SP@RK Newsletter

2009-2010: issue II: the official publication of aiesec upd

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Letter from the Editor

Hey AIESEC! Say what?

After much delay, the newsletter is finally here. The first semester has directly affected the per-formance of AIESEC in ways good and bad and one of its effects is the delay in releasing this; but more on that in the editorials so I would not clutter up this letter with things that should not be here.

Building from our past, let’s start a new semester full of hope, love and all that jazz. But seriously, we (the information officers, the article contributors and the editor-in-chief, that’s me) bring this to you so that everyone would see the past semester and use this as a stepping ground to propel to the semester ahead. Although there would be more sleepless nights, endless meetings, exhausting marketing calls, impossible trainees, sore bodies and of course, heartaches, there would also be new breakthroughs, great partnerships, new friends, awesome events and successes that we can brag about to our friends, family, co-AIESECers, the University of the Philippines community, our alumni and the world.

So I do not want to extend this letter even more. I just want to thank you guys for everything you have done for AIESEC! Thanks also to the support people have given to this newsletter. Thanks to the information officers for delivering the articles for the newsletter. It must get annoying when I bug you guys to bug people to make the articles. Thanks to Loren and Joan for highlighting the events that could be on this newsletter. This newsletter would be empty without it. Thanks to Emma and Ina for the great look of this newsletter. I know how hard it is to think of some border or theme to complete the look of the newsletter. Thanks to all the contributors for taking time out to actually write these articles. I know how hard it is to get all those ideas into print and how taxing it is to add that to the list of things you were supposed to do.

This newsletter is for all of us! This becomes the proof for all of the organization’s hard work, for YOUR hard work. So cheers to us, cheers to AIESEC! Hey AIESEC! Say What?

Your Editor-in-chief,Daniel “DJ” de Jesus

The Unfolding of BOOK!LAT


We all have our own “Ondoy sto-ries”- stories that deal mostly with grief, fear, paranoia, distress, and loss; stories that spawned their own sequels which feature resilience, fortitude, kindness and hope. Ironi-cally, for a handful of AIESECers, this intersected with the simple as-piration of promoting literacy and reading among our underprivileged youth.

Last September 26, almost a hun-dred youngsters trooped to the Barangay Escopa III covered court in Project 4, Quezon City for BOOK!LAT, a literacy fun day orga-nized by AIESEC UP Diliman in co-operation with UP Children’s Rights Advocates League (UP CRAdLe), the Greater Project 4 Public Library, and Progresibong Edukasyon tun-go sa Kapayapaan at Kaunlaran (PEKK). This served as the culmi-nating activity for AIESEC UPD’s first semester social services liter-acy campaign which also involved the Halik@Book drive, which was able to amass heaps of books for the benefit of the Quezon City Pub-lic Library.

The early morning of September 26 had seen treacherously light but steady rains, which eventually turned into heavy floods- a tale which many of us know (and have our own versions of) today. Due to this, only a handful of AIESECers were able to brave the event. Fortu-nately, the UP CRAdLe contingent, composed of around twenty volun-teer members, was able to assem-ble early and arrive at the venue even before the rains got heavy. Unfortunately, some AIESECers got stranded along the way, or were unable to leave their homes at all.

Perhaps not expecting a flood of biblical proportions, the children from the area (aged 3-10 years old) came in a steady stream. Even

if the organizers were concerned about everyone’s safety, the ex-pectant faces of the kids and the fact that there were members from both organizations already at the venue meant one thing-- the show must go on.

The event started out with an ice-breaker, after which the children broke into small groups for a story-telling session. It was very cute and quite moving how many requested to be told more stories. This was followed by an arts and crafts work-shop where the children had fun making their own sock puppets, which they immediately named and played with. Unfortunately, the live presentation of UP CRAdLe had to be cancelled. Despite the strong rain and winds, the members of both organizations and the children remained safe (albeit a bit wet) un-der the covered court. Moreover, the children enjoyed the stories as much as they enjoyed playing with their ates and kuyas from AIESEC and UP CRAdLe. The children were treated to donuts provided by Go-Nuts Donuts, and were given good-ies donated by our other partners, Adarna House, High School Musi-cal Magazine and Disney’s Princess Magazine.

________________________

P.S.

No children were harmed in the making of this event. Most of the participants were accompanied by their parents, and actually lived only several meters away from the cov-ered court. While the area experi-enced almost calf-level flooding, the community was fortunately spared from serious damage. For the mem-bers of both AIESEC UP Diliman and UP CRAdLe however, the af-ter-event spelled a new adventure, a new story altogether.

The Unfolding of BOOK!LAT

By Lugxi SiLLi

Last August 24, 2009, the Member Involvement Team organized the Interdepartment Face-off, which aimed to promote interdepartment bonding. As early as summer, meetings have already been held by the team to discuss sugges-tions and possible activity plans for the said event. A week before the affair, the team was ready and almost finished with all prepara-tions. Everyone already knew and understood each particular role he/she was assigned to do to en-sure the event’s success. A text brigade was organized to keep the members informed about the coming event and an e-mail blitz was done everyday to encourage every AIESECer to attend.

