Philippines is Country of Focus at Fukuoka Asian International Film Fest 2018

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With a partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the Focus on Asia Fukuoka International Film Festival joins and celebrates Philippine Cinema for its One Hundred Years by highlighting a Special Feature on Filipino Films for its 2018 edition. Considered as a Country of Focus celebration, the Agency will lead the delegation of Filipino filmmakers, artists, and academicians this September in Fukuoka, Japan. 

"The City of Fukuoka which organizes the Festival has given importance to Philippine Cinema since way back. Just a year after its inception in 1991, Lino Brocka's Insiang already found its way as the Philippines’ first official entry to the Festival. Since then, many other important Filipino films and filmmakers have been invited in Fukuoka to participate in discussion sessions as well as symposia which brought about a relationship of exchange with the audience of Fukuoka. This is why we are very proud that this year, we finally get to partner with them so we celebrate the centennial of Philippine Cinema together and looking forward to the future of our films," said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño. 

The Special Feature entitled “Drawn and Attracted to the Sacred Chaos" will feature the outstanding Filipino films directed by young filmmakers to represent the future of the country's cinema, including Nervous Translation directed by Shireen Seno, Bagahe by Zig Dulay, Smaller and Smaller Circles by Raya Martin, and Women of the Weeping River by Sheron Dayoc. The Festival will also feature on Omnibus of regional short films with Hilom by PR Patindol, Gikan sa Ngitngit Nga Kinaidlaman by Kiri Dalena, Babylon by Keith Deligero, Si Astri Maka si Tambulah by Xeph Suarez, and Jodilerks Dela Cruz, Employee of the Month by Carlo Francisco Manatad. 

Fukuoka’s special program entitled Restoration Asia VI will feature another Filipino classic masterpiece from the 1970s, “Nunal Sa Tubig" ("Speck in the Water") directed by Ishmael Bernal will be screened in the Festival as a digital restoration of the 35mm film print archived under the collection of the Fukuoka City Public Library (Film Archive). The film will be screened with both Japanese and English subtitles.

This will be followed by a discussion on restoration which will be chaired by Hisashi Okajima, Director of Nationa Film Archive of Japan and will include Leo Katigbak, Head of Film Restoration and Archives of ABS-CBN, Adrian Wood, Founder & Coordinator, Restoration Asia, Fukuoka and FDCP Chairperson and CEO Mary Liza Diño.

FDCP will also host the SPOTLIGHT: Philippine Cinema Centennial Talks which the agency features in its participation to international markets and film festivals where Philippine Cinema has made a mark whether currently or in the past. For Fukuoka, the topic will focus on the PHILIPPINES’ ALTERNATIVE and ARCHIPELAGIC CINEMA on September 16, 2018, 4:00PM at United Cinemas Canal City 13. The speakers in the panel include Laila Ulao, Lead Actress of Women of the Weeping River, Director Zig Dulay of Bagahe (The Baggage), Director Shireen Seno and Producer John Torres of Nervous Translation and Teng Mangansakan, Festival Director of Salamindanaw Asian Film Festival to be introduced by FDCP Chairperson Diño.

A Philippine Night will also be held to introduce the Filipino delegation to Asian and international partners for exploration and discussion of collaboration and partnerships. 

Focus on Asia Fukuoka International Film Festival runs from September 14 to 23, 2018 in Fukuoka, Japan. 

6 Email Marketing Tips for HR Professionals

Wazzup Pilipinas!

These days, HR professionals don’t exclusively work for one company. In recent years, demand for HR consultants has grown steadily. This trend shows no signs of slowing in the near future.

That said, HR professionals who want to take advantage of this opportunity need to successfully  market their services. Email can be particularly useful, as it remains one of the most effective digital marketing channels.

If you’re designing your first email marketing campaign, it’s essential to pay attention to best practices like personalizing subject lines and using anemail address checker. Keep the following tips in mind to achieve the best possible results.

Optimize for Mobile

These days, more people check email on mobile devices than on computers. Thus, it’s important that your messages are easily scannable on mobile devices. Avoid large sections of text and use formatting options like headers to organize your content. Include images, graphics, or video to break up the text.

Be Casual

When sending emails, you obviously want to convey to potential clients that you are a professional. That doesn’t mean you need to rely solely on technical language. It’s important that people receiving your emails feel like you are a real person. Using a casual and friendly tone can help you make the right first impression.

Offer Value

People who sign up to receive your emails do so because they believe you can offer them valuable content. Deliver on this expectation by making sure you have something to say whenever you send a message.

Merely promoting your services isn’t enough. You need to provide content a recipient can use in a practical manner. This can be as simple as sending emails with tips for navigating common HR situations.

