Araw ng Kagitingan: A Lesson in Leadership

Today, April 9, we Filipinos commemorate "The Day of Valor" (Araw ng Kagitingan) to honor the Filipino and American soldiers' last stand in the battle of Bataan.  

Aside from the valiant disposition of the soldiers that fought in this battle there were three major players whose actions personified the different degrees of VALOR and LEADERSHIP.  

General Douglas MacArthur was the Philippine Field Marshal during the Japanese invasion.  General MacArthur fled to Australia with his family and staff in March 1942 and continued issuing directives from there.  This was a month prior to the eventual fall of Bataan.  In a notorious direction, he ordered for a general counterattact  against the Japanese---this was despite the fact that he was well aware of the dilemma of the battle weary troops.   

Major General Edward King was the Commanding Officer of Luzon that time.  He knew that the men under his command will do what is commanded of them but he saw the futility of further struggling with troops weakened by disease, starvation and lack of military logistics.  He ignored the direct order of General McArthur and surrendered Bataan in the hope that the Japanese followed the European military tradition of honoring troops who surrender after a gallant stand.  He was wrong.  The lengthy Filipino/American resistance in Bataan inflicted heavy losses to the Japanese and they vented there rage on the sick and exhausted soldiers culminating to the infamous Death March and the brutal conditions of the Japanese hell camps which he himself endured.

Major General Edward King

Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright inherited the unenviable position of being the Allied commander in the Philippines following General MacArthur's relocation to Australia.  He followed General MacArthur's directive to continue the struggle and together with 11,000 defenders did so in the island bastion of Corregidor.  But after enduring a daily barrage of 12,000 artillery shelling,  he too saw the inefficacious position of his continued resistance and eventually surrendered in May 6, 1942.  He was advised by his senior staff to follow General MacArthur to Australia but as a man known as a fighting general known to get down in the foxholes with his men he calmly replied, "I have been with my men from the start, and if captured, I will share their lot."

General MacArthur and General Wainwright after the former's
release from the Japanese prison camp.

General Wainwrights decision to surrender infuriated General MacArthur so much that when the latter was finally liberated from the concentration camp the former opposed his citation for the Medal of Honor.

Both Wainwright and King expected cour-martial for disobeying the no-surrender order.  However, they were treated as heroes when they were freed from the Japanese prison camp.

This historical event only goes to show how leaders vary in their pursuit of their goals.  Some succumb to their  narcissistic tendencies and is willing to sacrifice others to attain their objective.  While there are also those who think for the benefit of the greater good and the acceptance of the accountability of their actions.   

What kind of a leader would you want to be?

New TV Series: Missing

There's nothing quite like a female lead in an action movie, or,  in this case, a TV series.  

Missing stars Ashley Judd as Becca Winsstone, a mother in search for her son Michael who was abducted in Rome during his summer architecture program.  Unbeknownst to her fellow PTA colleagues and her son Michael, Becca and her husband Paul, were former CIA operatives.  Becca left the Agency after Paul dies in a car bombing incident allegedly perpetrated by terrorists.  After 10 years of domestic existence as a dotting mother with a budding flower shop business, she has to rely on her old skill sets, former contacts (both allies and foes) as she goes across Europe in search for her missing son.

So far I have watched two episodes and it has been a roller coaster ride of action and thrills.  However, if you're expecting a pretty Ashley Judd---you won't find her in this series.  Becca Winstone is a battle hardened operative and she was made to look the part.

On the other hand, I guess she just got OLDer.  

Bar Refaeli Tennis Shoot

If female tennis players start wearing this kind of outfit, I'm sure to be following all the tournaments there are!

The Power of Social Media

With the proliferation of various social medias available SERVICE ORIENTED businesses should be more aggressive in making sure that their customers always have WOW moments everytime they visit.  Like a double edged sword whatever experience a customer has will either make or break a company.  

Unlike before when customer feedback are spread by word of mouth, with social networks as Facebook and Twitter, it will only take one click of a button and all listed friends will be able to know whether an establishment is recommendable or not.  Regardless of a customer care facility in place---the social networking sites are the preferred medium for feedback.  It is FAST and will not take a whole lot of red tape to be over and done with.  

As if in an urban combat situation you won't know who the enemies are until you're already being shot at.  For a complaining customer, there are no rules.  The important thing is for them to express their side of the story.  Remember the movie Black Hawk Down when the helicopter got hit by an RPG (rocket propelled grenade)? That's the same hit that a service company is going to get when a bad experience gets posted in a social networking site.  Depending on the gravity of the complaint it can go viral in the blink of an eye!

The challenge to service oriented companies is to be consistent in terms of providing excellent customer service in all potential moments of truth by the customer---prevention is still the best cure---and vigilant in expeditiously  managing complains as they happen.  Remember, managing complaints are also moments of truth.

In God's Own Time

This should be the mantra of those who say they trust in God---a measure of FAITH.  Do what needs to be done and God will do the rest.

