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The Country’s Attempt to Workplace Equality

Despite the countless incidents of workplace harassment and unjust discrimination, both reported and unreported, this blog post will be dedicated to some laws that highlight the country’s effort in achieving workplace harmony and equality. It is, however, pivotal for our purpose to acknowledge that stigma, harassment, unequal treatment, and partiality based on classification continue to exist in many organizations to this day and that discrimination has many faces and can come in all forms.

Chapter 11 of the book: An Introduction to Business Ethics by Joseph Desjardins tackles difficult concepts in relation to workplace diversity and equality. The case discussions were understandably centered around the American context, however, this sparked an interest and motivation in me to look at it from a Filipino workers’ perspective.

It was not a complete surprise to me that Philippine laws have numerous provisions that protect and promote employee welfare. Ironically, Philippine laws are considered progressive but the problem, in general, is the weak enforcement or lack of strategic implementation. This is the case with environmental conservation laws, and now I am seeing the same narrative for labor laws.

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Presidential Decree No. 966 of 1976), Prohibition on Discrimination Against Women (RA No. 6725 of 1989), Anti-Sexual Harassment Act (RA No. 7877 of 1995), The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (RA No. 8371 of 1997), Anti-age Discrimination in Employment Act (RA No. 10911 of 2018), Magna Carta of Disabled Persons (RA No. 7277 and 9442 of 1992 and 2007, respectively), An Act Prohibiting Profiling as well as Discrimination Against Persons on Account of Ethnic or Racial Origin and/or Religious Affiliation or Belief (Anti-Discrimination Act of 2011).

Notice how policymakers recognize the prevalence of unjust discrimination and therefore the need to consistently amend, repeal, and modify our laws. As the world steadily evolves, so should our guiding principles. Moreover, these are only select laws that generally aim to: a.) define what are discriminatory acts, b.) set minimum standards for terms and conditions of employment, c.) provide implementing rules and regulations concerning the provisions, and; d.) penalize unjust discrimination.

Another preeminent law in the making is the Senate Bill 1619: AN ACT PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF ETHNICITY, RACE, RELIGION OR BELIEF, SEX, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, GENDER EXPRESSION, CIVIL STATUS AND HIV STATUS, AND PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR or shall be commonly known as Anti-Discrimination Act of 2017.

This bill encapsulates presently known possible classifications that may be used to ascribe a person into a group that will result in the diminishing of the person’s identity and therefore result in unjust disqualification for benefits that they would have rather enjoyed.

Finally, in November of 2020, the Department of Labor and Employment together with the International Labor Organization released the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 2020-24 which shall serve as the country’s holistic and comprehensive roadmap in actualizing its identified priorities in relation to workforce development.

If we turn our attention to Priority 1 Outcome 1.3, the country consistently aligns with its established principle of recognizing the obligation of the law to protect inherent human rights. In its theory of change and means of action, DWCP outlines the significant outputs and changes that must be manifested, to say the least, that we are on the right path.

I do stand with others’ belief that integration of continuous advocacy and education shall not only be integrated with but at the forefront of our platforms. Recognizing and identifying the sociocultural influences that contribute to maltreatment of the vulnerable and marginalized groups is the first step to strategizing counterattacks.

To borrow the words of Loren Legarda in her sponsorship speech for the Anti-Discrimination Act of 2011, we need to acknowledge that discrimination exists before we can eliminate it for we cannot eradicate something that is considered a ghost by others.

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Pattern of Behavior

Fascinating - one way to describe the pattern of behavior manifested in the many cases we looked into during our Ethics class. However, today, I would like to explore the darker strokes of these patterns.

Three companies. Three cases. Three epitomai of unethical leadership. Wells Fargo. Enron. Volkswagen.

We will magnify the similarities of these cases and from there illustrate how blatant negligence and for-profit mindset lead to the institutional fraud that plagued their companies. I hope you will find this extremely interesting as I did.

Wells Fargo is a financial services company that defrauded its clients by “selling” (i.e. charging) products to customers that did not permit the transactions. This was made possible through the misuse of customer information conveniently available to all agents. By 2018, Wells Fargo admitted to selling more than 3.5 million unauthorized financial products to unsuspecting customers. Wells Fargo was later fined 185 million dollars.

Enron was an energy, commodities, and service company before it declared bankruptcy in December of 2001. The fraud that happened in Enron was masterfully done but like all bad deeds, it will catch you. The executives were involved in a series of schemes and manipulation of their own financial statements to make their company’s stock prices high. After earning nearly 100 billion dollars in the early 2000s, Enron ceased its operations in 2007.

Volkswagen is a car manufacturing company. In September 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recalled more than 500,000 Volkswagen sold in the United States after finding out that a software code embedded in its engines allowed manipulation of emission results. By mid-2016, Volkswagen acknowledged that the problem enlisted and is estimated to pay 18 billion dollars in repairs, fines, and legal settlements.

