An Exemplary Act of Honesty

 JAIME MAYOR, an honest kalesa driver ("Kutsero")

Rizal Park or popularly known as Luneta, is one of the historical places in the Philippines  visited by tourists around the world. The park was a tribute to the Philippine National Hero,  Jose Rizal, a doctor and novelist.  Charged with rebellion against the Spanish government, Dr. Rizal was executed in this site by a firing squad on December 30, 1896.  At the center of this park is the Rizal Monument which contains the hero's mortal remains and guarded by sentinels in full ceremonial uniform known as “Knights of Rizal.”

 

The Rizal Monument

Situated in Manila, the park now has become a favorite gathering and picnic venue for the Filipinos and a famous tourist spot.  The sixty (60) hectares park houses an open-air concert hall, an artists’ sanctuary, an observatory, a grand stadium, beautiful gardens, plaza, historical markers, colorful and musical fountains, playgrounds, restaurants, food kiosks and the light-and-sound sculptural tableau which is an open-air theater featuring the heartbreaking martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal through eight life-size sculptural clusters coming to life through the  interaction of sounds and lights.

 

Dr. Jose Rizal, Philippine National Hero

 I talked about our National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal but there is another hero that emerged recently and had been featured on national television.  I am referring to the humble, 48 year-old  Jaime Mayor who drives a “kalesa” (horse drawn carriage) at Rizal Park. Being a “Kutsero” (kalesa driver) runs in his family.   As a kutsero he earns a commission-based salary ranging from Php 200-500 daily.  One day, he encountered a group of  French women.  They boarded his carriage and ask him to take them around the park.  The women were in a hurry to get off the carriage and one of them dropped her wallet.  Jaime noticed the wallet with a big amount of money and run after the  French tourists to return it.  The women were very happy and one of them gave him a big hug for his good deed.  The wallet was containing 4,000 Euros equivalent to around Php 200,000.

Jaime Mayor driving his kalesa

 The Kalesa is one of the mode of transportation introduced in the Philippines during the Spanish colonization.  It is rarely use today.  You can still see this carriage in the rural areas and some tourist spots like Rizal Park and Intramuros.

 Jaime Mayor receiving his "Dangal ng Rizal Park" award from the officials of the National Parks Development Committee

For his honesty, the National Parks Development Committee bestowed to him the “Dangal ng Rizal Park” Award yesterday, September 14, 2012 in front of the Rizal Park Monument.  Hooray and congratulations to Jaime Mayor. You are a good example to everyone. We are proud of you.  Mabuhay po kayo !!!

Enchanted Culture Fest

  

I won two tickets to the Enchanted Kingdom (EK) from a raffle draw and a few weeks ago, I went to this place with my sister. Enchanted Kingdom is a theme park in the Philippines similar to Disneyland but smaller version.  I decided to buy one more ticket for our housekeeper for her to have fun and relaxation during her day-off.  The weather was great at that time after a week of pouring rains which caused flooding in Manila and other areas.  We were lucky that the weather cooperated that day.

We arrived at the Enchanted Kingdom at around 12:00 Noon,  the sun was up and still hot so we skipped taking the rides first.  We decided to stay at the food court in front of the stage and enjoy the cosplay competition while munching our pizza.  The theme park was hosting one of the most exciting pop culture events with cosplay, singing and KPop contests  and other acitivities at that time dubbed as “Enchanted Culture Fest.”   Participants were mostly teenagers and young adults in full costumes.  One of the judges of the cosplay competition was the talented Filipino cosplayer, Robert Torio  popularly known as “Don Robert” who has won several awards.  He is known for portraying Iron Man over the years.  He was wearing his Spiderman costume during the event.  As the participants were called out one by one, I was amazed by the character portrayal, craftsmanship and creativity. This is definitely Filipino ingenuity.

 

"Don Robert Torio", A Talented Filipino Cosplayer (One of the Judges)

 

Some of the participant in the Cosplay.  Cosplay is the short of "Costume Play, " a performance art where participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a character.

