Service Learning Activity: Manila Boystown

Our first plan was originally to do a fund raising activity so that we can help replenish the supply of commonly used medicines in the orphanage, however, the proposal was rejected since we needed to have more lasting activity that would touch the lives of others. Our team decided to look for a different center that could accommodate us and we come up with an idea to teach little kids regarding good manners and taking care of the environment in Manila Boystown.

Last March 19 is the date where we implemented our plan to teach the little kids. We have around 24 kids from ages three to eight that we need to educate. Our program started by giving out name tags and introducing their selves and house rules were given as an instruction to the kids. After the introduction we have a group game as an ice breaker. We hadastrory telling session about good manners and right conduct. After lunch we had an activity wherein the kids would have to choose between a sad and happy earth after showing different activities thy would destroy and save Mother Earth. Then we even ask the kids to pick up trash around the vicinity for their final activity. 

After we finished the whole activity we bid farewell to the kids hoping that they will value the learnings from us. During the whole service activity I felt pity to the kids since you can see that they longing for care and attention as their parents abandoned them and others were victims of child abuse. The kids were a bit harsh and tends to be envious with each other's prices. I can't blame them for their behavior because that's how they cope up with the environment that they live in. 

The experienced was overwhelming but also heart breaking why their parents can abandoned their child and leave them behind. It made me question a lot of things and how come they can do that? Is there no more love and longing for their child that they can do that? Or maybe they love them too much and because of poverty they opted to leave them in the shelter. Are all those kids in the foundling homes were given their basic rights? What are other activities does the city of Manila has for those kids? I may not answer all my questions right now but I have a strong feeling that with right guidance those kids will grow up as a functional individual of the society. 

Inconvenient truth: A Tale of Global Warming

During our class we watched a documentary An Inconvienient Truth. Al Gore was educating his audience regarding the global warming and its effects to human race, he also stressed that global warming is not a political issue but a moral issue of the society. 

The movie ended by Al Gore saying, @Each one of us is a cause of global warming, but each one of us can make choices to change that with the things we buy, the electricity we use, the cars we drive; we can make choices to bring our individual carbon emissions to zero. The solutions are in our hands, we just have to have the determination to make it happen." He challenges each and everyone of us to take part and make a difference for the better.

One of the biggest contributor of Global warming is the Greenhouse gases from our daily activities. Basic example will be the carbon emission from the smoke belcher vehicles in Manila especially when they are not properly maintained. The effects of Global Warming is very evident here in the Philippines, as we suffered prolonged El Niño, intense tropical cyclones like typhoon Yolanda and intense flooding all across the country. 

We should start doing our part to preserve the environment in order for the next generation to experience the beauty of Mother Nature. Simple ways should start from our own houses, like segregating and recycling waste materials. Proper waste management should be incorporated nationwide not just the local government. Each municipality should also plant trees and preserve those parks wherein they can plant more trees and other plants that would help eliminate carbon dioxide emission. The government should tie up with different offices such as LTFRB, LTO and MMDA to strictly implement NO BELCHING Policy and those who would be caught should be fined and at least do community service.

If we keep on taking forgranted our environment, there will come a time that humans and other living species will eventually disappear one by one in the ecosystem. 

Sustainable Development: Caring for the Environment

In 1987,Sustainable Development is defined as Development that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs by World Commision on Environment and Development. It promotes the idea of that economic, social and environmental progress is attainable within earth's natural resources.

As a future La Sallian leader we should think of this for our business like using led lights that consumes lesser energy and also installing solar panels to convert it to electricity. If you think of it, the idea may be costly to invest but you'll reap the fruits of it in the long run like the savings you'll get. Another example of sustainable development is using sustainable construction for the buildings or houses, the materials came from renewable and recyclable materials which would be energy efficient. 

If we take care of the environment and be an advocate we will have longer business, why? Society will support is with our endeavors and will patronize us more. Taking care of Mother Nature is also like taking care of our own business, since all the raw materials and resources are from nature itself. 

There are principles for sustainable development:

1. Living within environmental limits

2. Achieving a sustainable economy

3. Promoting good governance

4. Using sound science responsibly

5. Ensuring a strong, healthy and just society 

Human Rights [Silent Initiave: Pedro's Commitment to the Hearing Impaired]

Last Febraury 25 we commemorate the Edsa revolution that happened 30 years ago. There are a lot of stories regarding human rights violation during that time, freedom of speech were curtailed and different types of harassment and physical abuses happened. Why there were no equality back then, maybe because of greed and power to be contained by one individual. 

