Possible Return of Stolen Balangiga Church Bells is Victory of Philippine Independent Foreign Policy & Struggles, Not American Benevolence

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Speakers at Kamuning Bakery Café’s non-partisan Pandesal Forum in Quezon City on August 14 were Balangiga Battle hero Capt. Eugenio Daza’s grandson and president of Kaanak 1896 (association of descendants of the Philippine Revolution and Phil-American War era) Eugenio Roy Daza, “Balangiga: Howling Wilderness” film director & co-writer Khavn de la Cruz and producer/co-writer Achinette Villamor, geopolitics analysts Butch Valdes and George Siy of Integrated Development Studies Institute (IDSI). Moderator is writer Wilson Lee Flores.

The Pandesal Forum agrees that the possible and long overdue return of the Balangiga bells is a victory of Philippines’ independent foreign policy and struggles, not American benevolence

Return Balangiga church bells, other loot, issue official apology

University of the Philippines (U.P.) Prof. Bobby Tuazon of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) gave this message to the Pandesal Forum: “The return of the Balangiga Bells is long overdue and a historical injustice of American colonizers. The return should not be seen as American benevolence, but rather as a victory of the Filipino people who have fought hard and long for their return.”

Prof. Tuazon added: “Much of our history, by the way, was looted by the American aggressors during the Philippine-American War---relics, archives, treasures, etc. remain in the U.S. until today---are in museums such as the Smithsonian, collectors, etc. These should also be returned.”

Tuazon said: “No apology has been given for the 1 million Filipinos---revolutionaries and civilians---who died during the Philippine-American War. If the U.S. really cares for ‘friendship’, they should at least apologize.”

Retelling history from viewpoint of the defeated… Balangiga: Howling Wilderness

In the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) from August 15 to 21, the Pandesal Forum highly recommends that the public watch watch the award-winning “Balangiga: Howling Wilderness” which had won 3 times as best film at the QCinema 2017, the Urian and Famas.

The artists behind “Balangiga: Howling Wilderness” are director and co-scriptwriter Khavn de la Cruz, co-writers Achinette Villamor and Jerry B. Gracio. There are no celebrity stars in the cast led by Justine Samson, Pio Del Rio, Warren Tuaño.

Producer and co-scriptwriter Achinette Villamor said the injustice that happened in Balangiga is “part of the numerous national wounds in the consciousness of the Philippines”. She said: “History is usually written by the victors, such as many accounts of the Philippine-American War whoch were mostly authored by the colonizers, the white men, there is a need to tell history from the points of view of those who were defeated and conquered, like us Filipinos. The Balangiga film project is one such attempt.”

It is unique that this movie stands out for its good attempt at artistry, its uncommon courage and its seeking to retell a sad, controversial and violent episode in Philippine history from the refreshing, innocent perspectives of little children.

This well-crafted movie is set in 1901 in seaside town of Balangiga in the Philippines’ third largest island of Samar. Eight-year-old Kulas flees the town with his grandfather and their carabao to escape U.S. General Jacob Smith’s controversial “Kill & Burn” military order. He finds an infant amid a sea of corpses and together, the two boys struggle to survive the American military occupation.

Remembering history, to create a better future… Read this U.S. account of the past

J. P. Lawrence wrote last year in the “New York Review of Books” on this sad episode of Philippine history which followed local Filipino rebels decisive military victory in Balangiga over U.S. occupation troops:

“US troops returned to Balangiga in force. They bombarded the town with cannons, and set it ablaze. The three bells remained in the ruins of the church. But the retribution did not end there. General Jacob Smith told his troops he wanted a ‘howling wilderness’ and ordered any male over the age of ten killed. ‘I want no prisoners,’ he said. ‘I wish you to kill and burn; the more you kill and burn the better it will please me.’ Theodore Roosevelt, who was responsible for the conduct of the war in the Philippines for part of 1902, had earlier reflected on the justification for such harsh tactics. ‘In a fight with savages, where the savages themselves perform deeds of hideous cruelty, a certain proportion of whites are sure to do the same thing,’ he said. In the reprisals for Balangiga, US troops are said to have killed as many as 50,000 Filipinos.”

Lawrence also wrote: “Forty-eight US soldiers died at Balangiga, America’s worst military defeat since the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. To commemorate their lost men—or perhaps to avenge them—American troops brought the three bells of Balangiga home with them. Over the next century, the bells passed through various military bases. Two are now in Wyoming, and one is on an army base in South Korea, displayed to memorialize the battle.”

History---whether sad, happy, tragic or triumphant---is part of our present and influences our future. May these two indie movies on our history not just entertain, but hopefully educate, awaken, conscienticize and inspire us to help create a better and more just future.

Recruiting of International Talent in Asian Companies is Key to Going Global

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Asian companies are changing the global business landscape. In the latest Global Fortune 500 list, the region is home to more global giants than any other continent with 200 Asian companies in the list.