Now we have covered the gists of the cases, we can now proceed to the fun part. First off, the subject of behavior and conduct, our primal instinct is to look into a company’s identified core values. Notice I used “identified” instead of “established”. This is important in demonstrating my point.

The company’s core values are a set of standards that guide employees on how they conduct their business. It provides the employees a sense of direction for decision-making. Because the manner of gaining profit must be more important than how much money is earned. These companies did not lack in terms of identifying common principles they want to integrate as part of their brand and culture. However, this is especially difficult to embody if the company policies promote otherwise.

The dominating culture of these companies is centered around generating profit and margins. And these executives took their companies into a more accelerated direction towards being a financially driven company which the stakeholders loved and supported. However, on the way to this “success” are policies that promoted a corrupt company culture.

Implementing policies that directly and indirectly impede an honest approach to business is an example of unethical leadership. Incentive programs designed to look at quantity over anything else are imprinted in companies that adopt a “business as usual” mantra. And these companies have no soul and do not survive for good.

In his famous book, The Honest Truth About Dishonesty, Professor Dan Ariely conceptualized what is now known as the Simple Model for Rational Crime or SMORC. Professor Dan maintained that all people are capable of cheating and stealing. Furthermore, there are certain conditions and elements that when at play, encourage this behavior. One of which is when a figure of authority does the crime. Much like what happened with these companies. Wells Fargo denied any systematic fraud but reports suggest that these fraudulent acts would not be possible without the consent of middle managers. While in Enron, executives have started pointing fingers as to who is the main culprit. On the other hand, Volkswagen engineers' design proposals that would have achieved the performance and environmental standards were rejected by management because it meant added cost to production.

The way these executives operationalized these frauds and managed the crisis when it went into public scrutiny tells you how “tone on the top” shapes and greatly influences the entire company. These cases must be known to all business leaders and managers, especially those who are aspiring to be.

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Minsan Lang Sila Bata

When I am writing a blog post, I try to find an angle I want to focus on. This is a tip I got from a Journalism graduate who is a friend of a friend. Before my Ethics class, I was not really adept with the blog style of writing. Although I maintain a personal journal and enjoy collecting poetry, it is not exactly the same in terms of elements required for a decent blog post. So since knowing this trick, I always need to start with identifying what angle I want to take on before I can get a sense of the structure of my piece. It does not have to be constructed right away though, but as much as I can, I make sure to select an angle that is not normally explored.

One more aspect I incorporate with my writing is ensuring that it has a conclusion. However, with this next piece, I’m afraid I got nothing. But let me at least try to give a context.

It would be the second time I watched the documentary: Minsan lang Sila Bata by Ditsi Carolino. The first time was probably three months ago and it struck me and affected me greatly that I was just overwhelmed and was not able to process it productively, or perhaps my brain just subconsciously retired from attempting to because of how heavy it is? The one-hour documentary exhibits the life of children forced by circumstances to be engaged in labor as early as 9 years of age.

The grueling state of these children is truly heartbreaking and distressing. It is a vicious cycle of inherent punishment.

From start to finish, the only thought my mind has managed to construct was: Why? How are these people - adults, primarily their parents - okay with seeing children suffering such inhumane conditions? Apart from the dangerous nature of most of the work they are involved with, these children aren’t even compensated properly. Their “employers” would argue that because they are not physically at par with what grown-ups can offer, they deserve lesser pay. This leads to these children having to work twice as hard. Or should I say thrice as hard?

Then I began looking at myself and spiraled into: How about you, Alex? What are you doing? What can YOU do? Aside from pitying these children and questioning what led them to this cruel situation, you’re as incapable and powerless as the adults you’re condemning, aren’t you?

Awareness is one thing, but actualizing it is another.

I am grateful that this course is putting me at the center of the social dilemmas our country faces. It opens to so many intrapersonal realizations which refocuses a person to their purpose of living and bettering themselves. In contrast, too much self-examination is equally detrimental because it restricts you from putting in any work since you have convinced yourself that whatever it is you can contribute will not be enough.

But, I think that is the loophole right there. There are some small things we can do. Nobody expects any person to change the world in a flick of a wrist. On the other hand, not because child labor is widespread and universal to every country, makes it right or acceptable. Or that it no longer merits action from us.

Another concerning aspect of child labor that may not be as apparent is the fact that their education is no longer a priority for them. I mean, how can it be? As one kid says: it’s either they go to class or let their families starve. Imagine a kid carrying that load. However, without education, the hope and any aspiration to improve their lives will become more and more blurry. I think these kids grasp and understand the importance of education and what it can do for them. So the realization that they aren’t given the opportunity to focus on it is unjust and disheartening.

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Are you Pro or Against Mining?

