MTPDP adjustments in the face of crises

*Paper submitted to Prof. Rene Ofreneo, Industrial Relations 289, UP-SOLAIR

In 2008, the Philippines was hit by the triple Fs – food, fuel and financial crises. Now, the big C – climate change – came and brought Ondoy, et al. In light of these disasters, what will you do as CEO or an HR manager of an economic meltdown rising from disasters? If you are a government employment planner, what adjustments will you initiate in the MTPDP 2004-2010?

Any business can experience serious incidents that can prevent it from continuing normal business operations. This can range from national economic crises (such as the triple Fs), flooding (as demonstrated by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng), or even other disasters such as serious accidents or information security incidents.

The CEO has a responsibility to recover from such incidents in the minimum amount of time possible; and the best thing that can be done is to ensure business continuity so that business owners, its employees and clients can continue to depend on the economic benefits of its successful operation. This entails keeping the workforce motivated and productive so that there are minimal interruptions to the business's ability to provide its products and/or services, minimal financial loss and quick resumption of critical operations.

Every business needs to carefully prepare business continuity and disaster recovery plans. Detailed plans must be created, outlining the actions that particular members of an organization will take to help recover/restore its critical operations that may have been interrupted during or after a disaster. All employees should have appropriate knowledge and training on the specifics of such plans.

In his book Operational Risk Management (2008), Mark D. Abkowitz enumerated risk factors common in man-made accidents, terrorist attacks and natural disasters, such as design and construction flaws, deferred maintenance, economic pressures, schedule constraints, etc. Included in his list are the following risk factors that a CEO and HR manager must take into account to prepare the workforce for future disasters:

1. Inadequate training that result in individuals making mistakes that either initiates an accident or allows a crisis situation to intensify
2. Not following procedures for how employees should perform a task or function, resulting in procedural errors that create hazardous situations
3. Lack of planning and preparedness in terms of gathering knowledge, assessing the likelihood and consequence of various disaster scenarios, evaluating alternative risk reduction strategies, and conducting exercises and drills to determine the effectiveness of ongoing efforts and maintain a state of readiness

CEOs and HR managers should also work together to enable employees to weather the tragedy by following some of the recommendations by Susan M. Heathfield in her article “When Tragedy Strikes: Eleven Tips for Your Workplace Response.”

• Make sure people are safe, especially if the incident happened in the workplace.
• Assess the personal involvement of employees, and offer assistance if possible. If a tragedy impacts employees personally or directly, offer release time, support, paid time off work or other forms of compensation.
• Give employees access to critical information through radio, TV or internet. Information helps people process the events. Allow them to gather with coworkers while watching breaking news.
• Give people something to do to help. Filipinos have proven to be especially generous and caring in times of disasters and organizations can facilitate activities that will enable employees to help solve the problem or to ease the situation.

Indeed, organizations must take planning and preparedness seriously. Such preparation is of course not exclusive to businesses trying to minimize economic loss. Both the public and private sector must consider risks and come up with prudent decisions regarding where and how to invest available resources to reduce those risks of greatest concern.

In the employment sector in particular, adjustments can be made so that the long-term plans allow for protection against increasing risks. One such adjustment could include an enhanced policy and/or implementation of workers’ compensation insurance especially in times of disasters.

The billions of damage left by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng was a wake-up call for people to appreciate the value of insurance. Many Filipinos consider insurance as an expense rather than an investment, and leave themselves vulnerable and unsecured in times of uncertainties.
Not only should government ensure a strong and effective insurance industry, but also ensure the provision of workers’ insurance especially in times of calamities. When several workers are injured due to such incidents, this will not only provide employees with compensation for on-the-job injuries but will also protect businesses from claims and lawsuits. The government should likewise ensure that specific sectors are suitably provided with such insurance such as those from the micro and small business and the informal sector.

Another adjustment to the MTPDP could be found in creation of more efficient and intelligent urban areas. Overcrowding, lack of infrastructure and inefficient use of resources have contributed to the devastation that resulted in the recent heavy flooding. Building more efficient and intelligent cities could mitigate similar future damages.

