PLDT Stockholder's Meeting

I went to PLDT's annual stockholder's meeting with may dad at the Dusit Hotel in Makati. He figured that it would be a good opportunity for me to learn the activities of the corporate world. We don't have any investments in PLDT but it turns out that all land line subscribers are technically entitled to 1 share. It's not at all significant but it's enough for us to get invited to the meeting. I saw some big personalities in the business world like Mr. Tony Tan Caktiong of Jollibee, Mr. Alfred Ty of Metrobank and of course, Mr. Manny Pangilinan. Believe it or not, Fr. Nebres was even there as an independent director and, as expected, he presided over the opening prayers. I don't know exactly what an independent director does that is different from the regular members of the board. I also have no idea whether Fr Nebres really owns stocks or if the Ateneo owns it and he is just the university's representative.

What I learned from the event... during the portion of the meeting where the shareholders ask questions about the company activities, there were (and I guess always will be) people who either asked irrelevant questions or did not ask any questions at all and just ranted random sentences. There was this old lady who began preaching verses from the Bible (weird!) and this greasy fellow, who looked like a drug pusher, who voiced out his useless concerns loudly and emotionally. He kept on hogging the microphone even after the technicians cut off the mic's power to force him to shut up. He finally stopped only when Mr Pangilinan threatened to throw him out (But I think he should have done that earlier). These people acted as if they had a majority of the shares when they probably don't even own one. My dad said that these nuisances are a fact of shareholder meetings. They're just there to waste everyone's time and annoy the board of directors. Now I'm really impressed with CEO's like MVP because not only do they put up with the rigors of corporate activities but they also put up with these disruptive lunatics every year.

Tony Blair in Manila

My dad and I went to Tony Blair's speech on the Leader as Principled Negotiator. Too bad my camera has a poor zoom function that's why Tony Blair cannot be seen clearly. One of the main sponsors was DLSU and they gave him an appreciation award and a school jacket. They probably heard the news that ADMU also gave an Ateneo jacket to Mr. Blair during his earlier speech at the Irwin Theater (ha ha). His talk in Ateneo was supposed to be an "invitation only" event but there were more of students than faculty, staff and alumni guests combined... so who were the lucky bastards who got invited? The ticket in Sofitel costs P1000 each but despite the crowd and traffic, it was all worth it. But of course it still feels different (and probably better) watching the event from your own alma mater (and it was probably free!)

Moving on to more important matters... Tony Blair's talk is about negotiation as the primary tool for leadership. Surprisingly, this kind of leadership is not limited to politics but also in business, social activities and the like. He said that problems are not solved through conflict or force but through dialogue and conversations (yes this comes from a man that declared war on Iraq). One must always be willing to engage in open conversation and negotiations with another party. Once dialogue is closed, how can a compromise be reached? With such topics being pointed out, I couldn't help but remember the Rorty's philosophy echoing in my memory. He said the same thing about continuous dialogue, a willingness to negotiate and reaching compromises. Tony Blair's description of leadership can be summarized in one word - courage. It is to have the courage to listen to the views of the opposition, the courage to question or even abandon your own stand and, yes, even the courage to continuously find resolutions despite the possibilities of failure. With this, I like to end with a line in his speech that struck me the most:

"What is forgivable is to fail but what is unforgivable is to not try at all" - Tony Blair

Finals Aftermath

Words alone can't describe how good it feels to click the "send" button on my email to submit the last requirements for school. The finals week I had this semester probably was the most rattling one I ever had. Probably becasue the subjects were all rushed since we seniors had to finish early. I'm just glad that most of my final papers could be sent through email. It saved me the trouble of going back and forth to school. But despite the difficulties, it finally comes to an end. But there are things I still need to accomplish. My ordeal is far from over.

1. I still need to finish the clearance process

2. Attend the Pabaon

3. Have my post-semester clean up

4. Find a job

The post-semester clean up is the one I hate the most because it does not only involve cleaning up clutter like papers and books but it also includes cleaning up my hard drive, burning files into DVDs and organizing everything left behind from last semester. This is one major obstacle standing between me and my summer vacation.

Soul of a City

Last Sunday, I went to Manila with my family to buy some textiles in Divisoria. It's not everyday I get the chance to visit that city. Even if you say I live in Metro Manila, I still don't get to go to the actual city often. In fact, Quezon City is pretty far from the capital. The travel time from Diliman to Divisoria can take from an hour and a half to two hours. And that is if you travel on a Sunday when traffic is relatively light. On any other ordinary day, you would be better off walking on the hot dusty streets than riding a vehicle. The streets are so narrow and congested that the traffic is worse than a New York gridlock.





























When we left Quezon City, we traveled on a four-lane highway known as Quezon Avenue. When the streets were reduced to three lanes and then two, I knew I was in Manila already. I always wondered what makes this city different from the rest of the big metropolis all over the world. What is it that Tokyo, London and New York have that Manila doesn't? Is it a subway system? Wider avenues? Sidewalks? All of these are valid guesses but probably the most immediate answer is that Manila has too many neglected buildings.

You may notice that as the economic superpowers across the globe changed the architectural standards of buildings to glass and steel, many of the structures in Manila are still made of concrete. They looked like forgotten ruins of the war after the Americans bombed it in an attempt to reclaim the city. It was as if everyone just forgot to clean up afterwards. Those structures are continuously being consumed by the corrosive air pollution. They are not a hundred percent habitable anymore and most of them are probably even classified as "Fire Hazard Structures". Buildings with shattered windows and stained concrete experience a slow and painful death as their usefulness slowly dwindle away.

Buildings, towers and skyscrapers are one of the defining elements of a great city. Not only do they make the skyline look great but their very function of sheltering residents and organizing businesses is a significant force that pushes the community to progress. Without good structures, organizations would easily collapse like... well.. the poorly engineered building they stayed in the first place. I'm tempted to say that these three dimensional products architecture and engineering born out of a two dimensional blueprint make up the very soul of a metropolis. If the buildings on this side of the city are not cleaned up soon, Manila will eventually die along with them.

Is Poverty a Blessing in Disguise?

Before anything else I would like to say first that I obviously don't approve of poverty, hunger and the violence that goes along with it. However, it does provide certain conditions that push other people to start their own business. These conditions, no matter how harsh, sometimes still bring out the entrepreneure in an individual.

In countries like the Philippines, there is generally a poor quality of education. This translates to fewer opportunities in the competition for employment. A person cannot easily get a decent job that pay considerably well since it demands great skills and high levels of professionalism. With nowhere to turn to, the person relies on himself to alleviate his life from the hardships of reality. They are almost immediately ready to take the risks since they are faced with very few or no choices at all. This is where the spirit of entrepreneurship comes in. One is able to be his own boss and make money in the process. Ofcourse having an enterpreneural mindset is one thing. Being able to grow and succeed is another. Not everyone who starts their own business succeeds - that's a fact. I cannot deny that there is still the need for education (formal or not) to complement this enterprising spirit. They still need to learn the tricks of the trade and transform situations to their own advantage. They need to know how to direct their business well so it won't crash and burn.

That's what I see with entrepreneureship and poverty. Some people are fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to be their own boss even if they didn't intend to. The socioeconomical conditions brought by poverty can awaken the entrepreneure inside them. But to have this drive is not enough. Having both the passion and a proper direction means that half of the battle is already won.