Rep. Angelina Tan pushes for mandatory immunization

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Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, Chairperson on House Committee on Health, reaffirmed her stand on mandatory immunization amid the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to prevent future outbreaks from happening.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected and impacted our lives in a totally unprecedented way. Millions of people around the world have been infected, leaving hundreds of thousands of people dead. In the Philippines, we have more than 14,000 total confirmed cases and close to 900 deaths because of this pandemic.

This Wednesday morning, May 27, a webinar zoom event was held as "Kapihan sa Manila Bay" with Marichu Villanueva, who hosts its first-ever kapihan online with the topic: AFTER THE COVID-19 CONTAGION, HOW CAN THE PHILIPPINES PREPARE BETTER FOR ANY FUTURE PANDEMIC?

The panelists were Congresswoman Angelina Tan, Chairperson, Committee on Health, House of Representatives, Congressman Adriano Ebcas, AKO PADAYON Pilipino party-list representative, Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire, Public Health Epidemiologist Dr. Troy Gepte and Dr. Lulu Bravo, Executive Director, Philippine Foundation for Vaccination.

Tan cited the importance of pursuing the government’s immunization program even during the community quarantine as a way to ensure that children are protected from future pandemics.

“We have several initiatives in Congress in relation to the country’s immunization program,” Tan revealed. “We are pushing for the creation of the NITAG, a national immunization advisory board, and we are trying to adopt a school-based immunization program that will benefit our students,” she added.

Tan also reaffirmed her call for an open, competitive bidding process in vaccines. According to Tan, an important element in the immunization program is to ensure that the procurement of vaccines is done in such a way that no single manufacturer is favored. The specifications in bidding should not favor a single brand.

Health Undersecretary Dr. Ma. Rosario Vergeire explained in the same forum that the DOH suspended the bidding for PCVs after new evidence that they need to look into more carefully was presented.

“Nung lumabas ang bagong ebidensiya na sinubmit sa atin, ang desisyon namin ay ipasok muna sa Health Technology Assessment Center (HTAC). HTAC is reviewing the procurement, which is really the right process. Ngayon po hindi pa lumalabas ang recommendation ng HTAC,” Vergeire revealed.

The DOH previously requested the HTAC to review the National Immunization Program (NIP), particularly the Pneumococcal Vaccination Program for children, in light of new 2017 and 2019 evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO).

In February 2019, WHO reaffirmed this earlier position saying that the two available PCVs in the market--PCV10 and PCV13--are equally effective in preventing overall pneumococcal diseases in children. The position paper also states that there is at present insufficient evidence of a difference in the net impact of the two available PCVs on overall disease burden.

During the Kapihan webinar zoom meeting, Dr. Lulu Bravo, an epidemiologist, and professor of Pediatric Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the College of Medicine of UP Manila stressed that the new evidence regarding PCVs that came out recently came from experts themselves.

 “According to the WHO, when it comes to pneumococcal vaccination for children, both PCV10 and PCV13 are just as good. The important thing is cost-effectiveness,” Bravo noted.

 “We should follow what the WHO says, being experts in their field. If you cannot believe WHO, who will you believe?” she added

“Both vaccines exist. If the health assessment proves that both PCV10 and PCV13 have the same effects, then we need to go through a procurement process that’s open and competitive so the government can save on costs,” Tan said.

On a related note, Rep. Adriano A. Ebcas of the Ako Padayon Pilipino Partylist revealed that he and three other partylist representatives filed a resolution urging the DOH to ensure the continued safe implementation of the mandated National Immunization Program for children despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The House Resolution aims to encourage and support the DOH in its endeavor to contain the current outbreak and prevent future community outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The resolution also aims to secure and ensure a stable supply of available vaccines through the continued conduct of open, fair, and competitive bidding, thereby preventing any “outbreak within an outbreak.”

In the resolution, the solons declared,

“An open, fair, competitive public procurement of NIP vaccines provide the Filipino people the broadest possible options for affordable, quality, and registered vaccines, allowing for potential significant savings to the government while at the same promoting strong public governance.”

Teleperformance Philippines is certified Great Place to Work® for third year in a row

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Manila, Philippines -- Teleperformance, a leading global group in digital integrated business services, recently announced that its Philippine operations has received the prestigious Great Place to Work® (GPTW®) certification for the third consecutive year. 