This question is easily thrown out every time there is a discourse relating to mining. I mean, it’s fair. It’s perhaps the easiest way to seek opinions and start a conversation, which is good because matters like this - matters that affect both the present and future generations - have to be discussed. This simple yet thought-provoking question challenges a person to justify their stand and therefore investigate and evaluate objectively whilst at the same time scrutinizing other people’s points of view. And at the end, you either are influenced to change your stance or have solidified your grounds.

The last case we looked into in our Ethics class is the Marcopper mining. The mining incident that happened in March 1996 was remarked as the worst environmental disaster in Philippine history. Its horrid and devastating effects on the lives of Marinduquenos are still apparent to this day. An article published in 2019, 23 years after the incident, featured a 53-year old Village Chief who had been suffering from skin irritation, fatigue, and body pains due to high metal content in her latest blood result and had to be admitted for monitoring. (Dizon, N. April 2019. “The Marcopper disaster: A tragedy that continues in people’s veins”. https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/04/04/19/the-marcopper-disaster-a-tragedy-that-continues-in-peoples-veins) Her story has the same narrative as the thousands of people in her village and expected to exponentially increase as the rehabilitation in their area has not been started yet. Residents are exposed to the harmful toxic coming from tailings that leaked from the dam and contaminated the rivers, their primary source of living from fishing to irrigation. So they basically eat, drink, and bathe in these chemicals.

Any person will find this unspeakable negligence sufficient to advocate against mining. I too am against mining. I think the losses we incur outweigh the benefits that a few people directly gain from it. I do not think that there has been an accurate calculation on what the real effects of mining are. In this case, for instance, there have been reports that the long-term effect of being exposed to these chemicals is delayed development among children. It is literally dumbing down a person, how can you compensate for that? And for this reason, mining companies’ so-called “developmental and rehabilitation fundings” can never adequately remunerate the abysmal and irreversible damage it causes.

And so when the talks about renewable energy came up during the class discussion being an alternative for mining, I got hopeful. Eager to know more about this, I started doing research. Conflicted with what I have found out, I am now uncertain if I heard the suggestion from the class correctly. What I have gathered so far is this: Renewable Energy is not an alternative for mining. On the contrary, mining is essential in obtaining the minerals needed for building infrastructure for renewable energy.

And so with the world gradually shifting towards powering the cities with renewable sources, it will, as a consequence, encourage more mining activities. A lot of big world problems will be solved by renewable energy, if not completely, at least significantly. Electricity formed from renewable sources like the sun, the wind, and the sea instead of fossil fuels will be the start of a crucial reduction in pollution and ultimately mitigate the effects of climate change. All the signs are present to give a green light for the construction of facilities needed for renewable energy; but, numerous studies suggest that the number of minerals needed to sustain the production of renewable energy will have a disastrous impact on biodiversity. (Thomas, T. September 2020. “Mining needed for renewable energy ‘could harm biodiversity”. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/01/mining-needed-for-renewable-energy-could-harm-biodiversity#:~:text=The%20production%20of%20renewable%20energy,other%20materials%20which%20are%20mined.&text=The%20scientists%20found%20mining%20potentially,used%20in%20renewable%20energy%20production).

One study made by a group of scientists was published to explore the extensive effects of mining in harming wildlife and contributing to the extinction of various species. The paper also offered recommendations on how a balance between producing renewable energy and conserving biodiversity can be achieved, as they acknowledge the benefits and need for a new energy resource. (Sonter, L. et al. September 2020. “Renewable energy production will exacerbate mining threats to biodiversity” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17928-5)

To conclude, we are now reaching new heights concerning the demands of sustainable living here on earth. Fortunately, alongside these demanding changes are technological breakthroughs that can guide us navigate the rough parts. I think this tells us that the government as the Policy Makers and Enforcers must work closely with Scientists when attempting to deal with matters like mining.

This case on hand, although I have declared I am against mining upfront, proves the point that sometimes it is not as simple as you are pro or against it. There is a reason why mining operations are still continuous despite perhaps more than half of humanity advocating against it. I guess the least we can do is to find that equilibrium that will prevent trade-offs that put the larger good (including future generations into the equation) in an unpleasant situation.

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What would your statement shirt say?

I would like to dedicate my last blog post on Service-Learning processing the journey I had towards building relationships and the lessons I have learned from the members of the Soler Riverside Valley Neighborhood Association Inc. (SRVNAI), our partner community. Although we were not able to meet physically, we had the opportunity to build a rapport from the series of meetings and chats we had in preparation for the project which was a seminar on Business Licensing Requirements.

I have learned a lot about interacting with people with different work ethics from making this project. One of which is when the members of SRVNAI made me realize how important creating a safe space is. In the beginning, I was a little concerned about how our group would be able to pull the project off because they were not exactly expressive in the early stages of conceptualizing it. In retrospect, I think I am partly to be blamed. I remember the first meeting we had which I facilitated. I concentrated on what we have prepared right off the bat rather than asking about their current situation and inquiring about what areas they needed assistance with.

