Panasonic scholarship for a better world

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Panasonic Corporation (Japan) through the Panasonic Group (Philippines) continues to invest in people along with the Company’s commitment to contribute in pursuing a better life and realizing a better world.

Panasonic Corporation (Japan) through the Panasonic Group (Philippines)  awarded full scholarships to eleven technical-vocational students during the 2017 Panasonic Scholarship awards ceremony for Vocational Category held at Don Bosco Technical Institute, Mandaluyong City on July 25, 2017.

The 2017 Panasonic scholarship grants to eleven technical-vocational students who were chosen after passing a series of screening activities.

All the scholars will be pursuing a 15-month technical-vocational training certificate course consisting of a 10-month "in-center" training and 5-month supervised "in-plant" training.

Six of the eleven recipients are from: DBTC-Makati (Mr. John Ranulfe Barile, Mr. Joseph Bautista, Mr. Aris Casilan, Mr. Rolando Navarette, Mr. Jeffrey Padilla, and Mr. Bernardo Ramos); 

Three from DBTC-Mandaluyong (Mr. Reynan Baltero, Mr. Diether Dare Diaz, and Mr. Arven James Labayan); and two from DBTC-Canlubang (Mr. Michael Dalanon, and Mr. Engelbert Perez).

The certificates of scholarship were presented to the recipients by Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corporation (PMPC) president & Panasonic Scholarship (Philippines) chairman Shinichi Hayashi; Panasonic Precision Devices Philippines Corporation (PPRDPH) president Koji Ipposhi; Panasonic Corporation’s CSR & Citizenship Department manager Haruhisa Okuda; Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC)-Mandaluyong vice rector Fr. Demetrio Carmona; PMPC assistant directors Marlon Molano and Robert Pacheco; PPRDPH assistant director Mary Ann Diaz; PMPC business division head Harry Sarmiento; DBTC-Makati TVET director Fr. Jose Dindo Vitug; and DBTC-Canlubang TVET director Fr. Jeffrey Mangubat.

Presenters standing from left: Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC) - Canlubang TVET director Fr. Jeffrey Mangubat; DBTC-Makati TVET director Fr. Jose Dindo Vitug; Panasonic Corporation’s CSR & Citizenship Department manager Haruhisa Okuda; DBTC-Mandaluyong vice rector Fr. Demetrio Carmona; Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corporation (PMPC) president & Panasonic Scholarship (Philippines) chairman Shinichi Hayashi; Panasonic Precision Devices Philippines Corporation (PPRDPH) president Koji Ipposhi; PPRDPH assistant director Mary Ann Diaz; PMPC Assistant Director Robert Pacheco; PMPC assistant director Marlon Molano; PMPC business division head Harry Sarmiento; and DBTC-Mandaluyong TVET program chair Joseph Abillada.

“Panasonic products make life easier. But the best products you have been giving to the Philippine society are these young people, who if it will not for your sacrifice to part away with a portion of your earnings to help them learn a trade and engage in productive activity for the Philippine economy to progress, many young Filipinos would just flood the street and become potential risks to peace and order in our land,” said Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC)-Mandaluyong vice rector Fr. Demetrio Carmona during his opening message commending Panasonic for the Company’s continuing endeavor to contribute in preparing and securing a better future for the less privileged but deserving students.  

Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corporation (PMPC) president & Panasonic Scholarship (Philippines) chairman Shinichi Hayashi thanked the various individuals and groups, who continued to support in promoting the very objective of the Panasonic Scholarship Program and in ensuring that all the business activities of Panasonic in the Philippines are appropriate for its basic concept that ‘a company is a public entity of society’. 

“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Panasonic operation in the Philippines this year, and the upcoming 100th year anniversary of our Panasonic Corporation next year, I thank you for your continued support and cooperation in all our programs and activities aimed at contributing to society. I hope that by offering opportunities like this, we can spell out clearly our commitment to provide a healthy upbringing to our younger generation, who will be responsible for the future of our planet, by giving them the chance to make the most of their individual abilities to contribute also in pursuing a better life and realizing a better world,” Mr. Hayashi said. 

Mr. Haruhisa Okuda, Panasonic Corporation’s CSR & Citizenship Department manager, reiterated that the scholarship program is one of the expressions of gratitude of Panasonic Corporation to the continuing support of society to the Company. 

“As a public entity of society, Panasonic operates for the improvement of social life and the development of world culture, not only in doing its business, but also in its corporate citizenship activities. And this Panasonic scholarship is one aspect of our efforts to develop human resources by supporting those, who really want to study,” said Mr. Okuda.

Panasonic Corporation funds the localized Panasonic Scholarship programs in the Asian region. And in the Philippines, the scholarship program, which is offered to undergraduate and vocational students is administered by Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corporation with the support of Panasonic Precision Devices Philippines Corporation.

Training at Porsche for underprivileged young people in Asia

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Prospects for young Filipinos in the growth regions 

Since 2008 the Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Asia (PTRCA) in Manila has been offering Filipinos from underprivileged backgrounds career opportunities in the car industry.

The brands Audi and Volkswagen now become new cooperation partners in this initiative. In future the companies are planning together recruiting junior technical staff from PTRCA, with job opportunities mainly in the Middle East region.

The development of the PTRCA to PTRCA 2.0 with the new cooperation partners means that much more young Filipinos will be accepted in the training programme. Instead of the current 32 trainees per year, in 2016 there will be 120 and in 2017 even 145. 

