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.

Pride of the Philippines: Charice, Finally on Glee!

After denying earlier that she has been cast as Glee's newest member, suddenly (or shall I say, finally), the rumor has come true. Charice has confirmed that she is now officially a Gleek! According to the news, she will guest in the award-winning television series' next season as a foreign exchange student who will rival the singing prowess of the show's lead character, Rachel (portrayed by Lea Michele).

Personally, I'm not surprised. Apart from Charice's amazing vocal talent (which is a given), she got some extra backing from one the most influential personalities in the entertainment world, Ophrah Winfrey herself. That makes almost everything possible. Yes, there are a lot of extraordinary talents in Hollywood which makes it hard for any new comer to stand out, specially if you belong to a minority group like Charice, but with the right connections, doors will be opened and someone's star will shine the brightest. Charice had the needed talent and the right connections, and so it won't be long before she reaches the pinnacle of international stardom; perhaps a Grammy in a year or two. Who knows?

I'm not a fan, okay, but I'm simply happy that at least, there's a Filipino out there who can proudly wave the Philippine flag onto the world stage, and would lift up the status of this talent-rich country as a nation worthy of other nation's envy.

I support Charice. I salute the Filipino talent.

Dreaming about Paradise

When I applied for an accounts managerial post in one of the Philippines' leading Ortigas-based retail companies, I was asked by the managing director what was my plan in the next five to ten years. I answered without even pausing that I intend to buy a property in the province and develop it into a personal paradise - a ranch. With eyes sparkling (I know my eyes did sparkle even though there was no mirror around), I told the interviewer that it should be at least 10,000 hectares of land located by the mountain, near the sea. Since I am a nature-lover, I will convert the property into a mango plantation-cum-beach resort. An eco-tourism site, my paradise will not just be a perfect place for relaxation but for retirement as well! Looking back, I guess it was easy to describe that dream space because of one amazing travel I had with friends in Zambales. The places we visited, specially Talisayin and Nagsasa Cove, were somewhat closer to my ideal ranch. I just hope I would be able to realize such a big dream in schedule (10 years max). Hehe.

Noynoy Aquino and the Sponsors of Change

Less than two weeks before president-elect Noynoy Aquino takes oath as the Philippines 15th President, I cannot help but to look forward to a new type of governance and platform that he promised to deliver. Of course, it is expected that the first family, primarily Noy's sisters and nephews and nieces, would play an active and direct role in actualizing those platform and yes, promises. In fact, in an exclusive interview with TV Patrol World, immediately following the president-elect's proclamation in Congress, Noynoy's sisters Ballsy-Aquino Cruz and Kris Aquino already provided the public a hint of their priority causes. Kris will tackle education which she already started by giving books in some public elementary schools in their native Tarlac; Ballsy, the rights of indigenous peoples, and Pinky, another sister, will deal with water problem in the country. Meanwhile, in an interview with news executive Jessica Soho in GMA 7, the president-elect's nephews and nieces are also planning to sponsor a set of social issues, perhaps youth-related, on their own. Why not? They have instant, unlimited access to the next President. What a privilege indeed!

And now, in the solitude of my envious heart and in the company of fantasy and make believe, I wonder: What if I were one of Noy's brothers, or nephews? What if I were his son? What if I were Mar Roxas who the president-elect who was promised with the same unlimited access to the president as the president's immediate family? What cause would I champion? What would I do with the privileged access I have with the Most Powerful Man in the Philippines? Whose voice would I represent?

I'm thrilled by those what ifs. The power and prestige it connotes are simply overwhelming. But then again, those are just far-fetched illusions and I have to live to the reality that I, along with 90 plus million Filipinos unknown to Noynoy, would need to depend on my individual strength and on God's grace and guidance to improve my lot and to affect positive change in the harsh but beautiful world we inhabit.

