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ELECTIONS 2014-2015

NAME Ysabel Marie M. SyyapNICKNAME YsaPOSITIONRUNNING FOR

President

YEAR & COURSE III BS CTMBIRTHDAY November 22, 1994CONTACTNUMBER

09173236538

E-MAIL ADDRESS [email protected] CUMULATIVE QPI 3.14

EXPERIENCE WITH ATENEO ACTMPOSITION &

YEARPROJECT &

DEPARTMENTCONTRIBUTION & RESULTS

Associate VicePresident forStrategic Training(2014-2015)

Strategic Communications • Facilitated the recruitment, trainingand deployment of strategists todifferent projects and accounts

• Oversaw the planning and executionof the projects that geared towardspromoting Integrated MarketingCommunications both within andoutside the organization

• Worked alongside several ProjectHeads with idea generation and corecompetency manifestation

Project Head(2013-2014)

Tambay Week – HRDepartment

Led a team of 10 people in planning forand organizing a week-long get togetherwhich culminated in a Christmas party

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIESPOSITION &

YEARORGANIZATION CONTRIBUTION & RESULTS



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Force Member(2014-2015)

Ateneo Junior MarketingAssociation (AJMA)

• As Recruitment and Secretariat Head ofMarketeam, I was responsible for theapplication and screening process,information dissemination and databasegathering of a marketing competition

open to all Ateneans.• As Recruitment and Secretariat Head of

The Big Red Bazaar, I am taking care ofcontacting, securing and coordinatingwith over 40 concessionaires for afundraising Christmas bazaar held atthe heart of BGC.

• As Promotions Head of AteneoIntercollegiate Marketing Seminar, Itook control of all the promotionalefforts, making sure that hundreds of

potential participants were informed andenticed of the marketing competition.Project Head(2013-2014)

Ateneo ManagementEngineering Association(MEA)

As Project Head of MEA Valentine’sBazaar, I led a team of 50 members intransforming what used to be merely afood bazaar into an interactive andeventful university-wide fundraising event.

Member (2013-2015)

Ateneo Consultants forOrganization Developmentand Empowerment(CODE)

Crafted modules and facilitated forengagements with several youth-orientedorganizations

GENERAL QUESTIONS

1. Explain briefly (in 250 words or less) the reason behind your intention for running,your accomplishments that make you eligible, and the key elements of your platform.

I have been a part of ACTM the moment I shifted into the course and it has truly beena life-changing experience. Not only did the organization give me opportunities toenhance certain skills that I would not have learned elsewhere, but it has also gracedme with the blessing of meeting people whom I can always count on. However, I amaware that not all members of the organization benefit from such opportunities; andthis is just one of the many issues we have to address. In the time I have spent inACTM I have always acknowledged its strengths and weaknesses and have alwaysstrived to improve on what I could, especially this school year as the Associate VicePresident of Strategic Training. However, there are certain systems and protocols Ibelieve I would best be able to fix should I be given the chance to be president.Although ACTM has become a better home organization and a better businessorganization this year in comparison to previous years, I know that there are stillopportunities for us to be more relevant and helpful to Comtech majors, and to beable to incorporate and apply our core competency of Integrated MarketingCommunications in more meaningful and impactful ways.

For the coming school year, I want to RAISE ACTM:



ELECTIONS 2014-2015

Reinforce Membership DevelopmentAlign Systems and StructuresImprove Organizational CultureS ynergize DepartmentsElevate Brand Equity of ACTM

2. If there is one word to sum up your experience with the organization, what is it andwhy? Rate the dedication you have given to ACTM from 1 to 5, with 1 being thehighest, and give your reason behind the rating.

Eye-opening. Through the organization, I have been immersed to the endlesspossibilities that being a Comtech major entails. I have also been trained to enhancemy own skills, and how these skills can help me further improve ACTM.

I would give myself a 2. Although I could genuinely say that I perform all myresponsibilities well, more often than not even doing beyond what is expected of me,I know that I can still push myself further.

3. If you were a brand, what brand would you be? Why?

Rexona. I won’t let you down.

4. What is your clear, consistent, and compelling message to the ACTM Assembly?

I first pictured in my mind what I believe the organization deserves to be before Iconsidered running for the position. Kindly give me the opportunity to make thisvision of mine for ACTM to be a home to Comtech majors and to be our trainingground in becoming IMC experts regardless of our chosen paths come to life.

PLATFORM

1. Overall Plan for the Organization: What direction do you think the organization, asa whole, should go?

As a home organization to Comtech majors, I firmly believe that we are notexhausting enough means to ensure that the organization is an apt supplement to aComtech student’s college journey. Given the complexity and lack of recognition ofour course, it is not unlikely that those who do not gain a proper understanding ofwhat Comtech is and what Comtech could be would doubt their compatibility with thecourse and feel tempted to shift out. As a home org, we should be the first to informour members the wonders of this course. I have long admired how the structure ofACTM allows members to hone specific skills – this is similar to how as Comtechmajors we are given the option to select a certain track we want to specialize in.However, I feel that although the opportunity to nurture our members’ skills is there,we are not utilizing it enough. There seems to be a lack of opportunity for members toinvolve themselves in the organization, let alone fine tune their abilities. Thus, one ofthe things I really want to work on this coming school year is member involvementand membership development. This is something I believe that each department ofthe organization should be concerned with. We don’t just stop with giving ourmembers opportunities to be active members of the organization, we also provide

them with means to be the most skilled Comtech students and leaders they couldpossibly be. Thus, I am not just planning on developing our members’ skills that are



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ELECTIONS 2014-2015

directly related to the work needed in ACTM projects, but in terms of other aspects aswell (e.g. academic support, career assistance, etc).

Focusing on the internal aspect of ACTM would be my main priority for the year.However, I also acknowledge that we have to improve as a business organization.

The core competency of ACTM is Integrated Marketing Communications yet how wemanifest IMC in our projects and efforts is still lacking in depth. We should be usingIMC as a means of project management, and not just merely as an end result. Wehave to be able to carry out IMC as often and as creatively as possible, so that itbecomes a part of the ACTM culture to exhibit IMC not just in the advertising ormarketing sense.

I believe that if the plans for this academic year push through and we are able to laythe proper foundations of a home organization, the succeeding years could focusmore on externalizing and improving the brand equity of ACTM as an IMCorganization.

