6 rnd hrdoc:no legalpart iesl onotionalorgofizationpa iciIotior: AsDB, CP, ESCAP,FAO, G-77, IBBO, ICAO,IDA,IFAD,lMi l0C, l0[.4lobseryer], lTU, NA[,4,0Pcw lsigflarory), sAARc, uN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,WCo, WH0, WPo, \4TO (observer)Fag do.cription: divided diagonallyfrom the lower hoist side comer theupper triangle is yellowand thelower triangle is orange;centeredalong the dividinq line is a largeblack and white dragon facing awEyfrom the hoist sideGDP: purchasing power parity$2.7 billion {2002 est.)GDP - roal grolvlh rrlo:7.7% (2002 est.)GDP - Ior c{pib: purEhasing powerpafity' $1,300 (2002 esl.)Populslior brlow pov.rty lino:NA%Inff.lion r.le (coEunor piicoll:3% {2002 est.)Lahorlorc.: NAnotermassive lack ol skilled labor[rbo]torca - by occupslio|r:agriculture 93%, seryices 5%,industryand commerce 2%unGnploY'tner|t rrte: NA%Ind||laioJ cement, wood prodlcts,processed f ruits, alcoholicbeverages, calcium carbideCu.ronos ngultrum {BTN);lndian rupee {lNH}Cun6ncy c.d6: gTN; INRExdEng6 rab.: ngultrum perUS dollar - 48.6103 (2002),47.1864(2001 l, 44.941 6 {20001, €.0554119391,41.2594{1998)F3calyorr I July-30Junehbirct com0y code .bt

Asiar-r Institute of Management - Institutional Linkages

M O S T O F U S W O U L D B E F A M I L I A R W T HTHE economic ndrcators of Gross Domest c Product(GDP), Gross Nat ona Product (GNP) or Net Nat onaProduct (NNP) The concept of Gross Natrona Happiness (GNH), howevet wou d be unheard by most ofus . No t a pa r t o i t he t f ad i t ona economic t heo r es ,GNH wou d not f nd .nent on n any of the textbookseither So, what does th s concept sign fy?

r . r ^ < a N r r ' ^ . : H : ^ h ' n 6 a ( , < : .. - l eve op -Fn rph osophy adopted and pursued by the nat ona gov-eTnment of Bhutan. However, t s not rnutualy exclus ve to the concepts of GDP or to sustainable deveopmen t The un rqueness o f GNH les i n t ha t as rde' ' 6 c 6116 - , g o \ , \ t L . p rec . , " - t on o f e " / t r o^^ en land preservat on of culture and tfadlt ion are cons deredin achiev ng sLrsta nab e development that promoteshapp ness of the present and future generations Thiscould be termed as the'midd e path of development'

Lead ing and show ng t he way i n t he na t i on ' sendeavor i s the Roya ns t t u t e o f M a n a g e m e n t( B l M ) . L o c a t e d n e a r t h ecap i ta Th i . . rphu, RIM wasestab shed n 1986. As thecountry's only managementnstitute, lt is entrusted witht h e t a s k o f d e v e o p i n gm a n a g e m e n t a n d p u l l l caom n sITaI on

In 1996, R lv l e .nbarked on a process of In-s t t u t o n a d e v e o p m e n ta rned a t mak ng t t he 'Cen te r f o r Exce l l ence ' naaanagement, tra ning, consu t ing and research ln theSou th As ran reg on . R M de f rned r t s own v s ron o t, \ t i t u t o n d ̂ o d e . p - t . L r , c t r h c - a 9 6 6 _ 6 - o 'the key strategic in trat ives was to fofge nst tut onalpa r tne rsh ps w th s m l a r ns t i t u t ons i n t he reg ion .After exploring several opt ons across the map, R Mrea zed t ha t As an ns t t u te o l Managemen t (A lM)was closest to rts visron/def n t on of an nst tut iona..ode Thus, was born the nkage between the twon which A M has been prov d ng consu t ng servicesto B IM fo f t he I ns t i t u t ona Deve lopmen t P fog ram( D P ) .

-he Co* po - e - lS o ' DD b rodo l Co^ p sed

deve opment of exist lng and new coLrrses and curr ic-u u .n ; f acu t y and s ta f f deve lopmen t t ha t i nc l udedenhancemen t o f t each ng sk l s and me thodo ogypa r t i cu a r y t he case me thod , f ac i t y deve opmen tthat desired irnprovement of FIM's nst tut ional resource and nlrastructure;tund deve opment to devise

AIM has to.ged a long term relattonship wnh the peopie af Bhuran Snce aur engagenent wtth therr Bofal lnsntulf- ofManagernent n 1999. we have seen a steady inflox af ptamtstng an.l caG--rfocused nanagers stfttng tn out classrooms. carclullysifting ln thet ninds what ta bt)ng hane to Bhutan Steeped tn a nch culture that thef have so lealojsly protected fram outstdeelements, the Bhutanese people a.e earnestly ctat'ttog a gave.nance nodel that w conbine the best af what they have and whatothers have to offe. Those vtha cane ta AiM laak at us as a rich source of id-bas and nnovatran lhat can mave lher madetntzanoneffans tn the tight d)ectlon

Prof. Sol Hemando, Ph.D.AIM feant Leadet, AIM RIM lnsntute Brirldtng Ptagtanj

C O V E R S T O R Y

The RoadAhead

HERE ARE ABOUT TWO THOUSAND, ORmore, schools ofbusiness and managemenr across rheworld. About seven hundred ofthose schools exist in

Asia. A striking majoriry ofthese schools have embarked quiterecently in the sphere ofmanagement education ald the reasonfor their proliferation is no longer mysterious or mystilying tomost ofus. There are a few exceprions to these new schools andmost ofthese have been remarkably phenomenal in their endeav-ors over a noticeable period. These schools have spent a consid-erable time and covered a significant distance from rheir onsetand one ofthem clearly stands out in the region roday.

This is an institute that is small, lives within its means,and does more with less. Yet it stands up to irs values and con-victions and whenever and wherever it can make a lasting differ-ence, it does more, not less. This is a place with an extraordinarytradition ofblending theory and practice. This is a place wheremen and women who impart leaming and share their experiencesare leaders and practitioners in their respective fields. This isalso a place where decisive conrributions to knowledge are madeyear after year, in light of the changes raking place in and aroundthe planet.

\Vhen it was set up in 1968, the founders had barely aglimmer of what the Asian Institute of Management (AIM)would become in such a short period of time. Although AIMwas recognized as the Harvard ofthe east, the composition ofits faculry students and smffdid not actually mirror Asia as itdoes today. No one anticipated that one day the faculty wouldbe a representation ofseveral fuian nationalities. No one antic-ipated that the student body would one day represenr over fifteendifferent nationalities, And, no one anticipated that one dayAIM would transcend its business management courses andestablish a leadership in development, management, enrrepre,neurship. and governance across the region.

Today, let us try to imagine AIM wirh its students andfaculry representing over fifty different nationalities, Imaginethe place with a gigantic campus, a number of tall buildingssurrounding the campus, a large student body comprised ofthousands ofstudents, and a facu.lry composition ofa few hundredmembers. Imagine the institute offering more than a hundreddifferent courses, individually milored to the students' needsand preferences, and in many different languages. Such a pictureis unthinkable ro us righr now, just as today's picture oftheinstiture was unthinkable to our precursors. Think ofit, it is notinevitable at all.

'Ibday, our view ofthe road ahead for AIM is no better

and not more ambitious tian our view in 1968. Technology anddwelopment are given changes, but just like our predecessors,we are also limited by our abiliry ro foresee the distant, yet a

.very fast approaching firture. At such junctures ofour existence,we would serve ourselves by anallzing where we are today andwhere we are headed.

Since we evolve from our past, the more we are sure aboutour past, the more likely we are to be cerrain about our oprimismfor future. Individuals, societies, nations, civilizations, the ruleholds true for all. [n the absence ofhaving a strong grounding,the lirture seems ro appear indisrinct even ro our mosr convincingideas, most compelling initiatives, and most persuasive drearns.

Ever since its inception, AIM has successfully produced asteady stream ofcompetent and responsible managen and leaders,not only in Asia but also across the globe. As the waves ofliber-alization and free markets continue to sweep across and give theworld the shape ofa global village, the institute still manages toretain its unique Asian character. As a center oflearning, AIMhas been significantly contributing in more than one way overrhe last three decades to different societies. The first and foremostofthese contributions is the develooment ofleaders who think

evaluate the oppoftunity cost of

pursue the MBA, and the best betof any school striving to get thebest students is to offer students

criticallv and independently and who are not only disciplinedbut also self-disciplined individuals. Through developing leaders,rhe institute serves as an engine ofeconomic growrh and pros-periry for rhe region. The second and equally important contribution is to foster the development ofthe communities at largeby promoting openness and understanding among people ofdiflerent nationalities of the world.

l\ uring rhe larr few year'. the corporate landscape has

I I heen puncruared "irh exceeding uolati l iry AJong wirh

l/ the small and large corporations, the business schoolshavc also modified their ourlook and re-examined and tailoredrheir approaches to steer their road ahead. In the recent years,AIM has witnessed a mounting number oftop schools fromthe West scrambling to grab a share ofthe growing Asian market.Top names such as the Universiry of Pennsylvania's ti(4rarton

School of Business, Northwestern University Kellogg GraduateSchool of Management, Duke Universiryt Fuqua School ofManagement, the Univeniry ofChicago, and the French SchoolofINSEAD have launched their programs in Asia. Even thes.hool' in Australia have srepped up effons to artract the bestand brightest ofstudents and corporations. In India, archriva.lsKellogg and Vharton have joined forces to open the lndianSchool of Business in the southern city ofHyderabad.

Apart from the in-tensilying competition,anocher factor impactingAIMI standing in theregion is the softeningPhilippines econorny.Once an Asian tiger, rhePhilippines economytoday is slowly but surelylosing its grip on the re-gion.'I'his is a seriousconcern for the Instituteas the economy and thepolitical instability havea serious impact on theInstitutet business. AIMhas been somewhat in-consistent according to the business schools ratings and it hasbeen on a steady decline in those charts because ofa few reasons.One ofthe parameters ofthese international school radngs isthe number of faculry members in the school who have earneda PhD. Since rhe Instirute has been established on a practitionermodel rather than a scholastic model, the navigators in theinstitute have never given this aspect as serious a thought as itprobably merirs today. Other areas where other schools areheading up vis-i-vis AIM are campus, student services, careerprogression for the graduates, international mix offaculry andstudents, thought leadership through research, extensive colporateexPosure, etc.

Nowadays, the measure ofa business school's program hasalso taken a new color. The placement ofthe graduates has

Today, the students seriously

their business school investmentsince they leave their jobs to

a career progression after theyf in ish their course.

become an integral component ofthe schools' program and itsreputation all over the world. Gone are the days when freshgraduates or people who had their own businesses formed amajoriry ofthose who enrolled themselves in business schoolprograms. Today, the students seriously waluate the opportunirycost oftheir business school investment since they leave theirjobs to pursue the MBA, and the best bet ofany school srivingto get the besc studenrs is to offer students a career progressionafter they finish their course. A recent studenr survey conductedin the different business schools across the world reflected areverse-shift in preferences ofstudents. Unlike a few years ago,today most people enroll in a business school to enhance theircareer prospects, to build networks with different people, andto learn, in thar order. The volatiliry in the global economy aswell as mounting insrabiliry in individuals' careers can be attrib-uted to the change in the order ofpreferences ofthese students.So, where does this leave AIM in the fast and ever changinglandscape in Asia? How is it prepared to take the multi-directionalonslaught directed to challenge its stature? Is it ready to respondto these changes in its external environment?

The nature of AIM's responses to these uncertain timeswill depend greatly on the quality of dreams that were dreamtfor the institute and dre promises, perceptions and performalces

rhat its navigators had vi-sualized to actualize them.However, before evaluatingthe responses and the op-tions thar lie ahead, it isimportant to realize that theissues that AIM is dealingwith are not exactly new toit. Competition is not new,but che scale on which it isposing challenges to AIM isnew and different. Eco-nomic ups and downs arenot a recent discovery buttheir impact is being feltnow The realization thatthe academe should com-

prise ofPhD holders is not new, but the exigency is likely now.The graduares' demand that they be assured facilitation in rheirplacements was there even a few years ago, but the number ofgraduates requiring this facilitation from AIM has increasedsignificantly. ln other words, the challenges that lie ahead ofAIM are not new or unknowir, but the magnitude ofthosechallenges and the tests is certainly striking.

The heat ofthese changd and challenges will primarilybe felt by the AIMI flagship program Masters in BusinessAdministration (MBA) as most of the schools entering Asia arerea.lly the business schools. One ofthe responses to these changesthat the Asian Institute ofManagement has chosen is to striveto become more Asian in its character. There has been a growingrepresentation fiom various nationalities among the students

The cha l lenges that l ie

challenges and the testsis certainly str ik ing.

in the institute - from Nepal to Papua New Guinea to Russia.The present team offaculry has a broader regional outlook, greaterexperience, and deeper knowledge ofAsian management policyand practice.

1f, lM wil l conrinue ro rake rhe lead courses such a. De-

[\ uelop-enr M:n;gement and Entrepreneurship, rincef I not many schools are endeavoring in those directions.The academic portfolio, teaching materials and methodologiesare being benchmarked with those ofthe leading internationalschools and are modified and updated regularly so that they aremore relevant and responsive to the conditions and needs offuia.AIM as an institute has also been reaching out to various marketssuch as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and India, by offeringregular programs, which vary in duration from a few weeks toa number ofmonths. A US-based institute rhar Iaunchesits program in Asia mightsrand our on quality oflearning, environment andcourse delivery but would notbecome Asian merely by op-erating in Asia. AIM has anedge over its competitors but itis imperarive for the Institute tospruce up its sptem internally.

The multi-school systemadopted by AIM provides itwith necessary reach and

a head of AIM a re notnew or unknown, butthe magnitude of those

intellectual capital, and an increasing focus on Asian-based case

srudies. The core curriculum ofmanagement, marketing and

economics is necessary for any manager, irrespective ofthe country

or region but it is imperative that a good porrion ofcurriculum

consists of teachings tailored to the Asia-Pacific market. The

institute also realizes the importance ofplacement for its graduates

and it has come up with a comprehensive strategy to improve

the process offacilitating the placements l-or its graduates. Regular

corporate interaction and active alumni involvement are two

important avenues that the school plans to srarr offwith.

The Insdture also plans to look at its local as well as inter-

national environment, with rheir physical setting and economic

conditions, in a way that's active and creative and long run in

our orientation. h has become more involved with non-degree

programs in the recent past. Most

ofthe projects in which AIM now

participates, some of the invest-

ment initiatives AIM has launched- for example, the strengthening

ofirs short programs on campus- have been in reaction to events

rather rhan planned, premeditated,

and thought through with ia own

inrerests in mind. AIM, as one of

the major forces to reckon with in

the region and as a leading cor-

porate citizen ofthe region, needs

to take a leadership role. It needs

breadth to cater to new demands and needs in the marketplace,

allowing it to be immened, relevant and responsive to the diverse

inrerest in rhe region as they meet rhe challenges posed by glo-

balization. AIM is well entrenched and is fortiSing ics position

to take on these challenges. It is undergoing various accreditations

and in the process has reviewed various elements ofthe institute

that were not reviewed closely before, such as the need ro have

a much larger number ofPhD holders in the faculty. Recently

it has been granted the European accreditation, known as EQUIS,

and through it AIM has evolved into an Asian management

insriturion set at the highest global standards ofindustry practice

and academic excellence. 'fhe

Institute will benefit from this

recognition as rhis provides it a venue to reinforce its expertise

and develop a wide information network in global business and

manaSement.

The Institute also recogniz-es its responsibiliw and commir-

ment towards the environment and it has recently passed the re-

cerrificarion audit to be awarded ISO 14001 certification for its

Environmenral Managemenr Sy;tem (EMS). It is the first graduare

school ofmanagement in the world ro receive this certification.

The insrirute is now aiming to have the US accreditation of

management education.

Other steps that AIM is taking to fortifr its stature include

endeavoring a strong research program, attempts to creale an

internarional diversity among the hculty and student composition,

conrinuous modification of academic curriculum, review of rhe

to look for opportunities to make constructive changes. TheInstirute should look for opportunities to make a difference, notnecessarily by spending its money on it, but by thinking ofwaysofpurting partnerships together that involve resources broughtto bear by privare invesrors, and by the governments. It shouldmake use ofits resources: a very committed faculry and staffanda student population that is doing a lot to continuously enhanceia intellect and become responsible and selidisciplined individuals.

f arly rhis year. AIM celebrated and rejoiced over irr thirw-h fi l ih year nor simply here ar home bur also in other placesE where irr alumni trand rall to mark it. inrenrion ro hecomea truly global instirution. This aspiration underscores anotherpotentially significant contribution of rhe institute to the widersociery Through the subjects and students AIM teaches and theeducational and research collaborations it undertakes, the lnstitutecan advance greater understanding among the world's people. Itcan also contribute to the solution ofproblems that cannor becontained within national or regional borders - such as the spreadofdisease, the deprivations ofthe poor, degradation ofthe envi-ronment, and ofcourse the rise of terrorism. Here lies challengebefore AIM: to educate rhinking citizens and leaders, to preservefree inquiry and free expression, to generate new knowledg;e thatimproves health and spreads prosperiry to encourage realizationofthe human potential latent within each individual, and toreach out to rhe world to provide a foundation for mutual un-derstanding and peace.