The IT industry will become a prominent figure in such an endeavor, equipping business and commercial centers with computing knowledge to manage transportation, water and power infrastructure. Technology will be employed to create sustainable and scalable infrastructure.
In the past, jobs have been generated in building industrial infrastructure such as buildings, roads and telephone lines. The same principle can work in developing urban infrastructure wirelessly connected to the internet.

Related to this, labor policies can be developed to promote telecommuting in the Philippines. Telecommuting or telework is a work arrangement in which employees enjoy flexibility in terms of workplace location and hours of work. The daily commute to a distinct place of work is substituted by telecommunication links. Such a strategy can be efficient and useful for organizations as it allows workers to communicate over a large distance, saving significant amounts of travel time and cost. It also allows for employee flexibility as well as reduces traffic congestion and air pollution.

Finally, it is recommend that the government actively pursue efforts to promote green jobs, following the lead of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Premised on the inconvenient truth of climate change, the ILO believes that economic development by doing business as usual is not sustainable. Green jobs in low carbon economies will enhance not only adaptation measures against climate change but also result in mitigation, or the direct reduction of carbon emissions. It has the potential to contribute to sustainable economic growth and help lift people out poverty. The ILO therefore promotes the potential for green jobs and a positive labor market transition in the face of climate change, and encourages energy and industrialization policies, government investments and public-private partnerships to maximize its potential and benefits.

References:

Operational Risk Management: A Case Study Approach to Effective Planning and Response
By Mark D. Abkowitz (2008)

When Tragedy Strikes: Eleven Tips for Your Workplace Response
By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide

Ondoy's great flood highlights importance of insurance
By Junep Ocampo, The Philippine Star, November 02, 2009

Guide to Workers' Compensation Insurance
By Susan Ward, About.com Guide

‘Ondoy’ proves that cities need to be more efficient, intelligent
By Melvin G. Calimag, Manila Bulletin, October 15, 2009

Green jobs: Facing up to "an inconvenient truth"
ILO Article issued in 2007

IR institutions to stabilize the crisis

*Paper submitted to Prof. Ofreneo, Industrial Relations 289, UP-SOLAIR

Industrial Relations (IR) Institutions (e.g., unions, labor laws, employers organizations, etc.) are generally products of the times. Often a crisis gives birth to new institutions meant to contain the crisis and stabilize the situation, e.g., Industrial Peace Act of 1953 and Minimum Wage Act of 1952 at the height of the anti-Communist campaign in the early 1950s. With the present global economic crisis, what IR institutions do you think can and should b developed to stabilize the crisis?

In 1997-1998, Asia’s economic "tigers" were hit by a financial crisis. This crisis presented an opportunity for affected countries to build consensus on the policies required to renew economic growth through tripartism and social dialogue. The Korea Tripartite Commission, for instance, was compelled to contribute to economic restructuring and to involve social partners in the revision of Korean labor law. In Singapore, tripartite institutions have been instrumental in articulating conflicting interests among parties and in formulating and implementing social and economic policies. Their government also adopted various employee involvement systems such as work excellence committees, work improvement teams and quality control circles. Deficiencies in Indonesia’s industrial relations system were also put on the spot and efforts to promote social dialogue were utilized as a way of dealing with the crisis.

One IR institution that seems to have helped stabilize the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998 is the use of social dialogue among IR actors. National and regional tripartite bodies were established and reformed, bipartite consultations in enterprises were introduced, a labor dispute settlement system was created, labor courts were created, and labor law was reformed in close consultation with the social partners.

It seems that institutionalizing social dialogue among IR actors (i.e., governments, workers and employers) will continue to be a crucial factor in stabilizing the current global economic crisis.
The global economic recession, which begun with consumption and production collapsing in the United States, European Union and Japan, has resulted in global increase in unemployment, poverty and inequality and the continuing collapse of enterprises.

