OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARAÑAQUE CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
THE MOST OUTSTANDING CHAMBER IN NCR FOR 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2000 & 1999
2ND QUARTER ISSUE, VOLUME 11, NO. 1
Skyway addresses traffic concerns at Stage 2 project site
A s Citra Metro Manila Tollways
Corporation (CMMTC), the
developer of the South Metro Manila
Skyway Project, undertakes the
crucial foundation works for the
Skyway Stage 2 project, motorists
traveling to and from Southern Metro
Manila eagerly await the project's
completion. The ongoing
construction activities have made
their travel time to and from the
Alabang-Bicutan segment longer
than the usual travel time prior to
construction. The standard three (3)
lanes on each direction have to be
converted to narrower lanes to give
way for an 8.65-meter work area at
the tollway median. While many
motorists get very upset with the
traffic congestion caused by Stage 2
construction, there are also many
motorists who understand that the
delay and inconvenience they now
experience will mean faster and safer
access to commercial and industrial
Motorcycle patrol escorting motorists driving on the counterflow traffic between Bicutan and Sucat.
Inset shows work area at Bicutan at-grade section: Restoration of three (3) standard lanes everytime
a column is completed.
areas south of Metro Manila when
the project is completed.
CMMTC's Skyway Stage 2
is the extension of the 9.5-kilometer
elevated toll road from Makati to
Bicutan which opened to traffic in
1999. Stage 2's 6.88-kilometer
Bicutan-Alabang elevated section
boasts of six (6) wide travel lanes
from Bicutan to Sucat and with four
(4) lanes from Sucat towards the slip
ramps and two (2) lanes from the slip
ramps to Alabang towards the South
L u z o n To l l w a y f r o n t i n g t h e
Hillsborough subdivision. The Sucat
ramp toll plaza has four (4) lanes
also. Its main toll plaza between
Sucat and Alabang will be built closer
to the Alabang-end of the Skyway
and will have twelve (12) lanes, six
(6) on each direction. The main toll
plaza will replace the Skyway A and
Skyway B toll plazas adjacent to the
NAIA runway at the East Service
JUNE 26, 2009
Road. The Alabang Northbound entry
plaza has two (2) lanes. When Skyway
Stage 2 opens, the temporary On and
Off inside the tollway in Bicutan will be
removed and replaced with the slip
ramps near Hillsborough. This will result
in smoother travel both on the elevated
and at-grade sections of the Skyway
System between Bicutan and Alabang.
On April 30, 2009, CMMTC
issued the notice to proceed order to its
main contractor, D.M. Consunji, Inc.
(DMCI) for the construction of the
Skyway Stage 2 Project. The Stage 2
master construction plan shows that the
entire project, complete with toll facilities
and all other ancillary requirements, will
be finished by May 2011.
CMMTC and DMCI are exerting
best effort to accelerate the project and
minimize traffic disruption during
construction. Already, the 24-month
construction schedule was 2 months less
than the 26-month construction
schedule approved by the Toll
Regulatory Board. Although the
Skyway Stage 2 project will be
completed in May 2011 or in two
years, traffic flow along the project
site will ease up or normalize by May
2010 after all the columns from
Bicutan to Alabang are finished and
1.8 meters on each direction of the
work space is reduced. The
narrowed lanes will then be restored
to standard lanes. Major
construction activities for the
elevated road superstructure such as
the installation and concreting of
pierheads and precast girders,
among others, will be done in such a
way that these will not affect traffic
during peak hours. To soften the
impact of pierhead construction to
traffic at the ground level, the
 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE
PARAÑAQUE CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.

Membership Services,PqCCI
Publisher

Ferdinand T. Fernandez
Editor-in-Chief

Parañaque City
Contributors
Chamber of Commerce
Alex L. Flores
and Industry
Ray S. Soberano

Jake J. Jaro

Nelson M. Mendoza

Dina G. Bernardo

Hernan R. Juatas

Parañaque City Information Office

Pete C. Dumana, Jr.

Atty. Jojo Batiller, Jr
Editorial Advisers

Jon Reforsado
Layout

Is Your Business a Micro-enterprise?

