Citing for example, you are operating a sari-sari store and oftentimes you run out of sugar, rice and oil. Sometimes you have to go to the market thrice- a- week to buy these basic commodities. Do you think this kind of buying habit has an impact on your business? Yes it has, try to compute the fare that you spend thrice a week then multiply it by 12 months. If the fare in your place is minimal, maybe you will just say, “oh it’s just a small amount” however, small is amount, if you accumulate it through the years, will turn into a big amount that can be used as an operating capital.

So, how should you buy for the betterment of the business operation? Remember the pointers below;

1. 1. Buy at the right TIME – Buy only when the customer and business needs the goods. Do not buy too early nor too late. Proper forecasting of supply is very crucial in operating a business.
2. 2. Buy with the right DEALER – Scouting for a good supplier that offers quality and lowest priced goods/services at the right agreement/contract, can really save your business big money. You can ask your neighbour, friends, dealers, and even your competitors as to where they source their goods/services. It doesn’t hurt to ask around first before you start you own hunting.
3. 3. Buy the right QUALITY – Buy quality goods that your customer is willing to pay. Do not trade your reputation for short-term gains.
4. 4. Buy at the right QUANTITY – Buy quantities the business needs and customer needs and wants. Not too many nor too little.
5. 5. Buy at the right PRICE – Buy at prices according to the target market of the business and of course according to what your business can afford.

Always remember a slight variation in your purchasing transaction can have a huge effect on the business’ profitability and sustainability. And aside from saving big on your business, your effort will be minimized too.

Merry Francisco

by:  Concepcion B. Parantar

David replied to the Philistine, “ You come to me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies- the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

1 Samuel 17:45

How David overcome his giant or his battle against Goliath?

1. David has a good eyesight- Like David, we are to see and confront our Goliath. We are to open our eyes soldier of God and know the things that make us afraid.

What a difference perspective can make. Most of the onlookers saw only a giant. David, however, saw a mortal man defying almighty God. Goliath was a target too big to miss. He knew he would not be alone when he faced Goliath; God would fight with him.

1. David has a good insight-Capacity to see and discern. The act of grasping the inside or intuitive manner.

“Don’t worry about this Philistine, “David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”

1 Samuel 17: 32

1. David has a good hindsight- We are to have a good memory of God’s faithfulness. Recognition of realities. David is not knocked off- he did not borrow Saul’s weapon.

“The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine”.

1 Samuel 17:37a

1. 4. David has a good foresight-Looking forward for the future. Provident care for the future.

“David defeated Goliath with a sling and a rock. He killed him without even using a sword.”

1 Samuel 17:50 (CEV)

What made David effective, however, was more than his ability with the sling; it was his courage and his faith in God. To fight like David we need David’s kind of fearlessness. David had grown strong and confidence by trusting God when he had encountered wild animals while guarding his father’s sheep. When we face towering problems, recall how God has helped us in the past. Take heart because God gives us strength. Let us use the skills God has already given us and move forward.

It’s not clear what causes breast cancer. Breast cancer occurs when some breast cells begin growing abnormally. These cells divide more rapidly than healthy cells do. The accumulating cells form a tumor that may spread (metastasize) through your breast, to  lymph nodes or to other parts of the body.

Breast cancer most often begins with cells in the milk-producing ducts. This type of breast cancer is Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Breast cancer may also begin in the lobules (invasive lobular carcinoma) or cells within the breast.

Researchers have identified things that can increase your risk of breast cancer. But it’s not clear why some people who have no risk factors develop cancer, yet other people with risk factors never do. It’s likely that breast cancer is caused by a complex combination of  genetic makeup and the environment.

Inherited breast cancer:

Estimates show that 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are linked to gene mutation passed through generations of a family. A number of inherited defective genes that can increase the likelihood of breast cancer have been identified. The most common are breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) and breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2), both of which increase the risk of both breast and ovarian cancer.

If you have a strong family history of breast cancer or other cancers, blood tests may help identify defective BRCA or other genes that are being passed through your family.  A Genetic counselor  can review your family health history. A genetic counselor can also discuss the benefits, risks and limitations of genetic testing.

Risk factors

A risk factor is anything that makes it more likely to get a particular disease. But having one or even several risk factors doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll develop cancer — most women with breast cancer have no known risk factors other than simply being women.

Things that can increase the risk of breast cancer include:

• Being female. Women are much more likely than men are to develop breast cancer.
• Increasing age. Your risk of breast cancer increases as you age. Women older than 60 have a greater risk than do younger women.
• A personal history of breast cancer. If you’ve had breast cancer in one breast, you have an increased risk of developing cancer in the other breast.
• A family history of breast cancer. If you have a mother, sister or daughter with breast cancer, you have a greater chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Still, the majority of people diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.
• Inherited genes that increase cancer risk. Certain gene mutations that increase the risk of breast cancer can be passed from parents to children. The most common gene mutations are referred to as BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes can greatly increase your risk of breast cancer and other cancers, but they don’t make cancer inevitable.
• Radiation exposure. If you received radiation treatments to your chest as a child or young adult, you’re more likely to develop breast cancer later in life.
• Obesity. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of breast cancer.
• Beginning your period at a younger age. Beginning your period before age 12 increases your risk of breast cancer.
• Beginning menopause at an older age. If you began menopause after age 55, you’re more likely to develop breast cancer.
• Having your first child at an older age. Women who give birth to their first child after age 35 may have an increased risk of breast cancer.
• Postmenopausal hormone therapy. Women who take hormone therapy medications that combine estrogen and progesterone to treat the signs and symptoms of menopause have an increased risk of breast cancer.
• Drinking alcohol. Drinking alcohol may increase the risk of breast cancer.