The Philippines was not spared from the crisis. As then Economic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto explained, the country is dependent on advanced economies for exports and remittances from overseas Filipino workers, and clients of business process outsourcing companies are also mostly coming from the United States and Europe.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) initiated efforts to help the economy and the Filipino workers particularly the vulnerable ones cope with the global economic crisis. Measures focusing on investments in public infrastructure projects coupled with the implementation of the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program or CLEEP (the government's flagship assistance program that provides emergency employment, funding, and livelihood assistance to affected workers) and job preservation efforts have apparently buttressed the country's capability to cope with the adverse effects of the global crisis. DOLE also established a registry of skills aimed at helping to identify and plan future responses, set up a hotline that addresses concerns of displaced workers, and provided training, livelihood assistance, job placement referral services and reintegration programs for returning OFWs.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) declared that the world is now facing a "global jobs crisis" that threatens to add 50 million people to the ranks of the unemployed in 2009. It could also push 200 million workers, mostly in developing countries, into extreme poverty. ILO is therefore promoting the relevance of the Decent Work Agenda, specifically its current measures to promote job creation, deepening and expanding social protection and more use of social dialogue. Policy recommendations include:

• Wider coverage of unemployment benefits and insurance schemes, equipping redundant workers with new skills, and protecting pensions from devastating declines in financial markets
• Public investment in infrastructure and housing, community infrastructure and green jobs, including through emergency public works; support to small and medium enterprises
• Social dialogue at the enterprise, sectoral, and national levels

Tripartite dialogue with employers and workers’ organizations should therefore play a central role in addressing the economic crisis, and in developing policy responses. This should include a commitment to social dialogue and strong labor market institutions, as well as wage-led increase in aggregate demand, social protection and collective bargaining. It also means no interference by employers, when workers organize themselves and represent their interests collectively. And it also entails coordinating measures internationally, so that no one is left out or left behind.

Strengthening the institutionalization of social dialogue among IR actors could lead to effective remedies such as stakeholders becoming proactive in finding solutions in ensuring the rapid recovery of employment and its accompanying social protection. Inputs from government leaders, employers and workers should be considered to enhance specific responses to the crisis on the national and at the enterprise level. For example, this could lead to subsidizing lost potential wages of workers by supporting shorter working hours to prevent massive layoffs. Some workers may agree to pay cuts to retain their jobs.

ILO has also recently emphasized the importance of collective bargaining in this time of crisis as a tool for negotiating social justice, as ILO Convention No. 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining marks its 60th anniversary this year. While much has changed since the Convention was adopted in 1949, collective bargaining remains a fundamental right, an important tool to improve incomes and working conditions, and advance social justice.

It is worth noting that during the general economic depression in the 1930s, many governments instituted measures to extend collective agreements and protect collective bargaining from being undermined by intense cost-based competition. Established collective bargaining practices were also an element that allowed the Republic of Korea to weather the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s and enabled South Africa to make a relatively peaceful transition into the post-apartheid era.

ILO standards promote collective bargaining and help to ensure that good labor relations benefit everyone. It promotes the utilization of machinery for voluntary negotiation between employers and workers, with a view to the regulation of terms and conditions of employment by means of collective agreements. It remains an important tool with which to improve incomes and working conditions and advance social justice. Through collective bargaining, innovative means are being found to address contemporary labor market challenges such as increasing employment insecurity and rising inequality.

Current efforts to stem the global economic and jobs crisis call for the strengthening of mechanisms for social dialogue, including collective bargaining. Collective bargaining can play an important role as part of a broader crisis response, enabling enterprises and trade unions to find practical ways to save jobs while at the same time facilitating the adaptability and long term sustainability of enterprises. This can be beneficial for both enterprises seeking to increase their flexibility – and workers seeking to share the benefits of productivity gains and balance work and family life.


References:

Efforts to help Filipino workers cope with crisis paying off
DOLE, November 11, 2009

Labor programs help workers cope with global meltdown - DOLE
GMANews.TV, 12/27/2008

Negotiating for social justice: Collective bargaining in times of crisis
ILO Feature Article, 19 November 2009

Social dialogue in times of crisis: what we can learn from the past? (Part 3 : The Asian financial crisis of 1997 - 1998)
ILO Feature Story by Ludek Rychly, 29 May 2009

The Global Jobs Pact: Helping Asia and the Pacific Recover from the Unemployment Crisis
An interview with Sachiko Yamamoto, ILO Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
ILO Feature Story, 15 July 2009

The Value of Work

*Reaction Paper submitted to Prof. Ofreneo, IR 289

In analyzing the value of work, I am reminded of an anecdote that would best illustrate varied perspectives:

Three men are found smashing boulders with iron hammers. When asked what they are doing, the first man says, "Breaking big rocks into little rocks." The second man says, "Feeding my family." The third man says, "Building a cathedral."