Do you ever get into a meeting wherein you feel the pressure of letting the people know that you know what you are doing? That you instantly assume that they would want to finish the agenda head-on so there is really no time for pleasantries? I feel like in a corporate setting, this is encouraged because you have to be efficient. But not really when your purpose is to build a long-standing relationship. Especially, we have to acknowledge the fact that the members might be a little intimidated by us. Me rambling on about “what we can give” instead of “what do you need?” is a fundamental mistake that now I think has an easy fix.

When in a meeting, ask everyone to briefly introduce themselves and tell their reason for being present in the meeting (their role on the project, in this case) – this is a simple yet effective way of losing nerves and encouraging them to be engaged or impart with the discussion. Simultaneously, this will allow them to feel that it is a safe environment for them to speak their minds.

Since being conscious of this and adjusting my approach, their inputs and suggestions came naturally. And I would like to give them the due credit they truly deserve because once they started talking about the vision they have for their business, the ideas are all already constructed and firm; all we needed was to guide them in executing it.

But perhaps the revelation to me is that time and time again, I am reminded that having aspirations does not require educational attainment or professional experience. It is something inherent in all of us and does not discriminate. I wish my writing is more eloquent than it actually is so I can paint the picture of how amazingly talented and dedicated these members are.

Their motivation to learn and develop themselves is empowering.

And to think that they are doing it for the benefit of their community is all the more inspiring. I felt their commitment to this cause when we asked them to create their own personalized shirt that will tell us something about themselves. One member wrote: “Put God 1st in everything,” the other says: “Mahalin ang Pamilya Bago ang Iba” and another one says: “Love is No Gender” and “Fight for your rights”. It could have been no coincidence that one of the major areas they want to focus on is printing vocational shirts. The way they incorporated faith, family, and personal progressiveness is a reflection of their characters. La Salle finding partner communities that share the same principles, and to be part of its service to people is truly a fulfilling experience.

Ordinarily, I would not make a big deal out of my contribution to projects I’m involved in. I got this unproductive perspective that if the things I have done are “just enough” and nothing spectacular or life-altering, it does not merit any recognition. But I am slowly changing that narrative and adapting a healthier one: Small deeds mean great things to the right people. Which I think is a fine statement piece for a shirt.

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One Community at a time..

Once I am admitted to your highly demanding program, I would primarily focus my research on Small Medium Enterprises and other community-driven businesses. How we can claim that collectively, they are the drivers of the economy.

This is something I wrote in my Statement of Purpose that I submitted as one of the admission requirements here in La Salle. Before now, I did not realize that I am already being given the opportunity to walk on the path to fulfilling my purpose. I knew I was going to work with, if not heavily involved with, student organizations centered on alleviating poverty through business, education, and volunteerism. Nonetheless, I was not expecting to be doing it in my first term. I guess all the more stimulating to me is it was not an initiative of mine, it was part of my course and I have a hunch that service-learning will be embedded in every curriculum I will take in La Salle. That, in some ways or the other, I will find myself immersed in helping communities through the practical application of our courses.

In our service learning project, we partnered with Community Organizers Multiversity (COM). From my research, they operate on a national scale here in the Philippines with few bases in Visayas and Mindanao. Being founded by Social Development Professionals, its efforts are concentrated on creating and teaching learning modules in which the knowledge and skills are oriented towards addressing the impact of poverty and helping communities adapt to changing contexts due to globalization. COM further extends its programs by partnering with community-organized associations and organizations. One of which is the direct beneficiary of our project, Soler Riverside Valley Neighborhood Association Inc. (SRVNAI).

SRVNAI is situated in Binondo, Manila. Their first project is the establishment of a Personalized T-Shirt Printing business they have conceptualized and presented for funding. The Lasallian Social Enterprise for Economic Development (LSEED) Center, the flagship initiative of DLSU in areas relating to social development under the Center for Social Concern and Action (COSCA), granted SRVNAI a start-up capital of 50,000.00. This, and its guidance in matters of educating the members of SRVNAI who are expected to oversee the operation of the business. To which was when our class came in.

We were divided into three groups tasked to come up with ways to seek and address the immediate needs of whoever our partner community is. During the early stages of meetings we had with COSCA and LSEED, there were no boundaries set in terms of the areas we can cover. Moreover, topics on Vaccination Awareness, Sanitation, Support for Distance Learning, Community Livelihood are some of the focus categories that were given as an example. Naturally, our group convenes to strategize and check on ourselves as to what we think we can offer to the community in terms of our capacities.

