Human beings are born to discover. Just look at infants who already want to touch, smell, hear, and taste everything around them before they even celebrate their first birthday! As we grow older, this innate hunger for knowledge is fulfilled by educational institutions that fill our minds with various information. However, many of the data – including complex equations, formulas, historical dates, and scientific facts -- are often forgotten or merely stored and not fully understood.

In fact, numerous studies show that people lose that spark of curiosity through years of learning via rote memorization and repetitive instruction. You see, when we focus too much on what we learn, and not why and how we learn it, creative thinking can become inhibited.

This is a significant point, especially in today’s fast-paced, lateral-thinking, and creative-driven world. Yes, traditional methods of education may have produced some of history’s most brilliant minds, but in the past two decades, there has been a radical shift in terms of equipping students with effective skills for real-world success. Under uniform conditions, learning systems that emphasize strict standardization may be ideal but, as many of us know now, not all students learn the same way.

According to Sandy Arellano, a passionate educator at Montessori de San Juan School and an advocate of progressive type of learning, what is happening now is that schools and parents are too fixated on good academic performance. “I can tell you through years of experience, however, that doing well in school is the natural result of a happy, motivated, and well-adjusted student,” she emphasized. “So why not focus diligently on the cause, rather than the effect?”

Part of Montessori de San Juan’s core objectives, explained Arellano, is to address the downsides of traditional schooling that often result in lethargic, poor-performing children. These drawbacks include:

• over-scheduled students

• too much note-taking and not enough attention to actual lessons

• over-cramming information in a short period of time

• an unreasonable amount of homework that often goes unsupervised during the actual process of completion

• a one-size fits all mentality for learners

“Are our students less busy or less equipped?” asked Arellano. “Quite the opposite. Our children have such a love for learning, and a genuine excitement to go to school and practice what they are taught, that they consistently end up scoring higher than their peers in standardized tests.”

Moreover, she believes that schools should likewise make a determined effort to provide students with an environment that makes them feel empowered rather than constrained. “Each student is an individual, and different from all others. Children have their own special way of learning and understanding things,” noted Arellano. “Attempting to fit all of them into a rigid and standardized structure may not maximize their full potential.”

Reasonably, a small class size is vital for teachers to know the needs of each and every student. In Montessori de San Juan, there are around 150 students from grades 1 to 12, with approximately 12-15 students per class. With small groups like these, it becomes easier to gauge whether a child is a visual, tactile, or auditory learner. From there, teachers can better assess their approach to the students.

Arellano added that another education issue nowadays is too much time spent presenting material to students, leaving very little time for practice, which leads to piles of homework. “In our school, everything is worksheets, modules, and hands-on activities related to the subject matter.” Moreover, in the classroom setting, students are grouped in wider age spans, namely 3-6, 7-9, and 10-12 to help them form relationships and bonds with kids of different ages.

As students get older, the teaching method becomes semi-progressive and the setup semi-traditional, adding textbooks into the mix. With age also comes a bit of homework kept at a minimum since teachers assess their students through classroom performance. “Our classroom activities involve 90 percent application and only 10 percent discussion, so a lot of the kids are able to see the practicality and the use of the subject matter they are learning,” explained Arellano. “We try to show them the direct applications to what they are learning.”

With numerous success stories regarding progressively educated children, Montessori de San Juan is gaining quite a reputation as an elite institution. The school, however, remains grounded in its mission to cultivate students who love learning so much, and learn so well, that they will be able to learn whatever needs to learned in the future. With these indicators, the school is definitely and successfully fulfilling its goals.

Learn more about Montessori de San Juan by calling 725-6306 or 239-1102 or visiting montessoridesanjuan.com.ph 

These days, more and more people are turning to entrepreneurship to reach their financial goals. Unfortunately, not everyone succeeds because they failed to keep in mind the important things they should do when starting and managing a business.

attendees of the seminar (that's me in the yellow shirt)

Recently, I attended an Ephesians Management Corporation seminar entitled Creating Wealth and Managing Finances held at the Alabang Country Club to further my knowledge on handling my personal finances and be wiser as an income earner.  There, I gained a lot of insights and tips from speaker Jose Feron "Dodong" Cacanando, owner of Moriah Farms located in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon and founder of Semilya sa Kinabuhi, Inc., a foundation that aims to bring the Bible and the church to where people work -- in their businesses and in their farms.