It appears that the third man, the one who saw each hammer blow as contributing to the construction of a cathedral, puts some degree of value in work that others merely see as a means to an end. Perhaps he sees his work as a calling and derives satisfaction from the work itself.

Some people value their work only inasmuch as it is a source of income that enables the fulfillment of desired outcomes and activities, such as being able to support a family or cope with the demands of society. Job satisfaction therefore comes primarily from the income earned.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) values decent work or “work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men.” ILO programs strive to achieve the goal of decent work by finding solutions to what they call “decent work deficits” such as: unemployment and underemployment, poor quality and unproductive jobs, unsafe work and insecure income, rights which are denied, gender inequality, migrant workers who are exploited, lack of representation and voice, and inadequate protection and solidarity in the face of disease, disability and old age.

Decent work, as ILO explains it, sums up the many ways that an individual values work. An individual may value opportunity and income primarily in his work. He may also place a high value on rights, fairness, voice and recognition. He may aspire for family stability and personal development.

I will not elaborate anymore on how individuals may value such factors differently, and instead cite the interesting advocacy of a group called CLAWS or Creating Livable Alternatives to Wage Slavery.

CLAWS is a pro-leisure and anti-wage-slavery group of people dedicated to exploring the question: “why work?” Their website provides information, support, and resources for those looking for alternatives to traditional employment.

While CLAWS is not against “work” per se, they feel that people are now working long hours and most are not happy in their jobs. Their vision: “a world where everyone spends their days doing what they love, while all their needs are met, with ease, abundance and joy. Stress, strain, struggle and guilt are unknown and there is no concept of ‘work.’ All activity is experienced as play.”

In defining “wage slavery,” CLAWS point to individuals who feel trapped by forces beyond their control, trapped in a mindless job, for the sake of money, status or recognition. They complain that they never seem to have the time for what's really important to them, because their jobs take so much energy and focus that they hardly have anything left over.

They attempt to follow the typical route of going to school, getting good grades, landing a “good” job, making lots of money, buying a house and a car, having a beautiful family, and being “successful.” They plod along day to day, sometimes dreading getting out of bed in the morning. They work hard and hoping for the next promotion, waiting for the day when they can quit their dull jobs, and finally live their lives. Everything gets put on hold until they have more time or more money. Meanwhile, life passes them by. To them CLAWS says: You do not have to live your life that way.

CLAWS criticizes the mindset that results in people working against their will, and believing there is no other way to “survive,” which results in taking jobs out of joyless obligation, need for money, coercion, or a desire to “get ahead.” They seek to abolish “wage slavery” in which individuals think of work not just as effort expended in a productive process, but as a "necessary evil" - in other words, work is what they have to do so they can support themselves. They think of their job as something they would rather not do if it weren't for the money.

CLAWS’ advocacy may sound extreme, but my point here is that people need to put/find value in their work if they wish to live happy and meaningful lives. Rather than simply valuing their work as a job, a means to an end, or a “necessarily evil,” they can perhaps follow these steps as suggested by Jerry Lopper in his article A Path to Happiness Through Meaningful Work.

• Recognizing the greater good resulting from the work. A person's routine responsibilities in a hospital can take on greater meaning by recognizing the hospital's role in returning people to good health.
• Recognizing one's role in the larger organization. A person responsible for maintaining a home might see that a well maintained home provides a stable base for the family's health, safety, and growth.
• Focusing on the relationships involved in the work. A person providing child care services might see the work as enabling the children's parents to hold jobs with confidence in the children's safety.

