Philippine Bonsai Festival

Miniature trees were the stars of the show at the Philippine Bonsai Festival, formally opened last May 15 at The Podium and lasted through May 30, filled with seminars and workshops about the art of Bonsai.

Organized by the Philippine Bonsai Society Inc. (PBSI), with the cooperation of Bulacan Bonsai Artists Inc., Kapampangan Horticulture, and the Bonsai Artists Association of Tarlac, the Philippine Bonsai Festival 2010 also featured the Suiseki Competition. Suiseki is the Japanese art of stone appreciation.

Among the seminars and workshops featured were: the Introduction to the Art of Bonsai (May 16), Penjing: The Art of Chinese Landscape (May 16); Training of Bonsai (May 22); Suiseki: The Art of Natural Stone Appreciation (May 23); Caring for Bonsai and Preparation for Exhibit (May 29); and the Hands on Bonsai Workshop (May 30), conducted by the PBSI.

Winners for the Suiseki Competition were Bhoy Apostol’s “Cascade Stone,” first place; Erwin Tica’s “Dancing Dolphins,” second place; and Pabling Dychitan “Talampas,” third place. Natural Stone Society of the Philippines (PBSI) president Ms. Fely Gupit presented the awards.

For more information, please call the Concierge at the Podium at telephone number 638-9781 local 120 or the Philippine Bonsai Society Inc. at (632) 721-7818.

PSME holds National Music Education Seminar-Workshop 2010

The Philippine Society for Music Education (PSME) held a National Education Seminar-Workshop last April 6 to 8, 2010. The seminar bore its theme “Enhancing Musical and Pedagogical Skills and Resources for Classroom Teaching” that leveled up educators’ basic when it comes to singing, choral organization, and instruments playing.

The workshop had shared broad range of cross-cultural instructional music materials to teachers and updated them on trends and approaches in classroom music instruction.

The delegates on the seminar-workshop were music, arts, physical education and health (MAPEH) teachers, supervisors, and school administrators from both public and private elementary and secondary schools.

Established in 1971, the Philippine Society for Music Education is dedicated to the advancement of music education. With a membership of hundreds of music teachers, musicians, school music administrators, and students, it seeks to provide directions towards creative and effective music instruction on the pre-school, elementary, and secondary levels. It is committed to raising the level of consciousness on the role of music in the aesthetic development of the Filipino, in the formation, preservation, and transmission of cultural heritage, and in the development of nationhood.

The event was made possible by the efforts of Philippine Society for Music Education (PSME) led by President Leticia G. del Valle together with the organization’s officers and members.

For more information, do visit PSME website at www.psme-online.org.

1st National PSCRS convention

The Philippine Society of Colorectal Surgeons (PSCRS) conducted their 1st national convention on colorectal surgery last March 25-27 at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.

The convention featured scientific sessions, cinemaclinics, and a live surgery workshop for colorectal and general surgeons throughout the three days, handled by foreign faculty members from Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. Moreover, they share expertise in surgery for common anal and colorectal diseases, as well as minimally invasive surgery for colon and rectal cancer.

A live surgery workshop on THD was presented on the third day. It is a new minimally invasive technique for hemorrhoids. All of these are in line with the mission of PSCRS to keep Filipino surgeons abreast of the rapid advances of colorectal surgery.

An advanced nursing workshop was also held on March 25 in partnership with the Enterostomal Therapy Nurses Association of the Philippines (Etnap) to update nurses on recent trends in colorectal surgery. It discussed topics such as nursing care for stomas, intestinal staples, and laparoscopic colorectal surgery equipment.

This forum aims to drive public awareness about the importance of screening and the proper treatment for colorectal cancer.

For more information about the Convention, please contact Ms Cristy Amamanglon at 09178221126 of the Philippine Society of Colorectal Surgeons Secretariat.

Preserving the Memories of the World

Asia-Pacific members of the National Memory of the World (MoW) gathered at the Bayview Park Hotel last March 1–3 for a workshop on the promotion and advocacy of documentary heritage preservation and access.

The Southeast Asia Pacific Audio Visual Archive Association and the Philippine UNESCO National Commission worked together with the Philippine Information Agency to host the said event, which included participants from Cambodia, Fiji, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The three-day workshop was centered on the strategies in order to promote the awareness of the general public, the government, and other societal sectors on the need to safeguard the world’s fast-disappearing documentary heritage through the MoW Programme of the UNESCO.

