Friday, September 13, 2013

EDUCATION SUMMIT 2013

The Chambermaid went to the EDUCATION SUMMIT 2013 conducted by the Department of Education Region XII in Partnership with the Local Government Unit of General Santos City on August 23, 2013 at the Family Country Hotel.

Councilor Rosalita Nunez, head of the Education Committee said that the current administration is serious in solving the issues and concern of the education system in the city, thus she encouraged all the participants to contribute to the success of the summit as this will greatly help the legislators and the DepEd in coming up with the best programs.

During the summit students, teachers, principals, representatives from diffferent stakeholders: NGOs & GOs were able to come up with a shopping list of obectives and recommendations to be able to achieve the EFA (Education for All) Goals for 2015Some of the common issues identified during the workshop were: Teacher's Competence, Lack of Educational facilities, Increased rate of Dropouts, among others.
Presenting the output from the workshop representing the GO's & NGO's

Mr. Diosdado Ablanido, Schools Division Superintendent said the Department would want to come up with a program that will sustain the educational reforms and they are very happy with the opportunity that this summit will be able to bring.

Present to answer his constituents' concern was Hon. Ronnel C. Rivera, Mayor of this city. Mayor Rivera assured the summit participants that the input from the summit will be studied diligently and will be incorporated in the City's Executive-Legislative Agenda along with the proposed EFA programs. Mayor Rivera spearheaded in the signing of commitment for the achievement of the EFA Goals.


As of this writing, your chamber has already turned over 186 units of 2-classroom buildings to different areas across the city. This ongoing project is in partnership with the Local Government of General Santos City and the good friends of the South. Cotabato Fil-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc.


 

ECONOMIC SUMMIT

Attended a consultative meeting/ workshop yesterday ( Sept. 12, 2013)  at the M Place in Osmena Street this City ,for the Commerce and Trade Sector. This is a prelude to the Economic Summit happening on October 3, 2013 through the initiative of the Local Government of General Santos City in Partnership with the GSC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.

The workshop is aimed to formulate the Sustainable Economic Development Strategic Plan of General Santos City for the CY 2014-2016.


This is just the first in a series of 12 workshops covering  different sectors.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

FIL-CHINESE VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE: Celebrating 30 Years of Dedication & Volunteerism





The South Cotabato Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce Volunteer Fire Brigade recently Celebrated its 3Oth Foundation Anniversary. Founded on August 31, 1983, during the Presidency of Tay Song Pei and Chairmanship of Melchor Young, the SCFCCCIVFB has grown to be one of the most dependable partners of the Local Government Unit of General Santos and the Bureau of Fire Protection in keeping  the lives and properties of the people, Generals or not, safe from Fire Incidents.

The celebration kicked off with a motorcade participated by our partners from the different Volunteer Fire Brigades of KCC, TSP Marine Industries, RD Fishing Group of Companies and the Bureau of Fire Protection .  


This was followed by a simple fellowship night in honor of the brave people behind the operations of the SCFCCCI Volunteer Fire Brigade. The Past Presidents were given recognition for the unwavering support they have extended to the Fire Brigade. El Capitan Mr. Felipe Lim was also recognized as the Fire Marshal to have served the longest for the past 30 years.



Mr. Domingo Teng, Past President , former chairman and the First Fire Marshal of the SCFCCCI -FB gave a very touching  and inspiring speech which melted the heart of the audience. 





Also present during the celebration were the Honorable Members of the Sangguniang Panglungsod :Richard Atendido, Ed Leyson IV, Art Cloma, Brix Tan, and Rosalita Nunez . The councilors together with Mr. Rogel Bitoon, Executive Assistant III , representing Mayor Ronnel Rivera, accepted six (6) units of fire fighting hose for the Bureau of Fire Protection.

also in the picture: Mr. Felipe Lim, Mr. Philip Tan ( FB Chairman)
 and Mr. Kerwin Cue (Chamber president)
Mr. Rogel Bitoon, Executive Asistant III, CMO

The Mayor, through his message, expressed his gratitude for the equipment donated to the Bureau and likewise assured the chamber of his support to its worthy endeavor.

The event was hosted by Mr. Allan Kim S. Villanueva, banker and a Volunteer Fire Fighter himself.


The Director

The Chambermaid

My life in China has recently perked up!

Invitation to summits here and seminars there started coming in and it definitely fired my veins up. Suddenly, China is not so boring anymore. The world out there was actually glad that finally, somebody will be able to represent the Chamber regularly. The pleasure is mine, of course.

And with all these developments, I decided to change this supposedly "Boredom-ranting-blog" into my very own Chamber Journal, thus, from being the "Chix & China", I renamed it "THE CHAMBERMAID."

I'm gonna go and try to dust my archive for the past activities I've represented the Chamber and will be updating this baby with the recent activities. Ah! This is going to be fun...sweeping the  possibilities and opportunities as the Executive Director of thisChamber.



Saturday, June 15, 2013

THE MONK & I


When I was told that the man is peculiar,
 I thought, that must be an overstatement.