The Alumni Response:LEADERSHIP. LIVE IT.

By Greg Atienza, AJM Alumni Relations Director, MBM 83

\rHEN A]M PRESIDENTBobby de Ocampo dared conducrthe UST Symphony Orchesrra toserenade the a.lumni, he was sendinga message. Vhile nowhere near rhemusical sophistication of dre classicmasterpieces, the Beatles hir tune"l Wanna Hold Your Hand" bestsaid how the lnstitute wants itsrelations with its alumni. And

judging from tenor and results ofrecent alumni-iniriated events,the feeling is definitely mutual.

Leadership. Live it.

Sometimes you just have to srress rhe obvious becausewe tend to forget and take it for granted. So it was when the AIMAlumni - Philippine Chapter, ofwhich I am also a Director,emerged after a day's brainstorming session two months agolaunching its new positioning aptly captured by the tag line:"Leadership. Live it." Alumni- Philippines likewise adopted anew "brand" and logo, the easier to rec.all: AIM Alumni. The"Philippines" in the old logo was dropped nor our ofany loss oflove for the host country but to re-establish the hcr that the AIMalumni is a global nerwork. Alumni - Philippines will present andpropose these changes for uniform adoption by the Federation ofAlumni Associations ofAIM, known as FAIM. Ifadopted network-wide, a singular brand and logo for a.ll chapters will serve ro Grnherraise AIM! presence as a regional, ifnot global citizen.

Coupled with the repositioning, AIM Alumni - Philip-pines is realigning its many endeavors ever closer to those oftheInstitute's five-year plan for rhe alumni. These strategic moves arevigorous follow-ups to the launching ofthe Faculry DevelopmentFund (also known as the "Paw Fund") last March. AIM Alumni

- Philippines is helping take up the cudgels for AIMI increasinglycompetitive journey ahead.

Stepping Up: MBM 7 3, 83, 84

To be sure, the stirrings ofthe leadership positioninghad been brewing for some time now. MBM 83 scored a recordofsons by unilaterally redefining the Homecoming Night concept,form and finances. From the usual expectation ofjusr breakingeven for Horpecoming Night, MBM 83 saw an event-opportunityin AIM's 35n Year Anniversary. Under the banner theme "Looking

Back, Paying Forward" the batch targeted an ambitious P2 millionofner revenues to be paid forward to AlM-related worthy com-munilv causes. They netted P2.5 million and gave P0.3 millionto the Paw Fund to supplement MBM 73's donation of Pl million.This edrly. MBM 83 is ey-ging a bigger efforr come 2008 when iris honored for its own 25"' YearJubilee. Mearwhile ir conrinuesto champion the AIM Club (more later).

For the March 5, 2004 Homecoming Night, Host MBM

,84 looks to extend, ifnot better the mark left by 83. Buildingupon the learnings and neworkings ofthe last celebradon, as wellas the introduction of new iniriatives, MBM 84 looks to do onebener. Fo-r instance, they have re-branded the GolfTournamentu the " l "' AIM kadership Cup" and are planning a more elaborateand instirution-building tournamenr ser-up to sustain rhe leadenhipcampaign for the coming years. Their Homecoming Night willgo for a high amendance and net revenue as well,

MAR ME

Not one to be left behind, the Managing of the ArtsProgram (MAP) Alumni continue ro lead the AIM Renaissancemovement that seela ro humanize management education. Freshfrom the P400,000 raised for the MAP scholarship fund through

the "Silent Auction" last March, MAP Alumni havestarted yet another fund towards setting up a new center forrhe humanities in Southeast Asia ofcourse based in AIM. lastOctober I they undertook the book launching ofDean EdMorato's " I 0 Universal Pdnciples of Great Art and Their Ap-plication to ledenhip Management." The venue was artisticallyspruced up complete with mood lighting and special furnituresevoking an arrisric armosphere. This rime ir was an excitingopen bidding auction for the I 0 or so of Morato's photographicmasterpieces. The Alumni of the Masters in Entrepreneurship(ME) program, as well as EdMo's MBM 72 batch mates, pro-vided purchasing power while with MAP also taking the rabfor production, performance and services costs. The nightyielded P600,000.

MDM

Ofcourse Alumni from the Center ofDevelopmentManagement, being real joiners. losr no rime in incorporaringthe Internationa.l Movement of Dwelopmenr Management

perspective of CDM in this part of the world. IMDM hopesto generate interest and enrollees borh inside and outside rhePhilippines to the Masters in Dwelopment Management(MDM) degree program.

Vhat is additionally pleasing about these alumniinitiatives is thar they come at a time when business is down.

Vision: Enhanced AIMleadership and pioneering position

. t | . t .mrougn a vrDrant communlty

life and relationship between thel . l .

lnstltute and rts alumnl.

Mission: To help buildand strengthen the AlM-alumnirelationship by serving the client-

alumni through S.E.R.V.E.

Alumni S.E.R.V.E.Leadership. Serve it.

(IMDM). They are doing yet anorher Conference come De-ccmberon the ropic. you could have guessed, senznr-Lcadership. ,,- . .'. .. f:j'.ti::t:":L:Y::,T-'::T:.liT:.iltl^iq"ln facI. rhey want a keynote addresl on rhe topic "L-eadershi;.

l:t-l:tl',Ittts tne leaclersnrp Posrtronrng rs well ar tne tocu\

Live it." The "Intern",ro'a" i. tuouLfl;|.i;J,,;i; on the alumni relationship:

The Alumni have thus seen opporruniry rarher rhan rhe crisis., S.E.R.V.E. is a catch-all for our rhrusrs and programs. as follows:lnqeeo. lne arumnr acuvlfles were very enterprlslng and ran on

minimal cash ourlays while leveraging the alumni nerwork. If -this presages the kina oru'a"unri'Jiu-r,irtpp.t, i".,rt. S - Services and benefits

.o"j"h."d, it is very welcome news for AIM. ' ^

E - Excellent executive education & Iifelong learningR - Relationships, Referrals, Recruitment & networking

New Vision arrd Mission for Alumni Relations V - Ventures, Value-creation, VisioneeringE - Events

It is in this backdrop of renewed focus on a.lumniIeadership and involvement that Dean Nieves Confesor and New Programs, New "Properties"

President Bobby de Ocampo have stepped up connecting tothe alumni in a major way. Alumni considerations are now A sneak preview ofsome new "properties" of Alumnifactored into the AIM marketing mix, executive education S.E.R.V.E. shows the fleshing out of "Leadership. Live it."development, and the like.

'W'e call them "properties" because the AIM Alumni will "own'

The prioritization ofAlumni affairs is underscored them and be distinctly associated with them. These are theby the realignment of the Alumni Relations Office (ARO) as 1) AIM Club and the 2) lst AIM International Alumni Lrader-a srand-alone unit direcdy and joindy under the Of{ices ofthe ship Congress. These two major undertakings fall under theDean and the Presidenr and the creation ofthe new position category V - Ventures, Value-Creation, Visioneering. They areofAlumni Relations Director. Previously, the ARO was an visioneered to further project AIM region-wide while givingadjunct to other Offices such as dre Placement or Public Relations more value to alumni services and benefits while being alsounits. The greater emphasis is best summed up by ARO s new lucrative projecrs rhat will build up the Paw Fund.vision and mission:

AIM Club

The AIM Club concept, spearheaded by BatchMBM 83 still under the Pay Forward spirit, places the alumni

right smack into the AIM campus all year-round becauseAIM will house the Club facilities. Alumni will enjoy each

others' company along with the Faculty ard other Institutemembers in a Club offering physical, social and businesswellness. As envisioned, the Institute will provide the appro-priate Club space while the alumni will bring in the man-

agement expertise, venture financing, membenhip and usage.A key feature ofthe Club is that it is primarily constitutedfor the Institutet benefit. CIub income, net ofcapex and

manasement fees will be ENTIRELY donated to the lrutitute!

In a kind of irony, particularly for a business school setting,the highest aspiration ofthe Club is the ZEROING ofnetincome at yeart end when all net income is donated to the

Institute.The AIM Club is a massive expression of the "Live

it" line. The longer term vision is to see more such clubs all

over the region where the alumni chapters exist. Yes, sort of

Iike the Harvard Club. Already the Malaysian chapter has

sta-ned fundraising for their own building so the visioneeringis in fact underway though still nascent

The tst AIM Intemational Alumni Leadership Congress

The other uniquely AIM propeny being visioneeredis this Congress. This projeced annual event will have itsfirst installment come March 4, 20M or within Homecoming

Week. This Congress is unique in that it will be real-timevidEoconlerencing simulcasr in abour six countries u:ing rlre'Vorld

Bank-AIM Global Distance I*arning Network with

the AIM site being the lead point. This set-up is rhe first of

its kind this side ofearth. It will afford regional corporatesponsors the benefit offlexing muscles with us region-wide

at affordable peso sponsorship rates.The Congress will demonstrate AIMI regional

corporate citizenship and footprint, which after 35 years of

pioneering is arguably more extensive and more Asianized

thar most other business schools in Asia. The Congress will'

likewise showcase the richness oftalent and nerworking

among its globalJooking alumni.The Congress is a collaborative effort right now

among several alumni groups. V/hile the concept had been

bandied about for about five years running, Host Batch

MBM 84 was the one that crunched out a presentation of

dre proposed Congress before *re AIM Alumni - Philippines

Board, which has adopted the project because they wanted

to do a Congress as well come March. FAIM which is being

eyed as a lead player to the Congess is providentially chairedpresently by Ms. Sugar Han ofSouth Korea and also of

MBM 84. It is hoped that FAIM will take the Congress on

as a group when it rneets sometime November. But evennow the enthusiasm is showing wirh the Indian chapter

already thumbs up in participating. The Malaysian Chapteris seen to chime in because ofthe fundraising potentia.ls for

its own building. In fact, the whole FAIM network stands

to benefit from ad revenues. All the berer for AIM.

New Services and Benefits

Under the catch-all of S.E.R.VE. is a whole range

ofservices for the alumni network to feast on and have reason

to stay connected. Among others, the freebies already in

place indude: Alumni ponal services such as Email Forward-ing for Life, eGroups for batches, websites for batches, on-line newsletter, business development and opportunities site,

Pay Forward site, etc. Do drop in at www.aim.edu,ph and

click on the Alumni tab.Soon to be launched is the online Career Manage-

ment Service (CMS) also to be located in the AJumni ponal

and to bolster placement effons. At CMS, students and

alumni (with confidentiality options) may upload their

resumes for corporates and recruiters to choose from. Cor-porates and recruiters may in turn upload their job openingsneeding AJM grads. Tie-ups berween the lnsrirure and

prestigious regional head hunters are also in the offing.Complementing the CMS is the Alumni - Philippine Chap-

tert own Executive Search service for especially alumni to

alumni recruitments and referrds.Executive education and lifelong learning is acces-

sible to alumni with more than 30 non-degree programsranging frorn three days to two weeks m choose from. Being

considered is a kind of"Balik-Electives" or sit-in option for

alumni.

Sharing the Vision

Alumni S.E.R.VE. is re-rooling in order ro rise

up to the hefty work. On a personal note, I could not pass

up (rhough I rried) the challenge and opporruniry to serve

the AIM Community as Alumni S.E.R.VE. Director. For

two decades as an inactive alumnus, I had not been able

to help. But the Good Lord knows best on timing. As well,

we derive our inspiration to serve and to lead from Him,to wit:

".., Anyone among you who aspires to greatnessmust serve the rcst, and whoever wants to rank first amongyou musr serve the needs ofall." - Jesu Cbis in Manhtw

20: 26 - 27Ifthe AIM Alumni network aspires to help enhance

the AIM leadenhip, then we invite them to share that vision.

And as true leaders, to live it.

als whostart a career

tle faith in thetraditional employmentaffangement tnatsuaranteed iob securiwFor hard work and loyilry.

50 Taking OfiTheTie by Shinib.lt Ultr. Srigal

52 Professionalising Family Busines in Australia by Cyril Jlnkoff

e*5*

n

Thking OffThe TieBy Shinib.li Mittr Saigal

ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS CAN BE MEA-

sured in many ways. By launching a thriving business, by making

significant financial gains or quite simply by attaining a sense

ofpersonal fulfillment. It can also result from overcoming a

daunting challenge, learning from adversiry and building a solid

professional reputation. Over the last few years the Asian Institute

ofManagement has been home to a large number ofentrepre-

neurial stories. AIM entrepreneurs with their spirit ofinnovation,

dedicated hard work, driving leadership skills and the passion

for delivering value to customers have strived to make a difference

to the world.In recent times, programs

ald majors on entrepreneurshiPhave become increasinglypopular and students are ven-turing into their own, ratherthan opting for starchy white-collar jobs. The AIM MBMis one such course, which hashoned and guided numerousentrepreneurs in the last fewyears.

The entrepreneurshipmovemen! has gained mo-mentum because of severaltrends ghat are influencing theway people choose to work. To

begin with, the employer-employee contracts are generallyperceived as short-term com-mitments. Young professionalswho are poised to start a careerhave litde faith in the traditionalemployment arrangement that guaranteed job securiry for hard

work and loyalty. Secondll career options have expanded. Non-

triditional occupational choices are increasing. Alternative work

arrangements that allow for part-time and contingent workers

are providing options for flexibiliry and autonomy Third, busi-

nesses are no longer considered taboo, after a professional edu-

cation, as there are fewer operating constraints and therefore less

arsk.November Canaeiso is pursuing her second year in the

Masters in Business Management (MBM) program at AIM. She

has already made up her mind that she would like to see herself

as a business woman rather than a corporate professional. No-

vember has already launched a hotdog stand this September"The thrill in being your own master and being answerable to

yourself is unexplainable," she says.Bi Quilala, an MBM 2003 graduate feels much the same.

Bi, who has already set up a natural juice venture, says that even

when he joined AIM he was very clear that he would like to start

his own business. "I knew an MBM would help hone my entre-

preneurial instincts and aid me to gain insights and knowledge

on what I wanred to do," he says,But not all students come with a foolproofplan oftheir

career path. Abhishek Dhingra, batch of MBM 2003, who has

a oremium shoe repair srore in Chennai, India, recalls that whenhe came to AIM he had no idea

; whar he wanted to do. "I just knew

I that I wanted to make a difference

! and that somehow I wanted to

;1 create a brand. The real value ofany

fl organization is the brand itseli I

E *anted to feel the head rush of= owning and working for my own

brand," he says.For Jamie Anutez, MBM

1999, it was the course structure ofthis program that veered him to-wards thinking ofstarting out withan entrepreneurial venture. "The

case studies we follow at AlM,had a lot ofinformation on peoplewho began their own enterprisesr'businesses - and how these businessgrew into the companies we arefamiliar with today. It then becameclearer to me that doing a venturewould be more challenging and thefocus *ould be on all the differenr

facets ofbusiness rather than jusr focusing on one side business

that is Finance, Marketing, or Operations," he says

How exactly then doei lhe course geir the srudent ro wear

the mantle ofan enrrepreneuri According to Jamie, whether it

is the corporate world or a business venture ofone's own, a more-

orless similar set ofskills are required o make it and AIM teaches

its students such skills. "Knowledge (theory and practical),

Confidence, Savry etc is practically the same set ofskills needed

to do a venrure. It is just a matter ofrisk appetite and what you

are really inclined ro do. The MBM program gives you a choice

and I would say it is not for everybody. Otherwise what the

program impans ifyou are inclined towards a venture is probably

a clearer picture ofwhere you see yourselfin the future. I came

in wanting to further my career in retail banking and came out

l i t t le fhith in

employment :trrangement that

guaranteed job securiry for hardI t t t

worK ano loyal ty.

looking for ways to stan my business venture ideas," he says.Bi feels the course helps by giving one a structured ap-

proach towards alallzing situations. "Ve have a system of

VAG (wrinen analpis ofa case) where one has to break down

the problem and then organize it coherently. The numerous

VACs that I had to do through the course helped me when I

started my business. It made me organize my though$ and

ideas in an extremely coherent manner," he says. Dhingra sals

that one ofthe biggest things to happen to him at AIM was

m€€ting his batch mate 'Bi Quilala who inspired him to start

his own business. "AIM was my support system, I learnt how

to make decisions and recommendations that I would need m

defend. These decisions are never those ofa small time manager,

they are ofa CEO. An entrepreneur just does what he wants

and has to decide with motivation more than money, it has to

be something he feels passionately about because he knows he

has to live with that decision."The Business Management course weaves the option of

doing a business venture as part ofthe curriculum. In flct,

given the craze forenrrepreneurship, thisyear, AIM has intro-duced a specializationin the subject. Studentshave to first zero in onan idea, do an industryanalysis to figure outwhether it is viable andthen employ a stcp-by-srep process in settingup the business.Vhether it is studyingrhe market, doing anindustry analysis,writing the businessplan or serting up thefinal venture AIM is

Young professionals w'ho

carecr have

I would tell him of all that I had done and he would correct

me then and there ifhe felt I was doing something wrong. Yes

there was some amount of idealism since they could not see it

in person, but since ir was not a product but a service it was

much easier and there was more margin for error," he says.

