Business Matters issue 07

8/7/2019 Business Matters issue 07

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June 14 - 20, 2010 Email:[email protected] Vol. IV No 0007

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Globl Mttes June 14 - 20, 2010 3


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Helth & Wellness4 June 14 - 20, 2010


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Envionment June 14 - 20, 2010 5


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June 14 - 20, 2010 7


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Opinion8 June 14 - 20, 2010

LITO U. GAGNI

EditorCEFERINO M. ACOSTA IIINews

DENN A. MENESESLifestyle

ROWENA P. FESTINCopy

RAMIL T. SARMIENTOLayout

RAUL S. GONZALEZ, BERNARDO PACHECO,ALFRED SANTIAGO JR., GEORGE T. SIY

Columnists

Business Matters is published Monday to Friday byGrandbooks Publishing with editorial and business address at

50 M.R. Flores St. Extension, Santo Rosario Kanluran, Pateros,Metro Manila.

Telephones: (632) 628-43-48 Fax: (632) 628-38-82E-mail: [email protected]

EyeOpenerBy BEr PacHEcO


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Motoing June 14 - 20, 2010 9


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10 June 14 - 20, 2010


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T h e

d i c t i o n a r y

d e f i n e s

prudence as

the quality or

state of being

p r u d e n t ;

wisdom in the

way of caution

and provision;

d i s c r e t i o n ;

carefulness; hence, also, economy; frugality. It can also mean good sense,

forethought, acumen.

According to a wise man, prudence is but experience that time bestows

on all men. As the saying goes, experience is the best teacher. Lifes questions

are mostly answered by having been there, done that; having gone through

the ups and downs, entrances and exits, and all the in-betweens; having

taken to heart every lesson in every season; and emerging a better person

every time.

Ask Prudence endeavors to answer questions about things that matter

at work, in business, about relationships . There is no right or wrong answer,

however; only what good judgment dictates, or common sense necessitates.

Email your questions, reactions, or thoughts to:

[email protected].

Advertising during a recession

Life Matters 11June 14-20, 2010

Love it From page 12)

HOW do you sufficiently

convince businesses that in

recessionary times, advertising

should not be the first thing they

cut, as during these times is when

they need most to express their

special deals and prices to aconsumer base hungry for

bargains?

D. E. Wilson

Mississippi, USA

You are right about your

premise that businesses should

advertise during a recession. Given

that most companies regard

advertising as an expense rather

than an investment, it is the first

thing that they cut when hard times

prevail. So your question basically

is: how do you tell your clients that

when the going gets tough, the

smart ones advertise?First off, it might be a stretch

to ask your clients, albeit politely,

what their reason/s is/are for cutting

advertising, lest they give you the

boot offhand. The rationale here

though is that, the motivation for

advertising during good times may

not be the same motivation to

advertise in slow times.

Be that as it may, you can

perhaps tell them that when

companies cut down on their

advertising during an economic

crisis whether global or local

such a move leaves an empty space

in consumers minds, a void which

any marketing person worth hisPhD would quickly grab at and take

advantage of without a moments

hesitation.

An analogy that I can think of

to compare this scenario with is

going on vacation during the so-

called lean season, when hotels and

resorts are near empty and airline

seats are sold almost at giveaway

prices. Not only do the smart

tourists get the best rates, the best

seats and the best deals which can

translate to at least 50% off of

regular tags but they also get to

go about their business of

sightseeing, shopping, swimming,

dining and what-have-you without

the hassle of being pushed and

shoved around by a multitude of

other people wanting to do the same

thing.

I mean, would you rather not

go on vacation when the airports

are less crowded and there are more

rooms at the inn, so to speak? Stress

levels usually rise when crowds are

thick and service is poor, surely. Not

to mention that you are able to

spend less money on the essentials,

i.e. fares, accommodation, food,

etc., and you have more space tomove around at your own pace,

which are what vacations are all

about anyway.

The same is true with

advertising at a time when

everybody else has opted out. There

is an opportunity a big one,

actually to get your message

across, clearly and cleanly, because

the rest of your competitors are

silent. Not only will your voice be

heard much better because there are

only a few of you speaking, but your

market share will grow wider as

well because consumers will

gravitate to your brand due to the

image of reliability that it is creating

even in the midst of a financial

calamity.

