Why I'm proud to work at Accenture

In Accenture, an essay writing contest has been recently launched to enable regular employees to express how proud they are working in the company. In a two-page essay, they must be able to answer the question "Are you a proud Pinoy Accenture employee? Why?" Today, in fact, is the deadline.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't make it. For some reason, I couldn't write when there's pressure involved, when there's a deadline to beat. Sakit ko na yata ito. That is why I don't see myself pursuing any career in writing. And it makes me sad.

Although I wouldn't be able to submit any entry, the question lingers in my head nonetheless. It's like last song syndrome. It keeps repeating in my mind. It makes me reflect deeply on something: Am I really proud as a Pinoy Accenture employee?

I have been with the company for only barely two months. It might be too early to say that I am indeed proud. But so far, really, I've never been prouder. The company is progressive in every aspect - from compensation and benefits, to security, to international certifications, to global interconnectedness, to processes and tools, to programs related to innovation, etc. But I guess the primary thing that makes me proud working at Accenture are the people I actually work with. I've never seen any group of people who is as devoted to their work as these people. For us working at Accenture Procurement, we wouldn't get compensated for OT rendered unless we're able to accumulate at least 16 hours of OT - the company would pay us on our 17th hour and every hour after that- still subject to tax of course. Thinking about this policy from an outsider's point of view, we virtually don't get compensated at all for extra "labor" time, which typically totals less than 16 hours come payout cut-off (in the Philippines, you get paid on the 15th and 30th of the month).

But I was amazed one weekend when I went to the office to pick something up. My whole team was there - working passionately. I asked them if they were aware of the policy regarding OT, that we would only be compensated for our 17th hour of OT, and all that. They said yes - and they didn't care. All they wanted to do was to finish their work on time - to ensure that the requests are fulfilled on schedule and that our customers and clients also meet their respective project deadlines, deliverables and budgets. I was made to realize how our role was critical to achieving these. I was humbled. I learned something from them. While I was concerned about how OTs benefit (or not benefit) me at Accenture, my colleagues (and many of them are actually reporting to me) in contrast think of the people we serve within Accenture. While I was in a way being self-centered, they on the other hand were altruistic.

I believe time is the greatest gift any employee can offer to a company. I have seen how my team mates freely give their time and devotion to the company without even thinking of monetary compensation. I guess many Pinoys do. In local parlance, we call that "malasakit" (solicitude). And such work ethic is what makes me proud about working at Accenture.

Venus Raj: Her Major, Major Success in Miss Universe 2010

Everyone's talking about Ms. Venus Raj and her controversial "major, major" answer in the Miss Universe 2010 Q&A. In fact, Yahoo has even run a "major, major" feature video for Ms. Raj and how she almost made it to the crown, had she not "blew" it on the Q&A portion. Truly, this year's Miss Universe 4th runner up has stirred a lot of buzz in the entertainment and social world that it seems people have talked about her more than the actual winner, Jimena Navarette of Mexico. In a beauty-pageant savvy country like the Philippines, this is nothing new. We are a country thirsty for an icon or source of pride and inspiration, and beauty queens like Venus, with her runner up finish, are considered heroes of our time, just like athletes like Manny Paquiao are in our hearts. As P-Noy has put it, her achievement in the recent Miss Universe pageant served as a ray of sunlight in a rather cloudy Philippine image in the international community especially after the tragic bus hostage drama in Luneta.

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I felt a sense of loss personally that Venus didn't get the crown when she was "almost there". She was obviously a crowd favorite, not just by Filipinos but by spectators from around the world. If she's not, then the Miss U venue wouldn't have been shaken by overwhelming cheers and applauses when her name was called as the last Top 15 semi-finalist. Also, I heard Donald Trump made a post-pageant personal annotation that he was actually rooting either for Ms. Mexico or Venus. I see a business and political undertone on this statement. Ms Mexico because, obviously, Trump and the MU Organization have an unexplainable bias in favor of Latinas. And Ms. Philippines, most likely because of Venus inspiring "cinderella-like" story; had she won, it's easy for Trump and his company to market the new Miss Universe, capitalizing on Ms. Raj's rise from poverty to fame and her unique struggles in the province where she practiced catwalk in rice paddies. Trump could have marketed Venus and her Ms. U success along the over-rated theme "dreams do come true" or something like this. This would have been truly memorable.