How can we achieve equality and human rights? RESPECT ONE ANOTHER is the answer, pretty simple but very hard to attain. Aside from respect we should be open minded with the differences of one another, understanding their point of view and where they are coming from. Each of us has the responsibility to promote social justice and peace in order for us to live in harmony and to preserve human dignity. 

Today's class we are the reporting group and discussed Silent Initiave: Pedro's Commitment to the Hearing Impaired. 

Lamoiyan is the company that manufactures HapeeToothpaste in the Philippines. With prices 30% lower than the leading brands, Hapee is the 3rd toothpaste brand in the country. Moreover, this is a company where corporate social responsibility is embedded in its vision and mission statements. Tangibly, they are employing hearing-impaired individuals to work in the assembly line and foster a culture of tolerance among its employees (i.e. basic training on sign language to non-hearing impaired employees etc). While there are both upside and downside to investing in the skill set of hearing-impaired employees, a threat presented in the case is the lowered costs of competitors by outsourcing marketing, accounting and operations to third-party agencies.

 

As a group we decided for Pedro to continue his initiative and leverage the skill set of his employees specially the PWD workers. Pedro gave them the chance that they deserve and proved that they are indeed capable of given the proper training. Only few PWDs were educated since it is costly to enroll them schools that cater special children. 

It is truly heart warming to know that someone like Pedro cares for the PWDs and takes responsibility in providing livelihood for them. Making the PWDs proud of themselves and functional member of the society.

Corporate Social Responsibility [Gap's Labor Problems & PNOC EDC]

I googled what CSR means and found As You Sow Org, according to them Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) refers to operating a business in a manner that accounts for the social and environmental impact created by the business. CSR means a commitment to developing policies that integrate responsible practices into daily business operations, and to reporting on progress made toward implementing these practices.

Companies now adays are looking into CSR for their corporation's sustainability. CSR programs also serves as a marketing strategy of the organization promoting their advocacy and civic awareness, some companies also go through the acreditation for ISO 26000 (ISO 26000 is the international standard developed to help organizations effectively assess and address those social responsibilities that are relevant and significant to their mission and vision; operations and processes; customers, employees, communities, and other stakeholders; and environmental impact.)

This week we tackle two cases (Gap's Labor Problems & PNOC EDC)to catch up with last week's session. 

GAP's Labor Problems

The factory in El Savador that made GAP clothes was run by Mandarin International. Mandarin paid its workers about only 12 cents for assembling a clothes that retailed for $20 in the United States. In 1995 GAP's problems at the Mandarin plant began when an employee publicize the sweatshop conditions in Mandarin plant described workers are long hours of work for 56 cents an hour, violence against union supporters, fired the factory when tried to form a union, sexual harrasment from supervisors, lack of clean drinking water, not being allowed to use rest rooms, and being forced to sweep the factory grounds under a torrid sun as a punishment. The consumers would be asked to boycott GAP until the company reinstated the fired union workers and agreed to have an independent third party monitor the plant’s compliance with GAP's own code of conduct. GAP resisted that demands, because the company explained that the workers involved were not GAP's  but were employee of Mandarin Int. as an independent company, so their work conditions were not GAP responsibility, but the responsibility of the Mandarin as the owner.

In my opinion, GAP is still responsible for the workers in El Salvador as they are still representing GAP. GAP should have checked if the employees hired by their contractor are treated fairly. Like in a BPO industry, even they are from a different company, the client has vendor managers that serves as liaison offer between the third party employer and their brand. GAP should have hired a Vendor Manager to handle relationships with manufacturers  and his company’s operational department to ensure quality of supplies, delivery timelines and even working conditions of their employees.

PNOC EDC

A tragic incident happened at dawn of March 26, 2004, a band of about 60 armed extremists seized the company’s P100-million Rig 8 in Barrio Tongonan in Kananga, Leyte demanding ransom payment. PNOC EDC ignored the extremists’ demand, the extremists killed some regular workers who were coming to work. Aquino, who had just president of the company a month before, noticed that there were full of onlookers and just curious at what was going on and no sympathy for the bereaved families. To find out why the townsfolk seemed unconcerned about the tragic incident, Aquino had an informal survey done. The survey showed that residents of the host communities did not relate to PNOC EDC or to its employees. To them the company only exploited the area without giving back anything to the local residents. Local people considered PNOC EDC employees aloof and supercilious.