Are your Assets Below PHP 3 Million? JOIN THE PqCCI AND BE ACTIVE
IN ANY OF
Do you want to be: THE FOLLOWING COMMITTEES:
- 100% exempt from income tax
- exempt from minimum wage law External Affairs Committee
- a beneficiary of the Micro-finance credit facility Raymund C.S. Soberano
Vice President, External Affairs

Come and visit your friendly local business chamber:

Membership Development Committee
Alvin Gerard J. Jaro
THEPARAÑAQUECHAMBER OF COMMERCE& INDUSTRY Vice President, Membership Development

Membership Services Committee

at the Ferdinand T. Fernandez
Vice President, Membership Services
5/F VCG Bldg., Corners San Pancrasio & V. Ferrer Sts.,
San Antonio Valley I, Parañaque City Finance Committee
Nelson M. Mendoza
or call us at Vice President, Finance

Tels. 826-1881 and 820-9853 Professional Development Committee

Geraldine G. Bernardo
Vice President, Professional Development
and find out if you are eligible under the BMBE Law

See the online directory of businesses in Parañaque City

Log on to
http://www.pqcci.org
 Thus, companies needs to revisit their management system
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE for dealing with uncertainty and adopt prescriptions for
PRESIDENT ALEXANDER L. FLORES growth for companies to maneuver, perform thrive and
survive in this era of turbulence. We should be alert in

BUSINESS
discovering opportunities in a recession.

TURBULENCE
From a marketing standpoint here are some marketing steps
to undertake!

1- Take a complete inventory of your marketing activities and

W hat is turbulence? We know it when it occurs in nature; it
creates havoc in the form of hurricanes, tornados,
cyclones or tsunamis. We experience turbulence in the air
costs.
2- Shed unprofitable segments, customers and geographies.
3- Delete poor selling products and brands.
from time to time when a pilot asks us to fasten our seatbelts
4- Weed out under-performing distributors
because of “turbulence”. In all these cases, stability and
5- Reposition your pricing
predictability vanish only to be replaced by being buffeted,
6- Shift to more efficient media mix
bounced and jabbed by conflicting and relentless forces.
7- Focus on getting more spending by existing customers and
less on attracting new customers.
Economic turbulence creates the same impact on us as
8- Build stronger relationships with potential customers
turbulence in nature. Consumers reacts, and switch from
whose business will grow when the economy gets better.
credit-based spending to saving, causing companies that sell
9- Continue some experiments with new media so that you
automobiles, furniture, and other “postponables” to suffer
will be ready when the economy improves.
declining sales. These companies in turn resorts to
downsizing and major layoffs that result in less available
Finally, think about this...
consumer purchasing power. Meanwhile, companies slow
down their buying from other companies adding to these
EASY TIMES ARE THE ENEMY; THEY PUT US TO SLEEP.
suppliers hardships who in turn, layoff their workers.
ADVERSITY IS OUR FRIEND, IT WAKES US UP! (DALAI
LAMA)
Companies in their difficult times tend to make across-the-
board cuts. They especially deeply reduce their new product
And this...
development budgets and marketing budgets, both of which
undercut their short-term recovery and long term future.
“WHEN THE STORM COMES, SOME BUILD WALLS, THE
Consumers, workers, producers, bankers, inventors and
OTHERS BUILD WINDMILLS.” (OLD CHINESE PROVERB)
other economic actors feel that they are living through an
economic hurricane, a maelstrom that is relentless and
unstoppable.

FORGING OVERSEAS ALLIANCE MAY 28, 2000 - PqCCI President enplaned for Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia to attend an International Business and
Marketing Conference at the KLCC (Kuala Lumpur
Convention Center). As past President of Phil. Marketing
Assoc. and concurrently Vice President for International
Affairs, Pres. Alex once again, together with PMA Pres.
Mylene Abiva, officially represented the Philippines in
another Asian Marketing Federation Board Management.
Said event coincided with a seminar conducted by no less
than the world’s Marketing Guru and father of Modern
Marketing, PHILIP KOTLER whose 78th birthday
coincided with the conference. In the morning he talked
about “Marketing During Turbulent Times” and in the
afternoon about the “Future of Marketing”. Indeed, he
amazed us with his depth of knowledge and stamina to
speak on stage in front of over a thousand participants.

Simultaneously, we were able to forge sisterhood

agreements with some of our counterparts to undertake
various activities meant to foster friendly relations and
explore ways and means to promote trade and industrial
cooperation and share opportunities for information
exchange. Initial initiatives and agreements were forged
with Andreas Diantoro (Indonesia), Saliya Weerasekara
(Sri Lanka) and Dato Sharifah Mohd Ismail (Malaysia).