SOME ENTRIES IN THE INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY

 

My Little Narnian Puppies

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA

Born on May 25, 2012 and   inspired by the "Chronicles of Narnia" series of movies,  I named these adorable puppies after the  main characters : Aslan and the Pevensie siblings ~ Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy.  I loved "Chronicles of Narnia" movies.  It is a fantasy full of action and adventures.

ASLAN, THE GREAT LION

Aslan is the creator and the one true king of World of Narnia.  He is wise, compassionate divine being  and very powerful.  The guardian and savior of Narnia.  Aslan is a Turkish word meaning "Lion."

"He'll be coming and going. One day you'll see him and another you won't. He doesn't like being tied down - and of course he has other countries to attend to. It's quite all right. He'll often drop in. Only you mustn't press him. He's wild, you know. Not like a tame lion." ~Mr. Beaver

PETER

Peter is the High King of Narnia.  He is the eldest of the Pevensie children.  A responsible and  caring big brother.

 "To the great Northern sky, I give you King Peter, the magnificent." ~ Aslan

SUSAN

Susan is known as "Queen Susan the Gentle" or "Queen Susan of the Horn."  She is the second born of the Pevensie children.  She is an intelligent woman with great beauty and known for her archery skills.

"To the radiant Southern sun, I give you Queen Susan, the gentle." ~ Aslan

EDMUND

Known as "King Edmund the Just".  He is the third of the Pevensie children.  He is rude and mischievous but had a change of heart later in the story.

"To the Great Western Wood, I give you King Edmund the Just." ~ Aslan

LUCY

Crowned as "Queen Lucy the Valiant," Lucy is the youngest of the Pevensie children. She is the most faithful among the four children and firmly believed about Narnia.  She is friendly and loves animals.

 "To the glistening Eastern sea, I give you Queen Lucy, the valiant" ~ Aslan

The Alchemist

The Alchemist

By Paulo Coelho

“When you want something,  all the  universe conspires in helping you achieve it.”

The Alchemist is a very inspiring fable full of adventures and mysteries. It is a fable about following ones dream and in doing so, one will encounter a lot of obstacles and challenges. However, these challenges will nurture ones character and are significant to ones maturity to face the world. Life is a journey and a continuous learning experience.

The Characters :

Santiago

The main character is Santiago, a young and adventurous shepherd boy who dreamt of treasure buried in Egypt. He believed in his dream and followed his heart in search of the treasure. In pursuit of this dream, he met some people that made significant changes in his life.

Melchizedek, The Old King

Melchizedek, the King of Salem who appeared as an old man residing in the old Spanish town encouraged Santiago to pursue his dream of finding the treasure near the pyramids in Egypt. He gave him two magical stones that will guide him in his journey, the Urim and Thummim which signifies “Yes” or “No”. He also shared to Santiago his beliefs on Personal Legend, the Soul of the World and Beginner’s Luck. He told the shepherd boy “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Crystal Merchant

The Crystal Merchant is a kind and fair man who took Santiago in after being robbed in Africa. Santiago worked in the crystal shop at the top of the hill in Tangier and although the crystal merchant was afraid of change, he took Santiago’s suggestion about the shop and the business flourished. Unlike the old king, the crystal merchant is not open to pursuing his Personal Legend. He is contented with his conservative life.

The Englishman

The Englishman is a an aspiring alchemist and a well-educated person. Santiago met him on the caravan across the desert. Both men were in pursuit of their own Personal Legend and became good friends. The Englishman relied on his books for knowledge and he thought Santiago the value of learning from the books and the concept of Alchemy. However, personal development and wisdom cannot be gained through books alone but through experiences and interaction with other people.

The Alchemist

The Alchemist is a 200 years old mysterious man with magical powers and is said to be the wizard at the Al-Fayoum oasis. He possessed the Master Work, considered the ultimate goal of alchemy which consists of the Philosopher’s Stone capable of turning any metal into gold, and the Elixir of Life which can cure all ailments. He became Santiago’s teacher on the Soul of the World. He taught him not to rely on books and verbal instruction but through life experiences.