What was unexpected came after all the groups have finalized the proposals and submitted them for approval. It turns out, all the groups decided to focus on helping SRVNAI in its attempt to start its T-Shirt Printing Business. Surprisingly, our projects seemed to be connected in such a way that collectively, it offers the fundamental concepts needed for a successful start-up business. One group focused on Financial Management, the other focused on Operations Management, and our group settled with the topic of Business Licensing Requirements. And since we all had one partner organization, this made our initiatives all the more cohesive and impactful.

Months had gone by and we have now implemented our projects. In the last meeting we had with Ms. Pia, each group prepared a video presentation to share their Service Learning journey. This was the only time I had a glimpse of how the other groups executed their proposals which added excitement to watching their videos. Overall, I was ecstatic to know that everyone stayed true to being competitive and wanting to deliver. I think the element of competition is important because it reminds us not to be complacent and continuously innovate ways to improve. And this was very evident from what was presented that day.

I recognize that what our class has provided for the community is not everything they need, but it is hoped that together with COSCA and LSEED, SRVNAI will continue to receive support in matters needed in pursuit of its endeavor. As a personal commitment, I shall reconnect with their members again in 6 months to check up on the status of their venture and know where can I further extend my help. But I am equally optimistic that I will be wearing one of their personalized shirts by then because their operation is up and running.

To conclude my reflection on this course, it is our obligation to engage in social development programs aimed at improving the quality of life of the marginalized communities, and La Salle being true to its core values, makes sure that its curriculum is geared towards reinforcing these principles.

“You are personally responsible for becoming more ethical than the society you grew up in” - Anonymous

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Ethics in Marketing and Advertising

I have always been proud of the marketing initiatives that my company does. And I make sure to highlight these every time I conduct training for new Franchisees and existing employees. Not only because it’s part of my work but I actually believe in it because it’s effective. In the topic of Display Management, our business practice requires us to put the merchandise meant for children in a manager that enable them to see it. And to adopt the concept of adjacency on our store layout, that is, all related items are placed near each other. I challenge you, the next time you go to a convenience store be conscious and intently look where most candies and kids toys are displayed then look for loaf bread and move a little on the side and you should be able to see all kinds of spreads.

Now, I am not to say that these practices are unethical. I will even argue that this is the essence of “convenience” stores, right? These practices are value-adding to our customers as they do not have to spend an extra effort and time to look for things they need. However, if we were to take how manipulation is defined, we have to classify these practices as a way of manipulating consumer behavior.

But when do marketing and advertising practices be considered unethical?

Are there generally accepted principles for this? I believe so, whether it is formally written or not. I think anything that is thoughtlessly made to exploit the vulnerable and appeal to the fears of the customers to market their products is considered unethical and morally ill.

In the Philippines, one of the commendable laws is the prohibition of advertising tobacco products outside commercial establishments and another special provision when your establishment is a 100-meter radius away from a school district, playground, or and facility frequented by minors, you cannot even sell these products. This is in accordance with Executive Order No. 26 or Nationwide Smoking Ban of 2017.

I think this is reasonable and businesses cannot argue that this posed significant financial implications to them as tobacco products should not be marketed and advertised to minors in the first place. This is very similar to how we treat child labor. Adults or their so-called “Employers” will argue that these children should be left to make decisions about what is beneficial for them. Considering they are confident that these children are desperate enough to risk themselves working instead of starving. Although that is an extreme analogy, in a way minors must not be left alone to make decisions that will affect them for the rest of their lives. And businesses must not take advantage of these young minds’ inability to discern by making cigarettes available and “appealing”. This is one of the scenarios where government regulations are critical and necessary.

Meanwhile, I think businesses have come a long way from only providing products and services for the sake of profit to being socially responsible and morally conscious about how their products and services impact society overall. Presently, a lot of companies have different versions of Sustainability Programs. This initiative can be equally credited to the government, businesses, and consumers themselves. Consumers are now keener to the products they are buying - how it is being produced until their distribution practices. This leads businesses to examine their business processes and supply chain thereby creating holistic transformations towards the development of society. Vice versa, companies use these sustainability programs to market their products and hence influencing consumers to patronize theirs.

Overall, what I reckon is if businesses can answer these fundamental questions they will be able to avoid unethical practices concerning marketing and advertising:

What does this product do to people?

What does this advertisement do to people?

The role of business leaders in decision-making cannot be overstated. And in answering these questions, they must appeal to their human side of compassion and care towards others. And not on greed and callousness of wanting to generate revenue.

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An Average Person’s Response

From my standpoint, one of the intriguing questions thrown at us by Ms. Pia so far is this: How does the average person cope with commitments to God and family compared to others who are more capable or talented? This was in relation to a reflection session we had about Pat Gelsinger's Book: Balancing your Family, Faith, and Work. We only read until Chapter 2 of the book but nonetheless, it was enough to grasp the immense achievements of Pat Gelsinger.