November too feels that the course has helped her get a

larger picture on how to establish a business. "The way the

venture MRR is created, we are taught to have a macro and a

micro vision. lVe are also taught how to look into wery little

detail and rhis indudes a.ll aspects ofcosr strucrure, oPerations

and markedng," she says. In Jamiet opinion the biggest adran-

tage in doing a venture MRR is learning how to create a business

plan. "The frameworla derived from the course definitely help

ro make for a more formal and implementable plan. A busines

plan is always a good place to start wen ifthe initia.l venture

is simple. I sdll find it amazing that a lot ofsuccessfrrl entrepre-

neurs never bothered abour business plans. Could you imagine

how they would have done if they had business plans in placel"

But is the course really pracdcd or does it just offer thestudenc a theoreticaloverview ofseaing upa businessi Deepakfeels that the AIMcurriculum is not at dltheory orienred. Onthe contrary, he be-liwes the case studymethod rhat is prac-dced here is extremelypractical. Jamie feelsthat theory is alwaysimportant as it helpsbuild a good founda-tion. On the otherhand AJM does give ataste ofthe practicdside by inroducing thc

are poiscd to start ar t . ' I

tne t raorUona l

there to guide the student all the way.Deepak Ramaswamy, MBM 1998, was the first Indian

sudent to opt for a venture MRR; he set up a karaoke lounge

in Chennai, India. Ramaswamy says the support and encour-

€ement he leceived ftom AIM is immeasurable. "l chose Pro(

Eduardo A. Morato, Jr, who was known for his meticulousness

for details (sometimes too much), but in hindsight, it was

outstanding guidance. He ensured that I actually worked in a

music lounge in Manila for about thret weela to 6.rlly undersund

the operations. I actually changed LDs in rhe control room as

well. He made me rwis€ my repon seven times. But due to

rhar, when I finally submitted my report, he gave me a clean

pass, Also during the dme I was establishing the venture, he

was extremely accessible to me and would mee! me at least once

a week if not more. It did help me that out of37 or 38 ventures(I think the largest for any batch to date), mine was the only

overseas venture by a foreign student. During our meetings,

'real life' cases - that give insights on mistakes to avoid and

success formulas rhar can be applicable in many situarions."However if one is looking at pure practical knowledge, it is

a little tough as one would need to be a working student to

Dractice what one has learned - which would be difficult to do

given the work load. Howeve! even here the venture is a great

step in the direction as the students are involved in setting

up the business fiom the word go," he says, But Jamie adds

that there are some things that AIM or any Business School

realizes that they cannot impart and which have to be learnt

via er<oerience.ibhirh.k ' ri i hi. l"-di-dah shoe store (MR. PRONTO)

in India, Jamie the serial entrepreneur involved in insurance

and furnitirre, November with her rolling hot dog stand, and

Bi with his unique natural drink business are all selfdirected,

action-oriented, confident, collaborative, perswering and

decisive, entrepreneurs who embody the AIM spirit

J Professionalising FamilyBusiness in Australia"Family

businesses dre a - if not the - maior conrributor tu the mnomic and socialu.,ell-being of all capitalistic counties." - Alden Lank

Economic significance

Family businesses (which can be defined as a business whichis substantially controlled by a family or families) are the maincontributors rc the GDI net wonh and employment in countriesaround the world and thus they have great economic and socialsignificance. Studies consistently show that about 800/o ofrheworld's businesses are family businesses.

The 1997 Monash Universiry Australian Family BusinessSurvey indicates rhat family businesses form a significant pin ofthe Australian economy. The survey found that family businessrepreseoted 83olo ofall private sector firms, and employed morethan 50olo ofthe work force. In the next 10 years, estimatedtransition ofwealth offamily businesses is about $Aus l�6 tillion,or $US I Tiillion (Smyrnios, Romano and Tanewski, 1997)

Balancing two systems

Family businesses face challenges that severely impact ontheir longeviry This is a major cause for concern. In a typicalfamily business, business owners have loyalries to the family aswell as the business. The familyt goa.ls are to develop and supportfamily members and achieve srrong bonds ofsupport. Business,however, is driven by wealth maximisation and works in theopposite environment where only the fittest survive and wherechange is the norm.

The key to understanding these inevitable and interrelatedchallenges is to manage a harmonious balance berween familyand business. Family challenges include relationships betweenfamily members, berween family members, their staffand out-siders. The business challenges are professiona.lisation, governanceand succession. Professionalisarion is the runnins ofthe businessin a business-like manner, and includes rhe insrallarion ofanaccounting system, the use ofmanagement accounts, the use ofstrategic planning, the use ofHRM rechniques, the businesstraining of family members. Governance is the "steering' ofthebusiness, and includes rhe board ofdirecrors in a coroorarion.Succession is rhe conrinuation ofrhe ownership and ieadershipof the firm (which may or may nor be to a family member). Ifprofessionalisation is correctly managed, it paves the way forsmooth management ofthe governance and succession challenges.

Austra.lian family businesses in transirion

According rc the 2003 Australian Family and Private Busi-

ness Survey (Smyrnios and Walker, 2003) one in five familybusiness proprietors in Ausmalia are now more than 65 years oldand 11olo are at least 70. Ylhile 82o/o of family business ownersregard succession and retirement as imporcant, only 23o/o reporthaving documented succession plans and only 250lo have soughtprofessional succession planning advice. Many ofthe familybusiness owners will need ro sell because they have no successor(or because successors have alternative careers) should startpreparing now for an eventual sale in a number ofyears hence.Although rhese businesses are healthy now, there are enormousramifications for rhe ill-prepared family business owners for them,their employees and the economy as a whole (Arnanda Gome,Find a Successor or Sell, Business Review !7eekly, March 27April 2, 2003). This is where professionalisation ofthe business

becomes a very crirical and imporranr prerequisire.

Professiona-lisation.and government influence

In Australia there is effective government influence thatolien results in a higher degree ofbusiness professionalisationfor both family business and non-family business. This occursbec4use Australian business faces a battery offiscal and businessIaws whose compliance is far more rigidly enforced, and conse-quenqly compliance in Australia requires considerable time, effon,expertise and expense. This results in a culrure where advisers,mainly accountants and lawyers, are frequently consulrcd, asnon-compliance with Australian laws can be very costly, andindeed fatal to the business. This often leads to Ausrra.lian busi-

' nesses and advisers taking business professioanalisarion veryseriously, and this includes systems, shorter-term planning,management accounting, payment of raxation, HRM, attenrionto contractual terms, occupational health and safery, public safetyand consumer protection.

The professionalisation in Australia tends to be more ofashort-term nature, to ensure that interim pressures are attendedto, including the above-mentioned fiscal and business laws. Thisis usually reasonably well attended to. However, as there is lesspressure on the long-term there is often a need for more attentionin areas including strategic and succession planning, as can beseen from the quoted statistics.

Crlil JdnkoJli' . CP,4llaqo/MBA aad us bom dd tdr.d i, Ay'ralia. He ;' Mn;.11 'o a

Fili?i,a and hws 'nd aork ia kth lt Philippi,a dnd Aundlia. H. ii .s ac.tuio,al 'f.zkn

at 'h. AtM Fdntu/ ttugaw. He i 'h. fol"da a.d th. Cbaitun ofth. CPA Aundlia Fani,

Bai,.s N.ttuo*, a"/hs aldo't.ontLt d bi' do.tolal diwtution d&bd "Th.

I4'ion l

Dtu.bpn."t afFdnilr 8ui"^ Adrini. H. .d, b. co"tactcd at uau.bw*otuttias.con

... theAIMALI.JMNIpromises to make ourhlumni 'fcel

sood and feelr' ')e"members ofproucl. tg r ,,a presilglous assoclanon.

AIM Alumni Homecoming 2003

New Alumni Board I ' rducted

Bringing the Associat ion to a New Playing Fieid

Vletnam AlNl Alumn Assoc at ion

Prof. Bing Azanza touches base with Alumni in Slngapore

The AIM Alumni Fund for Facu ty Development

Post Homecom ng Thoughts and Reflect ions

Remember ng Eddyx

ALUMNI PROFILE

LETTERS FROI\I ALUMN

CLASS NOTES

56

57

58

59

60

63

68

t0

12

Save the date

03.o5,Join your classmatas and other fellorrualumni as we celebrate your GrandReunion. So blod< off your calendars,call up your CAN gnoupmates, andreturn to AIM for an unforgettableevenang especially prepared for you.

Gelebrating Batches: 1974- Pearl Gelebrants1979 - Silver Jubilarians1984 - Lead Host Glass1989 - Host Class1994 - Host Class1999 - Host Class

-t

. {

\ -t.T

A L U M N I N E W S

New Alumni Board Inducted

Dean Confesor (e l t l , Cha rman Cu s a, and Pres dent de Ocampo lcenler) w rh new board d rectors l l ro i r ro\ , ! . l rom ef t ) Cora Do oroso Henry Aq!eni je (board vrcec h a | l m a n ) E d B a i a g a 1 b o a r d c h a r m a n ) ' B a r b a r a G o n z a e z ' N e n r y T e n e d e r o t V ] a r v e e C e | , F r T ] t o S o q U n o 1 b a c k r o w 1 r o m e l t ] F l o m e i o Y a p t n c h a Y � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �lsecrelary) , TeodoroV lan!eva l t reasuren Joe Almagro, Conrado Dayrr . A Mayora go. Ernesto cuzrnan, Dan e Saracin. andVen e Raaosd

A NE\r BOARD OF DIRECTORSh:' 3rs1sp1sd rhe . hal lenge of expandingthe reaqh, breadch, and involvemenr oftheAlumni Association ofrhe Asian Instirureof Management, Inc. (AAAIM) whenA,4.4IM held irs annual Board ofDirecrors'turnover and oath-taking ceremonies atrhe SGV Conference Hall on August 13,2003.

AIM Dcan Nieves Confesor wel-

comed the alumni and cal led on them rohelp cnsur. the relevance ol AlM . offcr.ings and the requirements of rhe Asianhus rnc ' s . , ,mmun i r y - ; nd bc rh r l n r r i r u re 'partners for academic review, teaching,resource generation, placemenr of gradtr-ates, and helping gro*'rhe AIM stuclenrbodl

AIM Board ofTrustees and lloard ofCovernors co-chairman lose L. Ouisia, Jr.the inducting officer and gucst speaker,added,

"The true mcasure of AIM's excel

ience in education l ies in irs alumni- In 35vears. AIM has proven irs leadership bvconsistently developing ieaders and managers in Asia who thrive in an environment

ofexcel lence and who inst i l l io their sub-ordinates and respective organizations thepursuir to be outstanding."

Mr Cuisia also wished tire new boardsuccess as they embark on the programsof l i [elong learning. career opporrunir irs.bus inc ' r and t r r de i ncen r i ves , t ommun i .cations, the Alumni Fund for Faculry De-velopment, and alumni recognition throughthe Triple A and the Honor & PrestigeAwards. He Iikewise challenged AAAIMto be

"the besr alumni associarion in Asia."

I n h i . a . . ep ran re speech . i n .om ingAAAIM chairman Ed Baiaga (MBM 74)laid out the board's plan co

"look at the

Association fiom a marketing point ofviewan t l r . r n ren r i r as a dvnamr . . en re rp r r . r r r gand viable organizarion wirh an enviablcl r . r o l , on r< 15 ,0U0 a lumn i members i nthe Phil ippines as rarger market antl re,sourcc base.

'

''-lb get back the inrerest ofour alum-

ni." he conrinued, 'rve

shal l rc- latrncn rneAssociation as a brand - the AIM AIUMNl. Ar e brand. the AIM AIUMNI prom-ises to rnakc our alumni flel good and feel

proud' to be members ofa prestigious as-sociation-" To create value to members,

donors, and sponsors, Bafiaga said theboard shall relaunch the Alumni Member-

ship Card, which will come with great value

and benefi ts. In addit ion, he committedto earmark most ofthe funds raised rhisyear to rhe Alumni Fund fbr Faculry De-velopment.

President Roberco de Ocampo andDean Confesor presented plaques of rec,

ognition to the outgoing members of thcBoard ofDirectors, namelv, Fel ipc Diego(MBA 73). formcr chairman of ,{A,{IMand FAIM: Dulce Casaclang (MBA 73).

former cxecutive director o1- AAAIMT

Elsbeth MacDonald (TMI) 0l ) : ManuelFrancisco (MM 8I ): Luisiro Irernandc'r(MtsA 8 I ) : W'i l tredo Chato (A I-( i 7;)rl iel ipc Buena (MBM lJ5), and [)aniei

Saracin (MBA l i3)

Among thosc prcsenr during thcrnduc r r , ' r r us r s rhc | r , r dA" { l \ l , l r a r r .r nun l l c ' r c M . r r r i r r r z (Vh l ' t t ' r . l a . r r n ,( loseco. (MBA 89)and l lerna l ,omoran(MBA izir

A L U M N I N E W S

Bringing the Association to a New Playing FieldSpeech deliuercd b1 Eduardo Banaga at the Induction Rites of AIM-Alumni

,knciation Board Menbers bst Aagust 13, 2003, SGV Hall, AIM Conference Center

AN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IS ABOUT TO STARTA NEWchapter in its 32 years of history.

With very limited financial resources, falling revenuesfrom new members. the lack of revenues from old alumnimembers, a waning interest in the Association affairs bythe members, a syndrome called "donors fatigue" matchedby an increase in donation expectations. it is high time wetake a hard look at the Association if we want it to continuein its mandate.

Let me assure you however. that I have found a well-spring of new ideas and enthusiasm from the incomingBoard of Directors. With their support therefore, I acceptthe Dosition of Chairman of the Board.

Make no mistake about it, we intend to turn the situationaround by us ing the very sk i l ls and t ra in ing that the AIMhas given us in the pursuit of our own careers.

R6-inv6nting the AssociationFrom a plain donation-seeking and donation-giving

operations, we shall bring the Association to a new "playing

field", a playing field we AIM graduates are more familiarwith. We shall now look at the Association from a marketingpoint ofview and reinvent it as a dynamic, enterprising andviable organization with an enviable list of some 15,000alumni members in the Philippines, as target market and aresource base as well.

We shall seek them with the same zest and resolve asany marketing practitioner worth his salt. We shall considerevery missing alumnus as an opportunity loss - not onlyfor us and the Institute but also for himself.

Re-launching the Aasociation as a BrandTo get back the interest of our alumni, we shall

re-launch the Association as a brand - the AIM ALUMNI. Asa brand. the AIM ALUMNI oromises to make our a lumni"feel good and feel proud" to be members of a prestigiousassociat ion,

The AIM ALUMNI is a promise to deliver "services andopportunities" relevant to our Alumni members particularlyin the i r careers.The AIM ALUMNI is a promise to promoteand recognize achievements by our alumniwho bring honorand prestige to the Institute and the Association.

The AIM ALUMNI promises to suppon the AIM in i ts

efforts to maintain its status as a top graduate businessmanagement school, not only in Asia but around the worldas well.The AIM ALUMNI is a oromise to have an Associationoffice that is big in service, though small in floor area.

The AIM ALUMNI is a promise to continue doing ourshare in community building and promoting social respon-s ib i l i ty among our members.

Creating ValueBut.iust like before, we shall continue to generate rev-

enues from new graduates, donations and sponsorshipsand other fund-raising activities. You may ask: "So what isnew?"This time, we are committed to "create value" to ourmembers, our donors and sponsors. We shall provide "value

for value received", as what the AIM has taught us.ln the near future. we intend to re-launch the Alumni

Membership Card with a new look. But more that a newlook, it will come with great "value and benefits" so that analumnus wi l l be wi l l ing to renew his membership card fora fee in the vears to come.

_ To our donors and sponsors, we have a resource ofsome 15,000 a lumni in the Phi l ipp ines wi th a lo t o f buyingpower and influence, among other things. As a group, thisis an advertisers' or a promoters' "dream target". We arecommitted to create a "win-win" situation for those interestedto support us and whose vision we share.

To the Institute, we shall continue the AIM ALUMNIFACULTY FUND launched last yeat and commit to earmarkmost of the funds raised this vear to the FUND.We likewiseintend to enlist the alumni members to become the "primary

sales force" of the AlM. For who else can sell the AIM betterthan i ts a lumni?

Looking AheadThe new Board shal l bu i ld on the shoulders of what

was achieved before by the past Board of Directors. Wehave a long list of urgent as well as near-term but doableprojects, all geared towards making the new AIM ALUMNI,come al ive.

