Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thursday, February 7, 2008
LET’S GIVE THEM A TRY!
LET’S GIVE THEM A TRY!
THE PILOT GROUP OF RAMPING CADETS AT ISNTC
Last June 2006, ISNTC launched is pilot Ramping Cadets group. Basically, these are cadets
who are aspiring to be cadets of ISNTC and work on board. Because of constantly changing international standards set by the global demands on the maritime industry the company initiated a program to upgrade the academic skills of its cadets through a training entitled “ Ramping Cadets” The training department, headed by Captain Palenzuela and Captain Moro saw the great need to fill manning requirements of foreign principals. They saw diamonds in the rough among the cadets and decided to mold these young men into full-fledged cadets. Thus, the Ramping Cadets program began.
The program consists of two review courses: English Proficiency and Mathematics. The English part of the program was handled by ISNTC’s training affiliate Advanced Speech and Academic Professionals or ASAP. It involved a review of basic grammar, essay and letter writing, public speaking, and reporting skills. The Mathematics program, on the other hand, reviewed the participants on job-specific Math skills.
The training worked around an elimination process, where only the toughest survive. The English and Mathematics trainers were instructed to give the participants a battery of tests, drills, and periodic evaluations to see who are academically prepared to undergo the full cadetship program. The participants were fully aware of this setup and strived hard to meet the requirements.
The ISNTC training department is happy to say that the program yielded positive results. The passing rate ensures a sufficient cadet population to help keep ASM in its niche in the maritime industry. The successful passers now feel the challenge and are ready to step up to the plate and show what they are capable of. The positive result has inspired ISNTC and there are talks of more groups of Ramping Cadets to come.
“Courage is the first of human qualities, because it is the quality which guarantees all others.”
- Winston Churchill
REGINES SPA: A RETURN TO THE CLEAN IMAGE OF THE PHILIPPINE MASSAGE
REGINES SPA: A RETURN TO THE CLEAN IMAGE OF THE PHILIPPINE MASSAGE
Carmela Baluyut 10/7/06
A DAMAGED IMAGE
Sadly, “satisfaction” from a spa, which is generally known as a massage parlor, seems to have taken on a less professional sound these days. Locally and abroad, spas and massage parlors face a new threat to their professional image. There is now a proliferation of unscrupulous “massage” parlors that maintain a bevy of young, attractive, however often unschooled young ladies. Why the particular requirements? Obviously these masseuses have been instructed to offer more than just massage. This new class of prostitution is causing serious problems to the credibility of spas and massage parlors in general. Says Ms. Lemana. “Now, if a man says he’s going to get a massage, you get raised eyebrows from those around him.”
Soyon Im wrote in The Great Divide: Interracial Romance Divides Asian Americans, that Asian women are portrayed in Hollywood as sex symbols because this is “an extension of the intercontinental Asian sex trade,” and this is because of “the system of military prostitution that has migrated overseas to the US in the form of 'Oriental' massage parlors, dating services, and marriage brokerages.”
REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE
In June 2006, the newly-founded Spa and Wellness Association of Cebu (SWAC) met and discussed to create new provisions measures to prevent further deterioration to the industries image, and steps have been taken to reify these provisions.
The Philippines is also a winner in the Asian Tourism industry. In November 2005, The Philippine Spa Association bagged five top awards at the very first Baccarat AsiaSpa Awards (BASA), attended by over 120 spa owners, experts and supporters at a cocktail and spa cuisine event at the Inter Continental Hong Kong. And as Ms. Lemana says, quality of services go a long way. The global market is full of happy visitors to the Philippines. Here are some happy tourists’ testimonies:
“This is the best place I have ever been to…I don't know why this country suffers from bad publicity…The Philippines is a very nice place for people to shop and it is also has very cheap but very good quality goods. People are really friendly.” -- Sacramento, California
“Overall, I like the Philippine atmosphere, convenience, and values. It’s a great place to shop in and have spa and other massage treatments.”-- Hollywood, CA
“According to GAWC's 2006 studies, Manila is one of the Gamma Cities of the World. (a Global City). In layman's terms, it's one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. I love this city!” – Bangkok, Thailand
REGINES’ FAMILY FRIENDLY SERVICE
In support of the efforts of spa associations, Regines is promoting its massage services for the whole family. Amy and her husband Uly jointly manage their Makati and Boracay branches. “My whole family is involved in this business and I see no reason why a whole family should not get a massage together.” She believes that a family can get stress from work and school, and will invest wisely in therapeutic health services. “This is a real massage: Simply a health remedy for a tired body and mind.”