Here are six valuable lessons he shared about starting a business and managing it from then on:

1. Always know and start with what you have. Disclaimer: I arrived late and didn't get to hear his explanation about this tip. But, I think this meant capitalizing on the things you already have and using them to earn money. In my case, this translates to me having a laptop and the ability to weave words which led to accepting writing and editing jobs from clients as well as blogging projects.

2. Work, work, work, work. And remember that while your income increases, you should be able to even lower your expenses. "In the past, there are less crimes because people were busy working," described Sir Dodong. "Work is a very important part of life. You get more money if you spend more time working. Additionally, do not spend money you do not have."

3. Set financial targets. "If you want your business to prosper, you have to focus on the profits," he advised citing the Bible story of Joseph who prepared for the impending seven years of famine in Egypt. Sir Dodong recommends to not only think in terms of 'income - expenses = profit.' "Set your profit target and know what you need years from now." For instance, preparing for your child's education early because that would entail big expenses.

4. Pay yourself first. "Because you want to buy your future," he reasons. "Bring down your expenses and have an 'income - savings = expenses' mindset."

5. Work on a budget by knowing your actual expenses and finding which of these you can further cut down. "Challenge your expenses!" encouraged Sir Dodong. "Look at the budget not to ask 'Are you on budget?' but to know 'What else can we bring down?'" If you're having difficulties in budgeting, he suggests going back to the basics and using the envelope system to physically manage your money. "This is still the best budgeting tool and I continue to use it." To learn more about the envelope system, read this post.

Sir Dodong also advises to remove 'leakages' or else the wheel of your life will become flat. "Leakages are vices like cigarettes and liquor, as well as regular cups of expensive coffee and even cell phone loads. They rob you of your capacity to create wealth!" Still, it's also not good to be always depriving ourselves of little treats or luxuries. So he clarifies that if you really want to buy something, learn to save up and wait until you can buy it. Do not make hasty or impulse purchases.

6. Regenerate. That means developing new abilities by building upon your current capabilities. For example, if you are good at cooking, you may want to venture into opening a small eatery first before deciding to operate a restaurant. "Start small. A business does not grow because of money but because of abilities. Use your savings to grow your means first. Later, your business will grow according to your abilities because opportunities come to those who are ready."

Keep updated on upcoming Ephesians Management Corporation events by liking and following https://www.facebook.com/EMCTRAININGS/.

Healthy competition brings about fun and learning. That's what student participants get when they join JOLLY University (JU), a yearly event that offers unforgettable experiences in developing their culinary, entrepreneurial, and leadership skills as future culinary and industry leaders. 

Now on its fourth successful year, JU once more empowers the youth as it fosters industry-ready competitiveness as well as cooperative relationships among students and institutions in the promotion of culinary excellence and business innovation.

A steep and well-fought encounter took place at the Le Pavilion Tent in Pasay City last week with 120 elite finalists from 23 different schools who pulled out their best and most creative JOLLY-inspired dishes. Clinching the coveted titles in the different divisions were the following winners: 

With the theme "It's More JOLLY in the Philippines," JU was held in conjunction with the Grand Cook-Off and the JOLLY Congress. I had the pleasure of hearing very inspiring talks by Bryan Kong of Crazy Katsu, film director Ivan Payawal, nutritionist Cheshire Que, Philippine Star's VBerni Regalado, and Jose Mari Oquinena of Gawad Kalinga. I am sure the students got a lot of tips from them as well about life, health, and even love for country.

Ralph Rebulanan, Associate Product Manager of JOLLY Food Line, shared, "We believe in fostering competitiveness, innovation, and entrepreneurship skills through programs that support youth development is a great investment that leads to positive outcomes both for the next generation and for the country."

What he said was affirmed by JU elite finalist Francis Marion Santos of Centro Escolar-Manila, who expressed being thankful and honored to be part of JU batch 4. "The hands-on training, coaching tips, and mentorship by the esteemed chefs gave me and the others a huge confidence boost." 