2. Plan for the Department: What is your plan for the department you are running for?How will your department be aligned with your overall plan for the organization?(For aspiring Presidents and Executive Vice Presidents, explain how you believeeach department can be aligned with your overall plan for the organization.)

(See detailed platform below.)

3. Specific Strategies: What specific strategies do you propose to implement youroverall plan?

(See detailed platform below.)



ELECTIONS 2014-2015

My plans for the organization could be summarized into five points. In order of theirimportance, I want to RAISE ACTM:

1. Reinforce Membership Development

The current structure of the organization is very problematic as there are 8 departmentswho are concerned mostly with the well being of the committee heads under them.Provided that we are a home organization, there needs to be a more conscious effort intomaking sure that the individual members are taken care of and are given proper skillstraining. This is why my utmost priority for next school year is to reinforce membershipdevelopment.

For the departments that have committee heads under them, the Vice Presidents shouldfocus on providing adequate training that will hone their skills and sustain their interestson a year-long basis. It is very important that members are able to benefit from thesetrainings, whether they are developing their skill for a particular department, or they arepracticing their talents to represent the organization. It could seem as trivial as the VicePresident for Creative Communications teaching his Creative Directors how to build theirportfolios – at the end of the day, what I simply want is that we don’t let any littleopportunity pass us in helping our members become more ready for the world. The VicePresidents, with the help of their Associate Vice Presidents, should be hands-on when itcomes to handling their committee heads; setting an environment that is conducive forboth work and play. As much as possible, Individual Consultations between CommitteeHeads and the Vice Presidents should be done on a semestral basis, to track andevaluate the progress of both the department and the individual. Additionally, if at allpossible, I would want ACTM to have its own team during the annual Blue Harmonies, asit would be a great opportunity for those in the music pool to hone their craft and to alsobring pride to themselves and the organization.

The Human Resources should widen its reach by making it the role of the department tolook after all of the members. Thus, I would like to propose that a new position, theAssociate Vice President for Membership Development, be made. This position will workalongside the Vice President for Human Resources in tracking the members’performance and growth in the organization. He will be responsible for creating avenuesfor members to get to know one another, coordinating with other departments in theirgeneral assemblies and other bonding activities, overseeing the revamped mentorshipprogram and the batch projects and overall making the ACTM experience a morepersonal one.

I plan to create more opportunities for member involvement. For instance, I plan onrevamping the 1 st General Assembly, which was basically one General Assembly forsign-ups and one party for socializing this school year, into a series of GA’s that willoccur quarterly. Every General Assembly will have a quick recap of the events thatoccurred in the past 2-3 months, important reminders and of course, project briefing andsignups for the upcoming set of projects. I feel that the current set-up is not working forseveral reasons – the project heads blindly accept volunteers too early in the processthat they may not actually need them yet, the volunteers are overwhelmed with so manyprojects to choose from that they are not able to clearly decide which projects they areactually interested in, and some members may not feel the sense of urgency or thesense of belongingness yet one to two weeks in the organization and become hesitant to

join.



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ELECTIONS 2014-2015

However, I do recognize that there is another reason as to why volunteers aresometimes not fully utilized – sometimes, the project heads have already attended to somany things that when the committee heads enter the picture, they end up just followinginstructions. This is why I want to change how the annual Planning Seminars are.Instead of expecting Project Heads to come up with a very detailed plan, the Project

Heads will only be asked to present the most urgent concerns (i.e. project vision, targetdate and venue, budget breakdown, possible themes) and to plan accordingly how manyof each committee head they actually need. This addresses the concern that someprojects actually need more people from a certain department, yet they were not giventhe chance to say so. As a result to this framework, project heads will be able to betterdelegate tasks to their committee heads, and committee heads will be able to allocatethings that volunteers can do. This framework will be especially useful to projects that willnot take place in the first 2-3 months of the academic year.

In line with member involvement, I would also strive to make sure that every member ofthe organization who has enough initiative to undergo the application process beaccepted to at least one department. This would mean that after departmental interviews,the Executive Board will go through every member and talk amongst themselves whichskill or which department can the member best thrive in. This does not mean, however,that every member will only be assigned to one department. Rather, every member, asmuch as possible, will get at least one.

The Mentorship Program is another project I wish to modify in line with this effort toeffectively develop our members. Instead of starting with the mentorship program asearly as interviews week, I believe it would be a much smarter move to use at least halfof the first semester to assess the new members of the organization. This way, when thementorship program opens applications for mentees, we are able to identify if they aremembers who want to be active but do not know how, or members who are alreadyactive yet are looking for an extra push. Should they fall under neither of these categories,then perhaps they are not ready to undergo the mentorship program yet. Likewise, thereshould also be a screening process for the mentors, so that we are ensured that thesementors are committed to really guide the mentees in their ACTM journey.

I would also like to build on providing academic assistance to our members. This rolewould be primarily the responsibility of the Associate Vice President for Documentations,and he would be in-charge of gathering a comprehensive database of different e-books,powerpoint presentations, sample tests and sample outputs for the different majors takenby Comtech students. This online database would be available through Google Drive, somembers can access it anytime and anywhere.

Similarly, I would also like to work on the Career Building opportunities that ACTM offersits members. The Career Building Program this school year is already on the rightdirection, but I believe we can make this event much bigger in terms of impact andrelevance. We should be aggressive in approaching companies that would greatlybenefit from the skill set of Comtech majors. Given that the strengths of Comtechstudents are as diverse as it could get, industries should be well-represented (i.e. weshould have 3 companies geared towards Communications track, 3 towards Marketingtrack, 3 towards CS track). Additionally, we should always sell to these companies whatdifferentiates Comtech students from other SOM students and also make themunderstand the limitations on our end (i.e. having summer classes may get in the way of

full-time internships.) I also see the opportunity for ACTM to better utilize its being amember of PANA-FAO as a means for the members to spot career-building opportunities.



ELECTIONS 2014-2015

2. Align Systems and Structures

As hinted above, I plan on restructuring the Executive Committee by merging somepositions and adding new ones. This is to be implemented so we can best address the

current needs of the organization. I have already talked in great detail about the creationof a new position – the Associate Vice President for Membership Development. Alsounder the Human Resources Department, I plan to merge the roles of the AVP forDeputy Management and the AVP for Resource Management, as these two oftenoverlap in their work.

