How can we be of service?

Last July 31, in the morning session of the 10^th Anniversary of RVR-COB, one of the guest speakers, Mr. Chito Maniago mentioned that as lasallian business leaders, we always have to ask ourselves as to how we can be of service to the Filipino people. As mentioned not only in our ethics class, the goal of businesses is to provide goods and services that will better off the people. But as individuals, how can we practice this in our roles? How can we be of service to the others?

I am currently working as a sales personnel for a manufacturing company in the Philippines. The company started as a small biscuits and noodle manufacturer and made its way on top, making it now one of the market leaders for these categories in the Philippine market. The role in sales is not an easy one. I sometimes ask myself whether the stress and the anxieties are still worth the rewards or if I should just go back to my previous work as an analyst for a custodian bank. However, whenever I think about that and whenever I am in that situation, I always go back to the very reason why I took this position. In June 2017, when I signed the job offer, I made a vow that I will do my best not just for myself but also to be able to lift the lives of the people that I will be working with.

I started as a key accounts specialist back in 2017. As a KAS, my role was to ensure store excellence primarily through sales and merchandising activities. As a KAS also, I had the chance to be working with store merchandisers and area coordinators (AC). The ACs are the ones who manage and handle the merchandisers. The merchandisers are the ones who refill, receive, and maintain and manage the stocks inside the stores. Being in sales is a one tough role because of the pressure to hit sales metrics on a monthly basis. However, I made a promise during that time that I will give 101% best at anything I do because my team (the merchandisers and AC) are also relying on me. My success was dependent on these people and they too depend on me as their leader. Throughout my stay in the KAS role, I saw people succeed and getting promoted. It was fulfilling to see my team getting promoted from being merchandisers to team leads and to eventually ACs. Fast-forward to the year 2021, I am now handling a total distribution channel covering Baguio and La Union. My previous role has taught me to always think of ways to be of service to others, particularly my team, comprising of 200 people. As the days go by, I always want to ensure that I make positive contribution to the lives of my team, whether by coaching and mentoring them to guiding them on their day to day tasks. It’s such a wonderful feeling to hear success stories from these people that because of the company and because of the leaders of the company, they were able to send their siblings and family members to school, some were able to purchase properties and cars, and some are able to provide for their families despite the pandemic. My vow is to continue being of service to my team, to train and teach and guide them, to the best of my ability so that they too will become leaders one day and that one day they can influence and make a positive impact to the lives of their future team members, too.

The Laws of Money, Lessons of Life by Suze Orman

Having a diploma in business management, it sometimes surprises me that some of my colleagues and friends are actually struggling with their finances despite them earning more than what an average young adult makes. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying life now, but it also helps if one is saving for later. I’m all for enjoying and rewarding oneself from time to time, but I’m also an advocate for financial literacy. I always tell my friends and even my family of the concept of delayed gratification – it is the act of resisting a temptation of an instant pleasure in the hope of obtaining a more valuable reward in the future. If you look at the Internet, you may find thousands of concepts about and personal finance and financial literacy, but there is one powerful video by Suze Orman that talks about the Five Laws of Money.

The first law – Truth creates money, lies destroy it

Fairly straightforward, the first law states that being true to one’s financial position will lead one to a better financial standing. Being in denial of one’s financial situation will create more problems in the future. A former colleague of mine, who is fond of traveling, had spent thousands of pesos for her Wester Europe trip back in 2015. Unfortunately, she didn’t save enough for the travel; instead, she loaned the pocket money from her bank. It took her three years to finally pay off the loan as well as her credit card debt. When one is truthful to his or her money, one is also led to do the right decisions about it.

The second law – Look what you have, not what you had

This specific one is applicable to investments made in the past. Investors tend to dwell in the past and so they get stuck to that moment and find it difficult to move on. A wise investor will always learn from the past mistakes and will use these learnings to make sound and strategic decisions which will benefit them in the future.

The third law – You have to do what is right for you, before you do what is right for your money

This one states that one should prioritize one’s freedom and security above all other benefits of money. She says that one should make decisions that will make him or her feel good and less stressed before one should prioritize money. This can be done by securing one’s emergency fund first before investing in riskier assets.