In closing, I urge all you my fellow Directors and fellowalumni, to support our activities in the Association, as wework to earn our "bragging r ights" as the " leading a lumniassociat ion of graduate management schools in Asia" .

A L U M N I N E W S

Vietnam AIM AlumniAssociation (VNAAA)

HE VIETNAM AIMAlumni Association(VNAAA) was esablished inthe late 1990s, and with the

encouragement of Prof Edel Guiza, Prof.Sol. Hernando, and Dr Ngo Huy Liem(who is a guest professor ofAIM and dreManager of the GTZ-funded Poveny A.l-leviation Project at Ministry of l,abor,lnvalids and Social Affans - MOLISA)the VNAAA became official on 20th ofMarch 2002 in Hanoi. A large numberof graduates from MDM, MM and MBMprograms and PPDM and PDM shortcourses were present at the ceremony, Thewent was wimessed by Professor Sol. Her-nando, and Ms. Edir,ha L. Pimenrel. Elecr-ed to rhe Board were Ms. Nguyen ThiThuan (MDM 1998) as President, andMr Pham Ngoc Thang (MM 1999), Ms.Phan Ngoc Mai Phuong (MDM 1998)and Mr Trinh Thanh Binh (MBM 1997)as Mce Presidens. In June 2002, the Boardappointed Ms. Le Thi Vet Thu (MDM

2002) as ia Secretary. At present, VNAAAhas 6 I members. Professor Vo Tong Xuan,an AIM Board member, is the HonorableMember of \NAAA. \4.IAAA has ia owncharter, and its funds are sourced frommembenhip fees (minimum annual mem-b'ership fee is VND 150,000 or US$ l0).

The vision ofVNAAA has beenidentified as follows:

2 srong asociation tbat plays anacioe role in facilitating deuehpment inViemam, and strengthening the relationshipand cooperation between ,he hidn Inttittuteof Managenent lAlM) and releuant insti-tutiow in Wetnam."

Given this vision, its mission is "ro

contribate as much as potsible to the deuel-o?m"nt mdnag.ment in Wemam b7 making

the mott of the Altr.mnii brain and theirnenaorhing u,ith AIM AIumni fom othercouxfties, dnd to enhance the ?reJence ofAIM in Vienzm. "

VNAAA recognizes its three clearobjectives: to enhance the presence ofAIMin Vieuram: ro srrengrhen lhe co-operarionand mutual understanding beween andamong its memben; to be deeply invoh,edin management training and consu.ltancyactivities, especially those conducted byAIM in Metnam.

AJM was first known in Metnam inthe early 1990s, and the first Vietnamesestudents came to AIM in 1994, The num-ber ofVetnamese graduates ftom differentAIM programmes has been increasing rap-idly. At present, there are 52 degree pro-gramme graduates and more than 400non-degree program gradwites (includingthose who benefited from short trainingcourses conducted in Vietnatn under theADB and Government ofNetherlands-funded "Capaciry Strengrhening for theMinistry ofPlanning and Investment(MPI)" project. VNAM is very proudthat its alumni can be found in almostevery province or city in Vietnam. A num-ber ofalumni have accomplished theirPh.D studies. Two alumni members (one

ofthem is the Governor ofHaTinh Prov-ince) are deputies to the National Assem-bly. Many othen are occupying importantpositions in their respective institutions.

Regular Alumni meetings are heldevery two months to ( I ) review past actrv-ities and plan for future activities ofVNAAA; (2) share management expen-ences and ways to do business; (3) ex-change up-to-date information on businessopportunities; and (4) seek chances to co-operate with one another in business.

\NAAA takes on the task to introduccAIM and its management training pro-grammes to various Vietnarnese institu-tioru a-nd indMdua.ls (in all public, privateand NGO secton) and o encourage theseinstitutions to send Vetnamese studentsro AIM for both degree and non-degreetraining, V|{AAA also recommends goodcandidates for various AIM programmesfor AIM selection. For selected students,\NAAA members help the studens famil-iarize dremselves with the Filipino cultureand the uaining style of AIM. Meetingsbetween new ald old studenr are usuallyheld before a new group of studens leavefor AIM.

The Associarion is also involved inmanagement training and consultancyactivities in Metnam and in AIM.VNAAA dso provides support to AJMprofessors during dreir mission in Metnamby making necessary arrangements fortheir appointmens, accompanying themto their meetings and providing them withinterpretation service if necessary.

VNAM is always ready to take paft inAIM's activities in Vietnam. We wish to seemore AIM training and research programmesconducted in Vietnam, and are eager to beinvolved in those progrcmmes. We committo make our best efforts to make them qrcatsuccesses,

VNAM also wishes to have claser con-tacts and relationships with AIM Alumnt fromother counlhes. We hope tnat networkingwith othetAlM Alumni associations, especially those tn AsEd. wll be pan of out acuv'ty inthe neat futurc and that we can join effoftsin making our wo d, our Asta a better place

fhtough the AIM magazine, we wouldlike to wish allAlM professors and staff andallAlM Alumniall over the world good health,happiness and great successes.

A L U M N I N E W S

\(iHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GETIndian, Philippine, and Singaporean AIM

alumni living in Singapore to get togetherwith an AIM professor? Answer: a free meal.

On September 21, I had a dinner-meeting with Derek Liew. Bee Van Dirzig.

Rica and Mohit Misra (MBM classmateswho formed their own CAN group for life),

Syed, Vivek Chandy, and Fred Utanes at

the fabled Ban Seng Restaurant. Derekbrought the booze. Several others such asAmber Chandra couldn't make it as some-thing important like a soccer game on TV

or somcthing came uP.Anlway, we had a good time, spurred

on by wine connoiseur Derek Liew's selec-tions ofexcellent but cheap vintages.

It is good for AIM professors to touchbase with alumni and see who is still alive.There was much camaraderie at the dinncr,and some work even got done.

As you may know, for the last coupleof years, a number of Indian MBM & MMgraduares have been going to Singaporeafter graduation and have stayed at a "lucky

Jpartment" Fom which every single residenthas emerged with a Singaporean job. And

some Filipinos have gotten jobs in Singaporetoo. Fred Unnes went to work for a Philip-pine company's Singaporean office, rhenmoved ro GCF Pte. Lrd. ofSingapore. Ricawent to work rs Mrs. Mohit Misra, but alsofound employment at Deloitte &'lbucheSingapore.

An).way, the alumni said that Sin-

Prof. Bin g Azanza touchesbase with Alumni in Singapore

gapore's policy for some years now has beento get the best and brightest from allwhere.Inrerested in working in Singapore? Go takea look at "hrrp://www.contactsingapore.

org.sg/". Turns out that just abour any non-lelon can ger a six-monrh visa, and dr-rringrhar rime you look lor a ioh. The alumniadvised that Singaporean employers tendto be conservative, and tend to want toplace you in a field where you already havework experience, so it s not easy ro switchfields. But it does happen - Vivek Chand,v,for instance, an engineer-rype,

'spent allnight before my intewiew reading Damo-daran's finance book" and aced his interviewar KIMC, and is nou a well-dres'ed fi-nance-rype. However - the sober ones atthe dinner urged - it is a lot easier to finda job in rhe less glamorous Operations/Supply Chain-rype fields, as everybody andhis mother want glamorous finance-typejobs, and there is a glut ofpeople in rhatfield. especiaily after the recent reduction.and mergers among the financial institu-tions in Singapore.

Still, everybody got jobs from thewant ads in

'I'he Straits Timei, or from

alumni or friends of alumni. Generallyspeaking - they said between mouthfuls -

it takes a minimum ofabout 6 weeks ofreading the newspapers and followingl upell leads, to land a job. But rhe visa is for

six months so that's ample. To save nonev

during this search, various AIM Elrads haveshared apartments, including that one par-

cicular "lucky apartment"; and some have

stayed at AIM alumni's places, includrnpithe apartment ofthe unfortunate Mr andMrs. Mohit and Rica Misra who extend,guardedly, rheir invitation to yet addirionalrransients who wish to look for iobs inSingapore.

Apparentl,v, it is also possible to getjobs in Malaysia, and AIM grads have doneso. lndeed, rhe general opinion is that iobopponuniries are more plenoli-rl in Malav'u.bur the legal and administrative require-

ments surrounding getting iobs there are

somewhat more difiicuh rhan in Singapore.

They said that in Singapore, ifthe emplover

wants you, you're in.

As we conrinued consuming braised

goose, steamed pomfret, sea cucumber, ald

seteral other delicacies ordered up by the

well-klown gourmet Derek Liew, I rn-

formed my guests that in fact AIM is pres'

ently negotiating with rhe firm of Signum,

Vard, and Howell - a professional regionai

execulive-placement firm - to help grads

get jobs around Asia; and rhar AIM would

consider partially-subsidizing that "lucky

apartment" for several monrhs after gradu_

ation to give some support ro AIM grads

looking fbr jobs in Singapore. I also urged

evervbody to go to AIM's website and sign

up for AIM's "Email

Forwarding for Life ",

so that AIM could better facilitate interac-

tion berween our alumni, including rhe

posting of job opportunit ies.

My co-diners were also happy to know

rhat AIM did obrain ful l accreditat ion in

F-urope some months ago From rhe Europe_

an accreditat ion-granring body EQUIS;

and that AIM was, and still is, in the process

ofworking with the U.S. accreditat ion-

granring body - rhe MCSB - for gerr ing

full accredimtion in America. Alumni said

that some ofthem have gone [or, or wish

to go for. Doctorates, and that this accred_

itation will help thcm verv much. Bee Van

Ditzig notifiecl everybodv that she was run-

n ing . r T ra tn i t r g .ompan \ . r l l ed I n t cg r r l i ve

Learning Corporation, whereupon she and

variour alumni di ' .us' 'eJ po.. ible parr-r ime

training engagements.

Ve ended by srumbling our and

agreeing thar we all had e good time ,rnd

that AIM faculry visiting Singapore should

host more dinners.

Seriously, AIM expects to exert more

eRbrts rowlrds assisting our grads and alum-

ni to f ind international iobs in Singapore.

l ) o e m ; i l mc a t h i ng t " a im .edu .ph i f vou

are interested in this nratter.

The AIM Alumni Fundfor Faculty D evelopment

he Alumni Associat ion of chc Asian [nst i tutc of

Managcmcnt (A,A"{IM). u' i th Mr. Fel ipe R. Diego(MBM '73)

as Chainnan. and the Scientific Research

Foundation of AIM, iaunched rhe "Alurnni

Fund

for Faculty f)evelopment" or "l)aw Fund ' on Februarv 27. 2003.AAAIM provided a seed donation ofP100,000.

This special fund is fbcused specificallv on rhe developmentofrhe AIM Faculo', wherher to provide further strrdies offacultvrhrough Ph.D. Programs, to supporr laculw exchange, or roassist in faculry research and publications. Thc fund will cnsurcAIM's growth into the lurure through the continuous develop-ment of an internationallv recognized, academicallv qualif ied,practirioner-oriented AIM Faculg.

Anv AIM graduate or student can contribule any amountas an individual (whcther as a personal or a corporate donation),or as parr ofa ciass. Accurnulated donations wil l be recognizedr.rpon reaching specific landmarks in the lbllowing categories:

WHITE Tigcr Award (P25,000)

BEICE Tiger Award (P 100,000)YELLO\( Tiger Award (P250,000)

ORANCiE Tiger Award (l '500,000)

BRONZE Tiger Arvard (P1,000,000)

SILVER Tiger Award (Pl,500.000)

GOLD Tiger Award (P2,000,000)'l'hree

uinners rl,ill be recognized during Homecoming2004: The Class rvirh the highest percentagc ofdonarionslThe Class with the largest donation; and The AIM Alumni withthe largest donation (as an individuai or as a corporate donor).

' All u' inners rvil l have a Paw Fund plaque of recognitioninstalled pernancntll' at the J.\l Ongpin Quadrangle.

' The esrablishment ofthis fund reinforces rhe crucial roleof alumni in elevating AIM's leadership in Asian rnanagementeducation in thc next 35 years and beyond. For more informationon how you or your class could leavc your mark, please send anemail to aimalumni@aim.edu.ph or call the Alumni RelarionsOffice at (632) 8924011 local 540 or 541.

PAW FUTD DOilORS

TheAsian lnstitute of Management wishes

to express its sincerest gratitude and ap-preciation to the following individuals and

classes, who have generously donated to

the Alumni Fund for Faculty Development.

MBM '73. the Pearl Celebrants for Home-

coming 2003, was the first class to make

a donation of P1 mill ion to this fund.

Ths Cla3s ot MBM 1973

The Class of MBM 1983

Alumni A*eociation of AIM Inc- (Phil.)

Amil Precillia, MBM 2001

Solutions, Inc.

Tracy Pagal, VIE 2002

Yuan Balit is (China), MM 1991

L€a & Jomie Franci6co. MBM 1984

Kathryn & Vinci Ca.ag, MBM 1998

Blesida Magno, MBM 1988

Erissa Carabeo-Arca, MBM 1990

Jesusa V. Gangoso, MBM 1990

Ma. Alma Agu3tin, MBM 1990

Rico Ermino, MBM 1990

Joselito E Santos, MBM '1990

Esperanza Cabunoc, MBM 1990

Prcf. Ed Bonoan, MBM 1990

Bobby Cabral, MBIM 1981

Prcf. Cecille Manikan, MBM 1976

Geraldine Bernardo, MBM 1993

IA

5

o . . ( | , i . P r . ! ( \ a "

Rica Pineda. MBM 1998

Katrina Limcauco, ME 2001

Rome.o Roderos, BMP'1997

Eileen Garcia, MBM 2001

Amy Gome2, MBM 2001

Barbara Gonzalez, lvlE 2001

Denise Seva, ME 200'1

Chito Madrono, MM '1978

BoyTagorio, MM 1978

Henry Grageda, ME 2002

Emmanuel Calupig, MBM 2002

Donna Ferro, l\,1BlVl 1998

Mayeen Magno, l\1BM 1998

Henry Aquende, MBM 1998

Joel Almadro, MBM 1985

Ray Altareios, lvlBlvl 1981

Julie Baterna, MBM 2001

Christy Aquino, MBM 2001

Mimi Ca.aig (staff AIIM)

Bert Lao, MBM 2002

Ria Lapaz, MDP 2001

Lito Ligon, lvlBl\,1 1998

Bernadette Lomotan, MBM 1974

Randy Bo.romeo, MAPo

Gulliver Go. l\,18M 2000

Maryo J. de los Reyes, MAP 6

Marlene Escalante, MAP 6

Marissa Delgado, MAP 6

MAP BATCH 6

AIM challenges MBM 73 to go for the GOLDON l l l f : u l ( lH f l l OF JUi . \ .

the Asian Institute of Management hosred

a recognition clinner for the MBM 73 on

rhe e rc o l t he s i gn rng . . r em. rn r o f rhe

deed of donation. The dinner was orga-

nized to acknon'lcdge the magnanimous

contr ibution ol one mil l ion pesos made

h r rnc \ lBV -

| t , ' r l r L .A l r r n tn i Fun . l l o r

Faculn' l )evelopment".

Tbe event u,as graciouslv markcd

bv the prcscnce of Mr Vxhington S{iip,

Mr'. Jose ( luisia, President dc Ocampo.

f)can Nievcs Confesor, MBM 7-l ciass

president Bobbv Garcia, fbrmer FAIM(lhairrnan Fel ipe I) iego and his fel lou

barch matcs- Mr. I-el ipe Alfbnso was the

nrastcr of ceremonies.

Presidcnt de C)campo oPened the

cerenronl with hts u'eicome rematks ac

knolvledging rhe noirlc contributron maclc

h . I t l f lV - t l hc r r . t r r u r r l i ' c . . ' r r o d i . '

fbr i ts laculn." cornmentcd Presidcnt de()campo on thc lacr.r ln deveiopmcnt He

aiso brought up dre inirrat ive AIM is rak-

inil to insrinrtrotralizc its alulnni network

Mr. Jose Crrisia pointed our the rarc

distrnct ic,rr of MIIM 73 es being the onlv

class to have a roonr

narned atter i t in thc

lnst i tutc. Apparenth

MBM 73 also has the

highest number of Triple

A arvardees. Mr. Cuisia

recognized the contr i-

bution as "an

act that

reinforces the crucial role

of alumni in elevating

management cducetton

ensuling AIM'.s legacy of

cxcel lence in manage-

ment education-"

Upon handing the

Ilronze l)alv Trophv to

MllM 73 class prcsident

Bobbl Garci.t and Felipc Diego, AIM G.Chrirman Mr'. \S'ashington SvCip chal-lenged the class to "(l() t OR THE(i()t-l) . uhich uil l rcpresent a leap from

cheir donation of one mill ion pesos to

trvo nril l ion pcsos. Mt. SvCip plomisedro conrribute P100,000 ro start rhe "road

to the goid" fbr the class of MBM 73.