The day finally came and the team had high hopes for the event. The weather was not coopera-tive though as there was a slight downpour and the skies were overcast for the rest of the day. These factors may have deterred many members from attending hence the reason for the poor turnout. Activities were intended for the participation of 5-6 groups but since only a few departments were well represented, the team had to make quick adjustments so that the bad weather and dismal attendance would not in any way dampen the event.

Highlights of the event includ-ed AIESEC Jeopardy and the Amazing Race, which tested the members’ knowledge about their tambayan, fellow members, and AIESEC in general. In the end, despite all the stumbling blocks, natural or otherwise, that almost marred the launch of the event, the Interdepartment Face off was a success considering the plan-ning and faultless execution of all activities that were planned for that special day.

ready to

rumble?

By Maria Janice chriStinne S. Lindain

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interdepartment

face-off

reaching out to kids


November 16, 2009 – AIESE-Cers kicked off the week with a Monday night like no other. In the homey – and yummy – escape of Greenbelt 3’s Grap-pa’s Ristorante, the first ever AIESEC UP Diliman Marketing Bash was held, making a mark in AIESEC Philippines history with the most innovative at-tempt yet to introduce the in-ternational youth organization to the corporate world. Pio-neered by this batch’s Exter-nal Relations Department un-der the leadership of the vice president, Joan Florentino, the Bash is a cocktail dinner event that has the objective of ex-panding AIESEC UPD’s net-work by gathering some of the Local Committee’s potential partner companies of all kinds, whether for exchange, finan-cial sponsorships, or simple tie-ups, in a night that aims to open doors to bigger and more far-reaching opportunities for AIESEC UP Diliman.

Even though the Marketing Bash had its fair share of dif-ficulties (one would be its postponement in September due to the distraught brought by the Typhoon Ondoy), the event had a successful turn-out with a stirring 31 company

reps – making up 15 well-rep-resented companies. Among the companies that were pres-ent were Unilever, John Rob-ert Powers, Microsoft, Globe and PAL. The alumni did not disappoint as well, with 26 of them present, from those as geriatric as batch 1980 to as fresh as 2009. To name a few, Gerboy Ortega from Shell, Willy Arcilla, Raul Guerrero and Noni Mauricio were all present to show their forever warm support to the LC. Even some alumni, who are pres-ently working in distinguished companies such as Deutsche Bank, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank, with their in-quisitive and loyal hearts, also came with the intent of prob-ing possible partnerships be-tween AIESEC UPD and their respective companies. Others who also graced the event are AIESEC UPD’s key officers and members, all of whom were given both the privilege and the task to interact with the company reps as a way of informally engaging them into the AIESEC experience.

Though quite a few would wish it had been, the night was not all about socializing. To get a clearer grasp of what AIESEC

cREATINGRELATIONSHIPS

By audrey eLuMBa

4


UPD is and what the organi-zation does, Local Commit-tee President Crisette Arcilla jumpstarted a series of short talks with a presentation that introduced AIESEC and its vi-sion, impact, current realities and achievements. Follow-ing Crisette was a talk by Mi-chelle Molas of the Incoming Exchange Department, about AIESEC in the local and glob-al landscape, which was then followed and fortified by a pre-sentation by VP ER Joan Flo-rentino on how, and, more im-portantly, why the companies can and should be involved. To attest to the quality partner-ships that AIESEC UPD offers, Baby Matsushita and Masumi of Bukid Foundation shared some of their valuable expe-riences with AIESEC UPD to the attendees.

The dinner buffet and open bar by Grappa’s was opened before the program had even begun. And as though served as the appetizer of the night’s menu, notable guest speakers Anthony Pangilinan, former AIESEC International Presi-dent, AIESEC UPD Alumni, and Chief Trainer at Business Works, and Mignon Wycoco Ramos, AIESEC UPD Alum-

ni and Managing Director of Roadmaps and Beyond, each delivered talks comprised of inspiring stories and valu-able lessons on what keeps AIESEC going, and what makes it an agent to – and part of – a changing world.

Hosted by Paolo Agbayani and Danie Seva, the program lasted a good hour and a half, and was followed by more eat-ing, more mingling, and more forthcoming pockets of oppor-tunities.

With commanding heels, feet went swollen... and micro-phones, without prior warn-ing, went berserk. But after all the handshakes, when names and numbers were taken note of, and meetings were being set, with the Marketing Bash, the promise of AIESEC UPD as a household name in the corporate arena has taken its first step into the future. Own-ing a fusion of expectant com-panies, hopeful members, and proud alumni, the night closed in both a reminiscent and opti-mistic note – just goes to show what good food, and good company, both old and new, can do.(pictures by Ira Giorgetti)

THE 1ST AIESEC UPD

MARKETING BASH

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Eight young individuals, four differ-ent countries, one noble cause.