And the latter statement is not

without basis. History books are

replete with studies conducted by

economists, business analysts and

academics during and after past

recessions showing that companies

who decided to make their presence

felt in difficult times are the ones

that achieved growth in sales and

market share. One verifiable bit of

information is the McGraw-Hill

research study of 600 businessestablishments in the US which

concluded that those who

maintained or increased their ad

budgets during the 1981-82

recession experienced a 256%

increase in sales compared to those

who cut their budgets.

have been conducted over the years

to prove that companies should

maintain advertising during a

recession, and its a wonder why not

many marketers are using those

same studies to further their clients

interests. Those same studies

showed that sales and profits

declined at companies that cut back

on advertising, and after the

recessions ended particularly the

ones in 1923 and the 50s they

continued to lag behind those that

maintained their ad budgets. The

bottom line being, slashing

advertising during economic

upheavals can result in both

immediate and long-term negative

results on a companys financial

statements.

Another point that you canadvise your client is the fact that

when there is a collective cut on ad

spending, the demand for ad

services and media exposure drops

correspondingly. And following the

law of supply and demand, the cost

of services will consequently go

down thus providing a strong

justification to undertake

advertising during an unfavorable

business climate. It gives the

company the right opportunity to

say something that is relevant to the

period i.e. special deals, price cuts,

discounts, etc. more efficiently,

with focus on value and quality and,

maybe, new uses for the products

they are selling.

And while were at it, media

outlets (such as yourself, I presume)

would also do well to offer their own

special deals at a time when even

their biggest clients are staying

away from the airwaves and the

printed pages. Special deals such

as bundled ads, goodwill ads, 2+1

or 3+1 offers, hefty discounts, etc.

in other words, deals that will give

more value for your clients money.Essentially, what it all boils

down to is: Let the competition cut

their advertising budget. Maintain

yours, if you cant increase it. And

to paraphrase what one wise guy

said, tough times dont last, but

smart ones do. Play the smart card,

and see what happens.

tables after eating at McDonalds

because we are used to having

someone else clean up behind us.

Maids, we grew up with them at

our beck and call, didnt we. When

we are lazy to reach for a glass of

water sitting at our elbows end,they do it for us, dont they? And

we dont have to be rich to have one

in the household, do we.

They do our laundry, cook our

food, clean our rooms, arrange our

closets, clean the sink, blow off the

cobwebs of our shoddy existence.

Which are exactly the things we do,

less for ourselves but more for other

people, when we depart for greener

pastures or settle in some land of

milk and honey.

Filipino time? Theres no

such thing as arriving fashionably

late for an appointment or event,

elsewhere in the world. Either

youre on the dot or youre kaput.

If anything, we make use of our

waking hours to the max taking

on an extra job to pay the bills and

send money to the folks. On off

days, we do the tedious chores no

one else will do at our dwelling

places. Thus, theres really not

much time to be late for anything

fashionably or not.

We adapt very well,

chameleon-like, to new environ-

ments, taking on an entirely

different way of life like second

skin, assimilating novel cultures

and lifestyles like theres no

tomorrow. We acquire the local

In fact, hundreds of studies

the world does. We fasten seat belts,

stop at intersections, obey traffic

signs, heed traffic enforcers, observe

speed limits, defer to fellow

motorists, and follow common roadcourtesy that is, when we are not

in the countrys chaotic interchange

of tapered lanes and frenzied

highways; when obnoxious drivers

are the rule rather than the

exception, and vehicles run like rats

blinded by the light.

When we are in Singapore,

LA, Toronto, Tokyo or Jeddah, we

cross the streets using pedestrian

lanes, overpasses, as well as

underpasses. We throw away

garbage at designated times and

appropriate places, properly

wrapped and segregated. We do not

toss cigarette butts, candy wrappers,chewing gum residue and paper

scraps any which way but the trash

can.

We queue up at bus and railway

stations, patiently and without

raising a fuss. We dont bother

neighbors with boisterous karaoke

singing, all-night card games,

stereos blaring at mega decibel,

rowdy laughter heard a block away.

We toe the line, conscientiously (no

spitting and vandalizing, for

heavens sake), lest Big Brother

knocks us off our feet. and rams

down our throats a ticket back to

ignominy.

tongue and speak the same like

natives, with a nasal twang to boot,

even if back in high school we

couldnt utter a straight sentence in

English. We change our wardrobe

with the change in seasons,

dressing up in stylish clothesstraight out of Cosmo and Vogue,

strutting around as veritable

fashionista wannabes.

Nothing wrong with all that,

actually. Like it or not, we are

citizens of the world we do fine

out of the box, either by choice or

circumstance, and we pay our dues

faithfully. We stand out in the

international arena as award-

winning artists, champion athletes,

blue-chip professionals, high tech

wizards, ingenious inventors,

excellent seafarers, innovative

designers, multi-skilled workers

at par with, sometimes even

superior to, other races.

Inside the box, however, is

another story. We pull each other

down like crabs racing to get out of

a tight hole. We thump our leaders

like its the only thing we do

everyday, to the point of wanton

disrespect and sheer disregard for

authority. Whatever happened to

the Filipinos vaunted bayanihan

spirit? Where have all the heroes

gone?

