26 February 2011
8AMish
Hot flashes of pink greeted my one fine sunny Saturday morning...that is, messages and missed calls on my pink Samsung Champ. Never thought there were MANY early birds in our MBA class (Ateneo Regis) given the group's attendance record last semester. Could this be the start of the positive influence Professor Lulu Moguel had on us? I thought. Being the appointed (more on nakuyog haha) Marketing Team Lead, I dragged myself and bosscat up and about, sending "Be there in 5 minutes" reassurances to classmates and lo and behold, got to SM Bicutan just in time...well, maybe in our clock.
8AMish
Hot flashes of pink greeted my one fine sunny Saturday morning...that is, messages and missed calls on my pink Samsung Champ. Never thought there were MANY early birds in our MBA class (Ateneo Regis) given the group's attendance record last semester. Could this be the start of the positive influence Professor Lulu Moguel had on us? I thought. Being the appointed (more on nakuyog haha) Marketing Team Lead, I dragged myself and bosscat up and about, sending "Be there in 5 minutes" reassurances to classmates and lo and behold, got to SM Bicutan just in time...well, maybe in our clock.
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| Atty. Togs, MM, Hope, Diane, Ofel, Edith, Francis, Ron, and me (at the cam) The BLUECREW (- -,. ) SM Bicutan basement parking opens 8AM; open parking 10AM Tenqys to Diane - our artista in rich blue ruffles - and Edith - our mayora-to-be in UP Maroon polo - for volunteering their cars. |
9:30AMish
The party of eleven (me plus Edith's photog friend Maida) started off on a long and winding trip to Bagong Tanyag Elementary School, our chosen beneficiary school in Taguig for the final class project in Management Dynamics Class second semester 2010-2011. Bote Mo, Upuan Ko (roughly translated as your bottle, my chair) was the culmination of a little over a month long collaboration among 19 Ateneo Graduate School of Business MBA Regis program students, Professor Lulu Moguel and our kindhearted corporate and individual donors who believes in our cause. The objective was to increase social responsibility of private companies, local government units, socio-civic and religious groups by acquiring pledges from 50% of target partners in two weeks. This was to enable the donation of 50 high quality school chairs to Bagong Tanyag Elementary School on February 26, 2011 and as a sustaining phase and in partnership with another MBA class, bottles to Eat Bulaga's Plastic ni Juan.
The party of eleven (me plus Edith's photog friend Maida) started off on a long and winding trip to Bagong Tanyag Elementary School, our chosen beneficiary school in Taguig for the final class project in Management Dynamics Class second semester 2010-2011. Bote Mo, Upuan Ko (roughly translated as your bottle, my chair) was the culmination of a little over a month long collaboration among 19 Ateneo Graduate School of Business MBA Regis program students, Professor Lulu Moguel and our kindhearted corporate and individual donors who believes in our cause. The objective was to increase social responsibility of private companies, local government units, socio-civic and religious groups by acquiring pledges from 50% of target partners in two weeks. This was to enable the donation of 50 high quality school chairs to Bagong Tanyag Elementary School on February 26, 2011 and as a sustaining phase and in partnership with another MBA class, bottles to Eat Bulaga's Plastic ni Juan.
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| The view from the makeshift parking. |
10:15AM
After a 10-minute traffic at East Service Road and passing through the railway and industrial plants along lower Taguig, we arrive at the designated "parking". A few blocks away was tracks of the Philippine National Railway and this was the farthest point we could get near the school by car. Three boys from the area approached us with, "Ay mga artista, ang puputi nila!" (Actors and actresses! They've white skin!) which they also used as an excuse not to have a picture taken with us. Shouldn't it be that they'd be excited to have a picture taken with "artista?" I thought. Then remembered, in this place, we weren't the stars but them.
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| Check out the kids at the back :) |
10:30AM
I receive an unexpected call from Honorable Lani Cayetano's office, her assistant Mimai apologizing to us as the Mayor of Taguig won't make it to our turnover. We assured her it was OK and thanked the Mayor for helping us find a beneficiary school that was truly most in need. Our group then went on our way...
I receive an unexpected call from Honorable Lani Cayetano's office, her assistant Mimai apologizing to us as the Mayor of Taguig won't make it to our turnover. We assured her it was OK and thanked the Mayor for helping us find a beneficiary school that was truly most in need. Our group then went on our way...