Fatima

Fatima is a young, beautiful woman that Santiago met in the oasis and he fell in love with her. The woman loved him as well. It was a mutual feeling. Santiago wanted to stay in the oasis to be with her. However, Fatima motivated him to pursue his dream and will wait for his return.

About the Author : Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author who was born on August 24, 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. He worked as a theatre director, actor, lyricist and journalist before going to literature. In 1986, after making the pilgrimare to Santiago de Compostela, he wrote the “The Pilgrimage” followed by “The Alchemist” the following year which became the best selling Brazilian book of all time. He has become one of the most widely read authors in the world today. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious international awards, amongst them the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum and France's Legion d'Honneur.

5th Annual Summit for Administrative Professionals

The 5th Annual Summit for Executive Secretaries and Administrative Professionals

Date: May 29 - 30, 2012

Time: 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM

Venue: International Conference Center of the CSB Hotel, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Malate Manila

With one of the resource speaker during the summit, Image Consultant and Managing Director of Personi-Fi Image Studio, Inc. and 2007  Binibining Pilipinas Universe crown holder,  Ms. Abbygale Arenas-De Leon

With a theme, "Talentadong Secretaries" ~ Unleash The Hidden Talents : Reach Your Peak Professional Performance, the annual summit was a a full packed learning event with lots of fun and facilitated by nationally acclaimed speakers.  It aimed to deliver results and the skills we need to succeed both in our personal and professional lives.

  

With my colleagues at SunPower

This was my second year participating in this event.  I was impressed with last year's learning sessions so I registered once again. This time there were more participants from SunPower. I called this our "Admin Day." This is the first time that all administrative staff went out together.  Thanks to my boss, Jascha Ortmanns  for allowing us to attend such a great summit.

A  buffet lunch was served for all us.  Food was great

An entertaining dance from the Muntinlupa Dance Group

I was lucky to get two tickets to Enchanted Kingdom during the raffle draw

The summit  was a  plenary format with eight (8) exciting learning sessions and interesting breakout sessions :

Keynote Address: Traits that Define Today’s Top Executive Assistants

Resource Speaker: Ricardo "Ricky" de Vera, MBA, CSP

President, Pinpoint Direct Consultancy

Chairman Emeritus, Phil. Marketing Association Chapters Nationwide

Business/Marketing Consultant - ASEAN Center Of Excellence, DTI

Certified Sales Professional - The Australian Marketing/Sales Assoc.

Certified International Trainor - Singapore Training Institute

Session 1: Calm and In Control: Managing Your Emotions in Difficult Times

Resource Speaker: Luis Chito Gallego

Business and Training Consultant

A.LNG Management Consultancy

Session 2: Dealing with Chronically Impossible People: Neutralize the Impact of Difficult Personalities on Your Life

Resource Speaker: Alan Fairweather

The Motivation Doctor, International Speaker, Best Selling Author

Alan Fairweather International

Session 3: Staying in Sync with Your Boss: The Secrets to a Boss-Assistant Relationship that “Clicks”

Resource Speaker: Daphne Barrameda-Granfil

CEO, DBG Training Management and Public Relations Consultancy

Session 4: Stepping into a New Leadership: Prepare for Bigger Roles and Seamless Boundaries

Resource Speaker: Ma. Corazon “Nette” A. Flores

Lead Training Officer/ HRD Consultant

Employee Development Division

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company

Session 5: Valued and Trusted: Building a Strong Partnership with Your Boss

Resource Speaker: Randy Esguerra

Success Coach Personal and Business Development

Session 6: Everyday Negotiation Skills: Get Others to See It Your Way…at Work and at Home

Resource Speaker: Joselito “Jet” Nera

Managing Director, SHINE – JGNera Training Consultants

Trainer/ Consultant/ Speaker

2008 President and Lifetime Member

Philippine Society for Training and Development (PSTD)

