OMG its 2010!

Last year, I called 2008 my biggest year (imagine my five-month stay in Okinawa, Japan). But guess what? Years only get bigger. Which makes me regard 2010 as equally interesting one.

These were the things that happened in 2009 (there were more but I will just shorten the entries in my list):

* Attended an International Conference for SOLD, March 27-30, 2009, Baybay, Leyte, Philippines.
* Been a member of the Information, Communication, and Documentation Committee of the 2009 Palarong Pambansa held at Tacloban, Leyte from April 22-May 1, 2009.
* I've been to different parts of the country to attend IMCS workshops.
* Acted as OIC of the ETD unit from August 25-28, 2009.
* Acted as Public Desk Officer last October 13 & December 11, 2009 at OSEC.
* Evaluated USAID donated TXs/SMs last November 11, 2009
* Moved out from my in-law's house.
* Competed in different chess tournaments in the country.
* Got comfortably fit. Did some biking and exercises. Still doing it
* Live on our own.
* Finally learned how to cook

Maybe you're asking me what 2010 holds, I really don't know. But I’m looking forward to it.

Happy New Year to all!

Efficiency vs. Effectiveness

Efficiency or effectiveness is thing my two friends have been arguing for these past years. "Come on, do it efficiently" yelled one of my friend. "What is the point of doing it efficiently if you are not doing it effectively?" is a common echoing back from one of my other friend.

The Concise English Dictionary defines the word "Efficiently" as having achieved results without waste of time or effort. It gives the word for "Effectively" as having accomplished a specified right result.


Well, which is more important in term of working and accomplishing a task? Should we do it efficiently as my first friend (A) suggests or do it effectively as my other friend (B) insists?

Let us presume that (A) has an assignment to organize a company year end tour to the Great Rock. He did it very efficiently. It took him only one week to prepare all necessary work from booking the tour coach, snacks for the trip, entertainments, songs, accommodation, etc. This could actually take other person a full month work to accomplish the same task. When the big day came, everyone was so excited and got up early for the tour. After a few hours ride, they eventually arrived at the Grand Rock. Every one was quite exhausted now but there were no accommodation. They came to a wrong place.

Now, let us look at my other friend. It took him more than a month to prepare for the same year end company tour. During the process, he made so many mistakes that the tour was almost at the verge of being called off. Anyhow, here came the same big day, and less than half of the employees turned up for the trip. All arrived safely at the Great Rock after a few hours ride.

Efficiently vs. effectively, which is more important in term of accomplishing a job? May be we have started with a wrong question. We should not compare efficiently and invectively in term of importance. Their relationship is more of a priority than quality. Effectiveness is more of a goal setting and efficiency is more of a process of attaining the goal.

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/402982/efficiency_vs_effectiveness_.html

7 Long Days at RELC-Marikina

Ew. I was assigned to assist our clientele at RELC-Marikina from December 15 to 22. I am so lucky for I can read more stories and other materials.

The Next Emperor

A great emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew, it was time to choose his successor. Instead of appointing one of his children or assistants, he decided something different. One day,
he summoned all the young people in the kingdom together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one among you." The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"

One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.

After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by--still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. However, Ling didn't say anything to his friends. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

A year finally went by, and all the youth of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the others. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kids laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey, nice try."

When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide himself in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"

All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the guards to bring him upfront. Ling was terrified thinking "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!" When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked for his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor ordered everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!"

Ling couldn't believe it. Ling could not even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?

Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he
will be the new emperor!"

Moral of the story:
If you plant honesty, You will reap trust
If you plant goodness, You will reap friends
If you plant humility, You will reap greatness
If you plant perseverance, You will reap victory
If you plant consideration, You will reap harmony
If you plant hard work, You will reap success
If you plant forgiveness, You will reap reconciliation
If you plant openness, You will reap intimacy
If you plant patience, You will reap improvements
If you plant faith, You will reap miracles
But
If you plant dishonesty, You will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, You will reap loneliness
If you plant pride, You will reap destruction
If you plant envy, You will reap trouble
If you plant laziness, You will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, You will reap isolation
If you plant greed, You will reap loss
If you plant gossip, You will reap enemies
If you plant worries, You will reap wrinkles
If you plant sin, You will reap guilt

So be careful what you plant now, it will determine what you will reap tomorrow. The seeds you scatter now will either make your life worse or better or those of the ones who will come after you. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits or you will pay for the seeds you plant or the choices you make.... today.

- Source unknown

Fake 100-Peso Bill from a Bank

Guys, I need your expert opinion here. Our company staff had just paid a BIR transaction in one of the banks here at Pasig City. The bad thing was one of the bills was declared fake by the bank. Later, I learned from my colleague that the money came from the bank itself and was part of the P10,000.00 bill the bank issued. Upon asking one of the bank's personnel she said that it was not their responsibility once the bills were out of the bank's premises. Hmnnn...is it true?

Will the adage "let the buyer beware" be used or the banking institution which issued the money be held liable here?

FYI here are the scanned copies of the the fake bill:

fake 100-Peso_front
fake 100-Peso_back

Chess Team Tournament

I joined the 2009 NCFP Chess Tournament yesterday and today at the LWUA located at Balara, Quezon City. The tournament was participated by 39 accredited teams of the NCFP. I represented DepEd Team A and our team got 5 pts. and we were in the lower half of the standing. I am so happy to experience fighting the elite players consisting of Philippines best GMs, IMs, and NMs. Mabuhay National Chess Federation of the Philippines!

On Our Own at Last!

I found our new apartment at Sta. Cruz, Manila and it rocks! Yeah. Not only that it was near to SM San Lazaro where my kids used to stay during the warm afternoon but it was also adjacent to ALPS bus terminal were my sister was in the habit of sending some valuables from Oriental Mindoro. My schedule changed since I do not wake up as early as 3:30 a.m. just what I did in Navotas.