MBM 73 has fourteen TriPrle Aauardees. the latest of whom was Mr.

lLBrMessrs FepeDegolMBVl 73 and iorner A M A Lrmn Assocralo '

Ph, pp res Cha rman), Jose L Clrsra (Co Cha rman). Wash ngton SyC F

1Co Cha rman), Foberto Garc a iN/ lBM 73 C ass Pres denlr and Robenc

oe Ocampo lAlM P.es.l,.nll unve the paw olaq!e of l"4BN/l 73 as a token

ol the, generous oonat on to t f re A Lrmn Fund for Facu 1\ ' Deve opnieni

ManueJ Cojuangco who was a*arded thls

dist inct ion during the Nlarch 7, 2003

Homecoming. MBM 73 has also won the

alumni golf championship four t imcs rn

a row and scven nembers ofthe batch

have becn the chairmen ofthe alumnl

associat ion. lndeed, this disr inct class rs

the batch to beat, as the alumni commu-

niw Iooks fbrward to another class, whicb

would bear thc records of MBM 73.

MBA 83 to go for the BRONZE!l i l , P I { 1 . \ l l N I A l l V I i \ ( ) l : l l l l

r . r . . ' \ l l { \ . t r ' ' t l r " ' . t r n ' z . r i r r r

\ l \ l , , , , r r , r \ ' r r r r r r . I I . , r r r . , , ' I I r : I . l r . l , t

l . rsi \ l rrrch . 100 i , rctcntlr sir tnco .r

de rd o l d ( )n . r l r ( ) n t L l r n l ng ( ) vc ' l ) a r t o i

r l r t l r r , r , r ' r . " t l i r . l r , ' r r l ( . , , r l r r r r i l " ( l

, \ l \ l \ l u r r r n i I r unJ 1 , r l : . r cu l t v i ) eve lq '

$ ' r r , \ ' , r ' . t i . ' , : . t ' r t ^ . r ' r r l ' , ' t

wc rc rh r I ) . . r r r o t t i r c l ns t r t t r t t ' N r t v r -

(,onfisor, AIN{ l ' rcsident Roberto clt()campo. Alumni Associat iorr ol AIN' l( ih:r i lnran fcl ipr l) icgo (NlBA -. i ; .2{) i)J

I L ' r ' r . ' , r ' ! r . o ' . r , r l l . l ' r r m ; r l ) . r n l r

5.rrecin (\ l l lA i l3l . and f inanec cornnrit

t . L \ ' r J rn r r . r r M r r r , , l e r r . r l . r k M I IA t { r '

1 i , t hL ' d t l i gh r o l t hosc P rcsgn t .N l l l \ j ' { ' r r . r . ' * u r t r , i r . 1 , ' r u r r . ' r r r , P l r

J00.(Xl0 on ir lav 8, 100.1 i ionr rnc l)hl '' l " r . r r l r ' r , r l r , r l l , r n J r , r r . r l i r r l ' , . L r r

n r o n r ; l . h . i l r h , r r r h c i r ; " g a t ' d r r r r n .

l r c , n t . . , ' r r r i r r ! . n r g l r r . V i r l , r l r i ' , i , ' r r , ' r , ' r '

\ 1 1 { \ I } \ t $ i l l 1 . . r r r i r l . , l r , . r . . . i ' . r l r ,

\t l lou l 'arv I)laquc.l { r . 1 1 1 ' p , , n 1 1 1 q 1 ; . 1 1 I \ 1 1 \ u . r r . l , , r t r . l

I u n r r r r \ r u J r . . , r l r . . \ I \ L \ | r r r r r r i l r ' n . l

t , ' r I r . u i r r i ) c r e t , , | ' r r ' . r ' r J ' r l i ' r r . r r r ] i ' ,

rrhrions bct* 'ccn AIN{: ncl i ts r lr .rnrni

r nd d r r ve A IN I s pu rs t r i t o t r x t c l l en t c i n

nr!rragrnrcnl cdrrcatiorr.

t ' :'.aa'

Thoughts and ReflectionsPost Homecomitg

By Manolet Salak, MBM a3

in mobilizing the institute and faculty

suPPoff.

Around five months later, en route to

the actual homecoming Night on March 7

at the Greenbelt Lagoon, MBM Batch 83

had by itsell and with the unrelenting supporr

of rhe AIM lnstitute and faculry the AIM

Alumni Associat ion, and their Co-hosts

MBM Batch 88 and MM 83, completed

A 0mniChallenqe Cup GolfTournamenlwas held on February28,2003 at TATS Fi ipinas. Danny saracin, Co . Boy Gudani,lVanolet Salak, Joy Tiongco Delgado came tqshowtheirsupportto Bernie Asperin (far rght), Cha rman oithe GolfTournament. The Secretar at groupi She ley Saracin, BambiYap, Des Co, and Daycee Salimbagat.

a whir lwind program ofactivi t ies that we

honestly can be:rll proud of, making the 2003

AIM Homecoming "one

of the best there

The executed

plan focused on

three consecutlvc

Fridays. Blitzkrieg

was on our minds

*'here we envi-

sioned that rhe

monrhs ofplan-

ning would result

inro a crescendo

of three major

events (Movie

Premier on the

February 21. thc

Alumni Golf Challenge on rhe February 28and the climax Homecoming on March 7).Around 907o ofour hardship will be pouredinto these crucial wccks, where all our pentup energy will bursr so that we can all grate-fully embrace the blissful resr that beckonedon the morrow of March 8.

Movie Premier"The Recruit" lFebruary 211

At the r isk ofbeing co-sued for shady

practices, Alex Pamandanan would be my

hand ' down .ho i ce o rgan i ze r l o r any mov ie

premiere event. Besides having excellent con-

nections to Columbia Pictlrres, he has the

best ideas for cutting costs and maximizing

revenues. "Partner," he said to me,

"Ve can

do several things. First let's prinr more tickcts

than theatre capaciry and oversel l . Second,

lets sell tickers in Visayas and Minclanao as

rhere is a small chance that the buyers will

show up. As for curring costs, we can always

announce that due to unavoidable circum_

\ rance \ wh i ch [ 1 . p reven r rd rhe de l i ve ry o f

t he mov rc p r i n t . r ve w i l l i ns read he ' how ing

the classic lilm-The Sound of Music." The

rest is history.

Alumni Challenge CupGolf Tournament (February 281

'We were all concerned when Cesar Zu-

lueta (the only member in rhe Va Mare meet-

ing who knew horv to play golf] was suddenly

called co Jakarta for several months, leavrng

us with no tournament organizec Fortunately,

coup le *eek ' ; f t c r t he V ia Mr re mee t i ng .

I bumped into Bernie Asperin at the Ateneo

. rnn r r l l home . .m ing . A . a commun iLa ( i on .

person, Bernie is notorious for having a mul-

t i tudc ofcontact numbers which he does nor

respond to but in that flcc to face encountcr,

borh his love ofthe game (and so he said -his

love of rhe lnst i tute) led him to volurrreer

with such irresistible zest for the orlla-

The Gathering of th€ Fellowship

I can still remember that first night

I (November last year?), our first realI su...rsful ane-pt at getting our classtogether to kick offthe planning activtttesfor our batch'.s 20th and AIM's 35th yearanniversary \(e were all liling in, one by one,into Rockwell Via Mare'.s Oyster Bar not surewhether we could match the names

and faces correctly but ultimarely

having mixed emotions ofsurprise,

warmth, and sPontaneous mirth as

the process of recognition went on.

I was the second to come and

I saw Cesar Zulueta already seated

comfortably at the long table. Louie

Ticman came next, and then Alex

Pamandanan. And the rest arrived

Danny Saracin, Amor Salud, Arlene

Tan-tsalangue, Joy Tiongco-Delgado,

Greg and Mekit Atienza, and Richard

King. The others couldnr make it but

prhoned it ro express their supporr(Peter Fung, Mon Opulencia, JudyHuang-Mathay, Pearl RDS-Catahan).

Cherry Rosario sent a note. Amidst

the initial ftrn and usual reminiscing,

wc all went into work and agreed on respon-

sibi l i t ies. I was going to handle Finance and

Solicitations; Creg would take on Programs

and Publiciry; Amor would handle Venue

and Food; Alex

woLrld head the

Attendance

Commictee and

Dannv was con-

uinced bv al l of

us to be Home-

coming Chair-

nan. Prof. Titos

Orrigas was not

there but would

latcr on become

l crucial core

group member

The MB[, 83 made a generous donat ion of Php500,000 toLaura Vlcuia Foundat ion. Shown inthe p cture are Ed Bafraga,Rabboni Ar joni l o, Joy Tiongco-0elgado, Sister Mar iv ic Sta.Ana (Executive Directorot Laura Vicuia Foundationl, IVlanoletSalak, Amor Salud and Danny Sa.aci i .

I : .u i

; tt . 'I r i

. : '

nizing rolc. And lo and behold, his constant

partner turned out ro be our lc,ng lost brod

and classmatc, Colonel Bov ( luclani, u,ho

is always a riotous act during reunions. Boy

was quick to point our thar rhc tourniment

was sure ro del ivcr a fortune in funds and

procceds (alrhough such firltr.rne to this dav

remains as elusive as Yamashira.s treasure).

But, I rnust sav rhat the Gruesomc

Trvosorne actuallv put up a splendid show.

Golf participants u,ere rvell ebovc I 50 per

sons. The TAT Fi l ipinas course r las a rc-

freshing change fbr a lot ofplalcrs and rhe

Jack Nicklaus clothcs and apparel real l l

looked vcrl nicc on us. Dannv Saracin ag-

onized fbr several days fltrful that he rvouro

rhat their meticulous prepar.r l ions

u'ere going to hic the right keynotes

<luring thc affair. For rhose ofyou

who showed up and rvitncssed the

rvhole event, I rn sure that vou would

agree with mc that i t rvas trul,v a

night to renrember. (ireg Atienza rvas

a madman ofideas. [- I is cnthusiasm

and can do arrirude wes trull present.

Who can forget Bobby dc C)campo

uaving his baton as the special CCP

gucst conductor? And the irre-

pressible Apo Hiking lr io thar en-

tertained the audiencc with a q,el-

come mixcd repertoire of old and

nerv numbers? Plus the outstanding

performances of rhe Phil ippine

M. rd r i gu l r i ngcn . B r l l e r Ph i l i p -

pines and AIM Alumnus JoeyAyala? C)r rhe poignant rnoments

when MBM Batch 83 announced

their contr iburions ro rhe AIM-

Alumni Fund for Facultv f)evel-

opmcnt and the l-aura Vicui ia

Foundation.

The aflair was also a very

challenging one fbr Amor Salud,

who coordinatcd all renue logistics

and F&B requiremenrs. Normalll,

Fridav nights were the most hectic

and productive for rhe Makati

Creenbelt restaurant operators. ln

this regard, Amor's F&B experi-

ence and his cool and suave per-

sonali ty not only al lowed him ro

Danny Sarac n (MBM 83)Chairman of 2003 Grand A umni Homecominq

LIFE Pres dent Dr A endry Cavi es (center) rece ves aPhp400,000 cheque f rom [4BM 83 representat ives JoyTiongco Delqado, A ex Pamandanan, IMano et Salak,Danny Saracin, Ttos 0r t rgas, and Greg At ienza. Lookingon is Prof . Bing Azanza, Homeroorn prolessor of MBI\ ,4 83.

not hit the bal l on his ceremonial tee-off

but ultimately just serrled lor the traditional

mug shots.'l'he tor.rrnament raised a decent

amounr o fp ro .eed . bu l r u l h i \ J Jv I kee f

on wondering why the bulk ofthe procecds

came fiom the purchase of mulligans.

Bernie swore rhat this was rhe hardest

and mosr memorable tournament that he

had organized in his entire life. He did not

lose some weight but lost some inches and(some more) hair instead.

Homecoming Night (March 7)

s they say, "lt's not where youstart; itt how you finish." Thenight belonged to Greg Arienza,

Master Showman, and to Amor SaludMaster F&B Expert. The two groupscamped out the night before making sure

assure the opcrators ofa smoorh andscamless non-hindering affair but (with thehelp ofShelly Saracin) also managed ro coaxthem inro providing tables ofcomplinren-tary food and drinks! In addition, we gotPopeye's Chickcn to provide rray loads offbod while Asia Brewery provided becr anddrinks. Roasted calf and lechon were do-nated by various alumni.

And ofcourse, while other batchesand groups were holding their own pockctsofgathcrings, there was rhe reunion ofMBM 8J irrell. Wc had become a biggerbunch in rerms ofattendees now. Asideliom myself, there was Danny Saracin, JoyDelgado, Tiros Orrigas, (ireg and MekitAtienza, Amor Salud, Joel Valdes, AIex Pa-mandanan, Mon Jarencio, Rrfl, Pcrtierra,Bernie Asperin, Boy (iudani, Mon Opu-lencia, Mikc Aguilar, Gabby Manalac, Jojo

Marcelo, Jimmy Lina, Louic Ticrnan, C,esar

Zulucta, Nelson Yu, Bevo Castillo, Richard

King, I'earl I{DS Carahan, Sue cle los lleves,

Judv Huang-Marhar' . and l . iza Marhias

Caliz. ' . Orrr. l .rssm.rter offshorr.orr lJni

make i t but al l sent messages ofsupporr.

George del Fierro, Dodie Rodriguez, Linda

Yoong-Chin and Butch Muvco came and

ri ' i ted rhr nr. lr th L,cf.rr< and email . ,r , , .-

spondences *'ere being exchangcd wich

John Veloso, Lorna Morce Runkle, Dante

Lomibao, Joey Mirasol in the US and

Syahrul Bahroen & Herman Susrnanto

in lndonesia.

Aftermath and Gratification

So rve ask ourselves "Vhy

did we all go

through this?" How do we justiS all thosc

long and somerinres sleepiess nights, the

r ime 1 ' e r r r ; r r r l l r om ou r f am i l i e . . r he d i . -

traction from our regular hectic work, the

endless meetings, the shouring matches (on

a few occasions), thc debt and personal

favors called in the course ofthe sponsorship

drive? Danny Saracin cal led i t one big act

of love but I guess al l ofthese can be cap-

tured bv che one overal l thcme we had

adopted for our 2003 Homecoming"Looking

Back... Paving Forward."

Finance {llaximizing Revenues,Minimizing costs

At the or.rtset, we all agreed that we

would set an ambit ious goal for ourselves.

I inr. rhar we would dep:rt l i , .rm th< tradi-

tional view that we rvould only raise money

ro defr:y the. o.t ' . r l - th. AIM homecoming

night; and second, we would put in anall out effort to approach sponsors andfriends to raise money for beneficiarieswe would identifr. In this regard, we craft-ed a unified sponsorship approach, treat-ing the different event groups like theGolf, rhe Homecoming and the MoviePremier as part ofthe Finance Main-srream Sponsorship drive group and in-corporating these three activities as partofthe sponsors' bundled package. Vecalled on personal contacts -our majorsponsors were the Tan Yan Kee Founda-cion, Ayala/BPI group, Smart, Mirant,GSIS, ABS-CBN, and ING Bank groupplus all other kind-heaned souls. PDIwas our official print media sponsor andour very own Federarion of fuian lnsri-ute of Management Alumni Associations(FAJM) made a major conuibution.On the costs side, we had to play themisers and the bad guys; striving to geteach cost center to their bare bones min-imum without necessarily sacrificing qual-iry and appeal, The business ofsoundir'gpleasant on solicitations and rudeon the cost man€emen tside was

Joy's and my version of Dr Jekylland Mr Hyde.

lryhere did it all 90?

As our first official act, theclass conmibured PhP300,000 tothe AIM Alumni Fund for FaculryDevelopment. Cognizant that thelifeblood ofany educational in-stitution lies in the qualiry ofitsfaculry, the batch followed the leadof Honoree MBM Class 73 insupplementing rhis fund.

In cooperation with GabbyLopez and ABS CBN, MBM 83donared Phpl mill ion in ABS-CBN media values to the CCP Founda-tion, a rremendous boost to the CCPwho had no budget for publicity, adver-tisement and promotions. The CCP hasbeen a core source and partner for AIMIMaster ofthe A-rts Program and a verygrateful Nanding Josef, CCP CreativeDirector, was all smiles following rhetufnover.

The Lrukemia LIFE (teukemic In-

lFrom top leftl G re g Atienza (MBM 83),Trixie loper {ExecutiveAssistantto the Chairmans off ice ABS'CBN), [ , lanolet Salak{L4BlV 83}. From bottom left Susan Atrica of AIM AlumniRelat ions, Nanding Joset(Vice President and Anist ic Directorof CCP),andMalol iEspinosa{VPforCorporateCommunicationsABS-CBN}.

digents Fund Endowment) Foundationwas a directed project as we all rememberhow Prol Bing Azanza (our Homeroomprofessor) lost his kid to the dreaded drs-ease. V'e contributed PhP400,000 beliw-ing thar a good number of kids undertreatment will live to see the light ofdayhopefully until their restful old age.