For more information regarding the event, please visit www.unesco.org/webworld/en/mow and www.mowphilippines.org.

PAMET observes Sapphire National Convention at the Manila Hotel

Last November 25 to 27, 2009, the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists, Inc. (PAMET) held its 45th Annual National Convention which was also dated as the organization’s Sapphire Anniversary at The Manila Hotel.

The convention dwelt on the theme "Medical Technologists: On A Higher Leap amidst Global Challenges". This conveyed how the association optimistically would look forward to the future despite the country’s challenges brought by the natural disasters that inevitably destroyed million worth of properties and thousands of lives. The shifting trends on the profession both locally and globally were also pondered upon and focused on in the convention.

Medical Technologists’ high degree of commitment in addressing social concerns such as global warming, environmental protection, and climate change was also given a wider viewpoint on the convention.

The event started with the registrations of delegates, participants, and visitors, and scientific workshops where relevant topics on various areas of laboratory practice were thoroughly discussed. The traditional processional of PAMET National Board, Regional Directors, Chapter Presidents, Advisory Council and Keynote Speaker that followed the opening or pre-conference events was meaningfully done with the presence of representatives from various country- members of the Asia Association of Medical Laboratory Sciences (AAMLS).

The 4th Annual National Convention also had given awards to some of the promising members of the association. Ms. Jacinta B. Cruz as the Most Outstanding Medical Technologist of the Year; Ms. Vivian V. Tagama for the Distinguished Service Award of the Year; the Pangasinan Chapter for the Most Outstanding Chapter Award; and, Ms. Razel L. Kawano for the Crisanto G. Almario Memorial Award for Research.

For more information, do contact 09287990940 or e-mail at pametevc@yahoo.com.

PAG holds ‘Nurture Giftedness’ convention

The Philippine Association for the Gifted (PAG), the country’s foremost organization for the promotion of giftedness and advocacy for gifted children and youth, held its 12th Annual Convention-Workshop last November 25 from 8AM to 5PM at the Mandarin Hotel Suites of the Gateway Mall, Araneta Center Cubao, Quezon City.

With the theme “Nurturing Giftedness: New Directions,” the convention-workshop aimed to recognize the importance of nurturing children’s potentials. The event also coincided with the country’s 10th year celebration of the “National Week for the Gifted and Talented.”

As a venue for teachers and parents to learn new methods in nurturing their child’s talents and potentials, this two-day event also gathered school administrators, guidance counselors and professors. This event was promoted by Promil Pre-school, a powdered milk drink for children 4-7 years of age. Promil Pre-school contains Nutrissentials – a unique combination of essential nutrients to help optimize a child’s full potential.

Mary Ellen Ryan, an expert on gifted children and currently the Director for Implementation of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) which shows teachers how to develop students’ talents by assessing their strengths and providing enrichment through resources and services, stood as the facilitator of the event. Registration cost P2,500 but special discounts were given to the early registrants.

For more info and inquiries, contact Ms. Bernadette Miranda at 6871122, 0915-6800753 or e-mail pagifted@yahoo.com.

PMA conducts seminar for Aspiring Entreps

The Philippine Marketing Association (PMA), through its education and training arm: the Marketing Institute of the Philippines, and in cooperation with Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE), hosted the SME Strategic Marketing 101 Conference at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Conference Center last November 20, 2009. The conference was held in response to the evident need to further enliven the Filipino’s drive for self-sustainability through business.

Businessmen, aspiring negosyantes, marketing professionals, marketing students and other interested individuals were all invited to join the said event. Speakers who were industry experts discussed the basics of effective marketing. Specifically, speakers were Dean Pax Lapid, Louie San Juan, Karen De Asis, Red Espiritu, Alfredo Velez and Danny Cabulay. They discussed “21 Steps on How to Start a Business,” “Reviewing and Analyzing the Business Data,” “The TOWS Matrix,” “Setting Goals and Strategies,” “Performance Measures” and “Statement of Risks” respectively.