Job Interview

Exactly thirty days from now, I will be embarking on a journey back to a land so familiar and which I once trod in fact - procurement. Yes, I nailed a very important post in Accenture, currently considered the world's largest consulting firm. It has completely dawned on me just now how complex and delicate my function would be in that organization; I will be handling all low to medium-value procurement requirements for the entire Accenture Philippines and all other centers across the Asia Pacific region! I am reeling on the realization that whatever decisions I make on the job will affect around 15,000 to 20,000 employees! Indeed, what a way to spell pressure.

But I'm happy. I'm actually excited. It is so fulfilling to be given such a wonderful privilege of being in a strategic position to directly influence an established organization and its 15,000 strong employees in a positive way. No wonder the interview process was that stringent, four to five situational interviews in a span of a week or more. It's understandable, the role is so sensitive the organization needs to carefully choose the person who it thinks perfectly suits the job. And again, I'm flattered to be that person.

Talking about the interview process, I think one of the toughest questions I answered was about the course I took in college vis-a-vis my professional experience. I was asked several times how on earth I became a procurement professional when I was a broadcast communication graduate. I could understand where my interviewer was coming from. They would like to know my motivation. They needed to evaluate whether my interests were really aligned with the demands of the job. Perhaps they would like to answer the question: Can I stay in the job? Of course, I was prepared for this question. I kept on emphasizing that having a diverse background is an advantage because I get to exercise and utilize both my left and right brain, my creative and analytical skills, which is what the job requires in the first place. In short, I can be a well-rounded person.

However, there's a comment from one of my interviewers that lingers till now in my head. Admittedly, I landed on a procurement job due to circumstances. Somebody from BayanTrade called me up and provided me an opportunity to explore the complex world of procurement and supply chain management. It was not a career choice, if it were then I could have enrolled in the University of Makati and specialized in Supply Chain Management (UMAK is the only institution I know in the Philippines that offers courses in SCM). But fate intervened and the rest as they say is history. Still, the interviewer's unsolicited advice was full of wisdom. She told me to pursue what really interests me, like broadcasting, or film, or advertising and marketing, and not to let circumstances dictate my career path. Really, it's something to ponder on! After all, I was first in love with the Arts.

But for now, I'm very much pleased to renew my relationship with my other lover - Supply Chain. Wish me luck!

Paging Sun Cellular

I switched to Sun Cellular last year after having been pressured by friends and co-workers who were already enjoying unlimited calls and texts for their contacts within the network. Teased, I seemed to hear them say : "Are you one of us?" - which is funny coz this is actually a competitor's slogan. So when I had lost my old phone (with Globe SIM) at a Christmas party in December, I bought a new LG phone and an inexpensive Sun Cellular SIM card. Finally now, I am "one of them."

Using the phone and Sun's services has been an okay experience over-all. Except for the fact that I still don't know what's the difference between what they call "regular load" and "call and text unlimited" (why, can't I not call and text using regular load?), I am getting my money's worth every time I load up since I am able to use P30 worth of load for example for an average of 5 days (or should I thank Manong Johnny for this?). Everything should be going perfectly for me as a "convert" to Sun Cellular, until I have noticed just lately that whenever it's cloudy outside, I am getting "limited service" on my phone. It's not rocket science for someone like me to know that this is caused by weak mobile service signal. What's irritating is that I am in the middle of the metropolis (hello, this is The Fort!).

I have been suffering from weak Sun Cellular signal for three days now and heaven knows how many important messages I might be missing. This is frustrating because while my LG phone shows full signal and is fully charged, my mobile SIM performs otherwise.

We have just recently discussed customer service in training, where we discussed the definition of an unsatisfied/irate customer. I just hope I wouldn't be an irate customer myself when I call Sun Cellular later to find out why I am getting "limited service" on my phone. I just hope the company invests on improving its signal soon, considering it has already lured a significant number of customers away from telecom giants Globe and Smart with its promos and all from which to get the budget.