Include the Recipient’s Name

An email marketing campaign won’t yield a substantial return on investment if no one actually opens your emails. That’s why it’s important to leverage tactics that can boost your open rate. Simply including a recipient’s name in the email subject line is an easy and effective way to do so. Personalized subject lines have been shown to boost email open rates by as much as 50%.

Edit Carefully

This may seem obvious, but it’s still worth mentioning. Too many marketers are in a rush to send out emails the moment they finish drafting them. This can cause them to send messages that contain numerous errors. You won’t make a good impression on a potential client if you appear like you don’t pay attention to detail.

Take the time to edit your emails, and have others look them over as well. They may spot mistakes you otherwise would have missed.

Monitor Your Progress

This might be the most important tip you can remember as you plan an email marketing campaign. You shouldn’t automatically assume a campaign will deliver results. It’s essential to monitor your performance by tracking open rates, conversions, and other key metrics on a regular basis.

Applying these tips to your email marketing strategy will help you attract more clients to your HR consulting business. However, you also need to monitor your campaigns. Doing so will help you learn how to improve them in the future.

UK Experts Partner with HURIS to Revolutionize HR Industry in PH

Wazzup Pilipinas!

 

BOOSTING THE LOCAL HR INDUSTRY. (L-R) Human Resource Innovations and Solutions, Inc. (HURIS) President Ramon S. Medina, HURIS Chairman Oscar L. Contreras, Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) Regional Director Karen Blal, and CIPD Market Development Officer Alvin De Jesus formalize the partnership that brings world class training programs to revolutionize the HR industry in the Philippines.

UK-based global professional organization The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) recently appointed the Filipino HR consulting firm Human Resource Innovations and Solutions, Inc. (HURIS) to be its exclusive representative in the Philippines. Together, they will be offering CIPD’s high-value management and development programs that help organizations address business challenges, drive performance, and inspire action.

CIPD is the only Chartered Institute in the World for Human Resource Management Professionals. Through its internationally recognized and award-winning programs, CIPD sets the gold standard for HR and people development globally. HURIS, on the other hand, is the Philippine expert of HR and OD (Organization Development) Innovations that focuses on solutions for Organization Effectiveness.

As the first of a series of programs, HURIS and CIPD will be launching the Human Resource Business Partner (HRBP) Program that allows HR Professionals to develop a business mindset while building professional credibility. The HRBP program will cover topics on the Business Savvy HR professional, Mining Data for HR Insight, HR as an Influential Partner, and the HR Professional as an Organization Coach. These modules will be delivered by professionals from the UK and Asia Pacific.

“HURIS believes that an organization’s greatest asset is its people. As we continuously seek to move the industry forward, we forge partnerships that will empower local HR practitioners to become more business savvy. The kind of training that CIPD offers can only be obtained in the UK and select cities internationally so HURIS is bringing it here to make it more cost-effective for Filipino HR practitioners,” said Ramon S. Medina, president of HURIS.

The partnership is seen as a welcome development that will revolutionize the local HR industry as the country’s professionals are starting to position themselves more strategically within the organization.

“Over the years, we have seen radical and unprecedented changes in HR practice in Asia. These changes, along with a complex and constantly evolving business environment, are placing a demand on HR to become more responsive. We need to evolve,” said Karen Blal, Regional Director of CIPD.

Unlike other programs that offer standard, one-approach-fits-all modules, CIPD takes a consultative approach in understanding the specific needs of a company. It defines, diagnoses, builds, recognizes, and sustains the functions of the HR team always in the context of the organization. Consequently, businesses that benefited from CIPD programs have seen a significant rise in the professional capability of their HR function.

“The rapid growth of the Philippine business environment will place a lot of pressure on business leaders – particularly on the HR Function. We feel there is a wealth of potential that can be unlocked by developing your local HR practitioners into business savvy professionals that can play a critical role in the growth of the organization. We feel the best partner for CIPD to deliver these programs is HURIS due to the breadth and depth of their experience in the industry,” Blal added.

Apart from HR managers, professionals belonging to the upper to top management of medium- and large-scale businesses or anyone responsible for formulating and/or implementing strategy are invited to take advantage of the program. With the course now being offered in the Philippines at a reasonable price, Filipinos no longer need to travel to the UK and Asia Pacific to learn from the best.

Medina said, “We seek people who see themselves as trailblazers, innovators, and enablers of meaningful change to bring the profession to a higher level of proficiency. We are inviting driven individuals who are business managers first and people managers second to enroll in the program.”

Reservation is on a first come, first served basis. Limited slots are available for the program in order to optimize customer experience. For reservations or inquiries on the course, contact Harriet Dimayuga or Jaia Aguas at (632) 746-2961 and (632) 651-5954.