Alternative medicine

No alternative medicine treatments have been found to cure breast cancer. But complementary and alternative medicine therapies may help cope with side effects of treatment when combined with the doctor’s care.

Alternative medicine for fatigue
Many breast cancer survivors experience fatigue during and after treatment that can continue for years. Doctors aren’t sure what causes cancer-related fatigue and it can persist despite treatment. When combined with the doctor’s care, complementary and alternative medicine therapies may help relieve fatigue.

• Gentle exercise. If the patient is cleared by the doctor, start with gentle exercise a few times a week and work up to more. Consider walking, swimming, yoga or tai chi.
• Managing stress. Take control of the stress in daily life. Try stress reduction techniques such as muscle relaxation, visualization and spending time with friends and family.
• Relaxation strategies. Balance activity with periods of relaxation. Try listening to music, writing in a journal, meditating or taking a warm bath.

Prevention

Breast cancer prevention for women with an average risk:

• Breast Cancer Screening.
• Become familiar with your breasts through breast self-exams. Ask your doctor to show you how to do a breast self-exam to check for any lumps or other unusual signs in your breasts. A breast self-exam can’t prevent breast cancer, but it may help you to better understand the normal changes that your breasts undergo and identify any unusual signs and symptoms.
• Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink to less than one drink a day, if you choose to drink.
• Exercise most days of the week. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. If you haven’t been active lately, ask your doctor whether it’s OK and start slowly.
• Limit postmenopausal hormone therapy. Combination hormone therapy may increase the risk of breast cancer. Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of hormone therapy. Some women experience bothersome signs and symptoms during menopause and, for these women, the increased risk of breast cancer may be acceptable in order to relieve menopause signs and symptoms. To reduce the risk of breast cancer, use the lowest dose of hormone therapy possible for the shortest amount of time.
• Maintain a healthy weight. If your current weight is healthy, work to maintain that weight. If you need to lose weight, ask your doctor about healthy strategies to accomplish this. Reduce the number of calories you eat each day and slowly increase the amount of exercise. Aim to lose weight slowly — about 1 or 2 pounds a week.

The branch, along with their area manager Enrique Maca was educated by Francisco De Gamo on the importance of mangroves and how seedlings are planted. De Gamo has been the project chairman of the fish sanctuary for the last 10 years.

When the tides had lowered, each staff planted a seedling and marked each for future identification and monitoring. De Gamo imparted to the staff the need to build mangrove areas as these plants shelter fishes and protect coastal areas from the devastating winds of typhoons and storms. He reiterated the importance of the strict implementation of “No Fishing” in designated sanctuaries to help rebuild the marine wild life and ecosystem. To date, the Gosoon Fish Sanctuary has the most variety of marine life in the Caraga area and was recently visited by a group of Japanese divers and hailed the area as a future tourist destination.

According to area manager Enrique Maca, this activity was initiated by the branch staff and they are planning to do this twice this year to increase the number of mangroves planted and oversee their growth and preservation of the coastal area. “We are also planning to involve our clients, at least the ones near the area, in this kind of activity,” Maca added.

Mangrove tree planting is one of the activities which they plan to include as community service of clients prior to loan disbursements.

(This paper was presented at the John Hopkins-JHPIEGO Global Conference on Low-Resource Setting Cervical Cancer Prevention, held in Bangkok, Thailand on Dec. 4, 2005)

Re-post from http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=436

Incidence

Worldwide, one woman dies of cervical cancer every 2 minutes, and some 500 thousand new cases of this disease are seen every year.

About 80% or 400 thousand of these new cases are in developing countries. Of these 400 thousand, 50% or 200 thousand are in Asia.

In the Philippines, conservative estimates in 2000 placed the number of cervical cancer cases at between 35 thousand and 70 thousand, to which almost 7 thousand new cases are added every year.

In the Philippines and in many parts of the world, cervical cancer is second only to breast cancer as the most common malignancy that afflicts and kills women. In terms of virulence, however, cervical cancer is a more deadly disease: for every 4 Filipino women who survive cancer of the breast, only 2 or 3 will survive cancer of the cervix.

In the Philippines and in many parts of the world, cervical cancer is second only to breast cancer as the most common malignancy that afflicts and kills women. In terms of virulence,however, cervical cancer is a more deadly disease: for every 4 Filipino women who survive cancer of the breast, only 2 or 3 will survive cancer of the cervix.