Last June, we attended mass andhad a light dinner with 30 litde girls andthe Sisters ofthe Laura Vicufia Founda-rion. This Foundadon, which strives toprovide daycare and schooling for streetchildren, as well as care and counselingfor battered and abused young girls, wasFr. Jim Donelani project during his life-time. Sister Marivic Sta. Ana remarkedthat our contribution ofPhp500,000 w:srhe single largesr conrribution thar thecenrers have received. Nor *i l l this beour last involvement. RFM Selecta willsponsor Selecta Moo parties for the kidswhile APOI Jim Paredes has promisedto teach guitar lessons to the kids.

Our two remaining projects before

we close out the fund are the sponsorshipsofcomputer laboratories for rwo selectedpublic schools. As fomrnate, genreel grad-uates ofthis pre-eminent instirut€, wefelr that it was a good thing to extend ahelping hand to marginalized kids whoshould have the rools to access highereducation. We have already idenrifiedand commitred ro fund the first school,San Miguel Academy, a secondary school

in Jagna, Bohol. In this regard, we srrucka special arrangement with the MakatrBusiness Club who agreed to put up acounterpart contribution on a l:1 ratio,in effecr aJlowing us ro leverage our con-tribution. We are in discussions with sev-eral institutions to select the next project.

looking Back...Paying Forward..,

his also has some similarities tothe saying in the vernacular,i4ng hindi marunong lamingon

sa pinangalingan - hindi mahaharutingsa pinarorconan. "While our neck andheads have all been twisted around in fullcircle, we all feel that we have all lookedback to our MBM days where we haveall absorbed the necessary managementskills and corporate values and are nowpaying ir forward when we are in pos.tions ofresponsibil iry

So cheres the payoff. For us not interms oftangible markers nor naming

rights to rooms or halls (Ve wouldhave wanted the naming rights tothe pool in memory ofour dunkingrituals) but our markers will live onin the hearts and minds ofkids whohave gotten a new lease on life andeducation and who may in the futurebecome graduates of this prestigiousinstitution. So that one day, theymay look back and pay forward too.

Special Acknowladgements

Of course to President Bobbyde Ocampo, Dean Nieves ConfesotAAAIM Philippine Chapter Presi-dent Felipe Diego for providing theencouragement and support;

To our Charlie's Angels: SusanAfrica, Marvee Celi, and Ofel Bisnar.Ofeli Barch 88 subsidized the souvenrrprogram costs and is as deserving for thehard work poured in this affair. Susanand Marvee were simply wonderful irproviding us the lnstitute's resources (rn

Bong Arjonillo's words) "to use, misuseand abuse."

Des Co and Day.ee SaJimbagar -

our herdworking secretariat groupprobab)y cursing us behind our backs but[ 'm sLrre enjoled vvorking with us tothe end.

Tb our Lrend ofbrothers (and sisters)lonr l , r i . ingo [Ol i l B i .n . t r V tsV 88 . Fr i 'Gallardo MM 99, Linda Martv MM 83,

Jav Bernardo MBi\4 93, l- lana DomingMBM 93, F-rhe I Vil lafranca MAP 02,Marc Allan Lacav MAP 02, Nieves LirnMM 98, Gina Torres MllM 98, AnnMayeen Magno N4BM 9ti, Bcng AbellaMBM 93,

- lbmo l lare MBM

93, ard Dulct Csaclorg MBM

73.'fruly a learning expericncc.

So u,har are rhe lessons rveve

learnecl?

. as Peter Parker's Unclc Ben

said. 'rvith

grcar porver. comesgrcat responsibi l i t l ."

. as f)ean Nieves Contisor

said ( in another graduation

ceremonv), "L)oni

bcrate rhe

guvs rvith thc Ds in conduct,

thcsc little ducldings may turn

inro handsome snvans. ' '

. As Col. Louie Ticman said

(in the niddle of the fund-

raising). "Subo

na talo ,lito. Kailangau

it lqt d lllttit." Iftnslation, "\ffe'r,e

al-

readl underrvri t ten rhe dcal. So I l l per-

sonall l ' shoot al l deserters."

. ( l st i l l dont knorv u,hy rve raised a lot

of moncr f iom golfmull igans)

. (on the occasion ofour receiving our

honorary AIM jackets from President

Bobbv de Ocampo) Alex Pam: "Wak

bangTiipk Xlarge ?" Bernic Asp "Bakit

puro extra large?"

. as our wives and sPouses said 1,1,

sakmat. . ..Natapos na in !!!

ln conclusion

For the people rvho were a part of

our 2003 Honrecoming: Alex Pamandarr-

an is Chairman of Inca Plastics Inc.;

Danny Saracin serving as Executivc Di

rector ofthe Alurnni Associat ion ofAlM

Alex Parnandanan lMBN4 83), Chairman oi the Movie Prem er"The Recru t" showi at the AFPTheatre

Delgado is a Dircctor o1'(iADand happilv married to CuidoDclgado; Arlene Tan-Ba.langueis happilv married ro I)aveBalangue ofS(iV and runs herIucrarive "Herbalif i" Lrusiness;fuchard King is a successfr.rlentrePreneur conccntrating onpropertt, club, and rcsort devclopme nr; Mike Aguilar isSVP and Trcasurer of theStandard Chartered Bank: MonC)pulencia is Manaeine I)i-rectc,r in charge ofTreasury andIrinance of Avala Corporarion;Pearl Rayos del Sol Catahan isVicc President and Controllerof f irst Phil ippine HoldingsCorp.r Lynda Yoong Chin is a

Phii ippine Chapter; Bernie Asperin rsPresidcnt and (lEO ofPSI Call Cenrc.;Greg Atienza is Presidcnt of Kingdom Il.rrJ LCo.: Vekir Abaya Atienra i. m.rrried to Greg Arienza and rvorks as an SVPofBank of Commcrce in charge ofprivatcbanking; Titos Onigas is Excc. Managingf)irector of AlM's ncnu programs; Col.Louie Ticman is presentlv assigncd to\ r rJ reF i , ( , ' rp . p l . rnn ine grnr r l ' , ' t - rh .PNP; Col. Boy Gudani is a ConrnrandingOf'f lcer of rhc Phil ippine Malincs; Joy

successful businesswoman rvith interesrs

in Home Irumishings; Mon Jarencio runs

his orvn f inancial consultancv ottt f i t ;

Bong Arjonillo is VP in (iiribank; Syahrul

Bahroen and Herman Susmanto are both

Depurv Directors at the l lank of lndone-

sia; Peter Fung o*'rrs and runs sc.,cral

The MBM83's happy faces w th their i incers Lrp "To God 8eThe G ory" and President 0e 0campo wi th h1s th l rnrb up

"Y0l l

I \ ,1ADE T G UYS 1"

food businesses including his Shim-Shirn

Rcstaurant; Jimmy Lina is l)resident of

IVajorca Propertics, Inc; Cabby Manalac

i r \ ' l l r e r . r r r e ru iAh , , i r i r l - q r r i r r Vun

turcs; Liza Mathias Calizo is Logistics

I ) i r c . t o r t b r I \ | r e . . ( - un lm i \ . r r r J I t ( .

Jo jo Mar .e l o i . rVP , , i I i n r \ l r r r o I n

re . rn r cn t ( , ' r l ' . : Joev M i raso l i ' l ' ; ' ed i n

the US; l,oma Mone Runlde is also bascd

irr rhe US and u,orks:rs Regiorral Sales

Manager fbr ( iozzol i Machine Co. ancl

MRN'I l i l -gin ( lorp.t Butch Muyco runs

severel companics in Iloilo: Judy Huang-

Mathay and Sue de los Reyes are dedicat-

cd house*ives and nrothers; Ra& Pert-

ierra is Vicc Prcsidenr frust Ciroup of

the Bank ofrhe I)hi l ippine Islands; Bevo

Casti l lo runs his phermaceutical business

in the south; Dodie Rodriguez hcads rne

lntcrner and Channcl Nfrnagement grottp

of L.ast-V'csc Bankr Amor Salud is l)re'-

iclcnt o1' l-he Resorr Club of the Pacif ic;

Joel Valdes is Presidenr and CIIC) of

I 'hi lEXIMrJohn Veloso resides end rvorks

in - l i rrorto:

Nelson Yu is in charge of

scvcral oq,ned chenical and petro-bascd

businesses in Ccbul Jun Mariano is basecl

il Nov York and rcccntlv had a get to-

gcrher u' i th Danre Lomibao (S\"1 Bank

ofAmcrica) and George end Cathy del

Fierro; Cesar Zulueta runs his orvn train

ing and f inancial consulrancv business;

and Manolet Salaft is Managing [)irectol

and Country Heacl of IN(l Bank, an in

rernational investment bank and f inancial

markets housc. For rhe rest ofour batch-

mates, rve' l l sce tou on (but hopetul lr '

even bcfore) our 25th vear in 20081

;r: -:l:i

Remembering

EddyxAIA AND I EXTEND OUR HEARTFELT CONDO-lences to Grace and to the children and to the rest ofthe

Ballesreros family. Ve, as everyone else in the MBM class

of74, share in your loss and we will remember Eddl':t in a specialway ln our Prayers.

Eddlx was my CAN groupmare together with Jesse Vllongco,Pramod Pandev andTom Clemente, and was roommates with ArchitChuaChiaco, Komandur Srinivas and Cesar Baula. Eddg was partofthe larger and rather loose barkada that went beyond the cangroup and included, among others, Tady Villarosa, Chito Misa,

Jimmy Melendres, lbny Ongpin,Gary Lim, Andrew Gaston togetherwith some other equally great guyswhose names have unforrunatelyfallen vicrim ro my steadily length-enlng senlot moments.

Eddyx always looked like he just

came out ofthe shower and I alwayssuspected he showered several timesa day to project this image. He wasalways well groomed - probably lotsoftancho tique on his wary hair Andhis moustache was always wellrrimmed. His favorite stance was withhis shoulders pulled all the way to theback, his hands in his pockets, hishead cocked forward and with amischievous grin on his fice.

I remember he was alwaysprepared whenever the CAN groupmet. He always participated activelyand enthusiastically, and he was alwaysconscious about managing our rime.Probably, rhar was why he was alwaysprompr and punctual.

Eddlx was probably the originaliron man. Remember how cold it usedto be in the dorm? Well, Eddl'x's fa-vorite casual attire was his bath towel

Edilberto Ball.esteros, MBM 1974, joined his

Maher Lut July 19,2003. His classmate,

Pietro E. Rqes III, writes a tribute to his CAN

grlupmate. AIM shares the lots of d membel

of the AIM alumni famill, and extends its deepest

condolences to those Eddyx lef behind.

ofvertigo whenever I remember those ttmes.

Afrer grad school, the next time I saw Eddl'x was in Davao

sometime in 1975, I rhink. I received a phone call from him and we

were able to meet shortly. He recounted to me how he met this

vibrant and exciring young lady who - rhe firsr time they met -

immediately challenged him to a game oftennis. I no longer recall

who eventually won the game as I always heard different versions of

the game's outcome - depending on who was relating the story at

rhe time. But what I remember quite vividly was the sparkle in

Eddlx's eye as he related how he and Grace (we called her Ging at

the time) met and I could sense in his

voice that this fine gendeman had fallen

in love and that it was simply a marrer

of rime that he would win rhe hand of

rhi ' fair lasr. AnJ i I I remember cor

rec y, their courtship didn't tale long

at all. Eddlx was deterrnined to marry

Grace and so he did and he instructed

me to stand by his side as the bes! man

in his wedding and so I did. And they

married and, I believe, lived happily

ever after.

Alicr Davao, the ner.t time I saw

Fdd1.x an,l Cra.e was in New York -

rhe lare 90. I rhink ir was. Eddy,.< rnd

Grace were on hol iday and they tpenr

a few days oftheir vacation in Man-

hattan. With the exception ofperhaps

a few more gray hairs and a few more

pounds and a few more inches around

rhe wai.t . Lddy'x was as he war in grad

school and we spent many truly en-jouable houn reminiscing abour grad

,chool and Davao and who *rt nou

whom. We told the same old stories

abour rhe guy. end the professon and

probably invenred new one\ a.s we r\ent

along. Grace extended to us a sranding- invitation to vacation with them a!

without any top. How many dorm residents can you identifi whocould survive rhe arctic temps in the dorm with such an attire?

And with apologies and all due respect to Count Perry, Eddlxwas probably the dorm's closet vampire. I never saw him asleep -

regardless ofthe time ofday or night I'd go to his dormroom, hewas always either reading or typing or playing chess - a garne inwhich he excelled.

One ofthe really crazy (and frightening things) we used ro dowas play rhe guitar and sing at the top ofour voices at the ledgeoutside the window ofour dorm room. To this day, I have atracks

rheir timeshare in Florida and we all promised rhat we would do

lt someday.

The recent news of Edd;x's passing away, ofcourse, saddens

me but the memories I have ofhim and the fun times we had together

console me. To be sure, Eddlx was a fine gentleman and I find myself

smiling each time I think about the times and experiences I shared

with him. His friendship enriched my life and I am grateful to him

for that. And ir is not difEcult for me to accept that this gentlernan

has passed away for I am most confident that he is now in the palm

of God's hands.

A L U M N I P R O F I L E

Making a MarkYoon-DaeYuhPresident, Korea U niversity

PURSUING STUDIESat AIM and living in Manilahave served as onc ofthe turningpoinrs in my life. I was able togain deeper knowledge ofbusi-ness administration, and ac-quired analltical skills, decision-making abilides, and proficiency

in English. I also learned how to interact with people from different

cultures through living in a diverse and multicultural setting.Before I ioined AIM, I had actually obrained an MBA degree in

Korea and had prior practical workexperience as a Management Auditor

at USAID, where I engaged in audiring several Korean organii,ations

under loans from the U.S. such as KIPCO and KDB.Despite my relativelv substantial work experience, my first course

at AIM came as a shock to me. Since I was not used to examining case

studies and my academic English competence was still nascent, I had

difficulry following lectures. Ar first, it took a long rime for me to adapt

to education based on case studies bccause I had never been taught to

critique or voice my opinions in class by speaking out. In addition, it

was dificult ro accepr the liberal atritude ofprofessors. Prolessors who

looked youngcr than me dresscd casually and it seemed rhat instead

oflecturing rhey were merely rambling. It was not easy for me to relate

to my professors, since in Korea where Confucianism prevaiis, professors

are stereotyped as beilg serious and as being only as wise as their years.Ar AIM, I was part of the CAN group, which was alrr exhilararing

and very helpful experience- Other than the purpose ofexamining

cases and integrating different opinions from people from a wide range

ofexperiences and fields, the organization was a source ofsupporr for

me as a foreigner living abroad. I became very good friends wirh my

roommate Renc Azurin, my neighbor Felipe Judan and a Japanesestudent named Bruce Sugiura. Although I do not see Rene fre-

qucntly, he will always remain a close friend in my hcart.

In terms ofacademics, the most challenging and useful course

I had was the Vrirrcn Analysis ofCasc (\fAC). Ahhough I was impressed

by rhc enthusiastic and analytical nature ofthe lectures given by Farher

Donelan, I must admit I suffered every Friday nighr. I continuously

received Bs and received an A only once. Despite my grades, I was

trained to convey mv opinions and views conciselv and persuasively

through the VAC course. I believe what I learned in this course and

a marked improvemenr in English were what carried me through mv

docroralstudies in the U.S. later on.Another course I remember welLwas Development ofEnterprise,

raught by Professor Robert Lim, rhrough which I widened my perspec-

dves on corporate analvsis. A more than 10O-page fexibiliry study was

the main reading in rhis course. Professor Lim broughr his cxtensive

experiences to classroom, which complementcd the readings and

enriched the course. Although intricare quanritativc analysis is necessary

to examine businesses and economic siruations, I learned to recognize

other political and environmental variables, which wcre also equally

i fnot more imporranr than numbers.AIM is still considered one ofthe rop Business Schools in Asia.

feel very lorntnate to have had the opportuniry to study thcrc. In

addition to academic achievement, ir was a wonderful chance for mc

' Contrarv to my initial aspirarions ro become a businessman in

the Asian business sector, I have become a professor and am serving

as a universit'7 adminisrrator as President of Korea Universitl Ifone

considers mv career uo to now a success, this success can be anributed

to see how business should be conducted in an Asian setring and ro

berrer undcr.rand fel lou Asian.. However, lbel ieve AIM.ould have

had a broadcr focus on different Asian counrries and a more diverse

multinational faculry

ro rhe analytical skills and balanced decision-making abilities rhat I

acquired at AIM.

degree in Finance from Chulalongkorn Universiry where I was elecred

the presidenr ofthc student union during my last year in 1969' I was

confident thar I would benefir a grcat deal from the Asian Institure

ofManagemenr since our two countries shared so many similarities

such x the geographical location, the climate, rhe military government,

the GDP and the per capim income, the social structure & rhe people.'l'he

liIM bu;lding at that time srood alone in Paseo de Roxx

Oooosite the schoolwas a farm with a few horses and the nearest

buiidings were the high rises along Ayala Avenue. Valking alone to

the Makati Commercial Center then was rather risky even in the

da1'time. I stayed in the school dormirory for two vears and spent days

Those Goden DaysMr.Teerachai Chemnasir i MBM 73President, G rid Thai la nd; Tri ple A Awa rdee 1 984

\( /AY BACK IN I97I,only rhree years after its incep-tion, AIM w:x very little knownin Thailand when I took itsenrrance examination hosted bythe Thailand Management As-sociation (TMA). I was chosenamong over 40 applicants robecome the onlyThai srudent

for i ts MBM program during the schoolyears l97l-1973.Young and energetic with wo years ofwork experience and a

A L U M N I P R O F I L E

and nights in the campus. In the U-Shape classtoom, we discussed

three cases a day for 200 days in a year for the rwo-year MBM

program. Like the fierce business world, we were ttained to work

and fight hard in the class parricipadon to survive. At the same time,

we also learned to achieve the team synergy in a win/win manner

through interdependence, which had led ro our wonderful AIM

network until today.In my second year, I was elected president ofthe Overseas

Studenc Association (OSA) and organized rhe Asian Festival for the

first time at rhe institure, which was well arrended by hundreds of

diplomatic corps and leading personalities. I also sPent every Sunday

visiting places ourside rhe school to gain maximum exposure to the

Filipino people and the socieryI returned to Thailand and worked for large corporations such

as Shell and Siam Cemenr lor 15 years before srarting my own

business. It wx former Dean Gabino Mendoza who always reminded

me to become the entrepreneur rather than to enjoy being the salary

man. During the first few years, I bitterly learned that outside the

school, success and failure are not unusual to a new entrepreneur.