Kelly Peng and Mini Wong from China; Reka Gencsi and Rustom Marker from the United Kingdom; Nicole Moret from Switzerland; Eeva Maki-Uuro, Mark van der Hoorn and Charley Dop from the Netherlands all flew in to the Philip-pines on the first week of July 2009 for an 8 week internship for the So-cial Entrepreneurship Experience (SEE) Program.

The SEE program is a bi-annual internship program organized by the Entrepreneurs’ School of Asia (ESA) for young foreign individu-als who desire to learn more about using entrepreneurship to make an impact in the lives of the poor.

The program is run by Ms. Caroline Burns, a Canadian who has been coordinating with AIESEC over the past four SEE program cycles to ensure that each batch of trainees are ready for the internship experi-ence. She is assisted by Uzo Bolar-inwa, a former SEE intern from Ni-geria who has decided to stay in the Philippines after her own internship experience.The eight trainees braved the Phil-

ippines despite the AH1N1 virus threat. They learned how to ride jeepneys, tricycles, buses and the local train system to travel around the country. Through their immer-sion experiences in the slums with their respective host families, they learned more than the average Fili-pino about the country’s real prob-lems. The trainees also travelled to Bohol, Pangasinan and other plac-es around the country and discov-ered the beauty of the Philippines. They also interacted with the stu-dents from ESA and learned about the culture of the country, while at the same time, educating the youth about their own countries’ cultures.

When the program wrapped up in September, all eight trainees agreed that their experience helped them to grow as individuals and to discover that they wanted to do more to help out. Three of the train-ees (Moret, Gencsi and Marker) elected to stay after their internship run to discover more about the Phil-ippines and to volunteer for other worthwhile causes. Van der Hoorn is now in Ghana, applying what he has learned about social entrepre-neurship from ESA to help the Afri-can natives.

Last October 20, members of the Outgoing Exchange (OGX) Depart-ment threw a small send-off party for exchange participants April Su-maylo, Mai Amante, and Shandy Roque at the AIESEC Tambayan. It was an Asian-inspired get-together meant for the Exchange Partners (EPs) leaving for India, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Deviating from a normal farewell dinner, the guests snacked on one of the most known Filipino street food, Isaw. Accord-ing to Shandy Roque, she will miss eating isaw once she flies back to Vietnam for another internship. To entertain the EPs, new members Maria Criselda Sebastian and Rose Olinongo collaborated with Vice

President for Ongoing Exchange, Judd Vitente, to deliver an AIESEC rendition of Jai Ho.

Though it was a humble gathering, and the extravagance merely so, everyone had a great time. Stories were told. Insights on life and cul-ture were shared. From the perfor-mances, to the games, to the mo-tions, to the food, to the gifts, to the stories, to the sentiments, the send-off party was a resounding success. The OGX Department hopes that it would continue to leave every train-ee with a seed of hospitality, what it means to be Filipino, and what it means to become an AIESEC Ex-change Participant.

sneak peek

By Bea BaLLeSca

see, it's for you

By MarJ OrOSa

the social entrepreneurship

experience

farewell activity

Member familiarity and getting them to bond as often as possible have always been a perennial problem for AIESEC. With that in mind, the Member Involvement team came up with a brilliant plan to bring members closer to each other: a tambayan make-over. The team believed that it was most urgent to come up with an effective environment that would induce bonding among all mem-bers and what better way to do this than having a tambayan that’s clean, inviting and homey.

With all plans in place, the Mem-ber Involvement team started with the tambayan clean-up. Almost a week was allotted for the washing and cleaning of the room including the walls, floor, windows and furni-ture. Then the room was spruced up to give it a homey feel. Rubber mats were placed on a portion of the room where students can just relax and chat. Pillows were also placed in convenient areas to make the room as comfortable as possible. Finally, a new cabinet was installed to keep all important AIESEC records and make way for a clutter-free room.

The new tambayan was finally launched on November 24, 2009. Before the AIESECers started to trickle in, there was a bit of appre-hension and anxiety on the part of the team. However, after mem-bers started to arrive in droves and judging from their positive reaction and comments, the tam-bayan makeover project was a

tremendous success.

tambayan edition

By Maria Janice chriStinne S. Lindain

extreme makeover

the @ hub

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The Membership Selection Inter-view (MSI) was, in one word, scary. It may have been the last activity in the application process, but it was definitely not the least. I felt appre-hensive when I saw how much the recruitment team had prepared for it, going so far as to have envelopes with our names on it and our infor-mation files in it. I could not help thinking it was like a target’s pro-file one might give to an assassin. Waiting for my turn, wearing corpo-rate attire, trying to memorize the five values of AIESEC and seeing Martin burst into the room crying (hahaha, just kidding) did not help the situation.