Sample the best of Regines services such as massages, scrubs, and other beauty treatments. Enjoy their homey atmosphere and the expertise of their masseuses trained by Masseuse Board Exam First placers. Visit their branches at the Mezzanine Floor, 8429 Kalayaan cor., Makati City, Manucmanuc Boracay, and soon to open in Plaza Aldea, Taytay. You can also visit their website at www.regineshealthspa.com
KEEPING FILIPINO CRUISE EMPLOYEES IN DEMAND
KEEPING FILIPINO CRUISE EMPLOYEES IN DEMAND
The cruise industry calls for dedicated Filipino tourism professionals who specialize in a variety of areas. Cooks, waiters, wine experts, hosts, gym instructors, and many more go onboard year in and out, earning dollars for their families. Yet despite the attractions of this industry, a great void still remains to be filled in cruise ship job opportunities. This need has put many manning companies under pressure. They need to fill requests for skilled workers and professionals, maintain the same work excellence, and make sure the Philippines maintains its footing in the industry. Engineer Ambatali of Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Inc. is an officer of one such company that deals with this issue every day.
The real problem, according to him, is not that there are no willing or skilled applicants. It is a fact that countless hopefuls flock to manning agencies to work on cruise ships. The real problem is that not all these applicants show the desirable level of confidence and communication ease that distinguishes cruise workers and professionals from others in the maritime industry. Of course we cannot sacrifice quality just to fill orders for new cruise personnel. He took a necessary step, therefore, and asked for assistance from a group of professionals with exciting English enhancement methods proven effective for many skilled workers and professionals.
Advanced Speech and Academic Professionals or ASAP has conducted trainings with various maritime companies. It has trained people from rank and file on the critical skills necessary for English fluency: grammar refinement, English proficiency, use of idiomatic language, conversational skills, accent neutralization, essay writing, technical communications, and business English. So, from December 2005 to January 2006, PTC applicants underwent the “Cruise English – Presentation and Social Interaction Skills in the Global workplace” seminar.
ASAP took into great consideration the fact that “PTC services a wide range of principals worldwide from the Far East , U.S., Europe, Middle East and Scandinavia.” This helped the program developers to have the central principle of “Global English.” Simply put, the world has become one global community via communication technology. Cruise professionals should likewise display the same international consciousness. This streamlined approach to dealing with passengers will allow for a comfortable and memorable cruise experience. This global consciousness can be felt in ASAP’s lessons, activities, discussion topics, and mock presentations. One example of a section of the course is that of “Englishes” all over the globe. This talks of the variety of English variations in different countries. What makes these versions unique and how best should one communicate with these speakers? The participants, on their part, showed enthusiasm, eagerness to learn, and open-mindedness to comments regarding their performance as communicators. Their positive response has inspired Engineer Ambatali to further maintain collaboration with ASAP as a training affiliate for future projects.
Another critical part of the training was the job interview coaching. ASAP’s goal was to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed for answering questions in English. It was here that participants realized the skills that they needed to enhance in order to pass job interviews successfully. The training brought on laughs, of course, but after that realization set in and they worked hard to improve their performance. All of their hard work paid off. Engineer Ambatali is proud to announce that at least 95% of the participants passed their job interview with foreign nationals and they are now earning dream incomes for their families.
First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak. – Epictetus
THE NEW ENGLISH TEACHERS
THE NEW ENGLISH TEACHERS
Many Filipinos believe that the best English teachers are native speakers. However, times have changed and native (monolingual) speakers are now faced with competition in the form of non-native (multilingual) English teachers.
Can non-native English teachers be better than native English speakers?
The answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’ The global market is changing and one of the most significant adjustments is hiring multilingual employees. This makes sense because an employee who can speak more than one language will be more flexible and thereby more useful. A significant article entitled English Next, by David Graddol of The English Company (UK) Ltd talks about this emerging phenomenon:
“…the economic and competitive advantage of English for the UK (and perhaps other native-speaking countries) seems to be ebbing away.”
He says this because as global businesses open their doors to a more international clientele, their people must likewise be able to cater to a more culturally diverse market. Graddol adds,
“At present we are in a transitional phase, in which the rapid growth of English learners around the world is concealing more fundamental changes in the status of English learners’ relationships to it…the ELT (English Language Teaching) will take on more of the characteristics of the Global Phase.”
Why did this change happen?
According to Graddol, native speakers previously had the advantage but since non-native speakers learn fast, also through the help of various forms of media (movies, publications, etc.) native speakers are now more competitive, probably only as far as their authentic accents and colloquial expressions are concerned. However, the core ability to communicate in English is no longer exclusive to them.