Blog Action Day 2009: IP's Trade Fair and Exhibit

I have been contemplating on what to post about climate change, and I’ve been seriously considering a not-so-profound-and-intimidating write-up on climate justice (or the social justice issues surrounding climate change). But the topic’s too serious that I will have to study it more lest I make a superficial (and therefore careless) take on the issue.

However, I found an interesting email from one of my SOLAIR egroups, and I’m posting it here as part of my Blog Action Day 2009 commitment. The post is an advertisement of the Indigenous Knowledge Trade Fair and Exhibit. The email says:

Our Indigenous Peoples have so much to teach us about caring for our environment and living sustainably, but they need us to advocate with them so that more people can know about it.

See and experience the life of IPs... Explore partnerships with them... Patronize their products... Protect the environment with them.

Wine making and tasting, cultural presentations, night market of organic goods and IP products, film showing, solidarity concert

WHEN: October 16-18, 2009
WHERE: Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City

FREE ADMISSION!

The post seems to be concerned more about the cause of indigenous peoples than about climate change. But I’d like to emphasize that climate change affects everyone -- even those who benefit very little from the industrialization and other environment-destructive activities that the modern man has initiated.

We take for granted that we in the cities buy vehicles and products manufactured in factories and simply say that these pollute the air and destroy our environment. Yet we sometimes fail to see that while we enjoy the modern life’s pleasures, certain marginalized members of society such as indigenous peoples are unable to enjoy them in the same way or even benefit from the so-called industrialization and economic growth that it supposedly provides. Even worse, they suffer the same consequences that global warming delivers.

They have become victims of calamities too but help could not come easily because there are no paved roads that lead you to the indigenous peoples’ homes.

They are suffering from the effects of climate change, yet they have not benefited from the industrialization that has caused global warming.

That is why supporting their sustainable ways of living should be appreciated and supported.

Personally, I find indigenous products VERY cool. I love shopping in Baguio, Bicol and Cebu and native products are of course at the top of my list. And if they could bring their products here, right near my workplace, who am I to resist?




***********
NOTE TO READERS:
Blog Action Day is about creating a conversation about issues like climate change. So please don't hesitate to comment about this post. Let me know if you have an opinion about climate change (whether you agree with me or not), if you are willing to support the exhibit, or even if you simply wanna join me as I tour the Quezon Memorial Circle on Oct 16! Thank you!

OCT 15 is Blog Action Day!

Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. The aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.

In 2007, I proudly participated in Blog Action Day (Environment) with my post Biodiversity Is Life Itself. In 2008, I advocated for Blog Action Day (Poverty) but failed in my commitment to post.

This year, Blog Action Day tackles the issue of Climate Change -- a concern for so many Filipinos today considering what we have all been through when typhoon Ondoy hit us like nothing we've ever experienced.

Climate change is the most urgent threat we face and on October 15 you can help confront the issue and show the world that we care about finding lasting solutions.

I encourage everyone to participate and take action. To all bloggers who have not yet registered, just go to the official Blog Action Day 2009 website to register you blog. Once you've signed up you can download badges from the site and get ideas about how to connect your interests to climate change.

Now is the time to make our voices heard.

Blog Action Day '09 from Benjamin Rattray on Vimeo.

triplets!

(click image to enlarge)

POKERSTARS VIDS

I first saw these TV ads by Pokerstars while watching reruns of the Filipino Poker Tour. The ads are sooo amazing, I had to share it with fellow Triplejack addicts.

This one is my favorite. It's called SAMURAI featuring Isabelle Mercier. I'd like to dedicate this one to friends from Clan GRDO specifically to the head honcho bossing and other clan pioneers shaun, nakedEYE, chakkie and wakas. (Bagay na himuon ug GRDO Godess si Isabelle "No Mercy" Mercier kay hangol kaayo siya! Hahaha!)




Here's another video called HOCKEY featuring my favorite Daniel Negreanu. This one's lovingly dedicated to all TJ clowns who are too hangol for their own good. Mwahahahaha!

enjoy!

