The Uyugan Times

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* About Stella

Through the Stella Awards, Ministry of Finance employees formally celebrate the outstanding contributions of their colleagues and recognize them for their demonstrated commitment to excellence.

The name Stella was chosen for the Ministry Award of Excellence as it is connected with "shining" or "stellar" performance.

Individuals, teams and partnerships are eligible to be recognized for their contributions in one or more of the following five categories: Leadership, Valuing People, Innovation, Partnership and Quality Service.

The Stella Awards begin with a Call for Nominations and culminates in an Annual Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Deputy Minister and members of the Finance Senior Management Committee.

In the past, colleagues from different divisions, as well as partners from other governments, were recognized with Stella Awards. The recipients represented many positions and levels of the ministry, including auditors, front-line staff, IT experts, HR professionals, call-centre information officers, trainers, economists, tax administrators and policy analysts. The special qualities of award recipients included dedication, initiative, innovation, enthusiasm, leadership, compassion for people and a willingness to help others.

The Stella Awards is another way that the Ministry of Finance demonstrates that its staff are valued and that their work is appreciated.

Stella Awards

The Stella Awards recognize individuals, teams or partnerships who have made a significant contribution that is above and beyond the call of duty and have exceeded the expectations of their job requirements or project mandate. Awards will be given in the following five categories:

Leadership -
Leadership is a quality that can be demonstrated by any employee in the ministry.

A leader is someone who leads by example and lives the Code of Values and Behaviours for Leaders. Leadership qualities include:

Accountability: creates vision - sets priorities - meets goals - measures and reports on performance - champions best practices
Respect and Fairness: treats everyone with dignity and respect
Integrity: demonstrates ethical and professional behaviour
Innovation: encourages creative solutions - encourages continuous learning and improvement for themselves and others - is a catalyst for continued improvement
Teamwork: listens, shares and develops trust within and beyond their area - develops effective relationships based on trust and sharing - pools together ideas, talents and energy - brings people together

A Leader is the ultimate role model who inspires others to achieve their full potential and to achieve the ministry's vision and values.

A Leader promotes an environment that is open to communication and encourages everyone to express their views, ideas, suggestions and concerns.

Valuing People -
Valuing people can be demonstrated by any employee in the ministry. The qualities of someone who values people include:

Helping others to develop and achieve their full potential
Being a role model/coach/mentor to others
Recognizing the efforts of others
Promoting teamwork
Promoting high standards
Treating everyone with dignity and respect
Creating a supportive, positive and healthy work environment

Innovation -
Innovative ideas lead to finding new and better way of doing things, increasing efficiency, improving a process or creating a new best practice. Innovation happens when someone thinks "outside the box" . Innovative ideas also include:

Demonstrating creativity, initiative and resourcefulness
Looking beyond the usual way of doing business
Improving a service, process or business practice
Saving time and/or money

Partnership -
Partnerships between the ministry and other ministries or government agencies, or non-government organizations, are successful when they benefit everyone involved. A successful partnership could include:

Working together to implement a new initiative or improve an existing one (e.g., a new policy, program or way we connect or deliver services)
Demonstrating cooperation and teamwork
Sharing knowledge and promoting two-way information sharing
Encouraging joint planning, problem solving and decision making

Quality Service -
Going the "extra mile" by providing exceptional customer service that exceeds the expectations of clients and/or colleagues. Quality Service includes:

Anticipating client's and/or colleague's needs and acting upon them
Demonstrating enthusiasm, motivation and commitment to improving a service, process or practice
Providing consistent, timely, high quality, professional service
Establishing and maintaining strong and positive working relationship with clients and colleagues.
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** The Legislative Building - The Old Congress of the Philippines

The Legislative Building, which occupies an entire triangular block, was started early in the 1920's. Work on it was sporadic, however, and it was finished in 1926. The National Library was allowed to occupy the basement. The House of Representatives occupied the second floor continuously for 19 years until 1945, when the liberation forces bombed and shelled the building where the Japanese troops had made one of their last stands in Manila. Except for the central portion, the structure was beyond repair.