Under the Information Management Department, I have already mentioned how theAssociate Vice President for Documentations will be in-charge of academic assistancedatabase. The Associate Vice President for Communications Network, on the other hand,will be given a new responsibility – overseeing the revamped version of Wired. Currently,Wired seems to be one of the projects that does not have a well-defined goal as thecontents of the magazine are not appealing and substantial enough to be published on aregular basis. Since the very definition of the word wired is “to make use of computers totransfer or receive information, especially by means of the Internet,” I hope to transitionWired into becoming the official digital arm of ACTM. It would be an investment on theend of ACTM to have its own domain, ideally www.ateneoactm.com. In this website, thelineup of projects, the MAD Concepts Portfolio, the online academic database, a photogallery, and even articles on interesting IMC-related matters can be found. Althoughunder the supervision of the IM department, Wired would actually benefit the differentdepartments, to be discussed later on.

I plan to move the Batch and Block Representatives from the IM Department to the HRDepartment, simply because it makes more sense now that an AVP for MembershipDevelopment is in place. These batch and block representatives would have the maintask of coming up with bonding activities, informing them of ACTM events and acting asa liaison between their blockmates/batchmates and the Executive Committee. Under theCreative Communications Department, I plan to merge the roles of the AVP for Graphic& Props Production and the AVP for Creative Management since their tasks seemdoable by one person. The last major revision with regards to the Executive Committeestructure would be the role of the Associate Vice President for Financial Operations. Ifeel like this position can be limiting because it is difficult for one person to come up withfundraising efforts for all the projects of ACTM. Thus, I would propose that there be apool of Finance or Fundraiser Committee Heads, and the AVP for Financial Operationswould be in-charge of their training and deployment.

Another thing I want to make sure that the departmental goals are very much connectedto the individual project goals. Sometimes there is a tendency for projects to forget thevery reason what the project is for, and this causes problems in the entirety of the project.In the same way I want Vice Presidents to be hands-on in training committee heads, Ialso expect departments to be hands-on with project management. This is especiallyneeded for year-long projects wherein sustaining the interest of project heads allthroughout the year can pose as a challenge.

Given that we are to undergo a calendar shift this coming school year, I plan to makesure that we have a systemized proper calendaring of events. This means that the

different ACTM events should not coincide with ‘hell weeks’ for Comtech majors, andother events organized by external entities that ACTM takes part in (e.g. SOMWEEK).



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ELECTIONS 2014-2015

Lastly, I want to make sure that all systems and protocols are properly established andfollowed. Sometimes there are certain rules that are set early in the year but are notfollowed as time passes by. Whether it’s the task of having mid-project evaluations orfilling up the promotional blast form or strategic plan, I believe it is important to follow

through with whatever we have planned on doing because it promotes the value ofprofessionalism.

3. Improve Organizational Culture

As a home organization, we have to be able to establish what the culture should be inACTM. For starters, we have to make members feel cared for, valued and appreciatedfor their efforts. May they have accomplished something both within and outside theorganization, ACTM should take pride in that. After every ACTM project, personalizedcongratulatory and thank you notes should be in order for everyone who contributed to itssuccess. When Comtech students do well in competitions, sports (e.g. IAC team, AteneoVarsity players), in other organizations, or even just in a difficult class, we should also letthem know how proud ACTM is of them. A simple tweet or text goes a long way. Thiswould be an effort of the Information Management Department and the HumanResources Department. In line with the members having a sense of belongingness andfeeling a sense of home, if budget will permit it, I would also like to give members a smalltoken during their birthdays. This would hopefully give members the warmth feeling ofhome ACTM hopes to invoke.

Since another issue is that members do not feel a stake in the organization, thus notfeeling the need to be active members, I believe we should introduce a culture ofevaluation in the organization. I feel like we could best work on the weaknesses of theorganization if we openly talk about it, and the only way to thrive on feedback is if we arewilling to give feedback whenever needed. I want the AVP for Member Evaluations to bemore thorough with collecting evaluations, to actually analyze and synthesize thefindings and to get the arrived conclusions across to the parties involved. Evaluations arethere so we do not repeat the same mistakes twice, yet currently I don’t feel like we aredoing enough to actually learn from past mistakes.

Related to this, I feel it is very important for the organization to have transparent andconstant communication, may it be among the Executive Board, the ExecutiveCommittee, the Leaders’ Core and the members. For instance, Executive Board shouldactually meet at least thrice a month, and the Executive Committee twice. This is toensure that everyone is updated on everything, and not just when a problem arises and

needs some quick fixing.

The last thing I want to ensure with regards to culture is for each one of us, starting fromthe Executive Board then trickling down to the members, that sense of having initiative.From the most trivial of things like showing up for an EC meeting not because you do nothave any cuts left before incurring a penalty but because you actually made time for themeeting to helping out another department in their deliverables for a project, it isimportant to promote having initiative among our members.

I know some of the things I have mentioned that are related to culture are easier saidthan done, but perhaps leading by example as an Executive Board is already a big step

towards promoting what our ideal values are.



ELECTIONS 2014-2015

4. Synergize Departments

One of the threats that ACTM faces is that every department seems to be self-sufficient,that it is an organization on its own. This is why I want to prioritize stimulating inter-

departmental cohesion and collaboration. As I have briefly mentioned earlier, evencommittee head deployment is not well executed. The Executive Board should talkamongst themselves the well-being of the individual members, and even the deploymentto which project of each individual can greatly affect the member’s affinity towards anorganization. Since the departments all perform certain functions on their own yet at thesame time have similar efforts (e.g. GAs, ICs), it will also be helpful if the differentdepartments made it a point to do best practice sharing, especially when dealing withcertain people or certain offices.

However, the main reason that I want to stimulate collaboration is because someprojects and efforts are actually best carried out if the different departments involvedreally coordinate on how they would go about a task.

For example, collaboration between the Strategic Communications Department and theCreative Communications Department is essential to come up with aesthetically-pleasingpromotional materials. I believe that there can be better synergy between these twodepartments, instead of the current arrangement wherein Creatives just awaits forinstructions. Still true to an agency setup, I think that the Strategist should constantlycoordinate with Creatives when coming up with a comprehensive strategic plan becausehe also has to work with the skill set possessed by the creative directors. Additionally, Ibelieve that both departments should strive and help each other come up with non-traditional means of promoting (e.g. life-size props that Strategist thinks is a good ideaand Creatives can actually execute.)