3 PARBIZMAN
EVENTS
Financial Management
seminar for displaced workers
June 11, 2009
 Skyway addresses traffic concern...
Skyway Stage 2 will use the
rotating pierhead device called
“sosrobahu, ” an engineering
technology from Indonesia, for the 6-lane elevated structure.
By using the “sosrobahu,” the pierheads are constructed
parallel to the roadway, and are later rotated to its final
position perpendicular to the road underneath. Construction
of the ramps will not affect traffic as these ramps are located
outside the tollway.
Meanwhile, Skyway O&M Corporation (SOMCO), the traffic
manager for the Stage 2 construction, is taking all the
necessary steps to keep traffic moving, albeit slow, for the
duration of the project, especially during the construction of
the foundation system and the columns.
Since travel time is now at least 30 to 55 minutes longer,
depending on the weather condition or when there is an
accident or stalled vehicle, SOMCO advises motorists to
avoid the peak traffic hours in the morning and early evening if
their trip is not necessary. Traffic counterflow is being
implemented for Makati and Manila-bound motorists during
the morning peak traffic hours depending on the available
road space and the traffic situation on the southbound
direction.
For less-hassle travel, SOMCO also recommends alternate
routes to motorists. Motorists bound for Manila can take the
Alabang/Zapote Road, turn left to Coastal Road all the way to
Macapagal Highway and to their final destination. Those
going to Makati, Manila or Quezon City can also use either the
East or West Service roads along South Luzon Tollway. They
can turn left on Sucat Road going all the way to Airport Road
or go straight ahead to Villamor and Magallanes area to their
final destination. Residents from Ayala Alabang and nearby
PCCST: SOON TO TRANSFER ON NEW SITE
The Parañaque City Government under the leadership of Mayor Florencio Bernabe,
Jr. recently purchased parcels of land measuring 10,320 square meters located along
Col. E. De Leon St. in Brgy. Sto. Niño from the heirs of spouses Gonzalo and
Magdalena Gatchalian for the construction of new buildings for the Parañaque City
College of Science and Technology (PCCST) and the Parañaque Science High
School. Photo shows Mayor Bernabe (seated, left) and heirs Robert Gatchalian, Sr.
(seated, center) together with his son Robert Jr. (standing, second from left), Melanie
Cardenas (standing, fourth from right), Edna Gatchalian-Peña (seated, second from
right); and Janis Tesoro (seated, right) signing the Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA)
for the purchase of the aforementioned parcels of land at the Mayor’s Office in City
Hall. PqCCI Pres. Alex L. Flores sits in the Board as one of the members of the
BOARD OF REGENTS of PCCST.
ARTICLE
villages may also take the Alabang-Zapote Road in
Muntinlupa and enter the tollway at Alabang northbound
entry going to Makati/Manila. Northbound, motorists can
exit at Susana Heights and take the National Road and re-
enter through Alabang N/B Entry Plaza, or continue on using
the East Service Road.
SOMCO acknowledges that traffic will continue to slow down
especially during the construction of foundation system and
the columns but assures motorists of their safety by fencing
off the work area and ensuring that no soil residue spills to the
road pavement to prevent obstruction that may cause
accidents. The work area is fully lighted at night. Traffic
enforcers and flagmen are fielded at the project site round-
the-clock to direct traffic and assist motorists. The tow trucks
of the Automobile Association of the Philippines are on
standby at strategic areas to promptly respond to calls for
assistance. Motorists may also call the SOMCO Hotline 776-
7777 to ask for help or report unusual incidents. They can
also email their comments and suggestions to
skyway@skyway.com.ph.
While CMMTC'S construction work on the Skyway Stage 2
project causes inconvenience in terms of longer time, fuel
wastage and frayed nerves, one cannot discount its benefits
during construction and after completion. During this
challenging economic period, the project is helping the
government provide jobs and business opportunities to
suppliers of construction materials and project contractors.
This, without doubt, translates to consumer spending that
can, to some extent, move the country's economy upward.
Once completed, the project will not only provide the Filipino
motorists with faster and better access to and from south
Metro Manila but also add road capacity for increased traffic
in the future.
JOIN THE 17TH MMBC
REGISTER NOW!!! CALL 826-1881 or 8209853
LOOK FOR JON or LYN of the PqCCI Secretariat
5 PARBIZMAN
 EVENTS

CS orporate
ocial
“LIFE LONG LEARNING”
PROJECT
R esponsibility

T he Philippine Chamber of Commerce and

Industry (PCCI) represented by their Vice
President for Corporate Social
Responsibility, Ms. Bing Limjoco, signed a
Memorandum of Agreement with the
Parañaque Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (PqCCI) on May19, 2009 for
the “Life Long Learning” Project.