But then all of those admittedly ir-

On August 21 and 22, Gawad Ka-linga (GK) held its first ever Youth Summit entitled Kabataan: Lakas ng Pagbabago, in the University of Makati. Delegates from all over the Philippines consisting of high school and college students flocked togeth-er to listen to various distinguished speakers with the aim to empower the youth and show them their role as the movers of the country. Among the speakers invited were GK founder Tony Meloto, athlete Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, author of “12 Things You Can Do for Your Country” Alex Lacson and Mayor J. Binay of Makati.

The topics were largely focused on giving the youthful audience an idea on how powerful they are and their potential in making a difference in today’s world. The secret lies in the willingness to take the initiative and

in taking care of and helping one another as part of one big family because they believe, that the only way for the Philippines to flourish is for its people to unite and join hands in helping one another.

I found myself mesmerized at how similar the message of the summit was with the message being trans-mitted by AIESEC as a youth driven leadership organization. The idea of empowering the youth as agents of positive change, further empha-sized the need for an organization such as AIESEC.

Being someone who has attended various seminars on youth empow-erment both in and out of AIESEC, it was very striking to see the faces of some of the delegates who’ve nev-er been given the chance to step up and make a difference. Some of

them have never been in control of their lives, always being reactive to the changes in their environment and struggling to even just survive. After being told about their crucial role as agents of change as the fu-ture leaders of the country, a lot of them were greatly motivated and excited about taking the initiative to start making that change and were signing up for the various activities of GK even in the war stricken ar-eas of Sulu. This just goes to show that we can also do the same, and that our organization can still expand our influence in produc-ing agents of positive change not just in UP, but across the globe as there are still a lot of young people out there who have not been given the chance to realize how crucial and important their role is in this world’s future.(pictures by James Palomo of GK)

thoughts of a once app By reg ranada

Gawad Kalinga

1 Million bayani (GK1MB)Youth Summit

By ezekieL Vicente

empowering the youth

the member selection interview process

rational fears were laid to rest when I saw who the panel was. They were the people who I have seen around the tambayan, during A-Camp, all throughout Internship Month and in my over-flowing email account. They were people who have been through what I was going through, people who have felt what I was feeling, people who were, at some point, me. And now here they were, asking in-depth and important ques-tions about AIESEC.

That’s what made me comfortable all of the sudden. It was easier to relax when I had realized that while they were my superiors, they were my friends too. I could give them honest answers and tell them what I really felt, while retaining a professional

manner worthy of the business at-tire we all took pains to wear. The only difference between talking to them in the corridors and talking to them during the MSI was the clip-board they scribbled on every so often (and the fact that AIESEC trivia and your feelings towards the organization are not really your ev-eryday conversation topics). Don’t get me wrong, the fear was still there, but it had been abated by the familiar face in front of you.

In the end, I actually enjoyed it. It was scary at first, but then I real-ized AIESEC was only asking one thing, for me to be honest. And that was not too difficult to do with friends. :) 7


Editorial: the big change

People may have noticed that there have been a number of changes imple-mented during the recent semester. The most prominent change that has been implemented is the restructur-ing of the positions within each de-partment. But what are they for? How have these affected the organization? What will become of AIESEC after this change?

THE CHANGE

As a whole, AIESEC is transitioning from a highly departmentalized system to a team-based system. To elaborate, a team-based system utilizes teams in order that tasks are not anymore lim-ited to one task but a group of tasks geared toward the holistic learning of an individual. This is so that when the person decides to take on higher lead-ership positions; the individual would

more or less know how to direct his/her subordinates. 8

The previous semester was geared mostly in revamping the Incoming Ex-change department. Instead of a group being limited to matching, marketing or servicing, the department was par-titioned by account. The partitioning does not only serve the AIESEC mem-ber but also the trainees as the transi-tioning from task to task would be done by an individual, thus better relation-ships between the exchanger and the trainee. This was all done in the hope that both the exchanger and the trainee would grow in their work and find mean-ing in it.

Other departments have also started adopting the team-based structure. Outgoing Exchange (OGX) has now made a recruitment team to smoothen the flow from matching to realizing. People development has changed to Talent Management (TM) to make way for a new program called the Talent Management Initiative (TMI). It’s basi-

cally done so that the members could learn how to lead individuals with vari-ous capabilities. Lastly, External Rela-tions (ER) has been strengthening its communications department and one of its major endeavors was the Market-ing Bash.