Similarly, the Strategic Communications Department should also work hand-in-hand withthe program deputies, making sure that the programs of projects aren’t just randomGroup Dynamics, but actually make sense and are relevant to the nature of the projectand in line with the theme. These last two examples of inter-departmental collaborationsare connected to what I’ve said earlier, that committee heads should play a larger role inproject implementation, so they too feel empowered in their work.

The Information Management Department and the Human Resources Departmentsshould also coordinate with each other especially in terms of member recognition efforts.Since the data would come from IM and the output would come from HR, these two

departments should be in constant communication so they can consistently recognizemembers for their efforts and achievements. Additionally, these two departments canalso work together on building the academic assistance database. Since batchrepresentatives are under HR, they could help with collating missing academic files anddistributing the files to their blockmates/batchmates.

I have already talked a bit about how Wired will now become the official digital arm ofACTM. This website would be very vital for the Information Management Department asthey will collate the information, the External Relations Department as this is where theMAD Concepts Portfolio can be found, the Corporate Relations Department since theycould offer the website as an added benefit to big shot sponsors, and the Creative

Communications Department as they will be the ones given the task of designing thewebsite as well as updating the gallery of event pictures.



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ELECTIONS 2014-2015

The Strategic Communications Department, Creative Communications Department andExternal Relations Department already work hand-in-hand for MAD Concepts, but I dothink that the only way to improve the quality of IMC that we deliver for our clients is ifthere is greater synergy among those who are deployed and they undergo trainings

specifically designed for them. Additionally, I think Touchpoints can be further improved ifthe topics covered actually bring down to a Comtech student’s understanding what IMCis and give them a workshop on necessary digital tools. Once Strat and CC have decidedwhich modules are most helpful and relevant for Touchpoints, it could reach out to ExRelto find the most apt speakers, whether alumni or from PANA-FAO, to conduct these.

A synergy between the Human Resources Department and the Office of the PresidentDepartments would prove beneficial to SOMWeek and to the different seminars (i.e.PlanSem, EvSem). Although it makes sense for SOMWeek to be under the OOTP, I dothink the HR department could play a bigger role in activating and involving members tothrow their support for ACTM. For example, there could even be a separate ‘SOMWeekGA’ among the quarterly GAs. The biggest takeaway of ACTM from SOMWeek is it reallyserves as an avenue for us to pull members in and welcome them to our community;perhaps putting a more HR feel to it would allow us to encourage more members to rallybehind ACTM.

Another proposed project would be the Benefit Dinner, which would take the place ofChristmas Fair as a fundraising project to close the year. The Benefit Dinner could besomewhat like a gala night, wherein alumni and current members alike dress up for afancy dinner and use the night as an opportunity to acquaint with one another. This verymuch addresses the concern of ExRel that the alumni do not really get opportunities tointeract with us members and vice versa. Additionally, it would be an effective fundraiserfor the Finance Department since it could generate money from admission fee, a raffle,etc.

These are just examples of how synergizing departments could greatly improve andbenefit the progress of a project, but rest assured all departments should becollaborating with each other for optimal output. On a side note, collaborations with withother entities to help us in our endeavors (e.g. reaching out to Sanggunian to help uswith academic matters and reaching out to Comtech Department) should also be lookedinto.

5. Elevate Brand Equity of ACTM

ACTM has always had a struggle as to how it will be recognized as the IntegratedMarketing Communications organization, and this stems from several reasons – 1)members themselves do not have a proper understanding and background on IMC, 2)the current manifestations of IMC seem surface-level, and 3) there are a few otherorganizations that have similar core competencies and skill sets that make it even harderfor ACTM to differentiate itself.

My proposed solution for this is to first establish how we perceive IMC as an organization.Is IMC what it is in an advertising sense? Or can we adapt what IMC is in anorganizational setting? IMC can be seen a strategic business approach that creates aseamless experience for the consumers. This is how I want ACTM to manifest IMC in its

projects. That in every effort of ACTM, there is a vision we are trying to achieve, amessage we are trying to get across to the participants of the event.



ELECTIONS 2014-2015

We should train the Leaders’ Core to always begin their project planning with a vision –this vision in mind serves as their clear, consistent and compelling message, theirseamless experience. We should also treat project implementation as if we were creatingan IMC plan; asking ourselves what exactly will the participants think, feel, do? How can

we market this event so that it reaches our target market the best way possible? In short,we have to use our core competency as our method of implementing projects.

This year, the introduction of the #BringItHome tagline was a good manifestation of aninternal IMC. It was effective in conveying a clear message to the members that we takepride in their efforts and that ACTM is their home. I want to keep this tagline as thebattlecry of the organization again this school year.

Once we have clearly established IMC within the organization, the next step would be tohave a stronger presence as an IMC organization on others. This could be done byraising the quality of IMC we do in MAD Concepts.

To recap some of the abovementioned plans and to discuss the rest of the projects infurther detail, I have summarized the goals for my proposed line-up of projects and otherinitiatives:

Lineup of Projects:

EC Goal Setting:Given that there are modified positions in the Executive Committee, it is important that allthe protocols and systems have been set and clarified. During goal setting, the ECshould all be on the same page as to how they will approach the school year, what theirpriorities are, etc.

Planning Seminar:Prior to the PlanSem itself, project heads should ideally have met with the Vice Presidentinvolved so that they could already begin with leveling off expectations.The Planning Seminar is where the Executive Board members explain to the ProjectHeads their vision for the organization and specific procedures. During the PlanSem, theLeaders’ Core and the Executive Committee should both play an active part in theplanning process. That is, to expect the Project Heads to come up with a verycomprehensive report is not an urgent matter as they are still starting with their planning.One of the things that project heads should plan is to decide how many of each

committee heads they would actually be needing, so that these committee heads will inturn actually be empowered and useful to the success of the project.

Prepcourse:This year’s preparatory course should be open to both freshmen and shiftees, since thepurpose of the project is to introduce students to the Comtech life. Through bettercoordination with the Comtech department, next year’s prepcourse should be able toconvince more attendees to show up for the event. I want the program flow ofprepcourse to have more relevance and substance, and I want the facilitators to undergotraining so that the event will be better carried out. Although prepcourse occurs whenfreshmen and shiftees are not official members yet, this would be an opportunity for the

organization to show the atmosphere of the ACTM community to them.



