The 19th PBSP VAMM

The Philippine Business for Social Progress - Visayas Regional Office is celebrating its 19th Visayas Annual Membership Meeting (VAMM) on February 21, 2007, at the Casino Espanol de Cebu.

The theme for the 19th VAMM is "Breaking Barriers" in reference to PBSP Visayas' various efforts in implementing projects aimed to integrate efforts to improve the quality of education in the country, and the various responses for disaster stricken areas. In doing these, PBSP Visayas envisions to break the barriers that hinder people from achieving prosperity and would give people ravaged by disasters a chance of a better life.

The Keynote Speaker for the 19th VAMM is Secretary Jesli Lapus of the Department of Education. He will also be the Guest of Honor during the opening and ribbon cutting ceremonies of the Education Expo and the Best of Visayas Exhibit, after the VAMM.

The BoV & Education Expo

The Philippine Business for Social Progress is inviting everybody to come and join the opening of the BEST OF VISAYAS (BoV) EXHIBIT and the EDUCATION EXPO, on February 21, 2007, at two o'clock in the afternoon at the SM City Trade Hall.

The BoV is a trade fair that gathers all PBSP assisted cooperatives, community-based organizations and micro-enterprises. Target participation of 33 coops, groups or enterprises from Bohol, Cebu, Guimaras, Iloilo, Samar and Southern Leyte.

The Educatio Expo is an education fair that provides marketing opportunities for education institutions e.g. pre-schools, elementary schools, high schools, colleges, universities and distance learning. This is also a fund-raising activity for the Coalition for Better Education (CBE). (CBE, convened by PBSP, RAFI & AGFI is a consortium of business, government, academe & civil society working for the improvement of the country’s education.) The Education EXPO is co-organized by the Coalition for Better Education (CBE).

Both activities will run from February 21, 2007 to February 25, 2007.

Everybody is invited to come and visit the booths!

New Member Companies of PBSP

Six new Visayas-based Member Companies have been recruited by the Visayas Regional Office of PBSP. These companies will be acknowledged and given their plaque of memberships during the 19th VAMM on February 21, 2007, at the Casino Espanol de Cebu. These are:

PASAR CORPORATION (ISABEL, LEYTE)

BRILLIANT METAL CRAFT (CEBU CITY)

JJ's SEAFOODS VILLAGE (TAGBILARAN CITY, BOHOL)

THE BOHOL BEE FARM

LIGHT & SHADE PHOTOGRAPHY

and the ROYAL OAKS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF CEBU

The Launching of the SLRP Livelihood & Basic Services Projects

The PBSP Visayas Regional Office has launced the Southern Leyte Rehabilitation Program's LIVELIHOOD & BASIC SERVICES PROJECTS, last February 16, 2007, in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte. In attendance were various donors, local government officials, media (ABS-CBN & GMA 7), PBSP Officers, and the members of the New Guinsaugon Village Homeowners' Association (NGVHOA).

The Blessing of the New Guinsaugon Village's Livelihood and Productivity Center, dedicated to the survivors of the Guinsaugon Landslide. The building is funded by the Angelo King Foundation.

Giving of Certificates of Scholarship of Children's Hour to one of the 56 survivors (13 for this school year 2005-2006) for the Guinsaugon landslide. In photo are: Mr Tim Olarte, VP for the Visayas of the Development Bank of the Philippines, donor to Children's Hour; Mayor Maria Lim; Vice Mayor Felix Lim; Mrs Margarita Hopkins, President of the Congress of Visayan Organizations in Hawaii, donor to Children's Hour; and Mr Bong Esguerra of Children's Hour.

Groundbreaking of Citigroup Foundation/United Way International project, a four classroom building in the relocation site of the New Guinsaugon Village Homeowner's Association in Brgy. Magbagacay, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte. In photo, with shovels, L-R: Mr Tommy Yap, VP of Citibank and Member of the PBSP Visayas Executive Committee; Vice Mayor Felix Lim; Mayor Maria Lim; Mr Lito Baylan, President of the New Guinsaugon Village Homeowners' Association.

Other Pictures and Updates will be uploaded soon.

Secretary Jesli A. Lapus is Keynote Speaker of the 19th VAMM

Secretary Jesli A. Lapus of the Department of Education has accepted PBSP's invitation to be the Keynote Speaker for PBSP's 19th Visayas Annual Membership Meeting (VAMM). The VAMM will be on February 21, 2007, 11:00 A.M. at the Casino Espanol de Cebu.

Secretary Lapus is an apt choice for the Keynote since PBSP's theme for the 19th VAMM is "Breaking Barriers" which means that projects of PBSP on education and poverty reduction are aimed at breaking the barriers that hamper marginalized sectors to attain prosperity.

Secretary Lapus has a very illustious career in government and private sector. During the 19th VAMM, he will be introduced by Ms Eileen G. Mangubat, Member of the PBSP Visayas Executive Commitee and Publisher of the Cebu Daily News. The following is the full text of the introduction:

"AS SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, SECRETARY LAPUS HEADS NOT ONLY THE BIGGEST DEPARTMENT WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 30% OF THE ENTIRE PHILIPPINE BUREAUCRACY, BUT HE ALSO ASSUMES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ADDRESSING WHAT IS WIDELY-CONSIDERED THE EXISTING EDUCATION CRISIS IN THE COUNTRY.

SECRETARY LAPUS IS THE EPITOME OF EXCELLENCE IN VERSATILITY. PRIOR TO SERVING FOR THREE TERMS AS A MEMBER OF THE PHILIPPINE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE, HE WAS PRECOCIOUS AS A TOP PROFESSIONAL MANAGER IN THE PRIVATE AND IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR. ACKNOWLEDGED FOR HIS COMPETENCY AND ADVOCACY, HE MOVED FROM A LUCRATIVE LIFE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO DISTINGUISHEDLY SERVE IN THE CABINETS OF THREE PRESIDENTS (AQUINO, RAMOS AND ARROYO).

A CPA, MBA AND DPA, AND OTHER POST GRADUATE STUDIES FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY; INSEAD, FRANCE; BITS, SWEDEN, AND U.C.L.A IN THE U.S.A.

SECRETARY LAPUS WAS ORIGINAL CORE FACULTY OF THE ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT’S MASTERS IN DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. HE HAS TAUGHT FOR MANY YEARS AT THE ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY, MARYKNOLL COLLEGE AND HAS CONDUCTED EXECUTIVE TRAINING COURSES IN INDONESIA AND MALAYSIA. "

Invitation to the PBSP 19th VAMM

The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Visayas Regional Office has sent invitations to 250 Member Companies, Non Member Companies, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Academe, Local Government Units and other partners to the 19th Visayas Annual Membership Meeting, on February 21, 2007, at the Casino Espanol de Cebu.