In the past six years, in cooperation with the Don Bosco Technical Institute (DBTI) and the local importer and dealer PGA Cars Inc. Porsche has already trained more than 250 young adults as motor vehicle service mechatronic technicians.

They cover the sports car manufacturer's growing demand for qualified specialists, especially in the Porsche centres in the Middle East and Asia Pacific growth markets. “Good English language skills and the good work ethic the people of the Philippines are known for are beneficial here”, explains Michael Drolshagen, Head of After Sales at Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, the reason for setting up the PTRCA in Manila. Training there was and remains first and foremost a recruitment programme. “But of course for us it means also practising social responsibility. Because a qualification from the PTRCA not only gives these young adults access to the international labour market, it also gives them a real opportunity to noticeably improve their own living conditions and to strengthen their family environment.”

Jayson Supan's story is an example of this. In 2008 he was one of the first graduates of the PTRCA. In February 2009 he started working as a motor vehicle service mechatronics technician at the Porsche Centre Al Nabooda Automobiles LLC in Dubai. The career of Jayson Supan has continuously advanced to the present day. He is currently making the transition from a system technician to a diagnosis specialist. This means that he is once again expanding his area of responsibility and his salary. Even his present salary is several times higher than the average wage in the Philippines. This puts him in a position to build his own house in the Philippines and to pay for his brother's schooling in his distant home country. In addition, he is helping his parents to set up a small rental company for motorbikes and vans in the Philippines. 

The success of the training programme can also be seen in the extremely low fluctuation rate of less than three per cent – in regions where 20 per cent is usual. Robert Coyiuto Jr., businessman and owner of PGA Cars Inc. in Manila: “I am glad that we have – along with Don Bosco – established the success of the program from the initial idea from Porsche AG and us. Having reached our six year mark last December, we are confident of the skills of the graduates and long term potential of the advanced training curriculum. The PTRCA not only provides a highly skilled and proficient labor force for the global Porsche and Volkswagen Group network but also provides the underprivileged yet highly deserving Filipino youth the opportunity to become breadwinners for their families. This also underlines the fact that as a successful company we put a strong priority on our corporate social responsibility. This is my commitment.” 

The 250 graduates of the PTRCA to date are distributed over eleven countries. The focus is on the Middle East where skilled technicians are highly required. There the extremely well trained motor vehicle service mechatronics technicians ensure the high service quality expected by customers in the Porsche centres. 

Starting this year, PTRCA extends its scope by including Audi and Volkswagen for the Middle East region. Benoit Tiers, Group Managing Director of AVME (Audi Volkswagen Middle East) comments this choice:

“The programme has proven its value and we can build on it quickly and easily. It demonstrates the strengths of our Group by using synergies and know-how across the Volkswagen Group brands. We will be closely involved in the PTRCA 2.0 in the next years as we plan to participate in the development of the curriculum, but also to look at further training for teachers and eventually the equipment. The expansion of the PTRCA programme to include a body technician apprenticeship and from 2017 service advisor training programmes lends additional dynamism. This noticeably further increases the benefits for all Volkswagen Group brands and the dealer network.”

The Order Salesians Don Boscos play a major role in the overall structure of the PTRCA. With its Don Bosco Technical Institute the society has outstanding educational expertise and excellent technical know-how. In addition, the Salesians Don Boscos are the ideal partner for working with underprivileged young people. With their long-standing presence they enjoy a high level of acceptance, especially in the poor districts of the Philippines.

“The Salesians Don Boscos are extremely well geared to our needs. And the fact that they are represented in 132 countries means that we can multiply the training programme at any time, too”, says Dr Stefan Lutz, Director After Sales Market Qualification and Support at Porsche. His team has been responsible for the operational support of PTRCA right from the start. Among other tasks the team is concerned with the training content of the 24-month apprenticeship.

“Young people have a right to education, training and work”, says Christian Osterhaus, Managing Director of the German NGO Don Bosco Mondo. “Vocational training ‘Made in Germany’ is highly regarded around the world. And it is not only young people in emerging and developing countries who benefit – society as a whole and the companies involved benefit just as much. I am very pleased that a premium company like Porsche is also giving underprivileged young people abroad a chance. Together we are able to offer young people from extremely difficult social backgrounds prospects for finding a good job through vocational training and therefore the chance for a life in dignity. Here in Manila we are experiencing exemplary implementation.”

The development of the PTRCA to PTRCA 2.0 with the new cooperation partners Audi Volkswagen Middle East means that in future even more space is needed. So it's good that the Don Bosco Technical Institute is currently building a new 6,000 square metre training centre in Manila. On an area of about 1,500 square metres it will house seminar rooms and training workshops for the PTRCA 2.0 for the brands Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen.

With the appropriate equipment the brands also ensure that the young people are instructed in accordance with state-of-the-art technology. In addition, thanks to future cooperation agreed with the German Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, after their final examination they will receive a certificate that can be even better compared with the European qualifications framework.

Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco (FMA) celebrates 60th year in the Philippines

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The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (a.k.a. FMA or Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco) in the Philippines are celebrating their 60th year of presence in the Philippines at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City on November 30, 2015. The Eucharistic celebration at 2 P.M. will be presided by His Excellency, Most. Rev. Bishop Patricio Buzon, SDB, DD of Kabangkalan, Negros Occidental. The Mass will be followed by a thanksgiving program participated in by the different educating communities of the Sisters from all over the Philippines. 

For ticket reservations, call Cherry at (02) 7145937.