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Interviews Week:Unlike in previous years where we explain in much detail both the departments and theprojects, I believe we should have a more systematic and creative briefing of theorganization during interview week, focusing mostly on departments. The interviewee willthen be asked if he wants to apply for at most 3 departments he wants to join.

Departmental Interviews & GAs:After the screening process during departmental interviews and the EB deliberation ofevery member, each department will then have its departmental GA, wherein thedepartments will then explain the different projects. If possible, the committee headscould be deployed by each department twice, once to a project of his choice and oncedecided upon for him.

First General Assembly:Although the party may still be kept, I think the 1 st General Assembly could be brokendown to Quarterly GAs, with each GA happening every 2-3 months. Every GeneralAssembly will feature the highlights of previous events and will give members theopportunity to volunteer for the upcoming projects. The latter General Assemblies couldalso be opportunities to have bonding activities to occur right after it.

Numina:Numina was one of the most well-improved projects for this school year, but one possibleroom for improvement is to be more aggressive in promoting to possible participants, andhow to make the exhibit a more celebrated and relevant event.

Touchpoints:The vision for Touchpoints should focus mostly on benefiting ACTM members byproviding them with interesting talks and interactive workshops wherein the concept ofIMC is broken down into more meaningful terms, and the basics of digital softwares aretaught.

Camp IMC:Although Camp IMC this year was a big level up from that of previous years, I feel thatthis project has a lot more potential in showcasing the benefits and wonders of IMC. Onesuggestion I have is for Camp IMC to be an IMC competition revolving around a certainadvocacy. For instance, if we get again San Miguel as a sponsor, instead of having acontest that simply requires participants to come up with a recruitment campaign,perhaps we could have them come up a campaign on FMCG using sustainableresources or even promoting the importance of maintaining a well-balanced diet amongFilipinos.

Christmas Fair / Benefit Dinner:In place of an in-school Christmas fair, I would much rather have an Alumni BenefitDinner during Christmastime, which would double as a fundraising event and anetworking/acquaintance party among Comtech alumni and ACTM members.

LEAP:LEAP this year was very different in a sense that the program proper was very wellplanned out and it doubled as a discernment process for those planning to run for theExecutive Board. Given that LEAP next year will occur during the semestral/Christmas

break, it should focus more on the leadership stories of new members in the organization.



ELECTIONS 2014-2015

Evaluation Seminar:I have already mentioned earlier how I want ACTM to benefit from a culture of evaluation.For the Evsem, I think it is most practical if this were an EC-only event especially sincethis will happen during the semestral/Christmas break. On the last few weeks of thesemester, departments should conduct evaluation meetings with their project heads and

with their committee heads, then as an Executive Committee all issues raised will betackled one by one. In order for the organization to really benefit and learn from itsmistakes, it has to value evaluations.

ACTM Week:Since ACTM Week is a project that allows the organization to mark its identity in theuniversity, I would want ACTM Week to be a week-long event of different IMC activations.This would mean that the project would offer its sponsors the opportunity for theorganization to come up with an IMC plan on the brand and/or company’s behalf inexchange for a good sponsorship deal. Additionally, ACTM Week would also be aTambay Week that would give members the opportunity to get together.

Career Building Program:I want Career-Building Program to take off from its vision this year, but expand in termsof the possibilities it offers. For example, I want more industries represented during theNetworking Night as I believe there are a diverse number of fields that Comtech majorscould be of great need in. Career Building Program should also provide opportunities not

just for internships, but actual post-college jobs as well.

Discernment Camp:Patterned after what occurred in LEAP, I do think it is a good idea to have an actualdiscernment process for those who are planning to run for Executive Board andExecutive Committee positions. This will be under the jurisdiction of the Office of thePresident, and it will include classroom session(s), small group discussions, among otherthings.

Year-Long Efforts

MAD Concepts:This project also vastly improved this school year as the client base diversified. However,as I have already mentioned, there is a need to raise the standard of the IMC we extendto our clients. Additionally, MAD Concepts has to gain more attention from its members,as most ACTM members have not fully grasped the fact that we have an internal creativeagency that they could refer to their contacts. Moreover, I feel that the branding of MAD

Concepts inside Ateneo could be improved, we just have to identify who the nichemarket for our services is.

Wired:My proposal for Wired is that it becomes the official digital arm of ACTM by being astandalone website, which would have our project lineup, gallery of past events, MADConcepts portfolio, features on IMC and the academic assistance database, promotionalmaterials, among others.

Academic Assistance:I want to have a comprehensive academic assistance online database that would include

e-books, lecture notes, sample tests, sample passes, and even sample presentations ofthe different Comtech majors.



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Mentorship Program:A modified version of the current mentorship program, I want this to open applications forboth mentors and mentees in the middle of the first semester at the earliest. This way,the program would be able to accommodate mentees who truly look like they want to

step up in the organization, and mentors who are committed to assist their mentees.

Batch Projects:Currently, I feel that there shouldn’t be a set of choices as to what batch projects couldbe as it would ultimately depend on the needs of the batch. If the batch/blockrepresentatives feel that what would benefit their batch the most, for example, is aseparate Touchpoints talk that prepares them for a certain class, then that could be anoption.

Departmental Trainings:Not a project on its own but more of a continuous effort on the part of the ExecutiveCommittee, each department must ensure that the committee heads under it are reallylooked after, so as to sustain these members’ affinity for the organization and to honetheir specialized skills. Departmental trainings, as much as possible, should alsointegrate bonding activities that would make for a more homey feel to ACTM.

External Events

SOMWEEK:Every year, SOMWeek is a great opportunity for the different Business Clusterorganizations to activate and involve their members in the lineup of events. For this year,I think that the Human Resources Department could play a bigger role in pullingmembers in.

RiB and Blue Harmonies:RiB is one of the most anticipated events for the ACTM Community because it allowspeople the opportunity to pursuing their passion while bringing pride to the organization. Ido acknowledge that this is a worthwhile investment for the organization to really help itsmembers to hone their skills. As much as possible, I would also encourage the MusicPool to take part in the annual Blue Harmonies, as it might prove to be a memorableendeavor as well.