I had to close down several businesses that I was not really good at

but lastly survived some which really called for my genuine compe-

tency. Now I orr proudly say that I am successfulas one ofthe market

leaders in the rraining and development business in Thailand.

I was elected president ofthe AIM Alumni Association in

Thailand (AAAT) and actively involved in the activiries ofthe Fed-

eration ofthe AIM Alumni Associations (FAIM) for over 20 vears.I was the AIM representative in Thailand for several years and also

a board member ofthe AIM Sciendfic Research Foundation (AIM-

SRF) for rwo terms. I was honored by FAIM the Tiiple A Award for

being an outstanding alumnus in 1984 in Indonesia At AIMi silverjubilee in 1993 in the Philippines, I was again awarded the Most

Outstanding Alumni Servict Award for rhe first time in FAIM history

I am now 57 and a father ofthree lovely daughters aged 29,

26, and 20. My wife works as a vice president for the Airporrs

Authoriry ofThailand.I visited rhe school last year and was happy ro witness that

AIM is now a world-class business schoolwith world-class facilities.

I am proud ofrhe school and rhe faculry members who graduared

rhousands ofAsian Managers and had made me what I am today.

The years 1971-1973 in the dorm, rhe campus, and the Philippines

will always be the best part ofmy life. \Vhatever I am and wherever

I will be, I will never forget the Asian Institure of Management.

Raymond BariouAIM's first French

IT'S NOT OFTENthat you come across an AIMalumnus from a country our-side Asia. And when you doso, a barrage ofquestionscomes ro mind especially ifthey happen to be from thedeveloped world. Vhat maderhem come here - the qualiryeducadon that prepares them

to eke on any chdlenge in the business world, rhe pragmatist approach

in rhe teaching, the cross-cultural experience, the vast nenvork of

friends that one establishes or simply rhe relatively lower cost of

educarion compared to their countries (value for money). For Ray_

mond Bariou - our first French alumnus, "it's a little bit ofeverything."

Ra1'rnond graduared ftorn the Master in Managemenr (MM) Program

back in 1986.The AIM experience has an werlasting impact on all its grad-

uates. And Raymond was no exceprion. Reflecting on his AJM days,

he fondly says, "One ofthe major changes was that ir prepared me

to rake a look at the 'big picture' especially when I'm faced with new

siruations." After graduating, he realized his approach in business

would never be the same. The scope ofthinking and outlook had

broadened and now the decision-making encompassed business arrd

cultural aspects with some sense ofsocial responsibiliry 'AIM also

clearly helped me enhance my leadership skills and develop a sense

ofvision," he feels.Personally, however, the stint at AIM wasnt a cakewalk for

him back then. Being a French, the difference in language required

alumnushim to make additional efforts. It was also physically challenging and'painful' in some aspects. As he says, "l had to read my cases rillwee

hours in the motning and then gct up again in few hours to join the

classes. Sleeping was considered a luxury then. But ofcourse, I wasnt

an exception. Everyone underwent the same grinding "

.Looking back, he proudly feels that this rraining and education

at AIM has helped him stand in good stead in the professional life."Overall, it! been an interesting and a useful experience for me in

the same way as it has been for others who have graduated from this

great insritution," he says with a sense ofsarisfaction.He also points out rhe tremendous cross-cultural exchanges

that AIM provides. "The American sryle ofeducation combined wirh

Asian approach and the European rouch had been an exciting mix

during my stay at AIM. Studlng at AIM helped me better undersrand

Asia, its people and the Asian culture. I was also fortunate enough

to find my life partner in the Philippines that encouraged me to start

a 'Tagalog' course ar rhe Paris University for Oriental languages."

Being pan ofthe AIM slntem also blesses one with exceptional neovork

offriends and business relations all across the globe. "l realized it

when I was assigned to set up the Shanghai branch ofBanque Paribas

when I met a Gllow alumnus. fucently, I also met an AIM schoolmate

in Africa which really surpris€d me," says Raymond.Raymond, 53, hx a distinguished career in banking and finance

spanning over 30 years. He has held key positions in rhe French bank

Banque Parib4 and BNP Paribas and served these two banks in

various capacities and across several regions from France, Nigeria,

rhe UK. Gabon, Sultanate ofOman, UAI and China. He is now

the Managing Direcror of MBC Internarional Bank Ltd, based at

l,agos, Nigeria.

L E T T E R SF R O M A L U M N I

Christopher H. Cordey,MDP 1993 , ou rA lMalumnus from Switzer-land. reminisces abouthis days in the campus,and uodates us on hiscareer at present.

Attending the MDP '93 was for me

crystal clear: "Experience Asia from within

to get a job in Asia." Mission achieved!

Not only did I manage to browse and

discover some very useful management tools

during my stay, but I learned a lot from my

fellows at MDP; especially during the case

srudies where we blended the Oriental and

Occidental ways ofdoing business.

Following the AIM course in early'93, I got my fint assignment in Johor Bahru

with a small Swiss company in tie electron-

ics business, My job was to start the com-

pany from scratch. Very challenging, pure

and captivating!

In 1995, I joined the Movado watch

company to develop their watch business

in the Asia-Pacific region; one responsibiliry

among olhers. was to develop rhe Fil ipino

markel (The Movado distributor in Manila

is a friend. Give him my very best regards

if you meet him.)

ln late 1997, I moved to ToLTo with

my family, At that time, I was managing

a Swiss company selling Swiss fine jewelry

Japan is quite different, but this experience

wa5 exceptiona.lly enriching and fascinating.

Having spent some six years in Asla,

we reinstalled ourselves in our hometown

in Geneva in 1999 where I now live with

my wife Elin and my kids Sean (7 y.o.) and

Tess (5 y.o.). Borh kids attend an interna-

tiona.l school, as we never know ifa new

Asian assignment is not ahead.

But for now, I work with the French

cosmetic firm Clarins with a new mission

to develop the Eastern European region.

Quite stimulating, but frankly the land-

scapes and climates don't compare with

Boracay or Cebu.

My thoughts travel very often back

to Manila where I spent three exceptional

months in 1993. I'll always cherish the way

the "Swiss" was welcomed, not only by my

fellows, but also by all the AIM team. Un-

forgettable souvenirs!

Now, you are mostly welcomed to

visit us in Switzerland. Chocolate, Sno*,

Cheese. Vine (do you remember the Swiss

white wine?) as well as our renowned banks

are waiting for you. Come on. See you

soon, Carpe Diem.

Jean DreaverMM 1976, writesfrom Tasmania: '

I look back with fond memories to

my yean at AJM, remembering in panicutar

my classmates and the camaraderie we de-

veloped as a group. Coming from different

backgrounds and diverse cultures, we

learned so much from each other.

Moments ofsignificant learning for

me were the spirited discussions we enjoyed

first in our CAN group, followed later by

earnest and knowledgeable debate in the

classroom.

The standard oflecturing was high,

and as a teacher myself I appreciated the

erudition and professionalism of the rutors.

Retired now from work, I spend trme

in my garden, Iisten to music, read, or play

Bridge, and continue, albeit unsuccessfully,

the batle against physics, gravity and time!

My best wishes go to the Institute,

staffand alumni on the special occasion of

the 35th Anniversary

IBarry J. GhenMBM 1987. one ofour f irst alumnus fromthe People's Republicof China writes:

I am delighted to learn that AIM is

celebrating irs J5rh anniversary I apologize

for a delayed response (as I was practically

on the road all the time through dre month

of February). It is an honor to be asked (as

the first PRC graduate) to give you some

thoughts about the institution.

\X4ren I lefi China in 1985 and arrived

in the Philippines, AIM provided me a first

glimpse ofthe principle of "western man-

agement'l. I will alwal's have a warm mem-

ory ofa very supportive environment and

a pool ofexceptionally talented faculry

members. \7hat I learned from the rwo-

year program are mosdy intangibles - logical

and lateral thinking skills; anallzing and

making the best ofthe situation one is

in;and being able to pursue and recognize

opportunities, etc.

Since I left AIM, I have had a fairly

successfirl career I am currently a manager

in rlrc Mergers and Acquisitions Group with

United Parcel Service. I have been with UPS

for 10 years, responsible for a significant

number M&A transactions and joint ven-

tures in the United States, Europe and Asia

Pacific. Prior to that, I have been with the

management consulting practice of Prtce'Waterhouse

in Hong Kong, Caribbean, and

Eastern Europe. During the second part of

L E T T E R SF R O M A L U M N I

EE

my careel I would like to have some en-

trepreneurial pursuit. I believe that I have

learned a lot from Professor Morato and

would like to put that into practice

I have been back to Shanghai recent-

ly and am very impressed by the changes

in China. The emergence ofChina is be-

yond any media hype. I sincerely hope

that AIM will continue to play an impor-

tant role in dweloping management talens

not only from Southeast fuia, but North

fuia as well.

Kind regards,

Barry (bchen@ups.com)

Jocelyn BernalMM 2001, f romNewYork City writes:

The AIM Alumni based in New York

and New Jersey met for the first time on

June 25, 2003 at the Cinquanta Restaurant

in New York, NY Ten alumni attended

the meeting representing the MBM and

MM classes from 1998 to 2001. Present

that evening were Rajesh Solanki, Rowena

Venrurina (MBM 99), JJ Tagorda (MBM

99), Pradeep Vasuvedan (MBM 2000),

Catherine Oronce, Michelle Boquiren

(MBM 2000), Rinna Ramos (MBM

2000), and Marla Pulido (MBM99).

Spearheaded byJocelyn Bernal (MM

2001) and Mark Sanchez (MBM 1998),

this group seels to locate as many AIM

Alumni from the East Coast ofthe United

States for purposes of networking, Armed

with information from the Alumni Feder-

ation in Manila, it is hoped that this group

can formally organize into a full-fledged

association in the near future.

Ifyou are an AIM graduate based in

the United States and are interested in

staying connected with us, please contact

us at the following: Jocelyn Berna.l - mjber-

na.l@ahoo.com, cell 3 47-612-1389:' Mu.k

Sanchez mjsanchez@bankofny.com. You

can also subscribe to our yahoo groups

email; AIMAlumni_USA-EastCoast@

yaioogroups.com.

Allen B. MaMDM 1999, Genera lManager/ExecutiveConsultant EMBA-AIM writes:

This is Ma Bin saying hello ro a--

from Suzhou, China.

Though years have passed since we

unwillingly said farewell to AIM on

May 9, 1999. yer rhe dap. rtre case srudies.

rhe damayans. and rhe prolessors havc

been so deeply carved in my mind that

they often appear in my dreams.

Nothing will bring megreater hap-

piness than to re-establish contact wirh

AIM, where the professors have helped

sharpened my insight in management

And my besr regards ro Pro[. Mario

Lop€z, Prol V Limlingan, Prof. Tomas

Lopez (his markedng is forever memora-

ble), Pro[ V. Tan (one of my beloved

MMR Panel), Prof Soledad Hernando(kind and patient and made us foreign

students quite at home then), Prof P

Lontoc (my dear MRR panel professor,

patient enough to guide me, a dull student,

through MRR torture), and Prol Nieves

Confesor (also one in the panel ofthree,

whose significant signature on my MRR

brought back my smiles). and my partic-

ular regards to Prof Silos, whose "Change's

not for change's sake but for the better"

is alwals quoted in my man€ement trarn-

ing to businessmen here in China.

And my hean-felt and best wishes

to AIM and to the Philippines! Looking

earnesdy forward to seeing you all agarn,

l* lAllan J. Mil lerMDM 1997. writes:

As an AIM alumnus (MDM '97)

ftom Canada, I have been working in Ma-

laysia as the Managing Director for Pink-

ertoo Consulting (M) Sdn. Bhd. for the

part lour years. I am currenrly l iving in

Kuala Lumpur and am now in the midst

ofcompleting my Doctorate in Business

Administrarion from the University of

Southern Queensland (Australia). Pinker-

ton Consulting is a global U.S. company

specializing in corporare investigations,

security consulting and due diligence with

over 250 ofEces world-wide.

Vithout the experience and value

of my education at AIM, I would not have

enjoyed as much as I do now the life I am

living here in Malaysia. The teachings have

gone a long way in understanding and

appreciating Asian business and culture,

and now I am able to expand this knowl-

edge tc an euen greater level by purtuing

my educarion at a higher level.

Many thanla to those I knew at AIM

and best ofluck to those who had and

have the privilege of studying there!

Keep us posted...

Send us t1e ldlesl news about your per-

sonal and professiona achievements.

Please e.nar your Jodates to atmdlurrni

@a m.edu.ph.

Class Notes1 9 7 1

Jose E Santos, MBM 1971, is now with the fuzalCommercial Banking Corporation as ExecutrveVice President, with business address ar l4th Floor,Yuchengco Tower, RCBC Plaza, 68 1 9 Alala Ave.,Makati City 0727, Philippines

1 9 7 3EuhYoon-Dae, MBM 1973, one ofour first alum-ni from Korea, has been elected as the Presidentofthe Korea Univeniry. one ofthe best uniuenitiesin Seoul, Korea.

Pelpetuo M. de Claro, MBM 1973, is the Presi-denr and General Manager ofVyerh llhilippines.Inc.

1 9 7 6

Peter Fan, MDP 1976, is a Proprietor of Fan& Associates, with business address at 17 Ko FaiRoad . I I / F , Room I0 .YauTong ,HongKong .

r 9 7 8Librada de la Fuente Leagogo, M BM l9-8. wrires:"After AIM, I worked with the Technology Re-source Center, nowTechnologr Livelihood Re-source Center, then moved to Wood ProcessingCorporation, also a subsidiary ofthe Human Set-tlement Corporation. I resigned in 1985 when Igot married. Now, I am a real estate broker and Ihave been in dris business for more rhan l0 years."

1 9 8 1Sailesh Ramamurtie, MBM I 98 I , is the new \4cePresident for fusk Control at CoMgra Foods,Omaha, Nebraska, USA. ConAgra Foods is a US$20 billioh diversified food and agro producrscorporation r-hat operates in Ji diFerenr countriesaround the world.

Philip S. Javier, MBM 1981, is a Qualiry Assur-ance Manager ofAd'Print Markings Ltd./AmpcoManufacturers Inc. with business address at 78Fawcett Road, Coquitiam, B.C., Canada V3K6V5. Philip writes, "Even

though I may now oein a foreign country like Canada, my MBM degreefrom AIM has definirely brordened my businersoudi,ok in my current career in the field ofQualityAssurance/Control. Right now, I am very busypreparing the company for registration to QS-9000, the international Qualiry ManagementSlstem standard used by manufacturers and sup-pliers in the automotive and truck indrxtry "AIM

has helped me prepare for the challenges that Iface here and I would like ro thank the insritutionfor this."

t 9 8 3Henry T, Cua, MBM 1983, is Manager ofCuakima Commercial C,oroorarion wich businessaddress at 63 T. Cabiles St., Tabaco City,Philippines.

1 9 8 4Dr. rWilfiedo Vrllacorta, MDP 1984, was unani-mously appointed as Deputy Secretary-Generalofrhe Associarion ofSourheasr fuian Nations(ASEAN) by the foreign ministers ofthe l0-member countries ofASEAN. He was the found-ing president of the Yunchengco Center and pro-fessor of De La Salle University. Dr Villacona wasalso a delegate ro the 1986 Constitutional Com-mission ofthe Philippines and former Dean andSenior Vice.Presidenr ofDe La SaJle Universiry.He is the first professor and the first Filipino tobe appointed to the no. 2 post ofASEAN

1 9 8 5Mrinal Kumar Sarma, MM 1985 graduate withdistinction, is now the Chairman and CEO ofBiosc Technology Management and Research Cen-tre fvr. Ltd.. wirh company rddres'.rr HousingColony, Bye Lae, 3 East, Rukmini Nagar, BasisthaRoad, Guwahari- 78t006, Arsam, Indir. He writesto sa5 "l am extremely grateful to receive a copyofThe Asian Manager, first semester copy 2002-2003, and I wait most eagerly for my copy ofthisAIM magazine. I am heart and soul with AIM andI consider it x my second home."