Session 7: Embracing and Celebrating Diversity: Multiculturalism Inside the Workplace

Resource Speaker: Howell V. Mabalot

President and Founder

HVM Training (Harness, Value, Maximize)

Producer and Talk Show Host – The Business Portal in GNN

Rotarian, Toastmaster and PSTD member

Session 8: Feeling Good and Staying Motivated while Maintaining Work-Life Balance

Resource Speaker: Pinky Marquez

President Bridging Creative Quotient, Inc. / BCQ

Professional Actress, Singer, Commercial Model – Television, Stage and Movies

Professional Musical Teacher

Owner, Fragrance Company - Matiz

Breakout Session 1

Track A: Event Planning Made Easy and Fun: Meetings, Sports Fest, Planning, Launching, Family Day, Year-End Party and More!

Resource Speaker: Germaine Angelica Salvador, C.H.E

Certified Hospitality Educator

Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management

Track B: Juggling Multiple Projects with Ease: Keep it All on Track, On Time and Under Control

Resource Speaker: Flor M. Glinoga, PhD

President and CEO, Resource Dimensions Asia, Inc.

Internationally Recognized Management and HRD Consultant

Track C: Passion for Excellence in the Workplace thru Effective Business Communication

Resource Speaker: Angela Villanueva

Communication Specialist and Training Specialist

Breakout Session 2

Track D: Guerilla Problem-Solving: Bring Solutions not Problems to Your Boss

Resource Speaker: Dr. Virgel Binghay, Ph.D.

Professor, School of Labor and Relations

University of the Philippines

Track E: Service Excellence through Personal Excellence

Resource Speaker: Abbygale Arenas – De Leon

Image Consultant / Managing Director

Personi-Fi Image Studio, Inc.

Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2007

Track F: Discovering and Unleashing Your Creative Genius: We are What We Think

Resource Speaker: April Timbol Yap

Consumer Insights Director

Carat Philippines

Breakout Session 3

Track G: Fundamentals of Finance and Accounting for Administrative Professionals

Resource Speaker: Sonia de Guzman, CPA

General Manager, Gail Cargo Movers

Lecturer, University of Asia and The Pacific

Track H: Fundamentals of Strategic Planning

Resource Speaker: Lulu Moguel Learning Specialist, Executive Coach

Moguel Management Consultancy

Track I: Leading Effective Meetings

Resource Speaker: Lhoree Valerio, MBA

Corporate Trainer, Speaker, Facilitator and Educator

De La Salle, College of St. Benilde, School of HRI

Staybridge Suites Hotel Milpitas, A Home Away From Home

Staybridge Suites Hotel, Milpitas, CA

Staybridge Suites Hotel in Milpitas is located in the heart of Silicon Valley and close to major companies. One of the attraction near this hotel is the Great Mall. It is  popular hotel among Sunpower employees and  has become their favorite hotel over the years and mine too.  It is a place like home. What makes Staybridge Suites Hotel click ?  Well, here are some of the reasons :

24-Hour Front Desk

The hotel staff are friendly and courteous.  One thing more, most of them are Filipinos. It has a warm and welcoming environment.  Great service !

A Simple and Quite Lobby

The Library

The Dining Area

The hotel serves hearty complimentary hot breakfast and food is great and has many selection.  They also have evening socials on selected days, the Evening Sundowner Reception

The Gift / Grocery Shop

Complimentary Laundry Facility

The Outdoor heated Pool

The Spacious comfortable Bedroom

Equipped with televisions with satellite channels

It has a work desk and offers complimentary internet access in the room

The living room with a sofa bed

It has a full kitchen facilities

Staybridge Suites Hotel, Milpitas, CA

321 Cypress Drive • Milpitas, California 95035

Tel: 408.383.9500 • Fax:408.383.9080 • info@SBSMilpitas.com
"A Pet Friendly Hotel"