With the cooperation of DOST, the

project was successfully launched
at the Villa Paraiso, Parañaque
City benefitting the unemployed
women in the depressed March 4, 2009
community.

In partnership also with the

Philippine Marketing
Association, initial
discussions was held at the
PMA Secretariat with Dir.
F e r d i e F e r n a nd e z i n
attendance. Subsequent
activities unfolded when,
t o ge t he r wi t h P qC CI
Directors Jake Jaro and
Hernan Juatas and Senior
Staff Jon Reforsado, the
pro je ct wa s o ffi cia ll y
launched at the site with
PCCI officers and DOST
trainors in attendance. To
further boost the essence
and significance of said
project, Pres. Alex invited the
project proponents to guests
in his TV program at UNTV.
Now on its third season, “GO
N.G.O.”, espouses the
importance and significance of
contributions being made by
various NGOs, government entities
and business sectors to assist and
support the needs of various
communities and target recipients in
different capacities. On its maiden
project at Villa Paraiso, Sun Valley, PqCCI
sponsored meals provisions for the trainors
and participants. More projects in partnership
with various GOs and NGOs are in the pipeline
as part of our conscious efforts towards Corporate
Social Responsibility. Everyone is enjoined to be a
part of this notable endeavor as we continuously lend a
helping hand in various community outreach
undertakings .

6 PARBIZMAN
 ARTICLE
Making your company stronger in a downturn
Turbulence offers a rare chance to bring in new talent, improve the way things are done
by SIMEON PRESTON AND MARCIA BLENKO (Business Times - 05 Jun 2009)

WHO'S got time to worry about building a stronger organization Recommendation gathers relevant information and proposes a
in a downturn? Surely, executives can't focus on internal issues course of action. People with Input responsibilities help shape a
when they face so many other pressing matters. But this is recommendation so it is operationally practical and financially
exactly the time when leaders need to ensure their organizations feasible. An executive who must Agree is anyone who needs to
are performing well, so that important decisions get made and sign off - often a legal or regulatory compliance officer.
executed quickly and effectively. Turbulence offers a rare
chance to bring in new talent and improve the way that Eventually, one person will Decide. This person 'has the D'.
organizations function. Assigning the D to one individual ensures single-point
accountability. The final role in the process involves the people
The trouble is that companies under duress often lack the who will Perform or execute the decision. Clear decision roles
organizational capabilities to meet mounting challenges. Some are essential amid turbulence: they can boost performance by
make snap decisions; others stall, unable to decide. Yet others unclogging bottlenecks and cutting the organization's cycle time.
badly need new people to bring fresh perspectives or help them Right people in right roles: In good times, companies focus on
overhaul dysfunctional cultures. managing growing organizations. In a recession, the logic
changes. Many companies cut costs through layoffs and
Strengthening the organization is one of the most powerful attrition. But the people who leave are not always the poorest
levers any company can pull to improve its performance in a performers. Those who stay may not have the skills to make and
downturn. It starts by asking a series of questions: execute decisions. And companies often fail to consider who
What are the critical decisions in this downturn? Do we need to they might hire to bolster their capabilities. In downturns, no
adjust our organizational structure to address them effectively? company can afford to have the wrong people in key decision
How should our roles and processes change? Will our most roles.
experienced people be able to make and execute key
decisions? Which aspects of our culture reinforce decision At one technology company, we found that more than 40 per cent
effectiveness, and which don't? of managers identified as high performers were in non-critical
positions. Meanwhile, fewer than 40 per cent in mission-critical
Adopting this 'decision lens' is the single most important step a roles were top performers. The senior team quickly corrected the
company can take to improve an organization's performance. It mismatch, and business performance immediately improved.
helps leaders to focus their efforts where they will have the most The key to making the best use of people is a robust, effective
impact during a downturn and to accelerate when the economy performance-management system that has real consequences.
improves. Identifying the critical decisions: Every company has Actively managing the culture: Culture underpins an
its critical decisions. If your business is in relatively good shape, organization's decisions. But cultures change and are
those decisions may not have changed much. Some will be the particularly susceptible to change when the organization is in
big choices, like whether to acquire a competitor or invest in a crisis.
new product. Others may be everyday front-line decisions.
Toyota, for example, achieved its leading position partly through In a downturn, leaders need to take action to keep a strong
its reputation for manufacturing quality. To maintain that quality, culture from deteriorating - or to transform a culture that hinders
Toyota ensured workers in every plant knew how to make and good decisions.
execute the right quality-related decisions. These decisions are
as important now as when Toyota was growing rapidly. Understanding that its culture is a competitive advantage,
Southwest Airlines reinforces it in hard times. In the early stages
If you're in survival mode, the critical decisions will be different - of the current recession, it maintained staff loyalty (through no
like whether to sell a stake or overhaul the business model. involuntary job cuts) and invested in upgrading customer
Testing the structure: Sometimes structure is a serious obstacle service. The carrier continues to be one of the US leaders for on-
to making and executing a business's critical decisions. In that time performance, an aspect of the business that customers
case, structure must change. care deeply about.