Then again, this is just "could-have-been" scenario. Venus went home not as new Miss Universe 2010 but as 4th-runner up. Still, she brought pride and honor to her country who really needed it.

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I guess the Q&A portion was played unfairly this time. Why were there different questions when these questions have obviously varying degrees of difficulty? The MU Organization should have stuck to the last year's format of one question for all contestants. In that way, the competition was made apple-to-apple, the stage was levelled and the decision on who deserves the crown will be based solely on how well each contestant answered the (same) question. Sadly, the question asked to Ms. Philippines turned out to be the most difficult, because, as one expert commented, it was a 'psychological' question. They said even US Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama couldn't give a "winning" answer themselves.

Ms. Raj answer was actually "safe" and she answered the question with obvious glow and relative confidence. I just thought what she actually meant wasn't well articulated in her answer. If I were asked of the question, I could have said:

"To be honest, I cannot think of any mistake, let alone any major mistake, in my 22 years right now, because the overwhelming love and support of my family and countrymen have simply made them fade away. There's nothing to correct even if I were given the chance to go back in time because these mistakes, whatever they are, have taught me important lessons in life that have made me a better and stronger person that I am right now, who is ready to take on the world and the universe not just for myself but for my country and people as well. To everyone who supported me, thank you for bringing me here."

Something to this effect. But there's bias in here already since I had more time to think about the answer. I couldn't imagine how Venus felt at that time. She could have been caught off guard by Mr. Baldwin's question.

In the meantime, I look forward to another Venus Raj on the rise. I just hope it wouldn't take us another decade to produce another Miss Universe winner.

What has been P-Noy's accomplishments in the first two months of his presidency?
That seems to be a big question to ask. I rather leave the answer to people who professionally take politics as their cup of tea. But I guess I have freedom as an ordinary citizen, having cast his vote in the recent national elections, to comment on at least some aspects of his leadership.

At Infosys, we were required to undergo rigid language training with Berlitz, to ensure we can really converse well in English and hence be effective on the job. In one of the assessments, I was asked by the Berlitz consultant something like: If you were to vote somebody for President (it was the height of the May 10 elections), what do you think are the qualities that person should have to merit your vote and why? Being measured for spontaneity, diction, grammar and linguistic range, I answered as honestly and wittingly as I could that the person should possess an unbendable character and exceptional leadership skills, such that he or she could make the most prudent decisions on urgent and challenging issues of national significance on his or her own, amidst pressure and hostile conditions, while sharing the governance with the people. That is the only way I see the candidate could truly lead the country forward. Of course, my actual answer was five sentences longer but these were pretty much the gist of what I said.

Looking back, I couldn't help but smile at such response. Truly, it was a conditional answer to a conditional question. And as I know conditionals, you could
pull out any answer out of thin air, they could be as ideal as you wish, and yet are still valid. As expected, the real condition we have now is far from ideal. Noynoy Aquino is now president of the republic. Asking myself the same question again, does P-Noy have unbendable character (which I basically just meant integrity)? Yes, considering his low profile and transparent lifestyle. No wonder he got 85% public trust rating which is by far, as per Pulse Asia, the highest in local history given to any president. I even admired him for showing his first pay check worth something like P65K, a far cry from the salaries of the executives in the multinational company I work in. But does he have exceptional leadership qualities? That's a different story. As Boy Abunda puts it, it's debatable.