Highlights of Teleperformance Philippines’ 2020 GPTW® recognition include record employee participation and the highest overall score achieved to-date. Notably, Teleperformance became the very first company in any industry in the Philippines to win GPTW® certification in 2018 and the only company in the country who has won for three consecutive years.

Over 34,000 employees of Teleperformance Philippines participated in the Trust Index® survey conducted by the Great Place to Work® Institute, where they were asked to anonymously rate the company in several areas and measured how employees perceive the organization based on the quality of workplace experience.

Jose Bezanilla, CEO of GPTW® Greater China and Asia, said, “More than 80% of Teleperformance’s approximately 42,000 employees in the Philippines participated in anonymous surveys that assess employee trust by rating the company on credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie. This outstanding participation rate gives us very high confidence in the findings. Survey responses are independently cross-validated with rigorous field audits covering everything from the quality of physical work facilities and employee amenities to corporate culture. The care and respect Teleperformance has for their people is fully evident in the findings and further validated by the high levels of trust more than 34,000 Teleperformance employees have clearly expressed in their company. We are very pleased to once again recognize Teleperformance in the Philippines as a Great Place to Work®.”

Mike Lytle, COO of Teleperformance Philippines, shared, “We are truly humbled to earn the Great Place to Work® certification for the third year in a row because it is based on the unbiased and objective feedback of our own employees. It underscores the fact that our people know we truly care about them and we are a real family. We are deeply encouraged by this result because it shows that we are able to deliver on our promise of making each interaction matter — not just for our external customers, but for our employees as well. And this is very important to us, especially now as we prepare to further push our innovation agenda and continue to build on our employee experience to sustain our growth momentum in the long-term.”

Among those programs is the company’s vibrant Diversity & Inclusion initiatives championed by the executive leadership who actively drive a culture of respect and acceptance and prohibit all forms of discrimination through institutionalized essential policies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, and HIV in the Workplace Policy. 

Learning and Development is another Teleperformance strength, as it offers its online learning platform called Life at TP to all employees. Another game-changing program it launched was the Analytics Academy which aims to grow the skills and expertise of Teleperformance employees on data science and analytics, and build a critical mass of Data Science and Business Analytics professionals in the company who will support a forward-looking data culture to address the challenges of the workplace of the future.

In addition to the comprehensive GPTW® certification process, Teleperformance operations in the Philippines are regularly visited and reviewed by third parties including independent industry analysts. These reviews include in-depth management and client interviews, physical site and facilities tours, operations inspections and employee focus groups among other activities. The findings are frequently cited in industry best practices awards, ratings and studies conducted by business analysts.

Teleperformance Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel Julien said, “We have operated in the Philippines since 1996 and the country and our team there both hold a very special place in our hearts. The Philippines is integral to our regional and offshore strategies; we have heavily invested in people, facilities and technologies over the years. Now, with the war against Covid-19, we continue to harden our facilities while expanding work at home as fast as possible so we can safeguard thousands of jobs, best protect our people and best support our clients. It is really gratifying to see that Teleperformance Philippines’ own employees, massively answering to a third party survey, have recognized Teleperformance in the Philippines as a Great Place to Work®. At Teleperformance we care.”

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ABOUT TELEPERFORMANCE

Teleperformance (TEP – ISIN: FR0000051807 – Reuters: ROCH.PA – Bloomberg: TEP FP), the global leader in outsourced omnichannel customer experience management, serves as a strategic partner to the world’s largest companies in a wide variety of industries. Its customer care, technical support, customer acquisition, consulting and analytics, digital integrated business service solutions, and other high-value specialized services ensure consistently positive customer interactions that are reliable, flexible and intelligent. The company has established the highest security and quality standards in the industry and uses proprietary deep learning technology to optimize flexibility on a global scale.

The Group’s 300,000 employees, spread across 80 countries, support billions of connections annually in 265 languages and enhance the customer experience with every interaction. In 2019, Teleperformance reported consolidated revenue of €5,355 million (US$6 billion, based on €1 = $1.12).

Teleperformance began operations in the Philippines in 1996 and has grown to become a preferred offshore contact center outsourcing option. The company employs over 47,500 people in the country and operates over 30,000 workstations in 21 business sites located across Metro Manila, Antipolo, Baguio, Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Davao. 