I will not be dwelling on the details of his life because I’d rather focus on the question laid before us. If my memory serves me well, when we had our break-out session, this is the question I really struggled with. I’m certain I wasn’t able to contribute any valuable insights in this regard.

Honestly, I was a bit annoyed by the question. Actually no, - at first I was puzzled. Because I am not sure what kind of response does this question tries to solicit and how can that be in any way helpful? But I see now that it is not an unnecessary question and that on some levels - it makes sense.

My classmates were right. There will always be people far brighter, prettier, wealthier, and have better skills than you. Which is both a troubling and comforting thought. If we accept this as true, that means in different aspects of life there will be different faces of average people.

My first thought when I read the question was: What does that mean? I don’t get it. I mean, I consider myself an average person. What do you mean how do I cope with commitments? - I get along just fine, thank you very much! I assume this knee-jerk reaction can be seen as a human response to provocations - a sort of fight or flight mechanism. The question was just so vague to me that I took and interpreted it as if it was prompting me to “defend” myself.

The truth is, I was too afraid to pause and look at myself because I did not want to know should I be falling short of my commitments to these areas of my life. I was too proud to admit it because to me, I am doing the best I can with what I have - time, energy, and resources.

But I suppose now that I am trying to contemplate on how I received this question, why was that my initial thought process, and what influences these reactions - it affirms my earlier statement that this question does make sense. It is a great practice of maturity and overall character growth as it will compel you to dig deeper into how you can better perform your duties to God, your family, and other people.

Moreover, I realize I don’t have to be so defensive after all. Because even though accepting this question as it is will imply that there is a “special” person in front of the line, one important element will level the playing field - Character. That is, the abundance of resources or lack thereof will only play a secondary role.

Resilience, perseverance, and consistency are character traits that an average person has a better position of developing because of their current condition. In summary, I think regardless of where you are in the spectrum of average and special line, we all have an equal chance of achieving our goals as long as we are clear as to what that is. We may not achieve it all at the same time or at the same degree but we have different objectives anyways. The only difference is, average people, may need a little more of a nudge - I know I do. And this question did exactly just that.

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If I declare that I was meant to be a Lasallian, what does that actually mean?

Let me preface this by saying, days after I learned that I got admitted to La Salle I randomly thought about: Huh, so am I a Lasallian now?

Of course, I think this was a valid question at the time being. And the answers, however ludicrous it was sprung even more ridiculous questions.

I guess I am a Lasallian now. But will that entail that I denounce being a PUPian? What if I don’t relate to my classmates? Nah, I will always be a PUPian in spirit.

I don’t know how these thoughts plagued my mind. If I were to make something up to excuse myself, I would say that I was anxious and persistently trying to shift my attention to everything no matter how nonsensical it is just to get out of thinking, I am finally taking my Master’s.

But, how exactly it was a struggle for me to regard myself as a Lasallian to now boldly declare that I was meant to be one?

The problem lies with how I originally defined being a Lasallian. I shallow-mindedly thought that being enrolled in an institution means that you instantly take its form. Much like in Sociology classes, people use groups to identify themselves. And as they say, you are the average person of all the collective people and groups you immerse yourself with. I mean, I am already part of an institution - already marked. Thus, I was convinced that it was wrong to associate myself with another group.

The light bulb went off when I had my first class in Lasallian Business Leadership with Ms. Pia. Turns out - being a Lasallian is not merely what I initially thought it was. According to her, “Lasallian” is a term to describe a person who is personally fulfilling the mission set forth by Saint John Baptist de La Salle. The mission also became the core values of the institution: Spirit of Faith, Zeal for Service, and Communion in Mission.

Moreover, I would like to use one of these core values to explain why I finally regard myself as a Lasallian wholeheartedly.

According to Lasallian tradition, the Spirit of Faith enables one person to:

Discover God’s active presence in his Word, in men and women, - this is true and is often illustrated by our professors. The sharing of verses before the class is dismissed is a new practice for me. I have not experienced that in college or my current company. And what is more telling is that - it is not only done for classes such as LBL, but we also do it in our class in Management Accounting. We are talking about minimizing costs and making financial decisions but somehow the Professors will still manage to refocus our attention to God’s words and provide us with practical skills and values.

in the poor, in nature, - What draws me to La Salle is its business research being centered around uplifting the poor and marginalized. Its commitment to actualizing the UN Sustainability Goals is transparent from its programs. The social community engagements that La Salle support is beyond admiring. I think all classes regardless of their majors are in one way or another tasked to participate in outreach programs or even organize their own.

in history, and in ourselves - Another effective framework that La Salle adapts is how it teaches its students through case analyses. Students are put in situations that will test their character and thus, our values. We are being challenged to investigate the history and assess ourselves if we have done things differently and if so, why?

