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AmCham’s
Business Opportunity Program
The BOP is designed for 22 university students entering their senior year. The selection process starts with Amcham requesting leading schools in Metro Manila to nominate up to five business student candidates that demonstrate leadership and academic excellence. This year, for the first time, the Amcham’s Cebu and Amcham’s Davao Chapters sponsored four similar candidates from their region’s leading schools. In the selection process, the students are initially tested by John Clements Consultants, Inc. to assess their English and communication proficiencies. The top 35 to 40 applicants are then invited to a personal interview, conducted by the members of the Amcham’s BOP Committee. From this group, the top 22 candidates are invited to participate in the BOP program. The program has three prime objectives: First objective: to educate the students as to how American companies operate in the Philippines and to also show them the wide variety of businesses operating in the Philippines. This year, the program participants visited Citibank, McCann Erickson, Federal Express, People Support, Procter & Gamble, Dell Computer, Chevron Geothermal (formerly Unocal Philippines), Chevron Malampaya, Chevron Philippines (formerly Caltex Philippines), Cal Energy, Bristol -Meyers Squibb, Comfac Global Corporation and Chevron Holdings Inc. (formerly Caltex Asia Manila Shared Services Center). Second objective: to educate the students about issues facing business today. This was accomplished via the medium of guest speakers. Topics included Leadership by Rick Santos, Amcham President and President/Managing Director, CB Richard Ellis Philippines; an Amcham Overview by Amcham Executive Director, Rob Sears; and Philippine Economy and Advocacy by John Forbes, President, Eastern Voyager Corporation. Mr. Forbes’s presentation also stressed the importance of the strong English skills already present in the Philippines that have given the Philippines a competitive advantage in the world workplace. This year, the BOP students were given the mission to be advocates of the "English is Cool" message, stressing the importance of the Philippines maintaining its English language advantage by emphasizing the positive business impacts of English proficiency. Other issues facing business today were covered in lectures—including Career Opportunities by Glendon Rowell, Chairman, SearchBank Executive Search; Working Environment of the Future, by Jun Palafox, Founder and Managing Partner, Palafox Associates; American Entrepreneurs in the Philippines by Chris Stolk, Chief Executive Officer, Stag Philippines Inc.; and an Overview of Offshore Business Process Outsourcing by Carol Dominguez, President of John Clements Consultants, Inc. Third objective: for the students to learn business competencies from working on a team-based project during BOP week. This
year, the project was designed by Prof. Chito Gregorio of the
University of the Philippines and Analytica, Inc. Chief Executive
Officer, and was assigned to the students at the start of BOP
week. The project was competitive; four teams were created, with
participants from diverse schools being brought together on these
teams. The business competencies tested included analytical thinking,
logic, advertising and communication, financial analysis, collaboration,
research, teamwork and presentation skills. It goes without saying that Amcham is also most grateful for the support of those companies that made financial contributions, which helped make the 2006 BOP possible. These companies include Citibank, Ford Motor, Chevron Malampaya and others.
Mr. Pfluger, Chairman of the BOP project, is the General Manager
of Caltex (Asia) Ltd., Manila Shared Services Center; A Chevron
Company. |