Cost of the disease

Cervical cancer is not a disease of old age. The big majority of its victims are women who are at the peak of their biologically and economically productive ages. When a woman dies of this cancer, therefore, a life is not simply lost. Rather, a husband loses a wife, the children lose a mother, and the family is destabilized psychologically, financially and socially.

The economy, meanwhile, loses a productive pair of hands.
More than a pair of productive hands, however, is lost to the state, which inevitably pays a big part of the cost of treating this disease. Depending on the stage of the disease, the cost of treatment per patient ranges from P35 thousand to more than P703 thousand. These amounts are prohibitive even to those with income, considering that the national annual average
savings per family is only P24 thousand. One way or another, therefore, the government subsidizes a considerable portion of the cost for these families.

But for a big part of the population who lives below the poverty level, and who must be treated as charity patients,the government must shoulder all these costs.

This is an irony, because the cost of preventing cervical cancer through early screening could only be as high as P800 for a Conventional Pap Smear test in private hospitals, and –through an inexpensive acetic acid-based visualization screening method that is being introduced in developing countries worldwide – it could be as low as P50 only.

Preventability

Cervical cancer is highly preventable because it has a long pre-cancerous period during
which it may be detected and stopped, and every woman can assess her likelihood of being
a victim of this cancer.

Pre-cancerous stage. Cervical cancer generally takes as long as 10 years, and may even take 30 years, to develop into a full-fledged malignancy. It begins as an abnormality in cervical cells, and this abnormality is detectable through screening tests that are painless, quick, and affordable.

At this pre-malignant stage, the disease is highly curable. If every woman
who is at risk of developing this disease and who would subject herself to periodic screening tests, therefore, has a good chance during that big, 10-year window of opportunity to detect and stop this disease before it becomes fatal or more costly to treat.

Risk factors

Every woman may gauge her susceptibility to this disease. This cancer is
likely to afflict a woman who:
- has warts of the high risk human papilloma virus (HPV) types, in the anal and
genital areas
- started having sex soon after she began her first menstruation
- has or had several sexual partners
- has or had a sexually transmitted disease
- has or had a partner with sexually transmitted disease
- is a previous or current smoker, or is regularly exposed to secondary smoke
- used diethylstilbestrol (DES), a drug for preventing miscarriage of pregnancy, or
her mother used it when pregnant with her
- has five children or more
- belongs in the low socio-economic class
- has compromised immune status or poor resistance to diseases
When a woman notes that any of these factors applies to her, she should promptly seek a
test for the presence of cervical cancer or its pre-cancerous signs.

Key to Prevention

Early detection and treatment is the key to preventing cervical cancer. Developing countries
that applied this concept by means of a sustained national anti-cervical cancer screening
program have greatly benefited. The incidence of cervical cancer in those countries has
been reduced by as much as 90%, and the number of deaths due to cervical cancer has decreased by 70%.

Continuing Menace

Developing countries that lack such sustained national screening programs continue to be
menaced by cervical cancer. For the past many decades in the Philippines, for instance, cervical cancer has remained as the second most common cancer among Filipino women.
The recorded incidence of this disease in the country has even increased from an annual
average of 4,536 new cases in 1998 to 7,277 new cases in 2005. The specific reason behind this rise is unclear; it may simply be due to improved reporting, or to increasingly unhealthy lifestyle, or to the rise in carcinogens in an industrializing environment, or to an increase in the sexually transmitted spread of carcinogenic types of HPV warts.

One thing is clear, however: Filipino women are dying of this disease at a rate that has
remained unchanged for the past 20 years: of the total new cases of cervical cancer each
year, 33% or 1 of every 3 die within one year, and 73% or nearly 3 of every 4 of the new cases die within 5 years. The reason for this is the late detection of the disease: in 2 of every 3 new cases diagnosed each year, the malignancy was already at its advanced or fatal stage by the time it was detected.

Population at Risk

Growing at an annual rate of more than 2% during the past decades, the Philippine
population is estimated at more than 87 million as of 2005. Of this, 28 million are females aged 15 to 64 years old – the age bracket during which cervical cancer arises.

The number of women in this group is expected to grow further as the large young segment of the Philippine population matures and is promptly replaced by an even bigger population of infants within a cycle that is largely influenced by a high birth rate and a religious orientation that frowns upon artificial birth control methods.

Among Filipino women aged 15-24 years old, 23% or about 1 of every 4 have had sexual
contact, exposing them to cervical cancer’s risk factors such as early onset of sexual activity, STDs, carcinogenic HPV, and the likelihood of promiscuity and grandmultiparity.

But while there is a big population of Filipino women who are and will be at risk of cervical cancer, only 12% of them have been screened for this malignancy.
Cervical cancer has an inherently anti-poor bias, so women in low-income families constitute another segment of the population that is particularly at risk of contracting this malignancy.

This bias is not only because some of the major factors associated with this cancer are
quite common among the poor (e.g., grandmultiparity, poor resistance to disease and, to
some extent, early onset of sexual activity and – among women who resort to prostitution
for income – having multiple partners and exposure to STDs). Rather, this bias against the poor also stems from their lack of the opportunity to benefit from early detection and treatment of the disease.