THE REASON

In the previous years, AIESEC UPD has always been the top performing lo-cal committee of AIESEC Philippines. However, growth in the local committee has been stagnating while the other lo-cal committees in AIESEC PHES have been growing exponentially. This in fact shows the reality that as Mark Parker, former CEO and president of Nike says, “Anybody who takes their competition for granted ends up watching them from behind.” In effect, the change was first and foremost prompted by compla-cency.With this complacency, the executive

Why the Need to Restructure?


board further felt that the burnouts with-in departments and across departments were worsened by the lack of growth. Work distribution was pretty much un-even given that some tasks are harder to do than others. With the new system, the executive board hoped that the jobs would be less monotonous and with the diversity of tasks, the person would be able to really grow as an individual and find meaning in their work. They want the AIESECers to feel that they have reaped the fruits of the labor, and in doing so, become effective agents of change.

Furthermore, there really wasn’t any-thing that clearly set AIESEC apart from the other organizations. The unique selling proposition of AIESEC was not clearly defined so by doing the change, in a way it helps realign AIESEC to its essence and that is activating leader-ship. By giving the members control in a number of tasks, they could feel a cer-tain ownership towards their tasks. This was manifested in the initial change of the ICX department because by build-ing on exchange, the organization builds upon the department that sets it aside from other organizations.

Lastly, the change was also influenced by the top performing local committees of AIESEC International. The executive board has been doing some extensive research and they learned that what AIESEC can do is so much more than what UPD has been used to. It is a good way for AIESEC to look forward by try-ing to adapt the things other local com-mittees are doing to expand AIESEC UPD’s horizons.

THE SPEED BUMP

In implementing change, the organiza-tion got too caught in the change that essential steps were overlooked thus speeding the change at an unhealthy rate. By the start of the semester, the organization adopted projects from

AIESEC PHES that were taken in or-der to boost exchange numbers. How-ever, due to a lack of thorough planning rooted on the lack of proper explana-tion from AIESEC PHES, the ICX de-partment experienced inefficiencies. In a nutshell, while implementing change, the department took on too much, which inadvertently burned out its members instead of lifting them of their heavy loads. The lack of manpower really took a toll on the teams as they struggled with the bulk of trainees and their list of complaints.

Because the focus also went to ICX, the other department’s endeavors were not as supported as they should have been. One of the bigger concerns was that the LC did not give much pre-planning sup-port to the Bash. The need to make a formal organizing committee was there and yet it was not fulfilled. This pushed ER to do most of the work and they too were burned out. TM’s problem was the big bulk of applicants that they took in despite the members having a ton of work to do.

Managing change is always tough. Be-fore implementing the change, proper planning of the gradual change of events is needed. Also, communica-tion lines should not be compromised. Lastly, AIESEC may have failed to con-sider manpower while implementing the change. In excitement of doing better this year, these important factors were ignored and therefore proved detrimen-tal to the health of the departments. What this means is that the change was not as streamlined and gradual as planned.

Furthermore, the change in organiza-tional culture proved to be overwhelm-ing. The lack in proper transition cre-ated tension in the workplace. Since the change was adapted from other countries, a lot of factors could have not fitted the local committee’s current culture. The executive board may have

been aware of this possibility but they were not as prepared as they could have been.

THE FUTURE

At the expense of burnout experi-enced, the organization still produced good results. But since the means were compromised, the organization is now forced to reevaluate the changes it has made and tweak them for the fu-ture. On a positive note, the executive board knew that from the get-go, these reevaluations were inevitable in order to effectively transition the organiza-tion to a better one.

This experience has of course made the organization learned the ups and downs of its plans and hopefully, in the years to come, AIESEC would become bigger, better and stronger than be-fore. The hope of the executive board for AIESEC is to have a streamlined structure down the line where all the troubleshooting to be done in the next few months or years would reap ben-efits for the local committee. There is also new found hope with the larger member base and in them, it is hoped that manpower would not be lacking thus decreasing burnout in the organi-zation.

Lastly, it is hoped that the lines of com-munication between the executive board and its members would not be compromised anymore. Because of the change, communication becomes not only a necessity but the local com-mittee’s blood because without it, the change would experience more tur-bulence than it did in the previous se-mester. The need for transparency is extremely important at this time and with hopefully with what happened, the organization would start to change smoothly into the best local committee not only in AIESEC Philippines but also in AIESEC International. 9


I never knew what AIESEC truly was when I first heard of it. It was two years ago and the organization seemed foreign to me. My friend, who was then an AIESECer, told me in a few phrases that this organization is all about international exchanges and stuff—well there it hit me, the EXCHANGES. After that raw conversation about AIESEC, I suddenly felt the urge to join. However, due to other commitments in life (aka school work) it took two years before I finally convinced myself to join.

When I was formally introduced to AIESEC during the orientation, I reevaluated what I wanted from AIESEC. The list went from Leadership Opportunities, International Exchanges, to Gaining new friends/connections. I never thought of joining conferences because I didn’t think my parents would allow me. When the NLDS 2009 (National Leadership Development Conference) came in sight, I told my parents about it just to update them about the organization. I was shocked when they both agreed to send me to Cebu even if I was just a neophyte and had no intention of coming. So, I obviously felt very excited to come, be motivated and meet new friends.