This year's JU grand winners walked away with P50,000 worth of cash and prizes, trophies, culinary training workshop under CCA Manila, and an internship program under Fly Ace Corporation where they will receive comprehensive, job-ready skills development training from the industry's best practitioners. 

Despite the advances in technology in previous years, many Filipinos still encounter problems when it comes to securing and even keeping important documents safe. In fact, I have relatives who had to go back and forth to different government agencies just to find a missing birth certificate or have one modified due to one or more errors made many, many years ago.

At home, there are parents who neglect to keep all pertinent papers in one place such that when their kids need this or that document, the house is figuratively turned upside down just to find it. Expectedly, this bad habit wastes a lot of time and energy as well as causes stress.

As someone who is quite OC in keeping files organized, I am personally glad to find out about SIKAP, which stands for School Immersion and Key Advancement Program. This is an advocacy of Canon Philippines, in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and Marylindbert International, that stresses the importance of effective archiving and history.

SIKAP's main objective is to provide students, teachers, and parents a better perspective on how to take proper care of pertinent and important documents that are relevant to their daily lives. SIKAP also aims to help them recognize and to reinforce knowledge and skills in both digital and physical archiving while also affording them easy access to high quality printing and scanning devices that allow the enrichment of academic and creative skills.

In his keynote speech, DepEd Regional Director for NCR, Dr. Ponciano A. Mengito, pointed out the need to teach students the value of archiving as it complements the mission of DepEd to provide accessible and quality education for every learner.  

Mr. Lim Kok Hin, President and CEO of Canon Philippines, likewise explained that their advocacy aims to see every student knowing his past, living in the present, and moving forward to the future. "With awareness, knowledge, and recognition of the value of archiving, we are assured that all pertinent documents of our daily lives are cared for," he emphasized citing Birth Certificates, Marriage Contracts, Insurance Papers, School Records, and Contracts, as some of the documents some people usually take for granted until the need for them arises.

"Imagine the loss of valuable data if the the school's records gets inundated with flood waters," illustrated Mr. Kok Hin. "With proper storage and archiving, these unfortunate scenarios can be avoided."

Held in DepEd Quezon City, the launch highlighted the sealing of the partnership amongst Canon, DepEd, and Marylindbert International along with the official handover of materials to teachers and a couple of students. SIKAP will be piloted in selected schools in the National Capital Region. Teaching guides and learning tools will be given for free to all participating schools. 

In attendance at the formal launch are Canon Senior Director Mr. Jose Abelardo I. Bolima and Marketing Manager Ms. Kristine Adeline D. Dacanay. Representing Marylindbert International were President and CEO Linda S. Legaspi and Vice President Mr. Alberto B. Rosal.

Also present were DepEd's Dr. Wilfredo E. Cabral, Schools Division Superintendent and OIC Office of the Assistant Regional Director; Dr. Paraluman Giron, K-12 Curriculum Consultant; Mr. Pier Angelo Alejo, MFIT Values Education; Atty. Wade Latawan, Chief, Legal Administrative, QC Division; Dr. Jocelyn Marcial, Chief of PESS, Schools Division NCR Superintendent; Supervisors; and School Principals.   

If someone were to ask you right now to produce a copy of your transcript of record from college, your NSO Birth Certificate, or your NBI Clearance, would you be able to find it within five minutes? How proficient are you at home in the archiving department? Do share your thoughts in the comments section below this post  :)

   

I learned to cook proper meals when I became a wife and mom more than 20 years ago. It's one of the ways I show my love for my family -- to provide them with delicious and nutritious meals that I enjoy making in the kitchen.

One of my pet peeves though is having to use dull knives. Most times, trying to sharpen existing ones that were poorly made would just give us damaged blades. Some knives also break off from their handles. So, over the years, my husband and I kept buying various types of knives that could help us be more efficient in preparing and cooking meals. 

Imagine how glad I am to finally be able to attend a Knife Skills Class at Gourdo's where I learned so much about knives! The class featured Wüsthof knives, which are being manufactured in Solingen, Germany for over 200 years.

A very chosen few are gifted with the talent for art and it is heartwarming to know when someone with that gift uses it not only for personal expression but, more so, for making a difference.