NIN in Manila Setlist

I was in a roller coaster of emotions as I anticipated going to the Nine Inch Nails concert right here in Manila on August 5, 2009. Ever since I found out about it, I knew I had to do this one selfish thing for myself: enjoy the concert, feel the blastin’ beat in my chest and bleed my ears to death.

And so the ache began…

I scouted for old old friends who used to enjoy deep, dark and heavy music as much as I did back in the days. I contacted friends who watched Rage Against the Machine and Pearl Jam with me. One by one, however, they backed out because of work commitments…

Nine Inch Nails was not particularly in the shortlist of my all-time-favorite rock bands. But they were a pretty hard rockin’ band – the type that gave me a natural high. And I DID love a lot of their more popular songs like Piggy, Hurt, Head Like a Hole, Dead Souls and of course the wild and haunting Closer. Soren, another old friend who already had tickets, gave me a copy of the complete NIN discography. Listening to NIN music in full blast speakers and louder-than-loud earphones slowly drew me in, making me want nothing more than to witness the pure music of NIN live.

But even as I was willing to pay for the quite-expensive ticket, logistics just didn’t seem to work.

And so on that 5th day of August, I resorted to sulking and distracting myself with just playing online poker. But then Soren suddenly texted me: “You’re in luck! My friend can’t make it because of the heavy traffic in Las Piñas. So tag along with us, I have a lower box ticket with your name on it!”

It was already 7:00 PM and I was far away in Novaliches. But who’s gonna keep me from going?! NOBODY!!!!

And so I arrived just in time for the first NIN song, had a blast and bled my ears! Hell, yeahhhhhh!!!

I’m no expert and this is not a concert review. I’ll point you instead to interesting reads:

• Inquirer: Nine Inch Nails still a formidable force
• NIN Forum (comments and photos from fans who actually saw the show --> kakaadik basahin!)
  
• Nine Inch Nails in Manila! (by Pau Araos, includes some concert photos)
• Nine Inch Nails Live in Manila (a few more up-close photos)

More Links:

• NIN.com Photo Gallery of the Wave Goodbye Tour in Manila
  
• NIN.com Video Gallery of the Wave Goodbye Tour in Manila
  

Here's the NIN in Manila setlist (August 5, 2009, Araneta Coliseum):

1. Somewhat Damaged
2. Terrible Lie
3. Heresy
4. March of the Pigs
5. Piggy
6. Closer
7. Reptile
8. The Becoming
9. I'm Afraid of the Americans (David Bowie cover)
   
10. Burn
11. Gave Up
12. La Mer
13. The Fragile
14. Non Entity
15. Gone, Still
16. The Downward Spiral
17. Wish
18. Survivalism
19. Echoplex
20. The Day the World Went Away
21. Deadsouls
22. The Hands that Feeds
23. Head Like a Hole
24. Hurt (Encore)
    

I have uploaded these MP3s at my Multiply site, in case anyone's interested to listen.

Oh, and by the way, Pinoys are so lucky NIN played Closer. Apparently, Trent Reznor previously stated in an interview that the song is not included in the Wave Goodbye setlist. Now doesn’t it make you feel better?




Nine Inch Nails - Closer (UnCut)

these are the words

and they're MY words now...


you in the dark, you in the pain, you on the run
living a hell, living your ghost, living your end
whatever you say, it’s alright
whatever you do, it’s all good
whatever you say, it’s alright
but silence is not the way, we need to talk about it
if heaven is on the way, we’ll wrap the world around it

i don't want to be the one who has to fill the silence
the quiet scares me because it screams the truth
please don't tell me that we had that conversation
when i won't remember, save your breath, what's the use?

won’t you save me from this world of mine?
before i get myself arrested with this expectation
you are the one, look what you’ve done, what have you done?
this is not some kind of joke, you’re just a kid
you weren’t ready for what you did

i’ll have to try to find my way back to sanity again
though i don’t really know what i’m gonna do when i get there
take a breath and hold on tight, spin around one more time
and gracefully fall back to the arms of grace

i was hanging on every word you say
if you don’t want to speak tonight, i can't just sit outside heaven’s door
cause i don’t want to keep waiting for the scraps to fall off your table

this is not the way i'll let my story end...


[listen here]