Attending a leadership seminar is not new to me but attending a leadership seminar for four days at Cebu is something different! As a new member, it took time before I socialized with a number of people. Basically, I am a quiet person in new surroundings; I tend to be very observant. After a while, I got well-along with many people especially my roommates and our Local Committee (LC). The first day focused on in-depth details regarding

AIESEC and some social activities. The speed dating was exhausting yet fun while the Gala night opened doors to connect with members from different LCs.

The second day paved way for more sessions and team-building activities. The Global Village showed the creative juices of AIESECers in presenting different countries. The third day was intense with sessions about AIESEC’s core activities. The Case Competition pressured all teams to give their bests in solving real-life prob-lems of AIESEC. Fortunately, the Binibini Night steamed off all our headaches. The final day of NLDS was more of team-building activities. The Amazing Race was significant for me since our team (Team Van Rouge) won. Motions, Sukebe (gossip), Smashbox (quotable quotes), punishments were all presented here (a good time to get over the seriousness of the seminar).

To tell the truth, my AIESEC experience so far became more meaningful because of the NLDS. It motivated me to pursue my AIESEC dreams and stay active. This short essay cannot enumerate the fun things we have done like the post-stay activities, the AIESEC dance steps and the names of our new friends. I hope that more AIESECers could join the conferences next time so they would feel the kind of joy I’ve felt. Certainly, that first time would truly last.(pictures taken from the author and the AIESEC UPD official website)

12

that first time

By LiezL Meñeznlds 2009 from a new mem's perspective

“It motivated me to pursue my AIESEC dreams and stay active.”


DAY 1 was a Sunday. After picking them up from their hotel, we headed to Gawad Kalinga (GK) for their site visit. It was actually everyone’s first time to visit the GK site. Touring them around was a learning experi-ence not only for them but for us, as well.

We had a hearty lunch at Dencio’s in Trinoma and then headed to In-tramuros for a historical adventure. It really felt like we were on a high school fieldtrip – riding kalesas, vis-iting churches and exploring muse-ums.

Before heading back to the hotel, we went back to Trinoma for sou-venir shopping. Here, we learned about their insatiable fascination for the Filipino culture, especially the jeepneys!

the xciting trip

By MicheLLe MOLaSTruth be told, the AIESEC UPD Philippine Study Tour (PST) almost ended up in shatters after failed attempts at creating partnerships in International Congress 2009 and a lack in demand for post-congress tours. Despite efforts of constantly e-mailing everyone across the globe and utilizing all exchange networks possible, only a handful expressed their interest to join.

It was sad, really. The PST was something we really wanted to do, and yet we felt quite prohibited.

Indeed, AIESEC St. Paul’s in Japan became the saving grace for PST 2009. With their intent of creating direct matches with AIESEC UPD, it immediately felt like we were hitting two birds with one stone:

First, the PST is pushing through! HURRAH!

Second, do I hear potential long-term X Partners? HURRAH EVEN MORE!

Despite bitter beginnings, with Ricoy Padernal and I being twenty minutes late for the airport pick-up (Uh-oh!), we managed to end the PST pretty well, but saying goodbye was bittersweet.

Let’s rewind.

philippine study tour 2009

DAY 2 was our day trip to Laguna to visit ABS-CBN’s BayaniJuan Calauan site, our newest addition to our list of development partners. Our trip was all about serene sceneries, exciting car rides, and of course, the truly unique meal: ISKARGO (Feel free to guess what it is!).

DAY 3 was their meeting with World Youth Alliance and university tour. Since this was already their last day, we made sure to make the most out of the time left. This meant more museums, Razon’s halo-halo, dirty ice cream (which they loved!), AIESEC tambayan visit in the Col-lege of Business Administration, Ikot jeep rides, and, of course, their farewell dinner hosted by the appli-cants then (who are new members now).

DAY 4 was truly a bittersweet day. I went to their hotel in the morning to help them check out. To my sur-

prise, they each left me with per-sonal thank you notes which did not fail to leave me smiling on my way to school.

Overall, PST was one heck of an experience! It makes perfect sense now whenever they say that work-ing for exchange is a fulfilling and life-changing task. Working for PST showed me the BIG difference be-tween merely attending welcome activities and assisting AIESECers in every minute of their stay. De-spite all the trouble, IT IS WORTH IT…OR EVEN MORE.

To our PST team – Angela Nunez, Janice Lindain, Carlo Bautista, Car-lo Go, Issa Matibag, and of course Ricoy – Congratulations! To the EB, members, then-applicant in-terns, everyone who helped make it possible – Thank you!

Sa uulitin!13


Trainee profile

masumi nagata

When she first stepped on Philippine soil, she thought things were not so different from her homeland. “People here are very nice,” Masumi said. “Filipinos are very helpful and very happy.” But the longer Masumi stayed for her internship, she began to see differences, espe-cially in work ethics. “In Japan, it’s very structured and organized. Everything is perfect. Here, it is flexible.”