Lately, I just couldn't ignore his perceived "weakness" coming alive - his inability to mete out judgment on significant national issues on his own. Critics have been recently calling P-Noy's sisters as the "four witches". It's a known fact that the president consults his sisters prior to making any judgements or appointments. It is said that the sisters were “too fussy” in selecting the applicants, such that only those “whom they knew personally” would get appointed. Is that the reason why many of those belonging to what is called "Hyatt 10" have made a political come back under the Aquino administration? Because these folks are "personal acquaintances"? Conversely, is that also the reason director Nilo got axed from PAG-ASA? Because the sisters didn't know the man "personally"?

To be fair, I'm sure the sisters weren't the only people the President primarily consults on political affairs. May be for Nilo's case, he consulted other men or experts on the issue serving him, perhaps the DOE secretary or some congressmen. Whether it's Nilo's case or any other case, these groups obviously have interests to protect and so the President should have wisdom on his own to make the necessary and ultimate decision on the matter. I however was particularly dismayed about his eventual decision to terminate Nilo. According to DOE's press release, Nilo was axed because he lacked 2 days of CESO. But according to Nilo, he was terminated because somebody painted a bad picture of him to the president, whispering that he be removed from his post for political reasons - he's a political "threat" or something.

The latter can be considered a mere speculation. Besides, any executive is said to serve at the president's pleasure. In other words, if the President no longer wants Nilo in his administration, he could by all means lay him off anytime. But P-Noy should have moved away from making arbitrary decisions and followed an acceptable process to verify at the very least the veracity of such accusation against Nilo. Yes, I agree to the Palace's thrust to fill in the bureaucracy with only qualified individuals - meaning CESO passers. But, doesn't the President know the "exemption to the rule" concept? As released in the news, we only have three remaining experts in PAG-ASA. Now that one has been terminated from office, who else could we count on to provide weather forecast to the public considering that we are located along the typhoon belt? He could have given Nilo chance to complete his CESO or provided him a "grace period" or put him on a "probationary" period. Okay, it is not the first time that PAG-ASA provided an inaccurate weather forecast in the past decade but is axing its head a solution? Besides, that poor performance couldn't be blamed solely to one man - in fact, it's the government's lapse. We couldn't procure the most cutting edge weather forecasting technology due to perennial budget constraints and so these scientists have no choice but to make do on whatever equipment and personal technical expertise they have. What's annoying is that the President seems to have listened to the "whispers" of the powers that be, capitalizing on his outrage over the latest blunder committed by PAG-ASA under Nilo's leadership.

Yes, being President is a daunting task. You couldn't help but listen to differing views, contradicting advices and clashing interests. But I guess I see my brother's point now when he expressed his fear that Noynoy Aquino lacks the ability to critically decide matters on his own, to do the "balancing act" so to speak amidst differing political pressures, so he could stay true to his mandate to uphold the interest of the majority and his commitment to defend the poor.

Last Thursday, the Palace announced with finality that August 23rd will not be a holiday. Many working citizens were hoping it would be declared a holiday so they could have at least a day off from work, since it is the President's father's death anniversary that the nation will supposedly commemorate anyway. But they were disappointed. Is this because the President listened to the dictates of Makati Business Club? Because declaring special holidays would harm businesses? After all, his Department of Tourism secretary is once the President of such powerful organization of the elite.

Again, whether P-Noy has really that ability to "stand on his own feet", to make sound, fair, and inspiring decisions in his six years in office is a test of time. In the meantime, I don't want to raise my expectations.

Transcript of My 26th Birthday

Date: July 18, 2010

Venue: Home (bahay lang - maulan eh).

Program: Nothing much. Videoke lang as usual. Songs were mostly OPM and ballads. May 90s songs din. Kung sabagay si ate at nanay lang naman ang kumakanta. At around 5 PM, mom's amigas came over. Finally, the genre of songs changed - mas lumuma. Either OPMs in the 70s or Visayan songs.