What of the very few who run

this benighted land like it is their

sole birth right those whove had

their time at bat, and those who

couldnt wait for their own time to

come? Arent they a cacophonous

mix of graying political has-beens

who think no one else can do better,

and overfed political scions who

think they are Gods gift to Juan de

la Cruz? They have made it their

personal crusade, bordering onobsession, to remove those who are

more corrupt and more dishonest

than they are, day in and day out.

Where have all the smart ones

gone?

Many of them upped and left

the country to break away from

being identified with the Sick Man

of Asia. The few who opted to

remain are securely ensconced in

their private comfort zones, steering

clear of politics, believing it is

beyond them to engage in the

games dirty tricks. And those who

do not have the means to do either

become part of the self-styled silent

majority fence sitters, if you will,

but just minding their own business

and eking out an honest living.

Do migrant Filipinos,

especially the ones who have

acquired another citizenship,

possess the moral ascendancy to

rant and rave about what is

happening in the Philippines while

doing nothing more than just

paying the requisite lip service from

where they snugly sit and watch?

Rizal and Ninoy, nearly a century

removed from each other, decided

to leave the safety and comfort of

Madrid and Boston, respectively; to

face the battle field here, not there,

as it were. They bit the bullet, went

for the jugular, put their money

where their mouths were, and their

deaths fanned the flames of two

disparate revolutions.

On the other hand, Joma and

Jalandoni, ageing ideologues both,prefer to go on living it up in the

Netherlands, in exile so-called;

while their lesser cadres have been

lurching for years and years in the

hinterlands of Samar and Quezon,

the two of them apparently not

sharing the heroic notion that the

Filipino is worth dying for. No way,

Jose, oh no.

Foreigners looking in have a

better perspective of us as a nation

than we have of ourselves. To the

outside world, we are a cheerful,

hospitable people; decent and laid-

back; talented and industrious;

respectful and morally upright;

strong and resilient.

Our country is blest with an

abundance of natural wealth that

other countries only dream about,

and yet we take the first available

chance to leave its shores to find a

better life. In contrast, strangers

who come adrift find it hard to leave

for one reason or another. The

place grows on you, they say, but

we dont know that because we

grew up looking the other way, not

really seeing, never listening.

Only in the Philippines.

Here at home, we dont clear

(Excerpted from the book,

The Heart Is The Matter)


12/12

12 June 14-20, 2010

By ROWENA P. FESTIN

Love it or leave it

THOUGHTS FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY

Taumbayan habitues (left) and paintings on its walls (above).

DO you know what is Pssst na

may dahong sumisilip? Adobong

inihaw? Chicken na lasang sosi?

Have you tried tusok-tusokthe fish

balls and kikiam in a restaurant?

And at the same time enjoyed

watching a ventriloquist or a theater

performance, listened to poetry

reading, sang without fear that

somebody might stab you if you are

out of tune, watched an indie film

showing, looked at paintings or

photo exhibits, or simply sat back,

savored the food and wondered

whatever happened to the old

Kamuning district?

All these things one gets to see

and do in just one intimate venue

called Taumbayan, an intimate bar

in Kamuning, Quezon City, the

perfect hangout for weary minds

and bodies in need of unwinding

after a long, hard day. Evoking the

memories of a collegetambayan as

well as the reminiscences that go

with it but with a decidedly unique

ambiance, it is a place to rewind

and recharge with friends.

Taumbayan is a play on tambayan

and taong-bayan (citizen) and the

place is owned by Joel Saracho, a

theater artist and journalist, and

other theater friends.

The joints walls are white with

mounted pictures and posters; a

c o r k b o a r d

filled with

c o m m u n i t y

announcements,

exhibits and

a c t i v i t i e s

going on at the

moment since

they do not

have a regular

calendar, and a

menu with

dishes that will

make you

c h u c k l e .

Imagine this

list: Pika-pika,Inihaw na

U l a m ,

Kapares sa

I n i h a w ,

Panghimagas,

Panulak, Pampababa, and Toma.

The people who frequent the

restaurant come to eat and talk

about anything from politics to

environment to the latest in film

and fashion, and then go away with

a full stomach and a wide smile.

During the last presidential

election, the place became a

monitoring center and they gave

free iced tea to patrons who voted,

provided they showed their dirty

finger.

But the main reason to visit the

place is the food. It is all Filipino

comfort food, stuff that you caneasily prepare or find at home and

in other regular restaurants, but this

is better, and with more flair.