Survey shows 70 percent of Asian companies are seen to follow the trend in the next three years, according to Robert Walters, a professional recruitment consultancy specialist.

In its latest whitepaper titled ‘How to attract and retain the right talent to grow your business internationally’, more than half of international candidates are open to work for Asian companies. The challenge is how to motivate these passive candidates to become active ones.

To guide Asian businesses, Robert Walters identified the top motivators for talent attraction and retention based on 5,000 HR professionals, hiring managers, and candidates working in Asian and Western companies.

Build employer proposition

68 percent of the candidates indicate pay and benefits as the top motivator while company’s growth potential comes next on the list.

When designing job advertisements and carrying out interviews, make sure a competitive salary range and expansion strategies for the next five to 10 years are presented. If the company might not be able to offer opportunities to work overseas, it can focus on its strengths and career development opportunities that are available locally.

Figure 1 above shows the top motivators for talent attraction

Provide training and career development programs

According to the Harvard Business Review, job seekers from entry-level to executives are more concerned about opportunities for learning and development than any other aspect of a prospective job.

The survey shows 56 percent of international talents left their job with an Asian company because they felt there was no opportunity for career progression. Given this, Asian companies must give employees and prospects a clear career progression path by providing variety of training opportunities. This may include job rotation program so that staff can gain a good overview of the business and the different skills that make it work.

Maintain and build unique company culture

As per retaining talents, Robert Walters’ survey determined the most rewarding aspects among international talents working in an Asian business. Cited by 62 percent, local company culture ranks first.

International talents perceive that Asian companies are much better equipped in fostering and maintaining close relationships between staff at all levels than multinationals.

Figure 2. Most rewarding aspects of working in an Asian company according to international talents

Create a sociable workplace through company events and make corporate social responsibility part of the business purpose. Give the business a sociable feel with company events that bring people together.

Know the preferred recruitment channels

Furthermore, local companies must also know the preferred talent acquisition channels to effectively reach out to potential candidates. Robert Walters ranked different channels as per candidates’ preferences.

In the whitepaper, although the top preferred channel among Asian companies is engaging a recruitment consultancy, it is important to note that seeking referrals from existing professional and personal networks is significantly higher at 27 percent compared to Western companies at only seven percent.

It is known as the “face” concept in which the employee who makes the recommendation, and the person who takes up the post, feel an obligation to stay with the business, so long as one of them is still in the company.

Figure 4. Preferred channels for recruiting new roles

Professionals who have both local and international experience are indeed valuable assets to Asian companies with global expansion plans and can be in high demand. Robert Walters continues to guide local businesses to secure future success to have robust recruitment and talent management strategies in place.

Priya Gupta said that with urban economic power shifting eastwards, Asian businesses as international players, including Filipino businesses, have a lot of potential to increase their international footprint.

“Through this whitepaper, we aim to guide Filipino companies to overcome the challenges of attracting and retaining international talents who will greatly contribute to their business expansion outside the country.”

Refer to ‘How to attract and retain the right talent to grow your business internationally’ white paper to learn more about the challenges and opportunities of Asian companies in acquiring and retaining international talents.

Cebu Teacher is 1st Smart Ka-Partner Millionaire in 2018

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The life of a grade school teacher from Cebu City is about to change as she takes home P1 million courtesy of PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications.

The teacher, who has been a Smart load seller for 10 years, won the grand prize during the Smart Ka-Partner retailers’ convention at IEC Convention Center (IC3) in Cebu City.

This year’s theme is Bilis Asenso sa LTE, as more and more load retailers are seeing increases in their earnings because of Smart’s fast LTE network.

More than 1,500 Smart load retailers from all over Visayas attended the gathering, which featured entertainment, games, and raffle prizes. Apart from P1 million, other prizes were also raffled off to the lucky attendees, such as cash, mobile phones and other gadgets, a brand-new motorcycle, and other exciting prizes.

The participants were able to join the raffle by redeeming points and converting these to raffle entries.

Smart Ka-Partners or load retailers are usually found at our neighborhood sari-sari (small variety) or grocery store. Sometimes, they can also be our friend or relative from whom we can buy load, wherever they may be. For the winner from Cebu, selling load has become a means to augment her income as a teacher.

The annual retailers’ convention is Smart’s way of giving back to its trade Ka-Partners, who have made substantial contributions to the company. Sales generated by load retailers account for a significant share of Smart’s prepaid revenues.

The convention is part of Smart’s Ka-Partner rewards program, which gives incentives to the company’s load sellers to help them grow their businesses and enhance their livelihood, while enabling communities to stay connected.

This year, Smart will hold five retailer conventions in various locations across the country. Each assembly will have its own set of raffle winners, including one recipient each of the P1 million grand prize.

Celebrities including Luis Manzano (left) and Arjo Atayde (right) have provided entertainment for load sellers during the Smart Ka-Partner retailers convention at IC3 Convention Center in Cebu City.