PNOC EDC should take care of the community where their power plant is located. They should think of sustainability on how they would make the community more involved in working in harmony. It's the company's goal to ensure safety and take care of the resources that the community. It should be a symbiotic relationship for the corporation and the community. 

Enron: The Smartest Guy in the Room

Enron was an American energy, commodities, and service company based in Houston, Texas which was formed in 1985. Enron employed approximately 20,000 staff and was one of the world's major electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper companies, with claimed revenues of nearly $111 billion during 2000. Enron was named "America's Most Innovative Company" for six consecutive years by Fortune.

In December 2001, Enron files for Chapter 11 protection, becoming the largest bankruptcy in the U.S. history at that time leaving thousand of workers with worthless stocks and pensions.

Enron company is a perfect example of fraud, greed and misrepresentation. Enron Executives only thought of themselves when they embezzle the funds that was intended for company use and for its employees. I would agree with the movie title the smartest man in the room since they've thought of market to market accounting scheme. The said scheme was used to trading securities, when you determine the actual value of the securities at that moment. They cheated their accounting books that they are not reporting any losses but would transfer them to off-the-books corporation.

The collapse of giant corporation is devastating as it affected million of lives, specially those workers who left clueless what had happen to their retirement benefits. As an MBA student it is very important for us to understand why this happened and we can avoid it in the future. Like the old saying goes, greed is the root of all evil, and that's clearly pictured in Enron's case.

Consumer Production and Marketing [Ford Firestone Case]

Let us define first marketing basing on Business  Dictionary:

Marketing is the management process through which goods and services move from concept to the customer. It includes the coordination of four elements called the 4 P's of marketing:

(1) identification, selection and development of a product,

(2) determination of its price,

(3) selection of a distribution channel to reach the customer's place, and

(4) development and implementation of a promotional strategy.

I remember Steve Jobs once said, "You've got to start with the Customer Experience and work back towards the technology" with that being said marketing should be thinking basing on the needs of the customer and their satisfaction. However, companies are trying to deceive the customer with false advertisement like for example using models who were already pale looking for their whitening soaps. 

Consumer nowadays are more intellectual that they can't be easily fool by those false advertisement. They are more observant and thinking the value of the product itself. How I wish that the government will strictly implement the Consumer Act Law that we have to protect the interest of the consumer, in this way the producers will create quality products.

Ford Firestone a deadly combination.

In today's class we discuss the Ford Firestone Case:

In 1990, Ford ran its test for Firestone tires on a mule, a vehicle that mimics the suspension and load bearing capabilities of the explorer. A Ford Explorer under examination is usually run for 200 miles at a minimum of 90 miles per hour at ambient temperature of 90 degree Fahrenheit and both rear and front tires at 26psi. All Explorer that passed this inspection were sold in the market.

In 1998, the first complaints started coming in from overseas while in 1999, the number of claims in the U.S. started to go up. In 2000, a recall was conducted by Bridgestone – Firestone of around 6.5 million tires. As of September 2000, the total number of complaints has reached 2200 involving 103 deaths and more than 400 injuries.

Below are the ACA that our group was able to come up with:

ACA 1: Work together in compensating the victims of Ford and Firestone accidents. Each company should also investigate and address the issues, Ford regarding Ford Explorer while Firestone regarding the safety of their tires.

ACA 2: Ford should solely compensate the victims.Then file a lawsuit against Firestone for the damagesincurred to the company and its consumers.

ACA 3: Ford should make modification on the design and manufacture their own tires that would fit perfectlyFord Explorer. Tie up with the government to make standards regarding tire safety for the consumers. 

 

As a group we are considering the first course of action, which is for Ford and Firestone to work together in compensating the victims and to investigate and address the issues concerning the Explorer and AT / ATX tires. Further testing of these units should be performed and due to the number of incidents, they should consider redesigning the tires, the automobile, or both.

We also thought of long term advocacy that would serves as a marketing and CSR for the company. Ford and Firestone should immediately start a marketing campaign that will still drive sales for its other models / cars and restore the damage that the incident caused

✔️ Engage in corporate social responsibility-related activities that is targeted to safe driving e.g. facilitating seminars and trainings

✔️ Be involved in the lives of those families that were affected by different incidents relating to their car accidents, to help them recover from the said tragedy and ensure that they will live a normal life again 

✔️ Publicly spearhead community service together with the government to provide alternative source of income to those victims of vehicular accidents that were physically injured resulting to change of lifestyle