I share China with an old man who seem nice naman. He gave me my keys to Shanghai and had lunch with me on my first day there. Before, I didn't get to notice how much peculiarity the man must have because I only report to the chamber when I don't have classes (I teach part time, and slept bigtime before my stint in China)---that 's about 4 times a week. He would explain things to me when necessary other times, he would just duck his head on his sudoku.

Summer came & with class skeds  tucked back in my drawers, I devoted myself to spend the whole weekdays in China. And there I finally noticed these "pecully" things about him:

  1. Early Bird.I came to the office 3x earlier than he did on my first summer week and admittedly, i liked that and was intending to do so consistently. Next thing I knew, the man would be reporting to shanghai as early as 7:00 am--sometimes, even at 6AM. What on earth will he be doing in the office ng ganun kaaga? Bahala ka jan! O , di ikaw na, ikaw na!

  2. Onions! Onions in China!One day, when I came back to the office from an errand, I noticed that something wasn't "smelling" right. Gosh!the room has onion rings in every single corner of it and atop the steel cabinets!....Para daw mawala ang amoy! Huh? I dunno if its his way of saying na hindi niya gusto ang amoy ng lotion ko o ang amoy ng kape ko! Grrrr....so everytime I grab some coffee, I make sure to settle myself in a corner at the lobby.
  3. Thank God for "Please be careful with my Heart", the monitor in China would spring up to life when the clock strikes 11:45. Before & after that, the old box just feeds you the sight of a boring street. Funny how this man gets so kilig over the story of Ser Chief & Maya...as in! You should hear him chuckle!
  4. He would suddenly become  busy as a bee and he just wouldn't tell you why oh why! If you wanna know why, call the queen bee and ask her why!Kung hindi, hindi mo malalaman na may namatay, nabuhay at ano pang na---- pala sa Shanghai!
  5. The man just wont speak!He's only got a couple of words for me: "eto oh!" --when he makes abot a paper or two.That's my daily dose. Any more than that and its a BINGO! If you offer him something, he would just shake his head ( almost no nodding as he declines whatever you have to offer him) or show you his palm upright as if saying: "STOP right now, thank you very much!"
  6. The 4 o'clock habit!He would slowly pack his things up, jump out of his white shirt and change into something he had on in the morning. And then he flees from Shanghai even before you are able to  say "B...." ("Bye!") Ahhh, Sir, Puyde  pud baya mananghid!
  7. He would go to the loo and lock the office up. Errr, like its only about 30 steps away??? 
    Now, now, you have been warned. The man is peculiar. Isn't he?
Oh, yes he is. He definitely is!

So live up to it!






Wednesday, June 12, 2013

WELCOME TO CHINA!

I'm in a whole new world!



Nah- Im not feeling Jasmine and there ain't no magic carpet ride.I have plunged into a new journey in my colorful career path. Thanks to my uber-ganda-ever mentor, the awesome Orman Manansala, who recommended my exotic beauty to a community where porcelain-like complexion and chinky-cutey eyes ABOUND!


I recently joined the Chamber of the Local Chinese Businessmen as their New Executive Director--the first one , I believe. Job description is still under construction  & being polished. So, as of the moment, I actually feel more like an Executive Secretary than an ED. But no sweat. I'm still trying to learn the ropes and tie em as well. And given that, this EDship is not YET making me very "engaged'.

Chix & China does NOT tell you about my experiences in CHINA the Country. Heck, as far as my birth certificate is concerned, I AM STILL A MHIN! So there is no way I can go to China where the Chinese are, less get a passport for myself.

Chix & China tells you about my life in the chamber. You know, China (or the chamber) is boring as of the moment. For a talk-or-get-fever girl like me, the place is killing me softly with nothing much to do but stare on the clock in front of me and memorize its ticking by the heart , count the number of trike that passes by from the CCTV monitor,or harass my android by installing and uninstalling games to keep me awake for the rest of the day.

I'm so lucky my boss in "TAIWAN" ( its just somewhere around the city...lets just name it taiwan to complete the "China-ish"feel!) agreed to give me a "connection" to the outside world. Otherwise, by now, I would have been able to tell you how many strands of hair I have in my underarms!---well, its not that bountiful, anyway.

My "CHINA" is connected to BEIJING, a community in the highlands where I need to report to every now & then for Accounting Churva. "TOKYO" is where I go to see the "Big Brother", and "SHANGHAI" is where my heart--este--my spot is. Now that is what you call My CHINA 101! 

When boredom strikes, you become:
  1.  a camwhore ( tama man, OOM?) 
  2.  a nutter 
  3. or blimey, it can turn you into a Blogger! Whuehehehe!  ( Di ba Kuya Avel?)....kahit feelingera lang gud....or sige, trying hard na rin.
Feeling Chinese with Kung Hei Fat Boy Avel!

So, Chix & China is where I'm gonna vent out my boredom! 
Read along and get bored too!....damay-damay lang gud. Ang lagay e...ako lang?
Till my next CHINA-ing.
MWAH!