Back in Japan, Masumi spent one year and a half in Shinshi supplementary private school, and another year and a half in Westwood English School. Al-

though this is her first time to go on exchange with AIESEC, she was an international exchange student for a year at University of Cincinnati back in 2008.

This year, she graduated with a degree from the Department of English and Contemporary Society of Nagoya University of Foreign Studies.

Because of her background in teaching English, Masumi decided to work with a Non-Government Or-ganization in Asia that is related to education. Matched online with Bukid Foundation last May, Masumi started her internship a month later. As part of her job description, she went to Mindoro to teach not only English, but also PE, art, and music. “I learned a lot from my experiences in Mindoro,” the Japanese trainee admitted. “It’s very different there.”

Masumi was by herself in her condominium in Mandaluyong City when one of the strongest typhoons devastated the country. “I didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t know what to do. There was no electricity and no water. But I was fine,” she recalled of the day Typhoon Ondoy struck. “Our area wasn’t hit that bad. I didn’t know it was that bad in other areas.”

It was not all work and no play for Masumi. She said that there were times when Bukid would not have any project for her. Taking advantage of this, she decided to travel around the Philippines. Boracay, Palawan, Bohol and Banawe are just some of her destinations. She’ll spend the remaining days of her stay at a conference in Mindoro. Farewell activities are being arranged for December 11 and 12, when she is available. Masumi recently flew back to Japan last December 13, 2009, and her presence will be missed by her new friends here in the Philippines.

“I wish we spent more time together,” she revealed. “It can get very lonely, and it’s hard to meet new people.” When asked what she thought of AIESECers from UPD, “They’re very nice!” she exclaimed.

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“People here are very nice,” Masumi said. “Filipinos are very helpful and

very happy.”


The Outgoing Exchange (OGX) Team was able to complete yet another successful and produc-tive GIP cycle last semester. The team was able to deliver each step of the GIP process with efficiency and competence. In the first step, a decent number of people were re-cruited to the GIP through a variety of methods administered by OGX. By means of text brigades and an-nouncements in the Yahoo groups, people were able to hear about the upcoming opportunities of the Ex-change program. The OGX team also ran a room-to-room campaign in different buildings in the university such as in Palma Hall (AS) and the College of Arts and Letters (CAL) building. Also, for the first time ever, OGX managed a booth along the AS Walk for a week in order to hand out fliers and collect sign-ups for re-cruitment. In August, OGX then held the Glob-al Internship Orientation Seminar in the College of Business Administra-tion (CBA) building, which served as an introduction of the GIP to the potential Exchange Partners (EPs). In the seminar, different of-ficers of AIESEC UP-Diliman (UPD) talked about the GIP process and the benefits to be gained in joining the program, while some other peo-ple talked about their experiences from joining the GIP. Karl Molina, a Family Life and Child Develop-ment major in UP Diliman, shared his internship story in Malaysia where he taught poor kids. Another is Chang Huan, a Chinese Cultural Envoy for Exchange Development, who talked about AIESEC and her numerous internship escapades in different places around the globe. The potential EPs were able to hear

many stories of GIP experiences. After a few weeks, OGX then ad-ministered the pre-selection inter-views which served as a preliminary assessment of the EP’s worth at the Exchange. Around twenty potential EPs had come for the interview, and were then screened by different people from the AIESEC Executive Board (EB) and the OGX Executive Board.

However, the GIP cycle is not all serious business alone. The EP ap-plicants were also given the chance to meet and greet their co-apps, and these were through the learn-ing activities that were provided for them. Last semester, OGX interns from teams B7 Recruitment and Se-lection, and B9 Korean Exchange organized a get-together. The event was called “Pop Goes the EP’s!” and held at Kenny Rogers, Katipu-nan. The day was loaded with per-formances, audio-visual presenta-tions, and of course, good food! There was also a mini quiz show

regarding the Global Internship Program and AIESEC International which was purposely included in the program to evaluate the knowl-edge of the EP applicants. Every-one who attended the event had a fantastic, fabulous, and fun learn-ing experience!

Another highlight of the GIP pro-cess is Ambies’ Day. This is where applicants from different local com-mittees (LCs) gather. The event was hosted by the Ateneo de Ma-nila University and took place at the Miriam College. One of the sig-nificant parts of the event was the sharing of experiences from some of the interns from China, Poland and Indonesia. They recount how their internships gave them their most treasured memories and made them reach their full poten-tials. The Ambies’ Day surely did amplify their eagerness and devel-op their understanding regarding the GIP – how it changed the lives of the participants and how they brought back these changes to the world. After these series of preparations and learning activities, around 40 EP applicants, 10 coming from UPD, stepped into GIP cycle’s final stage, the Review Board Interview (RBI). They were interrogated by a panel that was comprised of LC EB’s, Member Committee EB’s, EP’s and Trained Externals. The RBI started at 9 in the morning and ended at 4 in the afternoon. The panelists went through a rigid de-liberation to decide which of the ap-plicants would make the cut. Seven people passed the interview; four of them were finally raised.

gaining that global perspective

By Ma. criSeLda SeBaStian and JuStin aLeJandriathe global internship program cycle

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members of the month: October

feliz axalan

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Our Member of the Month for the Month of October has not only shown passion and dedication in handling their current positions and projects, but she has made it a point get to know the different aspects of AIESEC by attending the events and projects of the other departments.