IAC and other initiatives:When there are other events occurring in Ateneo that allow members to pursue their

interests and at the same time represent the organization, we should not only encourageparticipation but recognize the members for their efforts.



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QUESTIONS ON LEADERSHIP

1. In 5 sentences or less, describe your idea of leadership in the context of theorganization.

A leader, regardless of the context or environment, is one who aspires to change thecurrent situation for the better. A leader in ACTM is one who would continue to fortifythe strengths of the organization, yet at the same time works towards fixing what itsweaknesses are. Given the nature of ACTM, this leader should also be able toengage with the members and keep them involved whilst also imparting unto themhis approach on Integrated Marketing Communications.

2. What motivates you?

Two things: the potential of the organization and the potential of the individual

members.3. Define your leadership style. Give a concrete example on how your leadership style

had significantly influenced the outcome of a situation.

I am a leader with a high sense of responsibility. I always set an ideal goal on what Ibelieve should be done and how things should go, and I exercise all means to makesure that I am able to achieve that goal of mine as much as possible. For instance, Icurrently own a JSEC stall and there are many instances wherein I have to step upon others’ behalf because my co-owners have other things to attend to. Although Iam busy myself, I make it a point that when I commit to something, I don’t disappoint.

4. List as least 3 of your strengths and 3 weaknesses as a leader. Provide ways on howyou plan to leverage on and overcome them. What can your colleagues do toaddress your weaknesses?

My strengths as a leader include being very organized and detail-oriented, being ableto communicate well and always being driven by passion. These will help me if I wereto become president as it allows me to effectively work closely with different peopleunder varying circumstances. I am also a very decisive leader which would come inhandy whenever I’d need to have the final say.

My weaknesses on the other hand include micromanaging, getting impatient quicklyand not managing my time well enough. I have long acknowledged theseweaknesses on my end and continue to work on them. However, telling mycolleagues of my faults and letting them help me whenever I struggle with theseweaknesses is one step towards overcoming these limitations.

5. How will you manage your personal resources (i.e. time and money) in relation to theorganization if you are elected?

The moment I decided to run for the Executive Board – I already committed myself togive as much of myself as possible to this organization. Although I don’t think giving ahuge sum of money equates to effort and dedication, I could say that I am more than

willing to allocate money for the betterment of the organization and its efforts so longas it is within reason. With regards to time, I will always make ACTM a top priority for



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the entirety of my term.

6. Recount a time where you had to make an important decision within a limited amountof time. Provide the situation, your action, and the results.

For Camp IMC, I was preparing the primer for participants that included all theimportant details they need to know with regards to the competition. Although a lot ofthe things were already provided for by San Miguel Corporation, there were somedetails like the criteria for judging, and the specificities for submissions, that were notstated anywhere and I had to decide on my own what we would require of theparticipants. I carefully studied the other information given, analyzed what similarcompetitions typically required, and put myself in the shoes of the participants as towhat I could accomplish given the timeframe. I was then able to come up with therest of things that needed to be included, and I believe this pulled off because a lot ofthe participants did not struggle meeting the requirements.

7. Give a concrete situation where you spotted an opportunity and acted upon it.Provide the situation, your action, and the results.

My very first experience in the organization – applying for Project Head the samemonth I shifted into the course, was definitely a leap of faith on my end. At first I wasnot even sure if I could apply to be a PH that summer semester given that I was notan official member of the organization the previous school year. Nevertheless, I tookon the challenge and saw it as an opportunity to immerse myself in the organizationand to meet the ACTM community.

I applied to head Tambay Week and throughout the project planning andimplementation phase I faced multiple struggles. There were times when theproblems were way out of my hands – it was so unfortunate that the project had to berescheduled twice due to the lack of venues available. Initially slated to occur duringSeptember, it was moved to November, and then eventually, December. It was tocoincide with the last week of classes for the school year, so I thought might as welldiversify the project and have a Christmas party as a culminating event of theTambay Week. It was definitely no easy task having to take on an extra job,especially given the work ethics of my colleagues at that time, the heavy academicworkload and the fact that I had other commitments. Nevertheless, I got through theweek and was able to justify to myself and to those who trusted in me that the delaywas not a bad thing after all.

QUESTIONS ABOUT ACTM

1. Use one word to sum up ACTM this academic year. Explanations are not needed.

Improving.

2. What significant issues did ACTM encounter this academic year? What do youpropose to resolve these issues?

Some of the primary issues I noticed this school year were the lack of opportunities

for members to engage themselves in, the inconsistencies with informationdissemination and the lack of manifestation as an organization that excels in



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Integrated Marketing Communications.

I plan to address these issues, among others, through my 5-point plan, to RAISEACTM:

Reinforce Membership DevelopmentAlign Systems and StructuresImprove Organizational CultureS ynergize DepartmentsElevate Brand Equity of ACTM

3. Comprehensively discuss the performance of the department and incumbent officerof the position you are aspiring for.(For aspiring Presidents and Executive Vice Presidents, discuss all of thedepartments and their respective Vice Presidents.)

Office of the President: The OOTP Cluster was very effective in setting a directionand in being updated on the progress of the different departments. It was evident thatthe thrust for the school year was to build on the home organization aspect of ACTM,and on many occasions the cluster was able to deliver on that. SOMWeek, forinstance, truly became an avenue for the organization to encourage memberinvolvement. Furthermore, the cluster was able to address conflicts well. Cam andIca were both very pleasant to work with; they are almost always the first tocongratulate members on a job well done and their passion for the organization wasvery much sustained throughout the school year. It was also a good thing that theywere proficient in the different technical skills, so whenever help was needed theywould be there. However, I felt that their communication with the EC and the LCcould be improved on. I also felt that there was a lack of meetings and updates as anEC, these could have been conducted more regularly instead of having meetingsreactively, or just when the need arises.

Information Management Department: There was a commendable improvement inthis department in comparison to previous years, however I do acknowledge thatinformation dissemination could still be vastly improved. The method of informationdissemination was inconsistent and confusing at times, the systems should be betterimplemented by the IMs, the Leaders Core and the Executive Committee.Additionally, I think the projects under the IM Department lacked follow through, asevidenced by the inconsistencies of Wired and the Batch Projects. Casey was able toinstitute certain changes and systems into her department, yet there were times

when ACTM did not seem to be her top priority (hence, the inconsistencies.)Nevertheless, she was able to oversee well the progress of her InformationManagers and the Freshmen Block Representatives.