In addition, the seminar-workshop on marketing strategy aimed to be exciting and at the same time educational for all its attendees. With just a fee of P1,500, delegates were able to get handouts, lunch, snacks and certificates. PLDT SME-NATION, The Philippine Star, Business World and the Philippine Daily Inquirer served as the event’s media partners.

For further inquiries, contact PCE GoNegosyo at 6379229 or visit their website at www.gonegosyo.net.

Breaking the Language Barrier: DepEd Slates National Language Teaching Seminar-Workshop

The Department of Education (DepEd) slated a national seminar-workshop, entitled Language Teaching Across Cultures. Originally scheduled for Oct. 21–23 at the Teacher’s Village in Baguio City, the event finally pushed through last Dec. 7–9 at the Monte Vista Resort, Calamba City.

According to Dr. Paraluman R. Giron, Southern Tagalog-A (CALABARZON) host regional director, the seminar-workshop is geared toward gaining an understanding on multicultural education and language teaching across continents. The seminar-workshop was conducted by the Regional Language Center Alumni Association of the Philippines (RELCAAP).

The seminar included in-depth discussions in new developments in teaching language, literature, and culture; responses to cultural and language diversity and gender; electronic collaboration for English instruction across cultures; sharing of new techniques and developments on teaching different languages; teaching strategies; and designing a language program, responsive to cultural diversity and ethnicity and gender.

The event participants included DepEd regional directors, schools division superintendents, RELC grantees, English and Filipino regional and division education supervisors in 17 DepEd regions, and department heads.

For more information on the seminar-workshop, please contact Ms. Liezel Selda, DepEd Region IV-CALABARZON at (02) 682-1054 or (02) 666-5820 or send an email to drparahgiron@gmail.com or liela_zel@yahoo.com

Soaring Like an Eagle and Beyond: Admin Professionals Hold 2009 Conference-Workshop

Packaging their 2009 Conference as a complete toolkit containing techniques to enhance the effectiveness of secretaries and administrative professionals, the Philippine Association of Secretaries (PAS) and Administrative Professionals Inc. held this year’s Administrative Professionals’ Conference-Workshop last Oct. 15–17 at the Asturias Hotel in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

Filled with several modules and group discussions across three days, the conference provided interactive learning activities that allowed the participants to develop a sense empowerment and improve their level competence – two factors that are very important in making a mark in all organizations and communities.

The overall goals of the conference-workshop included the following: building and supporting positive partnerships within the organization in order to highlight the administrative professional’s role in management; developing diplomacy skills; applying practical techniques to enhance the quality and timeliness of results and solutions to everyday situations and challenges to be able to increase individual productivity and improve overall performance; and creating a personalized action plan for possibilities for work excellence.

For more information regarding the event, you may contact PAS via email at pas_phils@yahoo.com. You may also call the PAS Secretariat at telephone number 813-6468 and look for Nitz Usita, or call 840-8441 (Luz de Jesus) or 810-0281 (Emily Parel). Registration forms and other queries may also be sent to fax number 818-5136.

Soaring Like an Eagle and Beyond: Admin Professionals Hold 2009 Conference-Workshop

Packaging their 2009 Conference as a complete toolkit containing techniques to enhance the effectiveness of secretaries and administrative professionals, the Philippine Association of Secretaries (PAS) and Administrative Professionals Inc. held this year’s Administrative Professionals’ Conference-Workshop last Oct. 15–17 at the Asturias Hotel in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

Filled with several modules and group discussions across three days, the conference provided interactive learning activities that allowed the participants to develop a sense empowerment and improve their level competence – two factors that are very important in making a mark in all organizations and communities.

The overall goals of the conference-workshop included the following: building and supporting positive partnerships within the organization in order to highlight the administrative professional’s role in management; developing diplomacy skills; applying practical techniques to enhance the quality and timeliness of results and solutions to everyday situations and challenges to be able to increase individual productivity and improve overall performance; and creating a personalized action plan for possibilities for work excellence.

For more information regarding the event, you may contact PAS via email at pas_phils@yahoo.com. You may also call the PAS Secretariat at telephone number 813-6468 and look for Nitz Usita, or call 840-8441 (Luz de Jesus) or 810-0281 (Emily Parel). Registration forms and other queries may also be sent to fax number 818-5136.