Invited guests: Cousin (1 person); Neighbors (15); mom's amigas (7)

Food: Main course - rellenong bangus, lumpia, adobo, igado, spaghetti, pansit, lechon (worth P6,000.00). Dessert: Goldilocks cake ube and cheese flavor, fruit salad
Note: Take outs for everyone were encouraged para maubos ang pagkain.

Additional notes: No photos taken. Nakalimutan. It rained prior to the "party". They said it's sign for good luck. May blessing ni Lord.

Lessons in Life

I was made to remember another lesson in life after a casual spur of the moment conversation with my siblings a few days back. Whenever you feel down and unhappy for whatever reason, remember to look upward and see the wondrous things you can still accomplish and the multitude of great things the universe has yet to offer. At the same time, look below you and see how many people are actually trying hard just to get to your place. In short, while it's human nature to feel discontent occasionally, it's healthy to always be grateful, to continue working on your dreams and to look at the glass half full. I need this kind of reminder from time to time. Ang saya ng buhay!

For Your Entertainment - Twilight Saga: Eclipse

I watched The Eclipse last night after getting mixed reviews from co-workers and friends. I am not a fan, but for my own peace of mind, I wanted to find out, or shall I say, see for myself what's the fuss surrounding this third installment is really all about. Okay, I may be gunned down for posting comments about the movie when I haven't even read the book. Some may say I'm expressing half-baked opinions here. Still, I just want to share my "outsider's" point of view. Wala naman sigurong masama if I forget about the book, and just take this movie as it is.

Honestly, Eclipse wasn't that bad at all. It was not as boring, contrary to my expectations, as the second installment. In fact, I found it surprisingly action-packed. There was less talk, and more fight scenes. Come on! Sino ba naman ang di mapapatalon sa upuan when you have two formidable vampire groups fighting against each other, but with a twist. Werewolves were on the side of the Cullens. Winner, di ba? Plus, the humour injected in some of the dialogue were also helpful in sustaining my interest. Like when Jacob told Edward "You cannot deny that I am hotter than you are" (or something like that). That really brought out good chuckles in me. And of course, the fact that you have visually "palatable" characters in front of you comfortably puts you on your seat. I think my co-spectators inside the cinema screamed it well: "Yummy!"

Enough of Eclipse. Can't wait for Breaking Dawn. Indeed, this flick has just proven once more my fascination with vampire movies. Like witches and wizards, they connote fear, magic and mystery. At this point, I cannot help but simply be entertained.

The World Cup All Over the World, Except the Philippines

While the rest of the world gets delirious over the feverish World Cup, it's a different scenario altogether in the Philippines. While the FIFA World Cup is considered by many as the most popular sporting event in the planet, majority of Filipinos in contrast seem impervious to its charm. For example, a couple of days ago, England and the US provided audiences a glimpse of how feverish every match gets even in the qualifying rounds as they battled it out for supremacy (last time I checked, the two teams are tied in first place). Expats in the country flocked every bar to watch the event. Turn to cable channels and almost all international media provided unprecedented coverage as well. But check the Philippines. No turmoil. No craze. The mania is not even felt. It's business as usual in this country.

I feel sad that when less economically stable countries like Ghana and Cameroon have teams on the field that fans can cheer of, Filipinos simply gaze unwittingly and naively from afar. What happened? Is this a bad premonition of the Philippines being left out of the rest of the world?

They say this is a basket ball country. Ok, fine. But can we not be a foot ball country in the very near future as well? They say our size and built make us more suitable to compete for the latter game. But why don't we have any team in the World Cup?

I believe sports is an arena where a country's status - economically, politically, or otherwise - can be reflected. When a country dominates any major sporting event, it can be a reflection of its people's sturdy character, perseverance and socio-economic-political power. No wonder China invests so much in sports and in its athletes. Sports is a field where one's nationalism, and yes, power can be proudly displayed. So when we cannot shoot our way to the top, perhaps, we can start kicking our way to that elusive gold of international dominion, particularly in a highly competitive sports like football in which something this country has badly fared in the last three to five decades.