Korina Carla “KC” Nevada became aware of her innate artistic abilities when she learned ballet as a very young girl. Her natural gravitation into theater arts helped KC understand herself better as well as how to interpret the world around her. Painting became the springboard from which her style of passion-based art evolved. 

Born and raised in Baguio City, KC took her first painting lessons at age eight under local renowned artist, Ted Caia. This began her understanding of the technique, balance, and harmony in painting.

Move on … that's what young Filipinos nowadays would say after a relationship breaks up. That's actually good advice when you consider how liberating it could be to leave the pain and heartaches behind. Still, it's easier said and done. I know. I've been there, too, many years ago :) 

Songwriters are fortunate because many of them can translate their pain into music. Take Taylor Swift as a very good example. Just think of the many "hugot" songs she has composed by now that turned into bestselling hits! 

This 2016, the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, Inc. (FILSCAP), the sole and official music copyright society in the Philippines, together with Pioneer, one of the top life and non-life insurance companies in the country, are proud to launch the FILSCAP Campus Caravan. This is a series of talks that aims to guide aspiring musicians at the college level in the different aspects of songwriting. 

FILSCAP Campus Caravan is to be held in different campuses which include De La Salle University-Manila, San Beda College Alabang, UP Diliman, University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo De Manila University, University of Makati, and Ateneo de Davao. Each visit is set to have a songwriting workshop talk to be conducted by well-known Filipino singers-songwriters via face-to-face sessions while also introducing the collaboration's #MoveOnLang Songwriting Competition.

One of things I regret not learning early in life is proper personal finance management. I wish I knew more about wise budgeting, saving, and investing when I started working and receiving salaries. I believe that would have effectively guided me and my husband in handling our finances better when we got married and started a family 23 years ago.

we all want the best for our families the question is: what are we doing about it? photo credit: www.woodcome.com

Still, it's never too late to learn anything as long as you're willing to do so and we've pursued financial literacy (read my related blog posts, here) with a passion when we were finally introduced to it several years ago. As a parent, I am thankful that I can now to help steer my children towards making good financial decisions while they are still young. The learnings never stop though and I always welcome new opportunities to know more about eventually achieving financial freedom someday.

This coming first week of October, the Philippine Life Insurance Association (PLIA) is marking "Life Insurance Consciousness Week"with a string of activities aimed to further boost financial literacy in the country and help Filipinos understand how life insurance can help us fulfill all our life goals.

PLIA President Gregorio Mercado acknowledges that financial literacy among Filipinos remains low thus the need to constantly address this concern. "PLIA strives to contribute to the Insurance Commission's efforts to propagate the importance of financial literacy," he explained. "Moreover, it's a building block for nation-building, because teaching Filipinos how to manage their finances better with the help of different instruments, such as life insurance, will certainly boost our economy."

representatives of FALIA with Commissioner Dooc (second from left) and PLIA President Gregorio Mercado (third from left)

It can be hard to imagine how life is with a family member who has special needs -- until, perhaps, you spend some time to take a peek into our daily lives and see how we exactly face the challenges of parenting a special child.

But why would you need to do that, you ask? The thing is, a lot of people still find it hard to accept others who are differently-abled and are resistant about including persons with special needs into the mainstream population. 

A compassionate society -- this is where the vision and mission of the Center for Possibilities Foundation (CPF) revolves. The organization was formed 10 years ago by Dolores Cheng, whose son Andreas (now 22) was diagnosed with Global Developmental Delay when he was three years old. "There were no support groups for his particular type of disability. I didn't know where to go, who to see, where to find what I needed to know," she recalls. 

What do former House Speaker Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte, Blas Ople, Wigberto Tanada, and Alberto Romulo have in common? All of them are alumni of Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU)! These men, and countless others, are just a few of the Filipinos who helped forge the Philippines' political foundation and the government on which this country now stands. 

MLQU's list of notable alumni

MLQU was founded in 1947 as a law school by Dr. Leoncio Monzon and eighteen other lawyers and justices. Formerly known as Manuel L. Quezon Institute, the establishment later received university status in 1958 and started offering several other undergraduate courses such as Architecture, Engineering, Education, Arts and Sciences, and Criminology. 

former House Speaker Sonny Belmonte

Let's admit it. Very few of us know how to do proper financial planning. On our own, it will take a lot of time to self-educate ourselves on how best to manage our personal finances along with planning for a secure future. Sure, there are self-help books, seminars, and courses we can enroll in to learn more about handling our finances but it will greatly benefit us to get help from an expert we can directly talk to about budgeting, investing, etc.

personal finance planning can be tricky if you don't know how to go about it properly

a Financial Advisor is someone you can trust and be comfortable with

"People leave managers, not companies." 