Reconstruction of the war-damaged Legislative Building started in 1949. The Congress moved in the same year while the wings were being reconstructed. Work on the two wings was completed in 1950.

The edifice was rebuilt entirely from memory, with the aid of a blueprint without measurements, which had providentially been kept by the sculptor Tampingco. The architects of the Bureau of Public Works declared that the reconstructed building is a replica of the original, except that it is less ornate. The rest of the building was modified according to the expanding needs of the Congressmen. Mezzanines were added and offices rebuilt according to their occupants' specifications. Two annexes on the first floor had been added to the wings.

The Congress functioned as the national legislature until September 1972 when President Ferdinand E. Marcos placed the country under martial law.

The legislative building of the old Congress is currently known as the Executive House. It is the permanent home of the Metropolitan National Museum where national artifacts and treasures are kept and displayed. Source: Official Directory of the House of Representatives. 1965-1969, Sixth Congress, (January 24, 1966).
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Alexander Pope, 1688-1744
ODE ON SOLITUDE

Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
In his own ground.
Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire,
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter fire.
Blest, who can unconcernedly find
Hours, days, and years slide soft away,
In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day,
Sound sleep by night; study and ease,
Together mixed; sweet recreation;
And innocence, which most does please
With meditation.
Thus let me live, unseen, unknown,
Thus unlamented let me die,
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie.

Originally intended for the National Library, the Legislative Building was part of the "Capitoline structure," an impressive design in neo-classical architecture for a government center made by David H. Burnham, foremost American city planner of his day. Of Bumham's grand plan, only three buildings were finally constructed - the Finance Building, the Agriculture Building, and the Legislative Building (formerly National Library). The Burnham plan was doomed when the late President Manuel L. Quezon unveiled his plan for a new capital city, named Quezon City, outside Manila.

The Legislative Building - The Old Congress of the Philippines**

Thus let me live, unseen, unknown,
Thus unlamented let me die,
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie.

Alexander Pope, Ode on Solitude
English poet, satirist (1688 - 1744)

It's an enigma for not much is known of this humble true Ivatan, but the early years in Canada for this humble immigrant was spent under the tutelage of the late economist Rudolf K. Kogler (Ontario's chief demographer in the 1980s). The latter years were spent as research statistician and demographic specialist/economist. [Kogler was a classmate and life-long personal friend of Pope John Paul II. He was with the free Polish Forces that operated with the British 8th Army in World War II. He was wounded and awarded twice the Military Cross for

L-R: Colin Andersen (Deputy Minister of Finance), Malik Ljutic, Maria Papoutsis (Manager), Alexandre Munger, Kumiko Shibuya, Victor Caballero, Patrick Deutscher (Assistant Deputy Minister of Finance and Chief Economist) - Awards presented by DM and ADM

2005 Stella Awards

Ivatan among winners of 2005 Stella Awards
A humble true Ivatan humbled by Stella

Toronto - The Awards Ceremony for the 2005 Stella Awards* of the Ministry of Finance (formerly the Ministry of Treasury and Economics) was held at the Grand Ballroom, LeGala Banquet Hall in Whitby, Ontario on January 20, 2006. [MOF's Stella certainly is not Hollywood's Oscar but the ministry's closest - MOF's Oscar.]

Among the winners is a humble true Ivatan [with deep humility but with pride to report] in the team category (providing high quality professional service - demographic projections).

bravery in the battles of Tobruk in North Africa and Monte Cassino in Italy.]

                               It's an enigma for not much is known of this humble true Ivatan

It's an enigma for not much is known of this humble true Ivatan, but he's a member of the accountancy profession in the Philippines (Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants or PICPA), and finished 3rd level studies of the Certified General Accountants of Ontario. [To study at the 4th level, one must be in an accounting environment (concurremt practical experience), and this humble true Ivatan decided to stay in demography and remain a demographer - a good excuse not to study anymore. The truth was that at the time there was too much competition for entry-level accounting positions with pay that was much less than that of a demographer.] There were options and he made choices. He played the role and destiny the rest.