Hewlett-Packard's salesforce was organized by customer while
its manufacturing units were organized by product. With stalled
decisions and people working at cross purposes, performance
suffered. The company moved to a product- based structure
across the entire company, with accountability for decisions
clearly defined. That created the conditions for better decision
making and execution, which in turn generated higher
profitability. Clarifying roles and processes: Whatever a
company's structure, decision roles need to be clear. Unless
people know who's responsible for making and executing critical
decisions, stress on an organization will only increase. A tool we
call RAPID® clarifies accountability for each part of these
decisions. The individual or team responsible for a
A strong organization isn't optional, something to worry about
after the crisis. Your organization's strength will greatly affect
how well your company weathers the storm. It will also strongly
improve your chances for growth once the storm passes.
Simeon Preston is a partner with Bain & Company and a leader
in the firm's South-east Asia organization practice. Marcia
Blenko is a partner and leads Bain's global organization practice.
This article was adapted from the forthcoming book 'Winning in
Turbulence' by Bain & Company, published by Harvard Business
Press.
PARBIZMAN 7
 P R O G R A M M E
62nd GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Friday, June 26, 2009
Toho Restaurant, Presidents Ave., BF Homes, Parañaque City

11:30 a.m. Registration, Lunch & Fellowship UPDATES ON SOUTH LUZON ROADS

12:00 p.m. Invocation Ms. Tang Singson 12:55 p.m. Introduction of Mr. Ramon M. Borromeo
PqCCI AVP - Membership Retention Project Presentor PqCCI Director
National Anthem
1:00 p.m. Mr. Dodik Marseno
12:10 p.m. Welcome Remarks Mr. Ferdinand T. Fernandez DCEO - Technical
PqCCI VP - Membership Services Operations & Maintenance, CMMTC

12:20 p.m. Announcements & Mr. Alvin Gerard J. Jaro 1:15 p.m. Mr. Jolan Wedingco
Acknowledgment PqCCI VP - Membership Development Financial Manager, PEATC
of Guests
1:30 p.m. Mr. Melvin Nazareno
President, Star Infrastructure and
Development Corporation
12:30 p.m. Messages Hon. Florencio M. Bernabe, Jr.
Mayor, Parañaque City
1:45 p.m. Ms. Alma Tuason
Mr. Antonio C. Keh Corporate Spokesperson, SLTC
PCCI VP - NCR
2:00 p.m. Open Forum (Moderator: Ms. Dina Bernardo)
Mr. Enrique C. Lim
MMCCI Governor - South Sector 2:30 p.m Presentation of Ms. Apol Dominguez,
Token of Appreciation AVP-Recruitment
Mr. Pete C. Dumana, Jr.,
MMCCI Secretary General 2:40 p.m. Closing Remarks
12:40 p.m. President's Message Mr. Alexander L. Flores Master of Ceremonies
PqCCI President

Ms. Dina Bernardo | Ms. Tang Singson

12:45 p.m. Induction of New Members
PqCCI Directors

"PARAÑAQUE'S PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE AND PROGRESS”

Sample of proposed billboard to be placed along the stretch of Skyway project