"Employees don't leave organizations, they leave bad bosses."

"Workers resign from their jobs because of their leaders."

However one wants to say it, the idea in these statements is the same. Majority of dissatisfied workers resign from their jobs because they couldn't stand their superiors anymore. That happened to me in the past; several times, in fact. This is one of the reasons why I totally love being a freelancer -- because I can choose who to work with.

No matter how much we like our jobs, sometimes, we end up leaving a company due to supervisors and managers who don't treat us well. The funny thing is, only a handful of bosses still seem to recognize this truth! 

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Sir Ronald Mascariñas, President and General Manager of Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI) during my trip to Cebu and I learned so many things from him about running a business, the huge benefits of treating employees well, and other interesting stuff about the Philippine economy. 

Many would agree that mostly anything French sounds and feels elegant. After all, it is a country known for sophisticated fashion and food. French Cuisine, in particular, is considered one of the first established culinary traditions in the world. Its contributions to cuisines of other countries have actually become the template for contemporary culinary training.  

Today, with Filipino cuisine finally becoming popular internationally, the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA Manila) believes it is timely to hinge on a great culinary tradition to create world-class chefs. Thus, with the aim of establishing world-class culinary education in the Philippines, CCA and the Institut Culinaire Disciples Escoffier (ICDE) of Hong Kong have entered a groundbreaking academic partnership to pioneer classic French Cuisine training in the country. The collaboration is ICDE's first for Southeast Asia. 

It is exciting to know that three ICDE chef-instructors will handle all culinary classes and programs related to French Cuisine, starting with the Disciples Escoffier Diploma in Culinary Arts, a six-month program that could be expanded with shorter courses in French Cuisine for amateurs and professionals. Students can expect state-of-the-art classrooms and facilities at the new CCA Makati campus to accommodate the course requirements. Classes will start this April.

a toast for new beginnings

To celebrate its 60th year in business, Filinvest Development Corporation (FDC) staged Run for a Child 2016, a charity run in Filinvest City, Alabang last January 10. The event benefitted scholars of the Educational Research and Development (ERDA) Foundation.

Following two successful charity runs held by the Filinvest Group in 2005 and 2009 where a total of P8.2 million was raised, this year's run included Filinvest Group employees, their families and friends, Filinvest City locators and tenants, and corporate partners. For each participant, Filinvest donated the corresponding amount needed to send one child to school for a year. 

My husband and I joined more than 1,000 registered participants of the fun run last Sunday. After the race, we attended the program held at the Filinvest Tent where ERDA Foundation accepted P6 million worth of donation, symbolizing Filinvest's 60th anniversary. The amount will support the educational needs of 660 elementary scholars, 660 high school scholars and 60 college scholars of ERDA Foundation for one school year. The donation was made through Filinvest Corporate City Foundation and Andrew Gotianun Foundation. 

Our youngest son is an incoming Grade 11 student. Until last week, my husband and I were as confused as many other Filipino parents as to what awaits the first batch of students who are now required to undergo two more years of basic education before they can graduate from high school.

enlightened parents

The Philippine education equation of 6 or 7 years in elementary + 4 years in high school + 4 years in college no longer holds true for Filipino youngsters. In the K-12 framework, beginning SY 2016, kids have to undergo 6 years in elementary + 6 years in high school with diplomas only to be issued if students finish 12th grade.

The first time I heard about this mandate, my first questions were: "Can our school systems handle this what with the never-ending problems of insufficient classrooms and lack of competent teachers year in and year out? Why burden parents with paying for high school tuition fees for another two years? What benefits, really, would this system give our children?"  

I finally found answers when I visited Global City Innovative College (GIC) last week. Finally, I've met people in the education system who can clearly explain what K-12 is all about!