La Salle also acknowledges that a person’s motivation to help others allows one to reflect on one’s capabilities. As consistent with the human nature of compassion towards others, you are in a better position to provide help if you have the capacity to do so.

The desire to be of greater service to others conditions the quest for excellence and continuous Self-improvement.

To conclude, being a Lasallian is an obligation. And even that word implies burden, it did not make it unappealing. I think one of the reasons why La Salle has an international standard quality of education is because of its unconventional commitment to embedding social transformations into its programs.

[myriadofquestions]

How far can a bunch of squares go?

The catch is, it is difficult to measure in general. But for this particular community, the answer to this question may mean the success or failure of its endeavor.

For our service learning project, we are partnering with Soler Riverside Valley Neighborhood Association Inc. conveniently known as SRVNAI /S-R-V - nay/ - a community being supported by the Community of Multidiversity (COM).

Prior to meeting them, our group convenes to discuss the possible areas that we can explore towards helping. Our goal is to basically familiarize ourselves with the map laid in front of us. That map is the task at hand which is to come up with programs that can aid the community. At the same time, we tried to locate ourselves on this map by assessing our individual capacities in anticipation of the roles that may be expected from us in relation to the programs we come up with.

Our group is composed of 8 members from different backgrounds - a Sales & Marketing Manager, a Senior Finance Officer, a Medical Technician, an Auditor, and HR personnel amongst others. It is a healthy balance of gender representation as well with 3 members being men and 5 women.

The 90-minute exchange of views that we had was empowering and admiring. We were able to get acquainted, be supportive of each other's ideas, scrutinize their viability and impact, and come up with various programs we can propose relying mainly on the orientation we had two days before.

In summary, we deducted our proposal into three categories: Online Distance Learning Support, Vaccination Awareness, and Livelihood Support. During our brainstorming, there were valid counterarguments raised for each category. And these probing questions were welcomed and highly encouraged. Everyone is open to suggestions not because we are trying to be polite but more so because we understand that no one has all the right answers.

Now that I reflect on it, it was truly a stimulating experience. From one person spitballing a raw idea to another person that engages to another one raising concerns to the next person suggesting a compromise. And soon, our tiny boxes naturally light up to add value to the discussion.

So, where will these bunch of squares go? I’ll tell you where they are not - anywhere. You see, because of the ongoing pandemic, we have to resort to alternatives to implement the proposal we came up with. Unfortunately, the restrictions and accompanied risks of not complying with protocols have significantly limited the means we would have done the project under normal circumstances.

As disheartening as that sounds, we are determined to provide an uncompromising quality of support to the community. This intention was solidified by the time we met the leaders of SRVNAI and COM. Although almost 90% of what we have initially come up with were scrapped, we felt no grudge. From my box, I almost did not notice it. Because knowing the situation and what the community needs are what we were focused on.

The community plans to put up a business venture that sells personalized, advocacy, and inspirational shirts. Credits to their team for coming up with a business idea perfectly timed, now that campaigns for national election are already underway. Plans on expanding their selection from shirts to other merchandise such as mugs, fans, and lanyards are already in their back pockets.

As this business has not been actualized yet, our team suggested organizing training for its members supplementing them with the knowledge on regulatory compliance on business registration. We find it necessary that the members are equipped with the basic concepts of different types of business and how does this influence the way they will be treated by the government in terms of taxes and licensing requirements.

As we have learned that members of the SRVNAI have limited idea on this, in addition to a webinar we will also be providing them a written handbook that can form part of their Operating Manual.

The applicability of this training will overturn the earlier worry of our team concerning creating an impact on the community.

Now, the dreaded question - How far can our group go about helping the community? What we hope is far enough to make their business flourish and be sustainable. Far enough to provide prosperity to the direct administrators of the printing shop as well as their community itself.

[myriadofquestions]

Why does nobody look at page 2 of Google search results?

Riddle me this: When was the last time you used Google to search for something? And when was the last time you browse the results until page 2? Do not try and deceive me as this has already been answered by science!

According to an article published by Pat Ahern, 75% of people never scroll past the first page of search engines. (https://inter-growth.co/seo-stats/)

All fun aside, our group was challenged to tackle the moral complexity of an incident that jarred Google last August of 2017 when one of their software engineers released a memo criticizing the company’s diversity and inclusivity initiatives. The memo entitled: Google’s Ideological Chamber was authored by James Damore who after three days of public leakage of the memo, was fired from his job.

The memo

Outlined scientific claims regarding the biological differences of men and women which according to Damore partly explain the gender disparity in the workplace especially in tech roles and leadership positions. Moreover, Damore established that his intention was to spark an honest conversation regarding the intolerance of Google’s leaders in discussing views that do not fit a certain ideology.