1 9 8 6Raymond Bariou, MM 1986, our firsr Frenchalumnus writes: "l left Paris last year and I amnow the Managing Director of MBC InrernationalBank in l,agos (Nigeria). It is interesting ro run acomplete bank (merchant banking, retail, capitalmarkets, asset management). The MM programprobably gave me some useful help as I have beenquite successful so far."

1 9 8 8Rusman Effendi Usman, MM 1988. is now theCompliance Director of Bank Vindu Ketjanawith business address at Jln. lrtJen. S. ParmanKav. 92 lal,artal 1420-[ndonesia. Rusman wnres,"Two months after graduating from AIM, I wasassigned as a Deputy Manager on system andcomputer prograrn development of Bank Indone-sia. My main iob was developing an automarionaccounting system for all BI's branches. Aftersuccessfully installing that system, I was assigned.rs Division Head ofPaymenr and AccountingSysrem on Medan Brarch from July I q9l - Sep-tember 1993. From September 1993 - April 1995,I was assigned back to the main oflice in Jakartaas Bank Examiner, then as Executive Bank Super-visor and retircd in October 1997. \X4ren 16 banlacollapsed and BI assigned professionals on bankingto take over those banLs to be liquidated, I wasappointed to handle Bank Kosa Grha until theUquidation Tlam was set by Share Holders meet-ing. In 1998, when l0 bank were taken over bythe Government, I was assigned as Caretaker ofBank Centris for eight months before handingover to IBRA(BPPN). Then on March 13, 1999

I was assigned as Careraker of Bank Dana Asia(listed as one of38 banls that should be closed).In June 2000, I joined Bank Vindu Kentlana asCompliance Director.

"The best rhing I have learned from AIM

is problem solving and my jobs mostly deaft withproblems. By these class notes, I would liLc tocornmunicate with my class mates (MM'88) butI never know where they ere, except Vinai fromThailand (he is Dean ofa leading university inThailand), ![ahyu, Kamally and Nelson Tobing,and Budi\)Tijaya (MBM'89)." Classmares maysend an email to Rusman at rusman-usman @hoemail.com.

1 9 8 9

IGnika Antono, MM I 989, is now Presidenr andCEO oflndorent & Europcar Indonesia withbusiness address at Hayam Vuruk 6, JakartaI 0 I 20, Indonesia. Kartika writes: "lt was so greatro explore career derelopmenr al ier graduarionfrom AIM. Even though not every'thing I learnedin AIM could be applied in my buiness, I did getbusiness logic and research experience from AIM.My research experience is very helpful in mypresent study at the University ofNew SouthlVales. I have been in the Ph.D. program for almostthree years in rhe Schoolof lnternationa-l BuJners.I hope to finish this program in 2004. I also hopeto share experiences with Gllow alumni in relwantresearch areas,"

1 9 9 0

Juan Antonio ToribioVrlladolid III, MBM 1990,is now the Director ofSales of Deltamax FreightSystems in Chicago with business address ar 880Lively Boulewand, Elk Grove Village, Chicago, IL,60007 usA.

1 9 9 3kng Sophal, MDP 1993, one ofour first alumnifrom Cambodia, writes, "l am pleased to informyou that I am 6ne as well as my family. I haveraigned from the Ministry ofAgriculture Forcuryand Fisheries in 1998 and joined Nichimen Cor-poration. Nichimen is one ofthe Japanese GiantTrading House. However, since the Japanese arefaced with an economic crisis, the company hasreduced its business activities and concentratesonly on the core business. We, in Cambodia, donot have many activities. But we still hope thatCambodia har enough Iaws ro protecr businessbene6t and that they be enforced so that we wouldhave more chances to promote our businesses.Congratulations ro AIM on ia 35th Anniversary."You may send an emaiJ ro l,eng ar nichimen @big-pond.com.kh.

t 9 9 4Kasmuri Sukardi. MM I994, is now rhe CroupDirector - Agribusiness for Golden Hope Planta-tions Berhad with business address at l3th Floor,Mcnara PNB 120-A, Jalan Tun R:zak 50400 Kuala

Class NotesLumpur. Kas writes, "Congratulations AIM Facultyand all alumni. \7e surely have come a long waybut we still have a long way to gol The search con-tinues. Happy 35th anniversary to AIM & all!"

1 9 9 6Barbara Torres, MBM I 996, is now an AssocrateofBuenaventura Echauz & Parmers with buunessaddress at 4/F, 1 56 Valero St. , Salcedo Village,Makati.

Raymond Yap, MM 1 996, is the Mce Presidentfor Corporate Planning & Business DevelopmentofeGenting Holding, with business address atl9th Flr., \Wisma Genting, Jalan Sultan Ismail,50250 Kuala Lumpur.

1 9 9 7Amaresh Itumat, MDM 1997, is now the ChiefGeneral Manager, Secretary and Deputy ChiefVgilance Officer for dre National Bank for Agri-culture and Rural Devclopment in Mumbai, India.

1 9 9 8

Jose Lotenro Diaa MBM I 998, is now a BusinessPerformance Consultant with EAlnc. with busi-ness address at I130 lron Point Road, Folsom,cA.95630.

Alladi Ramabrahma Sai, MBM 1998, is now anAssistant Manager - Business Dwelopment, Busi-ness Development Group, Cognizant TechnologySolutions with business address at 226, CathedrdRoad, Chennai 600 086.

Silvestre Jeric Lapan III, MBM 1998, is now aTrader wih rhe Union Bank of the Phil ippine'.His business address is 3/F SSS Bldg., Ayala Ave.cor Rufino St., Makati Ciry

Md. Al*ar Haossain Cho*dhury, MM 1998,writes:

"Ai{ier graduation from AIM, I went backto Bangladesh and rejoined my company as HeadofFinance and Accounts. I got married last De-cember | 8. I9q8. I have rwo daughrerr - Smira,rhe eldest is three and a ha-lfyean old. The youngestis jusr 17 months old. After AIM, I took a Char-tered Secretary course with the Institute of Char-tered Secretaries and Managers ofBargladesh(ICSMB) in Summer 200 I . The results were pub-lished in February 2003. I accomplished the De-gree called

'Chartered Secretary'. This is a newtourse rhat staned in I997. which mainJy consissofpolicy level training for corporate affairs.

"Professionally, I am doing well in develop-ment management, though atAIM, I spent myraluable time studying marketing and Iinance rncorPorate governance."

Ma. Elisa Valencia, MM 1998, is Manager-Customer CarelHR of Bonifacio Vivendi VaterCorporation with business address at 38thDrive Universiry District, Bonifacio Global City,

Taguig, Metro Manile.

Phan Ke Hoang MDM I 998, is now the DeputyManager of Prepantory Boa-rd of InsuranceCompany ofthe Vietnam Bank for Agricultureand Rural Development with business addressat C3 Phuong Liet, Thanh Xuan District, HanoiVietnam.

IGren Yang, MBM 1998, is thc \4ce Presidentfor Operation for Tiade Master Resources Corpo-ration. Karen writes: "Vhen I took my MBM inI 998, I was a Chinese srudent straight from China.After graduation, I worked for some time with amultinational company in China. Three yeas ago,I resigned from my job and I am currently doingbr-rsiness in the Philippines with a local partnerlnitially, we encountered many problems and Iregrctted having resigned from my previous job.Yet, after a few years, everything went fine andwe met our objectives.

"l now feel that you can apply what youhave learned most from MBA when you handlethe whole business. Though our toral sales arereally small compared wirh multinational compa-nies. I have learned from AIM thar any decisionmakes a big difference and that you are rewardedfor your hard work and well-rhoughr decisions."

1 9 9 9Vee Tium Chew (T.C. Wee), eMBA 1999, isnow the Regional Marketing Manager ofCabotSpecialty Chemic.als, based in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia.

2 0 0 0

Jose Renan C. Suare4 MDM 2000, a Command-er in the Philippine Nary, writesl"l arn curentlyr (ommmding ofi icer ofone ofthe lhi l ippineNary ships. Since graduation in 2000, I had beenat sea and assigned to such places as Zarnboanga,Sulu and Basilan and recently in Palawan. Thethings I learned from MDM have helped me a lotin relating to the people in these areas where de'velopment is really sought. My AIM educatronhas enabled me to temper my military mindsetand suit my dispositions to a suitable and moreeffective developmental approach. I had been alsotapped by the Nary to help out in its organizationaldevelopment, modcrnization and capacity build-ing. The wider perspective I acquired in my studiesat the Institute has given me a significant oppor-tuniry to promote progressive progra-rns and acquirca helpfirl role in the naval organization."

Dl Sanjeev Sharma, SMMT 3 \forkshop 2000,is the Deputy General Manager of the ReserveBank oflndia with Business Addtess at 6, Parlia-ment Street, New Delhi 110001 India. Dr Sharmawritcs, "I am presendy looking after the HRDCell of the RBI at New Delhi. My worL includesnominating officers for training, TNA, summerplacements, managing thc operations ofthe Hu-

mart Resource Management System in the ofice,organizing talk for the self-development/growthofstaF, performance appraisal, etc. \fle have onhand an ambitious project of imparting base levelcomputer training to the entire staffof the RBIby rhe year end."

2 0 0 1Ma. Cherrylin V. Trinidad. MBM 2001. is nowGeneral Manager ofEvents R Us Company withbusiness address at St. Martin Street, TandangSora, Quemn Ciry

Vailorntam Venkatean, MM 200 I , is the NationalSales and Marketing Manager Tanzania for DPISimba Limited, with business address at Dar esSalaam, Tanzania.

Sarina A. Pasricha, ME 2001, is the Publstr-erlChiefExecutive Ofticer for Red Pen Publishingwith business address at 1247 General Luna St.,Ermita, Manila. Sarina used to keep a weeklycolumn for Manila Standard and would be gladto contribute arricles for The Asian Manager

2 0 0 2

Joko Supratiko, MM 2002, is a fusk Analyst ofrhe Directorate of Foreign Reserve Managementofthe Bank lndonesia, with business address atBuilding B 8th Fh, MH Thamrin No. 2, JakartaPusar, Indonesia.

Deb Jyoti Mazumdar, MM 2002, ADB scholarwould like to conact fellow alumni in Singapore.You may send an email to deb.mm02@ aimalum'ni.org or reachdeb@hotmail.com.

Jovino Antonio B. Lorenzo, ME 2002, is theCEO of Gas Beverages and Seltzer,Inc. with busi-ness address at 23 I lrh Jamboree, Quezon City,Philippines.

Grita Thain, PPDM 2002, wrires that effectiveAugust 1, she will be joining UNAIDS as aProgram Officer for HIV/AIDS.

Birendra IGmar Agrawe.l, MM 2002, was ap-pointed as finance manager of Olam InternationalLtd. After three months, he was promoted tofinance controller and after nine months, as re-gional.finance controller'With fi nance managersunder him from four difference countries, Agra*clcontrols the turnover ofmore than 100 MillionUSD.

"My education in AIM has taught me alot," BK says. "MM has helped me to change mymindset and not to think merely as an accountant."

2 0 0 3Huong Thi Minh Ngo. MDM 2003, writes."I have been posted as Coordinator for ImpactAssessment and Shared Learning at ActionAid\4etnam. I will also malage a Development News-letter for the organization."

\,\herci,\\-t'Arl o,Y\ Y..vr&n*Ier 1

Are you an alumnus who hasn't received rhe latesr issue ofThe Asian Manager? Or are you an alumnus who

has never received a copy ofThe Asian Manager? Ve are looking for you, OUR Asian Manager! So please

help us keep our alumni database up to date. If you wanr to receive your copy of our alumni magazine

regularly, Lindly fill-up this lorm and fa-,r it to THE ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICE at (632) 893-7410

You can also update your contact information ONLINE by registering at www. aimalumni.org and as a

bonus, you will receive your free AIM EMAIL FOR\(/ARDING FOR LIFE. Ve would also appreciate hearing

your views abour this issue. You can email us at tam@aim.edu ph Ve hope to hear from you. PS. Do take

a peek at The Asian Manager online at www.tam.aim.edu.ph.

Ful lname:

Last Name:

M ddle Name

{ f you are marr ed, please spec fy your maiden name i.e., famos-Samartin0)

Program/s and Year/s.

Residence Address:

Fesidence Phone:

Mobi e Phone:

flesidence Country Code:

Personal Email Address:

Residence Area Code

Cornpany Name:

Pnsri0n:

Department:

Business Address:

Company Tel: Company Fax:

Business Country Code Business Area Codei

Company Email Address.

Mailing Addressforthe Asian Manager(office or Home):

ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT A\TARD "TRIPLE A"

Tup Frosnrrror or Ast,tN Iwstlrurt or MeN-

Acruerr Arulo{l AssocrATroN INc. (FAIM) pevs' I 'R IBUTE TO A SELECT GROUP OF MEMBERS \q ITH

EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE rN_ VARIOUS FI ! ,LDS Ol

PROIESSIONAL OR ENTREPRENEURIAL ENDEAVOR

rrrnoucn trre TtlpLn A Aweno.

Tnr sslncn rs or ron Tnrprr As wno wrr-r-

BE GrvEN THE A\ (ARD DURTNG rHE AIM ALIJMNT

HoMEcoMINc oN Mercs 5 , zoo4, Evrnv v l , ln ,

EACH COUNTRY ALUMNI CHAPTER CONDUCTS' IHI ]

sEARcH rN THEIR REspEcr IvE cou l l tnv . A t lgn

a \ T P t ( | P l v t l w A N D \ f l L a l l o N I R o . r < < ) T H r

ALUMNI CHAPTER HEAD SUBMITS I 'HEIR CI IOS! I ]

N o M T N E E T o r s r F A I M B o ^ R D o F I R U S T E E s

FoR FrNAL coNFIRMArroN, NAMEs oF NoMTNEES

TOCETHER WITH THE ACCOMPLISHfD NOMINA'

T I O N F O R M S H O U L D B E S U B M I T T E D E N D O F

Novruarn roo3.

Al e luvrus(,q) wHo wrsH To NoMTNATE soMr-

oNE, MAy cET rN ToucH vrrH THE ALUMNI Asso-

CIATION IN THEIR COUNTRY FOR DETAILS AND

copIEs o! THE NoMINATToN FoRMs. ALL,ALUMNI

OF DECREE AND NON-DECREE COURSES O! THE

INsTIT( jTE MAY BE NoMINATED FoR THE AVARD,

SrNcr r r wes rrsrrrurED rN r97t , A ' rorAl oF oNE

HUNDR!D AND ONE ALUMNI WERE BESTOWED ] 'HE

rwenoos, Tsrs vrexs IHAT ovER'lHE LAsr 28 \'EARs

.IHERD HAS SEEN AN AVEREAGE OT LESS THAN FOUR

TRIPLE As PER YEAR-

TsrTrurlrAs v,lto,lnp gesto IN lur PsILIpnIrts

HAS ORGANIZED THEMSELVES INTO A PO'! /ERFUI

TRIPLE A CTUB THAT MEETS ROGULARLY FOR FEL.

Lowsl l lp AND ExcHANcE oF rDEAs/oPlNloNs.

I r rs rHE oBJEcrrvE oF THrs AwARDs BoDy To

INSPIRE ALUMNI TO PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN BOTH

P R O F E S S I O N A L A N D E N ' I R I . ] P R E N E I J R I A L S K I L I S

, ! ( /H I IE REMAINING CONSCIOTJS OF

THEIR SOCIALIY RELEVANT ROLE IN

THE UPLIFTMENT OF THE MANY IN

, {S IA \ (HO REMAIN MARCINALIZED,

T b e P o w e r T o G e n e r a t e

I, :

H o p e

I <x, l ; r t the sp:rk lc <, f hope in the ercs r t f chi ldren

s h , ' . r r u , ' s , r u . i r r n J r , r J r h F . r f r ! , n r r ( n , r r e '

cven at n igbt . Al thoLrgh thcv h.r le vet to fu l lv grasp

r h ( \ r $ r l n ( J n ( e , ' r l r . r ! r r s I ' r r - . ^ r . r e l . ' 1 , 1 , c e . t r r . n ' .

wc , r re coni ident tho wi l l -

When rhr t t i rne comes : rnci thev discover rh.r t the

p " u , . . u r r . h i l l u n , n . r r c . l r h r r r \ " n . . .

is the same pou'cr rhat has rmprovcd thci r l ives rnd

f r e . e n e J r h , ' . . ' r , , r - t r l h J l . r n , ( ' l I h . i l

surrourdings, r ' r r re certa in t l r . r t rhat s.mc Ight

ot hope would st i l l be thcre ' - g lorrng br i l r r rn l l .

R A N T

l| i ranr Phl l tppincsBewnd 7 oddy, Beyond Li./g!

ii