The need for more is man's self made predicament.  Man is an INSATIABLE being.  Whenever we have something in excess we change our lifestyles and spend until we find ourselves under again.  It's a vicious cycle really.  Oh, I have had my own downs and have fallen in this trap a couple of times already and what I learned is that when you're already in it you just have to suck it up and try to crawl out of the rubble of debt.  Come to think of it, many of us are not far off from the woes of a sampaguita vendor---just different levels of need---but NEEDS just the same.  

"God will provide," that's what I always say.  However, Divine Providence does not come when you expect it.  Ironically, more problems usually come your way.  Well, we can't complain to God, right?  We complain at the "injustice" of whatever situation we're in.  The workplace is where many injustices happen so let's focus there.

From my time as a service crew, to being part of the store management team, up to my time at the corporate office, financial growth has always been an issue.  We were unionized when I was a service crew and the yearly increase was a consistent argument at the CBA bargaining.   Naturally, the union always wanted more.  When I became a manager the merit increase was based on performance but that too had its own controversy.  Then there's the matter of promotion.

Promotion is based on performance and competence.  It also depends on the company budget.  But as they say some people have all the luck.  These are those who get promoted minus the exemplary performance and the competence to do the job.  Personally, I pity them since they would eventually look silly sitting on a position they are not cut out for.  This is an HR problem that really boggles the mind.  But that's a discussion for another topic.  Conversely, it is also disturbing to hear of people asking for a promotion.  It is not something you ask for.  It is given as a recognition for good work.  The one who should recognize this is the superior.  When a subordinate seeks for a promotion it is a major turn-off to the superior.  But I guess that's what happens when family finances can no longer be satisfied by the yearly merit increase.

In my opinion, it's either you wait your turn to go up the corporate ladder or seek another job that will give you this opportunity.  You can do this internally or get out of the company and find another that wil provide your corporate aspirations and the financial gain it entails.  Otherwise, just do your job well and God will do the rest---in His own good time.

A Lenten Reflection: The Parable of the Talents

Sometimes we don't appreciate what we have until we we've lost them.  Let us not be like the lazy servant who did nothing with what we had and squandered the opportunity to gain more.

God gave us our own opportunities (big and small) in life but what to do with them is something that only WE can decide on.  The chance to go to school is one such opportunity.  


Making good in school IS A CHOICE.

As a parent there is nothing more rewarding that seeing your children do well in school.  A good report card and an   exemplary test result definitely makes all the toiling more meaningful.  I have had my share of proud moments with my own children.  Any good news from school is definitely added fuel to my inspiration to provide for my family and negates all the frustrations and hardships that go with work. I'm sure this is how my brother and sister-in-law felt when they heard of their son's academic accomplishment.

I'm very proud of my nephew, Reujen, who chose the high road and received a scholarship grant for his academic excellence.  Other than that he was also hailed as a model student in terms of deportment.  

Let us not liken ourselves with the servant who buried his talent.  God is an entrepreneur and expects a return of his investment.  In the end what we want Him to tell us is---

"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"

The Photographer's Creed

I was at the Hot Imports Night VIP party last March 24 and was trigger happy with my camera.  I was in the zone of catching the moment especially when the the ladies started parading their wares!  In my opinion I had a very defining shot that night and I wasted no time posting it as a teaser for my HIN blog.  I even posted it as an entry in the HIN photo contest.  The picture I'm talking about is the one I took of Sophia Zafra in her revealing red monakini.  

My initial position was five rows at the front of the stage but seeing the throng of photographers in front of me I figured that I'm not going to get a decent shot with all the cameras up in the air.  So I relocated myself at the left side of the stage.  I was alone when I planted myself in my position but as soon as the festivities got in the way other photographers saw the great vantage point I'm at and soon we were like packed sardines!  

I'm pretty sure that everyone who attended the HIN VIP party would attest that it was a SKIN-fest!  The ladies were in different variety of UNDRESS!  Everyone seemed to have forgotten about the cars and the ladies dominated the night which got the testosterone level to critical mass! I was with my good old Sony Alpha 380 with my 55-200mm lens mounted to snap 'em pictures and my Nokia N8 to get some video clips.  My-oh-my!  The night was like a two hour foreplay as the ladies strutted on stage and gyrated to the approval of the male dominated audience!  All cameras were firing from different angles and the ladies were in for a firing squad!  It was during this moment that I captured the picture of Ms. Zafra!  She was doing her stuff right in front of me!  Too near for my SLR so I switched my N8 to picture mode and snapped away!  It was a spur of the moment reflex and I was proud to have captured it!  I'm sure many BATMANs who saw the picture liked it as well! (Note:  BATMAN is short for Batang Manyak.)

Yesterday I got a Facebook message from Ms. Zafra and she told me that the picture was "nakakaBASTOS".  I was really confused by the message.  First of all, she DID participate in the event; secondly, she was the one who chose what to wear; and lastly, I did not ask her to do the dougie in front of me!  Well, the cameltoe was a consolation but that too was not my fault.  However, I did not wish to offend anybody so I humbly apologized to Ms. Zafra and deleted that picture from my posts.  

Part of the Photographer's Creed says:

My camera and myself know that what counts is not the shots we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the flashes we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit…

Personally I'd say that I hit it with that picture---the question is, "DID I DO WRONG?"