Google management maintained that while they encourage and promote freedom of expression, and that criticisms raised on their attempt to create a diverse culture are valid, they put higher regard to a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. Some words used in the memo rationalizing the gender gap can be characterized as derisive as it advances harmful gender stereotypes. To imply that a person’s biological tendencies make them less suited for a job is offensive, Google CEO Sundar Pichai further wrote.

The moral dilemma: Where were the women (minority perspective) in all of this?

In retrospect, freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination and harassment can be pictured like two moral points which are supposed to complement one another to maintain harmony but in some cases like this one, its intersecting point is not at all apparent. So how does one decide what to prioritize? I personally stand with the decision of Google management to dismiss James Damore from his position for the following grounds:

The psychological effect of his memo on women and other minorities cannot be justified by his intentions to “have an honest and open conversation” about diversity programs in Google. One cannot function properly in a workplace where they have to second guess themselves if they are asserting themselves enough, or are they feeling anxious only because of their neurotic tendencies - and feel pressured to look past its actual cause then settle with the explanation, it is just how they are “wired”.

Although much of the media airtime was given to James Damore, I personally ensure that after establishing the facts of the case, it is of prime relevance that I look for the perspective of the women employees of Google. From an interview between Steve Kovach of Business Insider and Lauren a female Google employee, Lauren ached how nobody was asking their response on the claims made by James Damore on women. According to her, what seemed unacceptable is to have women all lumped into one category and to have such a baseless claim made about who women are, and to have it positioned as fact — as scientific fact — she added, "it's hard to not feel like that's an attack on you personally, and on us collectively". Read more on this stimulating interview here. This is only one of few comprehensive interviews/statements released by women employees of google which resonates the same sentiment.

Should James Damore stay in the company, his own psychological safety will likely suffer as much. He already released a statement to the press that certain employees are being unpleasant towards him. And this type of animosity will only be fostered should he be allowed to stay in the company.

Do we read this situation the same way we took our meme earlier? Can it be that page 1 of the google search engine metaphorically stands as the overfocus on questions: Was the firing legal? On what legal grounds did James Damore file a case against Google? If so, this is ironic because this case should never have been a question of legality but a question of moral turpitude. And do we treat women’s perspective on this memo only as important as the articles barely-viewed on page 2?

[myriadofquestions]

What does your vision board looks like?

As part of the course curriculum for Lasallian Business Leadership CSR and Ethics, our first assignment is to create a 25-year life plan. Naturally, I felt a sense of pride as these tasks are not estranged from what I have initiated myself to do when I was in high school. A time where you are full of dreams and all you see are possibilities. The thing is, although the specifics of it are not as comprehensive as it needs to be, I somehow have a ballpark of where and what I want to be - which I think makes a substantial difference.

But do not envy me!

Because one aspect that people don’t tell you about vision boards is that sometimes, it can be a real downer. Although it is entertaining to know that I once wanted to take up courses in Landscape Architecture (credits to my fascination with nature and frustration on why there are more buildings than trees) I don't think I still want to pursue it - not because I do not want to have more trees, silly. It is more of a resource and time constraints situation. The same can be said for my plans to take up Law and Accountancy. I no longer see it as a means to achieving my ultimate goal. Which I realized now, is also drawn comically on the back of the paper.

KEEP CALM:

C - AR: My young self might see this in its literal sense - “I want a car”. But my now relatively reasonable self will interpret this as all the tangible things I need in life. As affirmed by what we learned from a Vocation of a True Leader, it is not evil to desire earthly flourishing. As one can make use of it to better self and others.

A - WESOMENESS: My social media password in high school was livingproofofawesomeness. So, if that is not enough evidence of how much I demand myself to live up to expectations, I do not know what else to say. From the career track I drew myself to the fact that I try to stick to it is telling how much I put value in self-growth.

L - IFE YOU'RE *talking to self* DREAMING OF: One aspect of "my life dream" I want to cover here is ever since a kid, I have always had this peculiar sensation that I will not live a conventional life. I remember myself feeling a sheer fear whenever I try to contemplate it when I was a kid but I am now fairly confident to accept and live my truth as a lesbian person.

M - OM: Do not protest. I think I was referring to my entire family here and not just my mom. I was just being clever by sticking to the theme of keeping "calm". Anyhow, I think this is one aspect that will remain constant in my life. I was born to protect and provide for my family. Alongside my responsibility to serve other people.

Reflection: What's important?

I’m sure my 14-year-old self has not thought about this but looking at these pictures now and thinking - Oh no, this no longer reflects what I want - to suddenly realize this makes so much sense! (Good job young A***, I vividly remember you drawing this on the top staircase. For some reason this spot brightens the bulb on your head - even up to now)

I hope whoever reads this blog can reflect on how I desperately made sense of my goals as a young kid and enhance its interpretation as to how I see fit. I think at the end of the day, no matter how tangled and seeming nonsense your plan is, the important thing is you took a moment to reflect on yourself and what truly makes your life fulfilling.