Finance Department: There were no major issues encountered by the department,and this can be partly attributed to the fact that there was always money to go around.I have always commended how the Finance Department of ACTM was competent ina sense that projects would always have a starting figure, albeit not a huge amount.However I felt that the system of disbursement was not executed properly this year,and that a lot of the bottleneck in terms of reimbursements occurred due to the rule ofpost documentations having to be complete before money could be released. I felt

however that Christmas Fair could have been executed much better, as the actualproducts that were expected to generate funds were not the most sellable of items.



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Ysa was able to do her job fine, yet I think her department did not strive to initiatefundraisers that could have lessened the burden of certain projects and efforts.

Strategic Communications: This department was able to work closely with otherdepartments for the betterment of their projects and efforts. Bringing back a pool of

Strategists for this school year was a good move, as it allowed the department to givemore people the opportunity to further enhance their skills in IMC. One commentthough is how the Strategists’ output seem minimal as it is usually limited to ideageneration and conceptualization. There is an opportunity for those in thisdepartment to collaborate with others to not just limit the manifestation of IMC on atypical promotional setting, but to really bring out how IMC is a strategic approach to

just about everything. However, the biggest challenge posed to this department wasthe lack of project heads to handle Camp IMC, Touchpoints and ACTM Week, so thedepartment struggled with allocating time to be able to perform all its tasks. Gio is aremarkable strategist himself who was really able to help different projects with theirstrat needs and he was also able to make the Stratplan more comprehensive anduseful. However, he could have looked more into training strategists to sharpen theirskills in IMC.

Creative Communications: This department was able to deliver quality promotionalmaterials throughout the school year and maintained a certain standard of brandingthat ACTM should uphold. However, I think this department can still grow in terms ofthe quality of work the creative directors produce as well as working closely withother departments particularly the Strategic Communications Department so that thecreative directors won’t just seem like workers but innovative leaders themselves. Wesometimes equate ‘creative communications’ to the typical online and printedpromotional materials but I believe as majors who exhibit creativity we could come upwith other types of outputs. Mon was able to really step out of his comfort zone and fitwell into his responsibilities despite not expecting to have his position in the firstplace. He did a good job introducing certain protocols within his department and washelpful and efficient in overseeing the progress of all CC outputs.

External Relations: The improvement in this department is especially evident with thegrowth of MAD Concepts, as it was able to garner a diverse pool of clients and as aresult involve several members to offer their expertise in these accounts. The changein direction of Career Building Program is also commendable as it has become morerelevant to Comtech majors. There was also an increase in interest of the departmentas noticed in the number of Accounts Manager. However, the department has atendency to be perceived as an external entity of the organization, when in reality it

should be geared towards providing members more opportunities to step up and togrow in ACTM. Furthermore, being a member of the PANA-FAO does not seem toyield enough tangibility to the organization and the department could work on this.Edsie did a great job with expanding the client base and overseeing the differentaccounts under MAD Concepts, as well as attending to the other needs of thedepartment (e.g. reaching out to alumni.)

Corporate Relations: This department really stood out this year as it was really ableto garner a substantial amount of sponsors for the different projects. There were evencompanies that sponsored several projects, or approached ACTM themselves, whichmeans the organization is able to maintain a professional reputation to these entities.

Numina was also well executed, with the outcome truly surpassing everyone’sexpectations. However, the department lacked in providing its Corporate Relations



ELECTIONS 2014-2015

managers adequate training. Given that the nature of Correl work is very technical, itcould have been more hands-on with equipping the committee heads with the skillsneeded. Additionally, the department was very visible in the organization. Ian did agreat job ensuring that the department was able to assist the projects in theircorporate relations needs. It is obvious how he really grew from the department, and

how the department also grew under his leadership.

Human Resources: The people under HR (e.g. talent pool, HR deputies) were welltaken care of by the department and this could be attributed to how the VP and AVPsreally made it a point to look after them. They conduct trainings, ICs and bondingswhich are all very vital. Some HR projects turned out great, yet other HR projectsneed a redirection. The introduction of the mentorship program, for example, couldhave been more fruitful had it been executed and adjusted better. Moreover, thestructure of HR is problematic in a sense that it takes care of the people who aredirectly under the jurisdiction and not necessarily the organization as a whole. Ysodid a great job as a VP, often taking on responsibilities that were not even on her jobdescription. She was able to deliver well on her assigned roles; the only thing to noteis that the role of a HR VP at the moment needs more depth.

4. If elected, what legacy will you aim for your department to leave? How does thislegacy connect to the status of the department the previous year, the plan you havefor it if in the next academic year, and the vision you have for it in the future?(For aspiring Presidents and Executive Vice Presidents, discuss all of thedepartments.)

I want the members to feel a sense of belongingness and a sense of being takencare of in the organization.

For all the members, I want them to reap the benefits of our ‘home organizationinitiatives’ like academic assistance c/o the Information Management Department,career-building opportunities c/o the External Relations Department, etc.

For all the departments (i.e. OOTP, IM, Finance, Strat, CC, ExRel, CorRel) thatprovide skills training for its members, I want both the department and the individualmembers to feel that they were all part of a bigger picture, that they all make up thesuccess of the organization. I want each department to realize that they are morethan just what their specialty is; that the whole organization will not function without it.

5. Evaluate ACTM as a home organization for Communications Technology

Management majors.

As a home organization, ACTM has different projects and initiatives that are gearedtowards helping Comtech majors adjust into college life, getting to know each otherand honing the diverse set of skills we possess. Although we try to be as home-y andwelcoming as possible, there still seems to be that culture wherein members shouldhave a lot of initiative or have connections to be able to play an active role in theorganization, and this could be rooted from how we offer opportunities.

6. How was the core competency, Integrated Marketing Communications, manifested inthe organization? If elected, how will you improve on this in the next academic year?

I believe that IMC is more often executed as an end and not as a means, as



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evidenced by the nature of select ACTM projects (e.g. Camp IMC, Touchpoints.)Moreover, the level of IMC that we are able to get across to MAD Concepts clientshas grown outdated.