After about 20 minutes, we finally arrived at Bagong Tanyag Elementary School Annex A composed of the Principal's Office, Guidance office, Feeding station and Library. The principal gamely accommodated us in her office as the school staff were busy with cutouts. At first we thought it was for an extra-curricular activity but to our surprise the made-up streamer was to welcome us :)
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| Easily beats any professional streamer/tarp if it were down to the heart, soul and effort put into this ( -- ,.) |
1. Principal's Office
2. Feeding station/Guidance office/Library
3. Two upper classrooms for elementary - where students taking NEAT review (is it still called NEAT? Age becomes apparent) warmly greeted us with smiles and cheer. At present, three students share one wooden chair (much like those used for Kinder) and they have shifting schedule for their 1,300 students and counting...
4. Two lower classrooms for preschool they'll be establishing. These rooms are currently housed in a rented lot, which now the owners apparently want to take back from the school ASAP. The school is trying to negotiate and come up with funds for reconstruction as they were told they can have the property so long as they can rebuild the dilapidated structure.
Lease isn't the only challenge Bagong Tanyag Elementary School is facing. A force to reckon with -- nature takes its toll on the school during rainy season. At times they even have to stop classes due to leaks and flooding inside classrooms.
5. Basketball court facing the chapel (being reconstructed) - the chapel was also used as a classroom when the school was established.
5. Basketball court facing the chapel (being reconstructed) - the chapel was also used as a classroom when the school was established.
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| Panoramic view of Bagong Tanyag Elementary School. |
11:30AM
Luck and time were on our side as a few minutes before the program, two of our classmates (Laney and Bella) also made it just in time for the Mayor's arrival. We honestly didn't know what to expect as we thought it was going to be a simple turnover of chair donations and school tour. Mayor Lani Cayetano's presence definitely made the day more extraordinary. Aside from photos with her (point and shoot, camera phones) there was something about meeting her in person that made you stop and think about politicians. Personally, I only heard of and seen Taguig's mayor in newspapers and on TV. What I recall most about her, apart from being the wife of Senator Allan Peter Cayetano, is that she was able to gain the support of majority of her former detractors in just 5 months in office. That already says a lot about this politician. Plus, it was good to know that her goal is to focus on healthcare and education.
Teachers, students, and barangay members gathered in the basketball court as the Principal announced the program was about to start. She gave a welcome speech, thanking the Mayor and our group, then segway to a call to action for another round of donations coming from the heart. This was of course welcomed with applause and smiles from the crowd, and mental notes from our class :)
Our dear class spoke person, Edith Mendoza then did us proud with her impromptu thank you speech much deserving of applause and a seat in Congress. How we wish we were able to record it! Will try to get a copy from her and post right away. But here are bits and pieces from what I recall:
- In Ateneo, we are taught values and one of which is EXCELLENCE. Excellence not just in school, at work, in business, but more on excellence for others.
- Business does not end in the office.
- Our group/class of 19 comes from different businesses. We did this project initially as a requirement in class, but we learned it is more than that. There's much to learn outside the four walls of the classroom.
Then it was Mayor Lani's turn. Hers was a simple, direct-to-the-point sharing of how thankful they are to our class and that she was not there to take the limelight away from the real heroes of the project, which was us. She also noted that majority of us in class are not residents of Taguig but that we are very much welcome in their city. "As mayor of Taguig, this day, you (our class) are not just visitors but also community members of Taguig!" As we were about to leave, their wish is for the Lord to bless us threefold for what we gave them, and so that the threefold we may also share and give back :)
After one-on-one conversations with Mayor Lani, the principal, and the DepEd representative, the afternoon ended with snacks and everyone shouting, "I love Taguig!"
After one-on-one conversations with Mayor Lani, the principal, and the DepEd representative, the afternoon ended with snacks and everyone shouting, "I love Taguig!"
The post prior to this said something about "giving back to the community" and here we are with Bote Mo, Upuan Ko. It feels truly good to add another worthwhile project for the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. Moreover, another MBA class sustaining the project makes me smile knowing our project will benefit more school children. The private and corporate partners we had is also another reason to celebrate -- most of them pledging support as environmental stewards (bottle donations) and promising to continue recycling for a good cause.
Who would've thought that a simple class project could directly and indirectly increase social responsibility?
To know how you can participate in the sustaining phase of Bote Mo, Upuan Ko please PM Gracie. She promises to accommodate all your requests for the love of bottles and NOT to coerce you into joining…unless you want to (- -,. ).