Due to geography and lack of access to the media, the poor are generally
untouched by anti-cancer information campaigns. When such campaigns reach them,
their lack of education prevents them from fully appreciating the campaigns’ message.

And among those who understood the message, their lack of funds and the inaccessibility of government-subsidized facilities may still prevent the poor from seeking early screening and treatment services. Hence, this disease represents a particular onus on the poor and adds to their feeling of being disadvantaged and neglected. In this context, therefore, any anticervical cancer campaign is essentially a pro-poor and anti-poverty campaign.

Combatting the Disease

Early efforts. The high incidence and high mortality rates of cervical cancer in the country has continued because initial attempts to fight this disease had been disparate and limited in scope and duration. An effort to correct this was made in the early 1990s through an integrated national anticancer program that included a manual for cervical cancer screening. But, as a joint review by the Philippine Department of Health and the Asian Development Bank showed in 1996, the national cancer control plan had not succeeded, its implementation hindered by:

lack of funds and personnel;
reliance on midwives in Rural Health Units and Barangay Health Centers, who lacked training for the task;
inadequate training in cancer prevention for physicians who will implement the program, as we as for medical students who will eventually implement it;
insufficient services for follow-up diagnosis and treatment;
lack of quality control for Pap Smear analysis;
diversion of government funds for the health sector to other projects, as a result of the
“devolution” of certain political and fiscal powers from the national to local government units;
And continuing low level of public awareness of cancer risk factors and screening tests.

Recent efforts

The Department of Health and the University of the Philippines undertook a
study in 1998-2000 to resolve the above problems. The study aimed at: detecting the cancer at its pre-malignant and early stages, thereby removing the major cause of this disease’s high incidence and mortality rates and reducing the need for expensive treatment facilities and services for advanced cancer cases; overcoming the high costs and high level of skills required by the Pap Smear and other commonly used screening methods; and making screening tests widely available particularly in rural and low-cost settings.

The DOH-PGH study concluded that the acetic acid wash (AAW) test was the most cost effective among available screening tests, was more sensitive than the Pap Smear test, and had a specificity (94%) that was quite acceptable. Compared with the other screening methods, the AAW test also required less training, equipment and facilities to administer. The DOH-PGH study, therefore, endorsed AAW as the primary screening tool for a nationwide anti-cervical screening program, particularly in low-income areas and communities that are distant from major hospitals, clinics and laboratories.

The DOH-UP team called for a new national health policy that will:establish clinics, or a unit within reach clinic, that will be dedicated to cervical cancer screening and will use the AAW method; mandate that a cancer-positive finding through AAW be confirmed by colposcopy with biopsy; focus on women who are 25 to 55 years old as subject for screening; require that women who tested negative for the disease to be retested every 5 to 7 years; and direct the gradual implementation of the screening program such that only 1 to 4 municipalities will be covered during the initial year, and each province will be completely covered by the program in 5 to 7 years.

Taking into account its other findings, the DOH-UP team also recommended changes in
the national health policy to:

encourage continuing medical education in cervical cancer;
organize and sustain wide-scale public information and education campaigns on the disease;
include those of high school age as target of cervical cancer-related information and education campaigns;
include cervical cancer prevention and treatment in the curricula of medical, nursing, and
midwifery schools;
monitor and ensure the high quality of screening tests for cervical cancer;
include the costs of anti-cervical cancer screening and diagnostic procedures in the coverage of health and medical insurance plans; and
establish and maintain local and national cervical cancer screening registries.

The Cancer Institute’s subsequent reviews of these recommendations resulted in the
following additional suggestions:

adoption of the “single visit” approach, wherein a patient who tested positive will be
treated of her pre-malignant cervical lesion during that same visit – an approach that
is appropriate for developing countries as it reduces both the patient’s transportation
costs and the likelihood that she would not return for the follow-up treatment;
use of the AAW test as a screening tool and cryotherapy as treatment mode in the single visit approach – a combination that previous studies had found highly cost-effective;
launching wide-scale public information and screening campaigns only after diagnostic
and therapeutic facilities and services have been put in place – a chronological imperative
to ensure that women who respond to the campaigns will be accommodated;
and training midwives and barangay health workers in cervical cancer prevention and
screening under the supervision of the municipal health doctor — a strategic response
to the alarming rate at which Filipino doctors and nurses (the traditional implementers
of anti-cervical cancer programs) are leaving the country for better-paying jobs
abroad.

Pilot Project

In 2002, the DOH, the Philippine Society of Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy
(PSCPC), and the DOH-CHD-Cebu with the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center
(VSMMC) in Cebu City collaborated to establish in Cebu Province a project that will serve as a model for the eventual implementation of a sustained nationwide anti-cervical cancer screening program.

The project took into account the findings and recommendations of the DOH-UP
study. To date, the ongoing pilot project has achieved the following:

obtained a profile of Cebu’s assets and deficiencies in relation to conducting a sustained
cervical cancer control program, and identified/implemented solutions to the deficiencies;
trained 60 medical personnel to conduct cervical screening test with emphasis on the use
of the AAW test;
formed a widely representative multi-sectoral Cebu Task Force for Cervical Control to
lead the local policy formulation, fund generation, and implementation of the screening
program; and
established the VSMMC as a model referral clinic for cervical cancer cases and other
women’s reproductive health diseases.