“…the language (English) was learned by non-native speakers either as a ‘foreign language’ or, by immigrants as a ‘second language.’ In multicultural (former colonial) countries, English also formed part of a national dynamic. The whole business reinforced the natural superiority of native speakers and native-speaking countries who, in quite complex ways, picked up most of the benefits.”
“…as bilingual and multilingual proficiency becomes more sought after in employees, so it does in teachers; monolingualism becomes second best.
”
ACB / ASAP Inc. / www.advancedspeech.net
A Filipina in New Zealand reaches out to needy countrymen
A Filipina in New Zealand reaches out to needy countrymen
Meet ML. A true-blue Filipina now living in New Zealand; her home for several years. She works as a fashion consultant and buyer for no less than SAKS, one of the biggest European fashion houses exclusively carrying brand names like Versace, Escada, Hugo Boss, Boss Orange Label, Armani Collezione, D&G, Caruso, Cantarelli, and Brioni. Aside from this, she is sometimes a personal stylist to a number of TV and top sports personalities in New Zealand.
This glitzy world of high fashion is a far cry from her roots in the Philippines. Sa young woman, she was a nun with the Daughters of St. Paul in Pasay City. She was deeply moved when she saw the news report about the Leyte mudslide that wiped away the entire village of Guinsaugon, St. Bernard. Having grown up in Hinunangnan, a few kilometers away from the disaster area, she was also left grieving for a place so close to her heart.
ML got hold of TV3 NZ presenter Mike Mc Roberts, a close friend, and together they traveled to Leyte. Nothing prepared ML for what awaited her there. What used to be a busy road in which trucks for trading went to and fro was now completely erased. Miles and miles of land stretched before her where houses, public buildings, marketplaces, and small chapels used to stand. Being the fighter she has always been, she initiated steps to help alleviate the sufferings of the surviving relatives of the landslide casualties. Her priority? The children.
Even while traveling back to New Zealand, ML’s mind was already at work on how best to help the children left behind. Her first step was to have two powerfully moving documentaries made about the tragedy. Her goal was to gather all forms of support via the PAGLA-UM (Hope) Trust she founded. The trust aims to ensure that the surviving children of St. Bernard finish their entire education and create a brighter future for themselves and get on with life despite what happened to them. On April 29, 2006, a fundraiser “Forgotten Victims charity Dinner” will take place in New Zealand and will be hosted by Mike Mc Roberts himself.
ML believes that a home is not earth that we build houses on. Rather, she believes it is in our hearts and we take it with us wherever we go.
JO TANKERS INITIATES ENGLISH ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMS
JO TANKERS INITIATES ENGLISH ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMS
Captain Alinea of Jo Tankers Incorporated began his maritime career earlier than most. At a young age, he graduated with distinction from his BS Marine Engineering course. He became a captain and finally became the second youngest captain in the Philippines with his then company. He has been with Jo Tankers for years. He would have also been one of the youngest retirees. If his plans fall through, he would bow out of active work. However, because of the great lack of qualified maritime officers the country is experiencing now, he has been asked to return as captain.
He says he is equal to the task, of course, but he can’t help wondering at the current lack of aspirants for officer positions. He remembers a time when these opportunities for career growth were the motivations of seamen for performing their duties.
One solution he sees is giving our seamen more confidence to eye promotions as maritime officers. In fact, there are now proposals to require junior officers to undergo trainings courses for higher administrative work later in their careers. In support of these initiatives Captain Alinea collaborated with Advanced Speech and Academic Professionals or ASAP. He and his administrative officers were the first to undergo classes for various areas of English communication. The first was Intensive English Grammar, a 20-hour class they took from January to February of this year. It reviews the basic principles of grammar and their common misuse due to factors like media and reluctance to conform to conventions. Jo Tankers is a multinational company and Captain Alinea believes that updating one’s services and performance according to global developments is critical to company survival. He and his staff are now halfway through their second class, Conversational English. He leads his staff in displaying open-mindedness to comments about writing and speaking skills. He believes that life is a learning experience that has no graduation.
Capt. Alinea showed concern for the few Filipino seafarers willing to take administrative positions, only because such promotions entailed heavier demands in English communication with foreign clients. He encourages other Filipino seamen to face the challenge of the global maritime community and earn more recognition for our country. He is now considering English enhancement classes for the junior officers and cadets of Jo Tankers.
“Skill in the art of communication is crucial to a leader's success. He can accomplish nothing unless he can communicate effectively.”
- Norman Allen
ACB / ASAP Inc. / www.advancedspeech.net
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