From 2012 to 2018, Teleperformance received the Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Contact Center Outsourcing Service Provider of the Year Award for its significant performance in revenue management, market share, capabilities, and overall contribution to the contact center industry. In addition, Teleperformance Philippines was awarded in 2017 as Outstanding Employer and Outstanding Community Project of the Year by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), the Top Employer of the Year at the Asia CEO Awards, and the Outstanding Volunteer by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA). 

This 2020, Teleperformance Philippines was again certified as a Great Place to Work® and is the only organization in the country to receive this certification from the Great Place to Work® Institute for three years in a row. This year, Teleperformance celebrates its 24th year of continued excellence and leadership in the country. This milestone highlights the company’s commitment to steadily provide the best employment experience for Filipinos, proactively support the nation’s ICT-BPO sector, and uphold its socio-civic engagements to create a difference in the lives of the Philippine community. 

For further information, please visit the Teleperformance website at teleperformance.ph.

How Mekeni conquered life’s challenges to be where they are today

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Mekeni is one of the most successful brands not only in the Philippines, but throughout Asia. But like any successful company today, Mekeni started as a small family business. And like any successful business, Mekeni experienced several crises throughout its life—and conquered every single one of them.

It was in 1991 when the company experienced its first major crisis with the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June of that year. Back then, Mekeni was just a small business with less than 25 employees, operated by Tatay Felix and Imang Meding Garcia—former public school teachers who started a small business with their life savings— and their sons Doods and Nards in the backyard of their home in Porac, Pampanga.

When Mount Pinatubo erupted, Porac was one of the most devastated in the province, and their backyard meat processing plant was almost completely destroyed. But instead of being disheartened and losing hope because of seemingly insurmountable odds, they decided to steel their resolve and help their kababayans by providing livelihoods and uplifting their community.

Mekeni founder Tatay Felix Garcia (4th from left) poses with sons (from L to R) VP for Admin and Finance Angelito Garcia, VP for Supply Chain Management Adrian Garcia, VP for Sales and Marketing Nardo Garcia, President Pruds Garcia, and VP for Manufacturing Diosdado Garcia. Pruds and his brothers have been helping the company grow even as it faced different crises throughout the years.

By enlisting their children’s help, including their sons Adrian, Pruds and Lito, who were then based overseas, they made it their life’s mission to make a difference in the lives of others.

“It was the peak of my career,” said Pruds Garcia, president of Mekeni, recounting his time working as an accountant in Saudi Arabia. “But I had to leave my high-paying job so that I can go back and help my parents rebuild the business.”

Eventually, the business recovered and even grew exponentially thereafter. By 1994, a new processing plant had been constructed with a capacity to process 3,000 kilos of meat a day, which operated 24 hours daily. Employee count had also grown to about 35 people, all of them neighbors of the Garcia family. But not long after, back-to-back challenges sprung up but this did not dishearten the family behind Mekeni. 

Though the thought of closing down the business crossed their mind, a timely reminder from their father helped them make the right decisions. “My father said: ‘Son, I just want to remind you the reason why you came back. It's not for us, it's not for you. It's for the people’,” Garcia recounted.

Through perseverance and dedication, the family got through the obstacles they faced and enjoyed a period of growth and success that propelled the company to what it is now—one of the most awarded processed meat companies in the country.

Over the years, Mekeni has encountered many problems, but they always went back to the most important things to them: their people and their community. This kept them centered. And now that the country faces one of the greatest challenges in our history, Garcia has a simple advice for businesses of all sizes.

“In times of crisis, you go back to the mission and vision of the company,” he said.

Having experienced numerous major crises over the course of its life, Mekeni has proven that with hard work, perseverance, and a profound sense of dedication to service, any business, no matter the size, can conquer any challenge that life throws at it.

“Crises will always be there. The important thing is to always go back to your ‘why.’ Why did you start this business? You can always change the process, you can always change the strategy, but never that goal,” Garcia said.

Converge ICT Provides Free Internet to PH Covid-19 Task Force

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Converge ICT augments the government’s response against COVID19 by providing the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) with fast end-to-end fiber internet connection. With this, the IATF has been managing their communication channels and data transmissions better, allowing them to work and disseminate important information to the Filipinos more efficiently.