National Policy

Subsequent to the DOH-UP study and the pilot screening project in Cebu, the DOH issued Administrative Order No. 2005-006 which declared the policy of establishing an organized anti-cervical cancer screening program using the AAW test as the primary screening tool in local health units.

The AO directed the creation of local registries of women 25-55 years of age, and the coverage of each province by the screening program within the next 7 years.

The AO declared other policies and guidelines that likewise reflected the recommendations of the DOH-UP study.

Current Efforts

The most recent effort toward reducing the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer in the country began in early 2006. The Johns Hopkins University-affiliated JHPIEGO, and the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital’s Cancer Institute (CI), agreed on a project to enhance the country’s preparedness and ability to implement a nationwide cervical cancer prevention program. The project subscribes to the use of the AAW test as primary screening tool as advocated by the UP-DOH study and the DOH AO.

To this strategy, however, the JHPIEGO-CI initiative adds an innovation: the single visit approach (SVA) in which women who visit a clinic for AAW test will be treated, if tested positive, with cryotherapy during the same visit.

JHPIEGO, which is world renowned for introducing and establishing the basic and adaptable mechanics for the SVA-AAW-cryotheraphy approach, will lead in the Philippine project’s training, capacity-building and interface aspects. The CI, established in 1938, will contribute its expertise as the country’s prime training ground for physician specialists in cancer prevention and treatment, its experience in local cancer research and anti-cancer projects, as well as provide its Cervical Cancer Prevention (CECAP) Center as the project’s home and secretariat.

The JHPIEGO-CI project will be implemented in several selected Philippine mucipalities
which could benefit from a cervical cancer prevention approach that requires little resources.

The core capacities established in these areas will be monitored and continuously improved for eventual adoption nationwide.

Conclusion

Cervical cancer has long been a major threat to the health of Filipino women and, by extension, to the health of the Philippine nation. Concerned sectors in the government and in the health community had long been aware that this threat is rooted to the late detection of this disease, and efforts have been addressed to resolve this in the past decades.

Initial efforts had failed due to lack of focus, funds, personnel, and other logistical and cultural reasons. New efforts began in the late 1990s and continue today. These efforts view cervical cancer more critically from the perspective of national realities and offer more realistic strategies and solutions.

The prospects of success of these new efforts are indicated by several milestones:
a team from the Department of Health and the University of the Philippines has
studied the problem and recommended realistic solutions; the Department of Health has declared national policies and strategies that reflect these recommendations; a pilot project in Cebu uses approaches that reflect the DOH policy and is showing the feasibility of a locally based and sustained anti-cervical cancer campaign at the provincial level; and a new project with international linkages is expanding the potentials of current local approaches by implementing the innovative single-visit approach to test its adaptability in low-resource Philippine settings.

By Francisco J. Colayco

Chairman, Colayco Foundation for Education (CFE),

Almost all entrepreneurial books talk about three “must haves” in establishing and sustaining a profitable enterprise.  Business history has shown that the personal passion and vision of the entrepreneur founder generally leads to higher success rate in creating the business (company) that produces (technology) services and/or products that are sellable (market).

Yes, it seems to be incontrovertible that passion, technology and market must go together if a business is to succeed.  The more interesting question though, is, which among the three must your starting point be?  In truth, any one of these three “must haves” can be a starting point in establishing a business?  If you are now in business, try and recall, how did you get started?  Was it Passion or your personal vision that made you start?  Or was it because you saw a continuing market for a product or service and decided that you would provide it?  Or was because you had an ability to produce a product and with that you decided to produce it and look for a market?

If you are just thinking of getting into business, here are a few points to consider.

Going into business is a very personal matter.  Your first choice of a business could be something that you are personally passionate about.  You choose it because you have clear reasons in your mind why you personally like to engage in that business activity.  It’s also possible to study and learn about any business with clearly good potential. It may not necessarily mean though that you are suited for that business to actually run it well, much less enjoy being operationally involved in it.  Without real involvement, it may be difficult to sustain your business with the same quality that you started with.

The better first step is to think of what you do best…what is your unique genius?  What is your real passion?  What is it that you really love doing?

Develop the mindset that it is your responsibility to widen your skills and knowledge base. Look around your own environment and see what is it there that could be made into a kind of income earning activity?  You might just discover that what you particularly like to do is something your community actually needs! When this happens, find out if the market is large enough, and, whether or not you can consistently deliver the products with consistent quality and at stable prices. If you are able to reasonably to confirm these, by all means, proceed with your business plan.

On the other hand, you may love to do something but you are not confident about your skills yet.  But can you find ways to develop those skills quickly?  Can you take a partner who will provide the skills you do not have and vice-versa?    This is one way you can create our own opportunity to make money.

Make your imagination work!  Dream! Hand in hand with your personal capabilities; check out the market for your product or service.  Location is key.  You need to make your place accessible to your target market.