According to Engr. Mike Tan, GIC President, "Senior high school will allow our graduates to meet the global standard requirement of 12 years of basic education. It will let Filipinos be globally competitive. Those who want to work abroad will not have to take additional state examinations or certifications and will receive commensurate compensation."

GIC's Mackintosh room

Education is a basic right. Unfortunately, not all kids get to avail of this very important tool they need for their future. This is why I strongly support advocacies that help educate young Filipinos and give them better chances of being successful individuals and upright citizens when they grow up. 

In 2013, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines and Teach for the Philippines formed a partnership that introduced FEMSA's flagship education program in the country. Coordinates for Life is a series of training modules created for children and young adults so they can develop and strengthen their decision making skills, as well as decrease their vulnerability when faced with difficult situations.

The modules address issues such as healthy lifestyles, bullying, and culture of lawfulness, among others. The program furthermore provides training support for parents, teachers and mentors through lectures and workshops to help them be better equipped to participate more actively in children’s holistic development as they go through various stages in life. 

Coordinates for Life is designed around 16 life skills, which include assertiveness, empathy, understanding consequences, peer pressure, anger and stress management, among others. Aside from imparting decision making skills, the program likewise aims to promote better communication and self-awareness. 

Clarissa Delgado and Juan Dominguez

Learning by doing -- that's what we need to properly keep in mind the lessons we need to help us become better decision makers. Knowing about personal finance is a continuous process for me because I know I still have a lot to learn. However, listening to speakers and reading books on financial literacy is not enough. We need to take action and apply the things we learn. Otherwise, all those learnings go to waste.

playing Praxis is fun and educational!

One big step my husband and I took a few years back was finally getting Sun Life Variable Universal  Life Insurance (VUL) coverages to ensure our children's protection in case something happened to one, or both, of us. That decision came from a lot of research and inquiries from financial experts. Still, there are many other plans that we've yet to fulfill but which we know we'll get to in time.

I feel fortunate to have had access to a lot of learning events and would really like to see more people become interested in financial planning that, sadly, is not really taught in schools despite its importance in our lives. I think Praxis is one great way for individuals to see why we need financial education. 

the Praxis board game

Praxis is a board game designed to make financial literacy fun and engaging. Launched by Sun Life Grepa Financial, Inc. (SLGFI), this breakthrough way of creating conversations about money simulates real-life events -- such as getting promoted, catching illnesses, and losing a job -- to force players to make financial decisions amid different economic cycles. 

With Praxis, you'll get to do basic financial processes like budgeting and saving, as well as the more complex ones like investing in stocks and protection planning. Just like in real life, a roll of the dice can determine your situation -- you can suddenly lose your job or be promoted, you can get sick and need hospitalization, a rich relative may die and leave you a huge inheritance, or the stock market could crash and wipe out your investments. 

my starting assets

I have several reasons why Quezon City is close to my heart. It is where I was born and where I first worked right after college graduation. I lived by myself in the Frisco area for almost a year when I was a fresh grad trying to make sense of adulthood and "the real world." 

I still have to see a lot of places and landmarks in Quezon City so I was really glad to be invited to The Quezon Heritage House a few days ago. Armed with a passion to be more immersed in Philippine History as inspired by the blockbuster Heneral Luna movie, I consider it serendipitous to find myself in this place that's filled with significance.

There, I learned that the house was actually transferred from its original location in Gilmore Street, New Manila to the Quezon Memorial Circle.  I like what I read just inside the front door: "[This house is] a testament to a bygone era so inextricably entwined with the birth of an independent nation." That is a beautiful description!   

Aside from insuring Filipinos and the things we value most, Pioneer has also been advocating for the artistic community through insurance coverage and sponsorships. The life and non-life insurance company, established in 1954, has already supported theater plays such as Miss Saigon, The Little Mermaid, and Trumpet's N.O.A.H. 

Last year, Pioneer rolled out the Stories of Friendship Video Competition where participants were encouraged to share their take on friendship via a three-minute video. Ateneo de Davao's My Friends Who Ran won first prize.

This year, as a means of continued support for the Filipino talent, the company is holding Pioneer   Stories of Hope Playwriting Competition. This new campaign paves the way for fresh ideas from young, aspiring playwrights who have 'hope-full' stories to tell.