What I propose is that we breakdown what IMC is to our members so that they can

better grasp what our core competency is. This can be done by treating every projectas if it were an IMC plan – from the way the theme is weaved into the aesthetics, tothe program lineup, and of course to the way it is promoted, every project shouldhave an identifiable objective which serves as its ‘clear, compelling and consistentmessage.’ This way, we are training our members not just to know what IMC is, butthey are able to manifest it not just in terms of advertising and marketing.

For MAD Concepts, I believe we need to better train the team of Strategists on howto think out-of-the-box. Although this is easier said than done, relevant training andsharing of ideas within the Strategic Communications Department is still a steptowards better insight generation.

7. As a home organization for Communications Technology Management withIntegrated Marketing Communications as its core competency, discuss yourproposed branding for ACTM in the next academic year. If you were to create a newtagline for ACTM, what would it be?

More than anything, I want members to have a special affinity for ACTM; exceedingtheir expectations of what a home organization truly is. I believe that given thetimetable I have to work with, it is most realistic to put more of a focus on improvingthe equity of the organization as a home, pulling as many people as possible to lovethe ACTM community and love the opportunities it offers. I believe that once we haveenough passionate people in the organization, everything else will follow. I will alsobuild on how the organization currently approaches its core competency. One of thethings I noticed is how Integrated Marketing Communications is used mostly as anend – IMC talks, IMC seminars, etc; but not used enough as a means of projectplanning and project implementation.

In succeeding academic years, the organization could look into further developing itsmanifestations of the core competency, and hopefully also establish a core advocacydear to the hearts of Comtech majors.

With regards to tagline, I would like to retain the #BringItHome branding that theorganization introduced this school year. It captures how everything ACTM does is an

effort to recognize the individual contribution of the members and to bring glory to our home.

8. With your proposed brand for ACTM, how will you market the organization within andoutside the Ateneo community? What are the key projects and efforts for itsdevelopment? How will each department come into play?

I want the members to realize that there are will be many opportunities for them thisschool year to hone their skills. Given that one of my main focus for this coming yearis for membership development, I want every department to be more hands on withtraining their committee heads, and to create more avenues for members to meet

and work with each other. Additionally, I want to revamp the existing HR projects andinitiatives, making them more relevant for the members.



ELECTIONS 2014-2015

Outside the Ateneo community, I believe ACTM is only acknowledged in terms of itsprojects that have external entities as participants and clients (e.g. Numina, CampIMC, Verge, MAD Concepts), and even in these endeavors there is much room forimprovement. Thus, a revisiting on departmental objectives and project objectives is

very much in order.

9. What is the value of ACTM to Communications Technology Management major? Doyou believe it should be this way? Why or why not?

Current efforts of the organization to Comtech majors are the preparatory course,IMC talks, and different projects that give them the opportunity to nurture their chosenskills. Although these are all good, I believe that we could be a better support systemfor our Comtech majors. Given the complexity of our course, we have to avoidmembers from gaining a misunderstanding or disliking of what Comtech is. Thus, it isof utmost importance that we have more initiatives that will better aid Comtechstudents in their college journey.

10. What is the value of ACTM to the Ateneo community? Do you believe it should bethis way? Why or why not?

At present, majority of the projects in ACTM are for the benefit of its members. Forthe rest of the Ateneo community, ACTM only has a limited number of projects andinitiatives that allow us to really market the organization for our skills. Although Iagree that we have to focus on further developing the internal structures of theorganization, I believe there is room for us to be able to establish ourselves more asan IMC organization. Through the means of IMC in promoting our open-to-all project,as well as finding a market for MAD Concepts in Ateneo, we could better positionACTM to the Ateneo community.

11. If elected, what ways can your new administration move beyond ideas? Be specific.

`Moving beyond ideas means coming up with great idea(s) and having the courageand willpower to make sure these ideas come to life. From my platform above, thereare some approaches that the organization has not yet tried in the past, and I plan tomove beyond ideas by committing my entire senior year working hard to actualizethem.

The following questions will only be answered by aspiring Top 4 officers: President,

Executive Vice President, Vice President for Information Management, and VicePresident for Finance:

12. What was the most and least valuable project this academic year for you? Why?

The most valuable project this year would be Numina because the project reallyimproved in terms of its execution and its impact both within and outside theorganization. Unlike in previous years, we received an overwhelming number ofentries from different universities. I believe Numina is a project of ACTM thathighlights the diversity of fields that we as Comtech majors excel in, since it is mostlya digital arts competition which appeals more to Comtech students taking the CS

track, yet how we brand it is still very much align with our core competency ofIntegrated Marketing Communications. Furthermore, as a project under the



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Corporate Relations Department, it was able to garner a commendable number ofsponsors and even reached out to a beneficiary.

The least valuable project would be Wired mainly because the medium we employdoes not seem to be effective anymore. Moreover, the selection of articles we feature

in Wired seems like topics we no longer need a standalone project for.

13. If you have the option to remove 2 projects, what are those projects? What is yourbasis for choosing? What projects will you propose in their place?

I would revamp how the organization goes about Wired and Christmas Fair. I feel thatboth projects lack relevance to the organization as a whole as it does not greatlyappeal to the interests of the members nor does it give us the opportunity tocelebrate our core competency.

What I would propose in place of Wired would be for ACTM to have a year-long effortto have better digital presence. Apart from strengthen the presence of our socialmedia platforms, I believe there is a perfect opportunity for us to have an officialACTM website. Given that the nature of our course allows us to be technology-savvypeople, it is just appropriate for us to have an official site of our own. The mainfeatures of this website would be a showcase of our project lineup, a MAD Conceptsportfolio, an academic assistance database for Comtech majors, among others. Thiswebsite would be helpful for the External Relations department, as it allows ACTM tohave a more professional way of presenting the accomplishments and services of ourorganization. As for the Corporate Relations Department, this website would allowthem to offer more benefits to potential sponsors. And of course, for the InformationManagement Department, this would be a more accessible avenue in lieu of the hardcopies of magazines.

Taking the place of Christmas Fair would be a Benefit Dinner, somewhat like a Galanight for both current members of the organization and alumni. This would serve as atie-up between the External Relations Department and the Finance Department as itnot only serves as an occasion to celebrate Christmas whilst acquainting ourselveswith like-minded individuals who have graduated from Comtech, but it also providesmany opportunities for us to raise funds.

There are other projects as well that I want to revamp somehow, and these areexplained in my platform above.

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