Try not to be a “me too” though unless your neighborhood really needs more of the same service.  Too often, many imitate the business of others in the community and they all end up failing because of the limited market.  Look at the “hot pandesal” phenomenon of many years back and even the “sari-sari” store to this present date.  The original stores make money and suddenly everyone follows and almost, if not all, lose money.

After having decided on the business that is best for you, make a proper business financial plan complete with projections of at least monthly cash flows for the next two-three years.  Be sure you have enough money as capital. You can only continue your business if it will bring in money before you run out of the capital you start with.

Your objective is to create a business for the long-term.  You need to be able to sustain the quality of your product and/or services.  Even if you believe that you can only stay in the business for a few years for personal reasons, you want to be able to sell your business and get some profit for it.

As you can see, if you really chose the business that is best for you, there is no one who can best ­­­give you tips on how to maximize your “business piso” other than yourself.

To learn more please visit: http://www.colaycofoundation1.com/

Jejejejeneration Gap

Ni Ptr. Willie Basilio

Dumalaw kami sa ospital sa isang nagsilang ng unang anak by Ceasarian section. Bagaman ‘di namin nasilip ang baby sa nursery, matagal kami sa silid ng nanay.  Medyo masakit pa raw ang sugat ng operasyon pero nakakapagsalita na at nakakain na.  Kasama na siya sa kwentuhan, tawanan, at nagpa-ice cream pa sa mga bisita. At gaya ng inaasahan, umikot ang huntahan sa panganganak, sa nakaraang halalan, at dahil naka-on ang TV sa room ay sabit din ang buhay-artista, at iba pa. Tawanan,  kantyawan, minsan seryoso, pero madalas ay hindi.  Dito ko nakita ang anyo ng generation gap, ang higit sa isang oras na dalaw sa pagitan ng silip ng doktora para sabihing ok ang baby, at ang nurse na kumuha ng BP ng bagong nanay.

Ibinida ng mga nanay na kasama ko na noong sila’y manganak ay sa kumadrona at sa bahay lang. Na noong baby pa ang anak, cute pa; pero noong lumalaki na ay kumukulit at sakit na ng ulo.  Mismong gamit na  salita ay napapansing naiba – makulit, pasaway, atbp.  Noon, may tali pa ang pusod ng baby sa tiyan at naka-lampin, ngayon disposable diapers na. Noon padede sa ina, ngayon pinipilit pa.  Sa papalaot na kuwentuhan sa mga modernong gadgets – cellphone, digital camera, at paano ang pamamaraan ng komunikasyon ngayon kumpara noon (love letter na sulat-kamay at nakaipit sa libro o notebook na kunwa’y hiniram para sa assignment sa pausong jejemon’ na ayaw ng DepEd).  Hay naku, napakarami pa.  Pero kailangan na kaming magpaalam dahil isa sa kasama namin ay mag-aalaga pa ng apo.

Subalit sa kabila ng tinatawag na generation gap, nangibabaw sa aking isip ang pagkakaroon ng pagpapahalaga sa buhay at pagsisikap na ito’y maitawid sa susunod na henerasyon. Ang pinaka-mahalagang pagtatawid, ang higit na kailangang maglapit sa magulang at anak, ay ang mailapit ang sarili at anak sa ating Ama sa langit. Na sa Kaniya’y walang generation gap.  Ang mabisang paraan upang magawa ito ay ang malaman at magawa ng mga magulang at maipakita ang mukha ng Diyos sa kanilang pamilya.  Ito po ang pinaka-kapahayagan ng pagiging magulang.  Narito po ang ilang mga pamamaraan upang magawa ito.

Maka-Diyos na Pamumuhay. Sa anumang posisyon ng pamumuno, mapa-bansa o pamilya man, ang maka-Diyos na pamumuhay ay isang mabisang paraan upang mailapit ang mga pinamumunuan sa Diyos. Ang maka-Diyos na pamumuhay ay ang pagkilala at pagsasakatuparan ng mga kautusan ng Diyos.  Ang kaisipan ay kontrolado ng magagandang bagay at ‘di ng kahalayan o anomang makapapahamak.  Ito ay makaka-asa ng mapayapang pakikitungo sa kapwa, at may pagsasangguni lagi sa panalangin ang lahat ng bagay.

Ang maka-Diyos na pamumuhay ng magulang ay magsisilbing inspirasyon sa mga anak maging sa pagharap sa mga hamon ng buhay:  problema, pagsubok, pangangailangan, karamdaman, pag-iisa, atbp.