The fourth law – You must first invest in the known before the unknown

This one is my favorite since I am more of a risk-averse investor. I always make sure that I am 101% prepared at any life unexpected plot twists that come my way. I currently have two life insurance policies and I’m planning to get another one to cover for medical expenses should I get very sick in the future. I also have enough savings to cover for at least a year of my expenses. I always prioritize security and peace of mind above all.

The fifth law – Remember that money has no power of its own

The fifth and final law is a reminder that money cannot do anything on its own. We are the ones who control our money – whether we decide to grow it by investing it or whether we decide to spend it on material things. In the end, it is us who control it and it shouldn’t be the other way around. People sometimes forget that and this video is a good reminder that we are in control of our own financial situation. Whether we decide to prioritize our security in the future or whether we decide to enjoy the now, it is totally up to us.

2020 is not cancelled (Part 2)

“The chance to stay at home is a privilege not shared by all.” That kind of thinking was what fueled Kapit Cabalen to keep pushing. We knew that while many of us are privileged to stay home and be safe from the threats of the virus, many poor Filipinos have to go out of their homes each day to earn enough money just to get by.

At 5PM on March 20, 2021, we launched Kapit Cabalen – a donation drive initiated by Des, Joyce, Aly, and myself, which aims to provide assistance in the form of grocery and food packs to the displaced workers in Pampanga. By 6AM the following day, we were able to collect a total of Php40,000 cash donations from families, friends, and colleagues. It was at this time where I realized that people in general are kind-hearted and that everyone is willing to extend a help – whether through small cash donations, simple in-kind pledges, and even just by sharing our pubmats in the social media. Php40,000 might seem small, but it’s enough to cover grocery packs for 80 families in Angeles City, and that was just the start.

It wasn’t easy at first given that there were only four of us in the group doing all the tasks – from purchasing and repacking grocery items, to meeting up with generous donors to receive and pick-up in-kind donations, to doing basic accounting and bookkeeping, to creating our own marketing materials and digital ads and answering and attending to messages from Facebook and Instagram. Not to mention we were all employed full-time and have our own responsibilities at home. We divided the tasks into two – those who can do the physical activities and those that can help with the virtual activities. Des and Joyce were assigned to do purchasing and repacking, while Aly and I were assigned to do pubmats and attending to queries online. When it comes to distribution, the task was divided between Joyce, Des, and myself since we are all located in Pampanga, while Aly is based in Manila. It was exhausting but none of us felt stressed or scared or anxious amidst the pandemic because we knew that what we’re doing would be of help to our community.

Each day, our community grew. Colleagues, families, and friends kept on sharing our pubmats. There was even a point where our pubmats reached Instagram influencers and celebrities. Andi Manzano-Reyes shared our pubmat through her IG stories and many people from all walks of life started sending cash donations through GCash and bank transfers. By the end of week 1, we were able to provide grocery packs to at least 230 families in Pampanga and we even had enough excess cash to provide food packs to healthcare front-liners.

Providing grocery packs to 230 Cabalen families

Week 1 distribution to Cabalen families

Week 1 distribution to Security Guard Frontliners in Pampanga

Excess cash during week 1 were allocated to provide food packs to Healthcare Frontliners in Pampanga

By the time we reach Week 4, we were already able to raise close to Php400,000 pesos in cash donations. Kapit Cabalen also stayed true to its initial mission of not only reaching to our Kapampangan Cabalens but also reaching to the displaced workers in Tarlac, Bulacan, Bataan, and Zambales. All in all, Kapit Cabalen was able to reach and provide grocery packs to more than 700 families, at least 400 healthcare frontliners, in over 20 communities in Region 3. It started from a conscious experience – from empathizing and putting ourselves in the position of those in need, to analyzing and reflecting how our simple ways can help and provide assistance to these people, and finally to acting on it and being committed to our mission. At that time, it was difficult to initiate it because everyone was in survival mode, everyone was anxious as to what the future holds because of the pandemic. But it only took a courageous one step that brought out the kindness and generosity among people.

Distribution to Jeepney drivers in Angeles City

2020 may have been a difficult year, but 2020 thought me several life lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. ❤