Imagine the simple Ensalada

Platter, steamed sitaw, okra and

eggplant served with bagoong

balayan. The vegetables are

deliciously sweet and are not soggy

from over boiling. Also a must-try

is Monggo in the Chiti, which is

monggo soup loaded with big

chunks of crispy chicharon and

tinapa. Other interesting

concoctions with equally

interesting names are Nilasing na

Boba, which is actually dinaing satuba na Boneless Bangus, Nilagang

Mooh your nanay style, and

Sinigang na Baba (baboy/baka).

Take all these food with lots of

laughter and stories on the side and

you will feel good for a week. Yes,

just for a week because next week,

you have to recharge again with

friends at Taumbayan. Not because

you are very tired but because you

miss the place and the people.

So how do you go to

Taumbayan? If you are coming

from EDSA, just drive along

Kamuning Road. You will pass

through antique shops, a flea

market, bakeries, pet shops,neighborhood repair shops, dental

clinics, apartment buildings, beauty

parlors, banks, a flower shop, and

spiritual centers. If you are coming

from E. Rodriguez, turn to Tomas

Morato and right turn to

Kamuning. Keep on driving until

you see the Brahma Kumaris house,

thats T. Gener Street corner

Kamuning Road. Drive until the

next corner, and 40 T. Gener marks

the spot. You can also take the

jeepney from Cubao going to

Kamias or Timog and get off at T.

Gener.

Most days one will find Joel

Saracho at the bar, earlier if he does

not have a show or taping, talking

and laughing with costumers most

of whom he knows personally,

sharing interesting and funny

anecdotes, or assisting the staff. One

time, he said he saw a homeless

couple outside the bar reading the

book Dictionary of Art that they

scavenged from the trash. Another

time he saw a carpenter working in

the neighborhood share his baon

with the couple, the spirit of

humanity and bayanihan at work

in ordinary people.

Other times, Joel also performs

for the Taumbayan regulars, being

a theater person and free-lance TV

actor. He is also a member of

Bagong Dugo, a group of theater

actors and musicians dishing outsilly love songs and sillier social

commentaries on current issues.

Using popular tunes which they

twist, rewrite, edit, adapt to suit their

needs, the members of Bagong

Dugo fashion themselves

collectively as a band of progressive,

and nationalistic artists and mass

culture activitists.

But Joels interesting anecdotes

are just an added spice for the place.

The place itself is the spice. And if

you plan on going there, go early

as the place tends to fill up fast. Wi-

Fi is free, so you can upload your

blog posts and update on friends at

Facebook or harvest your Farmville

crops while you are eating your

veggies, laughing with friends or

just taking in the show, the music

and the night in a corner of

Kamuning.

Ta m b a y a n

in t h e c it y

By DENN A. MENESES

Goings-on at Taumbayan (clockwise): Psst na may dahong sumisilip; menu for the books; Lolita Carbon performs;the owner entertains; photographs and memories on the wall.

WATERING HOLES: TAUMBAYAN

ONLY in the Philippines is

a phrase we Filipinos love to parody

ourselves with, often derisively

rather than self-deprecatingly. We

like to think ofthem not us, - as a

peculiar race, rightly or not; an odd

mix of cultural pigeonholes labeled

according to ones own stereotypes;

a bizarre hodgepodge of undesirable

characteristics that put a bad taste

in the mouth or make ones head

drop in disgrace.

The list of undesirables, or a

semblance of it, is rather long

amusing; at times downright funny,

sometimes pitifully so; now and

then inexplicably humiliating, but

always with a tinge of sarcasm that

tells a lot about us as a people. More

is the pity, because instead of raising

the bar of our national

consciousness, we plunge ourselves

deep into the global gutters and

we seem to take immense pleasure

in doing so.

Arent we a masochistic

society? How did we become what

we say we have become anyway?

in the mirror are mere figments of

the imagination. Reality bites,

rather painfully, and truth is often

stranger than fiction. However, to

paraphrase a pundit, it doesnt hurt

to acknowledge once in a while that

this country isnt in flames yet; that

there are people in the Philippines

other than politicians, entertainers

and criminals. That there is hope,

in fact, if only wed start believing

in ourselves more and stop bashing

one another like mad.

What is so wrong, anyway,

high technology and worldwide

diasporas; when good old-

fashioned values have been

seemingly consigned to the

dustbins of history and

acknowledging ones roots has

become such a crying shame?

Discipline is an alien virtue?

The cynic only has to look at Subic

Bohol, to realize that the Filipino

is controllable and manageable

after all. In fact, when we are in

Rome - or elsewhere on the planet -

we do as the Romans do, for fear of

being deported or having ones

fingers cut off.

We drive cars (the latest SUV

model, no less) the way the rest of

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