Uliran sa lahat ng bagay. Isang kahinaan ng ating mga kabataan ngayon ay ang kawalan ng katatagan dahil wala silang naging huwaran.  Nagiging madali sa kanila ang lahat ng bagay, kaya’t kulang sa pagtitiis na nagiging dahilan ng ‘di pagkakabuo ng katatagan.  Kaya’t marami sa mga kabataan ngayon ang biglaang magdesisyon, ayaw na mahihirapan, at gusto ay ibibigay na lang sa kaniya ang lahat. Dito kinakailangang maging hayag ang magagandang kaugalian ng magulang upang gayahin ng anak.  Sa Bibliya’y makikitang tambalan lagi ng pagtuturo at pagiging halimbawa ang mabisang paraan ng pagpapalaki sa mga anak sapagka’t kinikilala ng Bibliya ang simpleng pilosopiya ng pagmamagulang. Ito ay  kung ano lang ang meron ka ay siya lang ang maibibigay mo sa iyong anak.  Kung ibig nating maging magalang ang ating anak, dapat ay magalang at kagalang-galang tayo.  Kung nais nating maging masipag ang ating anak, masipag ba naman tayo?  At kung si Kristo ay nasa buhay na natin, posibleng maipakilala natin Siya sa kanila.

Kaibigan/kabarkada. Napakaganda at praktikal na kalalagayan na mag-ama o mag-ina na ay magkaibigan pa.  At kung ito’y ay maia-angat sa level ng Diyos ay napaka-inam para sa ating mga kabataan.  Isang mahalagang pagkakataon sa buhay ay ang pakikipag-kaibigan.  Ang kaibigan ay pinagkakatiwalaan ng kabataan higit pa sa magulang.  Nasasabi rito ang sekreto niya at nakakadama ng talagang kakampi at tagapagtanggol.  Nakararanas ng kasiyahan ang kabataan sa pakikipag-barkada at parang kumpleto ang buhay basta nasa barkadahan.  Dito magpapakita ng interes ang magulang sa kapakanan ng mga anak.  Mula pa lang sa pagkabata ay ilapit na ang kalooban ng magulang sa mga anak para unti-unting mabuo ang pagmamahal at tiwala, at magiging panatag ang loob ng mga anak para magtanong ng mga bagay-bagay.  Ang susi para maganap ito ay ang paglalaan ng sapat na panahon ng mga magulang para sa mga anak habang sila ay pinalalaki.  Huwag masyadong abala sa trabaho, o kaya nama’y ‘di pinapansin ang anak kapag ito ay lumalapit, halimbawa’y nagpapatulong sa assignment sa school.

Kinabukasan. Maganda itong paghandaan, lalo na ng mga kabataan.  Kahit ang Panginoon po natin ay may inilalaang napakagandang hinaharap para sa Kaniyang mga tinubos. Ginugusto Niyang makasama tayo sa langit magpasa-walang hanggan, kung tayo’y sasampalataya sa Kaniyang bugtong na Anak na Kaniyang isinugong tanging Tagapagligtas.

Ang kabataan ay nabubuhay lang sa kasalukuyan.  Hindi nila nakikita ang kahalagahan ng bukas.  Pinag-aaral sila ng mga magulang bilang paghahanda sa hinaharap, nguni’t bihira sa kanila ang nakaka-unawa nito.  Nag-aaral lang kasi obligado ang lahat na mag-aral.  Wala din daw sense of history ang kabataan.  Ni hindi alam ang kasaysayan ng ating mga bayani.  Mas alam ang pangalan at buhay ng kanilang hinahangaang artista.  Dahil dito, madali daw mauto ang mga kabataan, at wala nga raw kahandaan para sa kinabukasan.  Kaya’t papasok dito ang magulang sa pagpapakita sa kahalagahan ng paghahanda sa hinaharap.  ‘Di minamadali ang paga-asawa.  Mag-aral muna at magtapos para puhunan sa matatag na buhay at kinabukasan.  Kahit sa pagkukwento lang ng naging karanasan ng magulang ay may maipapaalala na ang mga magulang sa anak – pwedeng mga bagay na dapat tularan, o mga bagay na dapat iwasan.  Higit pang mabisa ito kadalasan sa pagtuturo sa mga anak.

Ambisyon. Malayo ang mararating ng taong may ambisyon.  Hayaang lagi na lang naka-halukipkip ang mga kamay, ni hindi niya maasahang may makakaramay.  Masipag.  Masikap.  May pinapangarap.  Libre naman daw ang mangarap.  Masigla ang buhay kapag may nakikitang resulta ang mga pagpupunyagi.  Unti-unti, maliliit, pero tinitiyaga, bukas-makalawa ito ay lalaki at  dadami.  Ang Bibliya’y may kwento ukol sa pinakatiwalaan ng Panginoon ng mga talento.  Sa mga nangalakal nito, tumubo at dinagdagan pa ng doble.  Abot-kamay ang pag-unlad, kailangan nga lang ng pag-aambisyon.  Binigyan tayo pare-pareho ng 24 na oras sa buong sang-araw.  Pero nagkakaiba-iba tayo sa paggamit nito.  May nanghihinayang, mayroon namang nasisiyahan.  Hubugin natin ang kaisipan ng ating mga anak sa pagsisipag at pagsisikap.  Turuan natin silang mag-ambisyon.  Gabayan sila sa pagtuklas ng kanilang linya ng interes o hilig, at sikaping suportahan sila hanggang magamit ito para sa kanilang kinabukasan.  Ibig ng ating Diyos ng makabuluhang buhay para sa atin, kaya’t nagbigay Siya ng sapat na kagamitan para dito:  talino, lakas, pera, at pamilya.  Gamitin natin ang mga ito para sa pagpapala ng Diyos sa atin.