“In this era of Covid-19, we are very happy that Converge ICT Solutions quickly responded to our need for a stable internet connection. We no longer experience any disconnection issues during our data transmissions and virtual meetings. We definitely now have a more efficient and smoother workflow to help more Filipinos in fighting this pandemic,” shares Usec Eliseo Rio Jr., Undersecretary DICT.

For the past five months, the IATF has been tracking and recording COVID-related statistics in order to create the National Action Plan. With two circuits of Converge ICT’s enterprise class fiber internet, the IATF is able to do uninterrupted coordination through VOIP, video conferencing, and other applications. 

Converge ICT’s Chief Executive Officer, Dennis Anthony H. Uy explained, “We understand and empathize the importance of the timely and fast dissemination of COVID-19 information for the government during this critical period. A stable and reliable internet connection is necessary for the success of our pandemic response and no agency needs it more than the IATF. Converge provided this support in order to help them fulfill their mandate to keep the public informed, healthy and safe.” 

This is one of the many ways on how Converge ICT responded in this unprecedented situation. Aside from giving more than a thousand units of personal protective equipment to Angeles City Hospital, Converge also wants to ensure that Filipinos will get the chance to enjoy fast connection with the best quality experience. 

For inquiries, you may visit www.convergeict.com

Araneta City hails its mommy frontliners

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If there are real-life superheroes, they would certainly be our moms. From keeping the house clean to ensuring we are well nourished, they have proven they can do all these and then some.

Many of our moms are doing double duty amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, serving also as frontliners to help others during these difficult times. One of these moms is Teffany Taruc from the sanitation team of Farmers Market in Araneta City. Mommy Teffany has never missed a day of work. She sacrifices to make sure her two children have everything they need.

Teffany Taruc, a Sanitation team member of Farmers Market, strives to provide a better life to her children by continuing to work amid the enhanced community quarantine brought about by the spread of COVID-19. She is one of the mommy frontliners that Araneta City recognized during Mother’s Day.

“Being a mom is very difficult, but if there’s anything that makes it worthwhile, it would be the love of my children,” Taruc said in Filipino. “I salute all moms who are working hard to provide for their children during this pandemic.”

Amalia Lopez Guerrero, a CCTV operator in Gateway Mall, is inspired to continue serving amid the pandemic because of her child who is studying in one of the most prestigious schools in the country.

For Amalia Lopez Guerrero, a CCTV Operator of Gateway Mall, her daughter has been her reason to work hard despite COVID-19. Mommy Amalia wants to ensure her daughter, a student of the University of the Philippines Integrated School, has a bright future ahead. “The thought of my daughter graduating from one of the most prestigious schools in the country inspires me,” Guerrero said.

Rowena Pantohan, another member of Araneta City’s Sanitation team, balances her time at work and with her family to ensure that she has quality bonding moments with her kids.

To have a better life for their children is what drives most moms. For many of them, there is also the need to balance this with spending more quality time with the kids. Rowena Pantohan from the Sanitation team of Araneta City has this piece of advice for other mommy frontliners. “Let’s always take care of ourselves so that we can have more time with our families”, Pantohan said.

Lenvie Dinero, General Manager of Dampa in Farmers Market is one of the frontliners of Araneta City that continues to serve amid the Coronavirus pandemic to ensure that she continue to provide for her children.

Keeping safe amid this pandemic is paramount for moms who also attend to their kids after work. This is why Lenvie Dineros, general manager of Dampa in Farmers Market, is thankful to her company for the effort they are doing to keep her healthy.

“I am grateful that my company continues to give us the opportunity to help others while ensuring that we have the resources we need to stay safe during this COVID crisis,” Dineros said. “To all brave moms who continue to serve while doing our utmost for our kids, let’s keep fighting!”

As a simple gesture of appreciation to heroic moms, Araneta City distributed sweet treats from Dairy Queen to mommy frontliners last Sunday to celebrate Mother’s Day. 

“Our mom frontliners have shown dedication both with their families and with their work. We look up to them as #HERoesInTheCity. They are the heroes that we need in this day and age, and it is fitting to celebrate their courage and selflessness this Mother's Day,” said Marjorie Go, Assistant Vice President for Marketing of Araneta City.

For more information about activities going on in Araneta City, like and follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/AranetaCity.