“Ring of Fire” at Ayala Museum

The Ayala Museum featured sixteen Filipino potters and 10 other Southeast Asian ceramics artists on the exhibit of their wares in an international show called "Ring of Fire" last September 21 to October 4, 2009.

A two-day workshop was also part of the program for the interested participants of the exhibit. They exchanged information and discussed individual techniques and the creative process of their works at the Luna and Amorsolo Room of the Museum on the second and third day of the event.

Renowned potters participated in the event include Ahadiat Joedawinata of Indonesia; Peter Low, James Seet, Linleng Wong, and Yeow Seng Cheah of Malaysia; Tech Hen Tan and Thomas Cheong of Singapore; Bathma Kaew-Ngok of Thailand; and Bao Toan Nguyen of Vietnam.

Filipino potters, on the other hand, include Jon and wife Tessy Pettyjohn of Pansol; Hadrian and wife Camille Mendoza of Makiling; Jaime de Guzman of Candelaria, Quezon; Colorado-based Nelfa Querubin of Iloilo; Manila-based sculptress Julie Lluch of Iligan; Pete Cortes of Bulacan; Pablo Capati of Batangas; Joe Geraldo of Bacolod; Mank Valenzuela of Dumaguete; Winnie Go and Joey de Castro of Makati; Siegried Bangyay and Lope Bosaing of Sagada.

Sponsors of the show are Toyota Foundation, Ayala Museum, and Filipino Web Services.

DepEd Admin Officers Convene for Stronger Admin Services

With the goal of inspiring and encouraging creativity among education stakeholders and expanding the delivery of administrative services for quality education, the Administrative Officers Association of the Department of Education (AOADE) conducted its Eighth National Convention and Seminar Workshop.

Carried by its theme “Expanding Administrative Service for Improved Support System to Quality Basic Education, the conference was held at the Teachers Camp at Baguio City last Sept. 16–19.

Mr. Maximo Aljibe, director of the Department of Education (DepEd) Administrative Services and AODADE, said that the conference seminar-workshop was also to serve as a follow-up of the recent institutionalization of various comprehensive administrative reforms. These reforms include the installation of a recently developed computerized system for certification, authentication, and verification of school records, and the implementation of the new records classification system.

The four-day event was participated in by members of the AOADE and other administrative officers of the different centers and bureaus of DepEd; school administrative officers; principals and/or officers in charge; physical and facilities maintenance officers; livelihood program coordinators, records officers, and property custodians; and disaster and risk-reduction officers/coordinators.

Registration, reservations, and confirmations of attendance may be made through faxing a completed registration form to the fax numbers (02) 633-7223 and (02) 633-7236. Inquiries and other concerns may also be directed via email at aoadeped@yahoo.com.

Picture Perfect at the Fifth PCP Workshop

As it continues to promote professionalism in photojournalism in the Philippines, the Philippine Center for Photojournalism (PCP) conducted its fifth Professional Photojournalism Workshop at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone last Aug. 27–31.

Several lectures and hands-on training were conducted across the five days of the conference, which included a return to the basics of photography and the application of photography techniques; the trends and challenges of photojournalism; documentary photography and case studies; digital file management; the creation of a photo story (at an Aeta community at Sitio Kanawan, Barangay Binaritan, Morong, Bataan); and working on wires, newspapers and magazines.

Speakers and lecturers for the conference were Ms. Joan Bondoc, PCP chair and senior photographer of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI), veteran photographers Mr. Alex Baluyut, Mr. Jimmy Domingo, and PDI chief photographer Mr. Ernie Sarmiento, who are also instructors in the Ateneo de Manila University’s photojournalism program; Mr. Luis Liwanag, chief photographer of the Manila bureau of Xinhua News Agency; Mr. VJ Villafranca, 2008 awardee of the prestigious Ian Parry Scholarship for photojournalists; documentary photographers Mr. Paolo Picones and Mr. Jake Verzosa; Ms. Leanne Jazul, art director of the award-winning magazine Newsbreak; and Mr. Jose Torres Jr., a multi-awarded veteran journalist and author.

The fifth day was the oath taking ceremony of the new PCP officers and board members, administered by Olongapo City Mayor James “Bong” Gordon.

The workshop is supported by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office www.pcso.gov.ph/.