Nabuo po natin ang mga kaisipang ito  gamit ang salitang MUKHA.  Gaya ng sinabi ko, ang pangunahing papel ng magulang sa anak ay ang pagpapakita ng MUKHA NG DIYOS sa kanila.  Kung nakikilala ng magulang ang Diyos, tinanggap si Kristo bilang Panginoon at Tagapagligtas, makikita’t-makikita ito sa kaniya ng pamilya.  At kung ano ang nahahayag na mga katangian ng Diyos ay mapagsisikapang tularan ng mga magulang at ituro sa mga anak.  Ito rin po ang tagumpay at pagpapala ng isang bansa.  Kapag bawa’t magulang sa bawa’t pamilya ay ipinakikita ang mukha ng Diyos at tinutularan ito,  malulugod ang Diyos at ito’y pagpapalain.  Haleluya!

Stewardship begins and ends with the understanding of God’s ownership of all. The following bible verses elaborate this:

• “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” (Revelation 22:13)

• “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1)

• “To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.” (Deuteronomy 10:14)

• “The land must not be sold permanently because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.” (Leviticus 25:23)

• “Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.” (Job 41:11)

Our life is gift from God and it is our responsibility to be good stewards of what he has given us. The best way to be good stewards is to have a servant steward attitude. Humility is the foundation of this type of servant leadership (Philippians 2:5-11). It is also important that we discover and know our gifts or talents ( I Peter 4:11).

Upon discovering, we should utilize these gifts or talents to serve others and hone it to the best of our abilities. We should always put in mind the lessons from the parable of the talents taken from Matthew 25:14 to 30. It tells that God owns everything. He desires us to be faithful managers. He will hold us accountable for all His resources. When He returns, He will reward those who obeyed and worked for His glory.

This becomes a call for us to re-examine our lives and figure – what kind of faith we have. Are we nurturing our personal relationship with God? Stumble on our steps? Are we good followers of Christ? Have we been using His resources for His Glory?

Red Cross Training in Valenzuela Branch

Twenty KMBI staff from National Capital Region operation, Calabarzon 1 area, and head office joined the First Aid and Basic Life Support (BLS) Training conducted in June 8 to 10, 2010 at Valenzuela branch office. The training aimed to provide orientation and techniques on what to do in case of emergency.

During the three day training, KMBI  staff underwent series of discussions, written examination, and hands-on training  through rescue operation re-enactments. On the rescue operation re-enactment, participants were asked to apply what had transpired on the lecture. Participants will be evaluated by the Red Cross of the Philippines, Quezon City Chapter and once they pass the entire examinations they will be given First Aid and BLS licenses as a proof that they are ready to give assistance.

This is the pilot test of first aid program of the training department. In the following months, selected staff from Visayas, Mindanao, and other parts of Luzon will be sent to public seminars on first aid and basic life support in their area.

Click here for  more pictures:

http://kmbiorg.multiply.com/photos/album/25

1. Do you have a name/signage for your business?  Most of the time, I would ask my participants in the training I am conducting if they have business signages. Majority of them would answer me “none”. Little do they know that they are missing one vital aspect in having one’s business be known in the area, especially if the competition is so stiff — selling in a generic market with no relatives, no friends, and no kumares/kumpadres.  With a reasonable budget, you can start putting your business name in the sidewall of your house/store either using wood or paint.  Let your local carpenter do the job if you don’t have talent in painting or carpentry.  On the other hand, you might consider a long term investment i.e. having a signage made of panaflex even with neon lights.
2. If you are a sari-sari store owner, ask one of your suppliers to provide you a banner of the products you are carrying and they will definitely give it to you for free.
3. Arrange your merchandise accordingly based on their uses.  Through this you are indirectly promoting complementary products. Best example is new creamer that you are promoting and has to be notable store.  This has to be placed beside your hot-selling coffee.
4. A good customer service will give you a high return for your business.  One way to do it is to have a smiling face.  It never falters to get better interaction with others especially with your customers or clients. It cost nothing.  And it serves two purposes:   a healthy disposition and healthy sales.  Being patient and attentive to customers are indispensable. It is not everyday that you will have your good day but you have to keep in mind that being consistently patient and attentive can do you good in long run in terms of sales and client retention.
5. Build your integrity with your suppliers especially when you are getting your supplies through credit. Never tarnish it for few pesos and suffer for the rest of your life.  You might be wondering how it could affect your promotion.  If you are good debtor, your suppliers could do the business promotion for you by referring you to their networks of relatives, friends, and acquaintances.
6. Give discounts in bulk order but never overdo it. You should know when and how to give discounts especially to your valued “suki”.
7. Observe your grooming.  Yes, it is one way of promotion.  Imagine if you are conducting your business with uncombed hair, with unwashed face, with dirty clothing.  Do you think you will attract new customers and retain the old ones?  I don’t think so.  Word of mouth is highly contagious.

The above suggestions are all doable and within your means.   It pays to start from somewhere rather than from nowhere.  Do it and reap the results!

-merry rose u. francisco-