         This humble true Ivatan served briefly as carpenter in the Congress of the Philippines

It's an enigma ... Well, it's almost forgotten that he was a budget analyst in the Budget Commission (now the Department of Budget and Management) in the early 1970s. [During his student days, he served briefly as carpenter in the House of Representatives, Congress of the Philippines.]
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Why carpentry?

[When he was in 3rd year of university/college studies, this humble true Ivatan found himself with too much spare time that one day he decided to see the congressman for some activity (for pocket money). At the congressman's office he met his godfather (brother-in-law of the congressman), which he hasn't met in years. The godfather was sitting at one end of a 20-foot conference table reading his paper (in the old Congress). After a few greetings and the purpose of the visit, the godfather accompanied him in to see the congressman, and after a few more greetings and the reason for the call, the congressman hired him on the spot. You may start tomorrow, the congressman said. (He wishes life is that easy, but it happened to him in that one moment in time.) Then a week after, the godfather accompanied him to collect his pay, and this humble true Ivatan was surprised that it was too much for a student - more than twice the average pay. So the godfather accompanied him to see what he believed was his boss or the chief of service and maintenance (general services), and the guy barked [w'e're dealing with blue collar people here] to them: He's a carpenter (skilled position). The godfather was a jolly good fellow and unable to control his laughter, laughed all the way back to the congressman's office. To this day he still doesn't know whether he was in fact a carpenter, but he likes to believe he's one.

He must have been not much of a carpenter for a few months after, the congressman accompanied this humble true Ivatan to see the Commissioner of Public Service (a former congressman for Negros Occidental) for another activity/assignment and/or deployment.] Thank you, Uncle Jorge!

Why the Budget Commission?

After finishing his studies, he returned to Batanes with the purpose of spending the rest of his life in the islands. Unfortunately, there were no employment opportunities, and by then Uncle Jorge's (and his father's) party was no longer in power. So he went to see his grandfather, a member in good-standing of the party in power. They went to see a former congressman (Uncle Manuel) - a former colleague of the then Commissioner of the Budget. The rest - as they say - is history. Oh, shall he mention that in that office he met a young ... who worked in the Legal Department of the Office of the President of the Philippines.
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                                       There are many immigrant success stories, but It's still
                                  sickening to see educated immigrants doing sickening jobs

It's an enigma ... Unlike the unschooled and unemployed (among us) when they left the Philippines, he was schooled and employed when he left the country, and it still makes him sick to see educated immigrants unable to find real jobs (with all due respect to the dignity of labour). There are many immigrant success stories, but it's still sickening to see educated immigrants doing sickening jobs. Still, immigrants (mainly from the 3rd World now, and unlike earlier immigrants, today's are mainly the unwashed, with all due respect) keep on coming. Why? The simple answer is lower crime rate and better infrastructure and more opportunities (education and employment), albeit sickening the jobs are to the less fortunate.

It's an enigma for not much is known of what this humble true Ivatan actually does, but he provides (job specs) competent macro/micro-economic and demographic analysis, advice and options to the Minister, Deputy Minister of Finance, Cabinet Office, senior officials in the Ministry of Finance and peers in other ministries on a broad range of demographic, labour market and related socio-economic issues in the context of the government's overall fiscal, taxation and regulatory policies and economic development and social programs.

         He observed almost the same level of professionalism and competence in both offices

It's an enigma ... He has worked in 2 governments, the Budget Commission in Manila and the Ministry of Finance in Toronto, and he observed almost the same level of professionalism and competence in both offices - in the former working with accountants (CPAs), and in the latter with economists. One possible explanation to this high degree of excellence in the 2 offices may well be that both are premier central agencies. [He's speaking of the Budget Commission of his time and not the Department of Budget and Management today.]

             He loves the Spartan lifestyle, which is almost synonymous to the Ivatan lifestyle

It's an enigma ... Well, it's a long way from the open fields and hills of Batanes to the halls of the Budget Commission and the Ministry of Finance, but hopefully the road ahead will take him back home again [in keeping with his love for the Spartan lifestyle, which is almost synonymous to the Ivatan lifestyle] to the same open fields and hills where he first learned the character of the Ivatan: hard-working and honest and as hopeful as the break of day. - vbc, January 2006
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