Get to know Feliz Axalan and find out what makes her truly special!

Name: Feliz Gracielle Z. Axalan Nickname: Feliz Birthday: May 11, 1990 AIESEC Position: Chief Training Officer, OCVP for Services and Reception Favorite Color: Red Who is your Idol? Why do you idolize him/her? Ninon de Lonclos, ‘cause she can get what she wants with a play of words. What drives/motivates you? About what?

About AIESEC: People who also want to grow in AIESEC like I do.

About life: The fact that I’m still alive and the clock continues to tick motivates me to move like now’s gonna be the last.

About love: You don’t love because something motivates you. It comes out natu-rally without conditions. If you had one million pesos to spend, what will you spend it on?On making a farm. What is your most memorable AIESEC moment?All the unplanned/spontaneous events spent with AIESEC people. What is your most rewarding AIESEC experience? Why?Getting any job done is the most rewarding for me. It gives me a sense of fulfill-ment. What is your wish for AIESEC?For members to start caring about the growth of those who need it more. What are your current projects that we can look forward to this semester?None as of the moment but I can take in appointments. What is your message to your fans?Good luck this semester. :) I expect you to be in the Services and Reception project!


audrey elumbaThe External Relations Committee has produced great members thus far this year. The month of October is no different. The member of the month is given only to the most ac-tive of members who deserve to be recognized for their achievements. This title rightfully goes to Audrey Louise Javellana Elumba for her passion, dedication and hard work for AIESEC. Here are a couple of testimonials to the cuteness, effectiveness and excellence that Audrey is:

Audrey Louise Javellana Elumba has shown amazing AIESEC potential from the very beginning. After coming out on top during the AIESEC application process, she continued to show passion and dedication in her work as both Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Organizing Committee President for Marketing Bash as driven by her vision to make AIESEC an even greater organization.

I’ve been in AIESEC for nearly four years now and these four years have allowed me to meet a lot of very good (maybe even great) people. Counted among these individuals and counted among one of the most dedicated AIESECers and marketers I’ve met is Audrey Elumba. Without her dedication and passion for marketing and for AIESEC, UPD would not have lived through this year and projects would have been left underwater. This is no understatement. Audrey’s contributions and skill with marketing and ER are attributes that I really respect and even look up to. :)Crisette ArcillaAIESEC UPD Local Committee President

Audrey is one of the biggest reasons why ER is what ER is right now. She sports the walk more than the talk; does the job more than the blab. She personifies a true AIESECer – an agent of positive change. She is every AIESECer’s dream co-worker. She is Audrey.Joan FlorentinoVice President for External Relations

October is Audrey Elumber’s month. :)) and October-November are months of the market-ing bash! No other member worked as hard for the bash as compared to Audrey.Princess dela PazDirector for Projects

She even spends more time with ER than with me, or anyone else for that matter. Haha!Paolo AgbayaniOrganizing Committee President for Recruitment

It’s obvious to any updated member of AIESEC that Audrey Elumba is a dedicated and hardworking member of the organization. Working closely with her only gives me a better glimpse of this. Marketing is no easy job, but Audrey does it with so much passion. It’s inspiring. I think it’s great that the organization is recognizing Audrey for all that she’s self-lessly given. Hopefully, Audrey will continue to lead us, her fellow AIESECers, in promot-ing the values of AIESEC not only when it comes to work, but in her driven and pro-active lifestyle. Congratulations, Audrey!! Ang sweet ko naman, palibre naman diyan.Alyanna ApacibleAssistant Vice President Alumni Relations

No mentor could be prouder than me! Audrey is one of the most hard-working, passionate, dedicated and really reliable people I know. She has paved such a great path for marketing as well as AIESEC’s future. Ang lovable pa niya GO AUDREY! Love you!!!Claudia RiveraExternal Relations Services and Reception Officer

As one of the longer-staying members of the organization, I have been following the prog-ress of the most active members and Audrey is definitely one of the most if not the most active member of AIESEC UPD. Audrey has an impeccable talent for marketing and really loves her craft. Marketing is usually boring but she puts a lot of pep into what she does and it amazes me at how innovative she gets. She gives so much to the org and her only reward is a job well done. For that, I’m proud of our Audrey.Daniel de JesusNewsletter Editor-in-Chief

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