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The Filipino culture has never failed to mesmerize. There is no one word to describe it, as it is rightfully referred to as a cultural potpourri of sorts. It brings to the table something new and something old in terms of tradition, married by the Philippines’ rich history covering periods of colonization and subsequent independence sought by the country’s brave heroes and martyrs.

A considerable number of newsworthy climate stories came out in the last two months. This year's Earth Hour and Earth Day celebrations are still fresh in mind, especially as the latter urged society to "invest in our planet" and act now. April notably saw a worldwide scientist-led protest following the release of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. More recently, the BBC reported on "phantom forests" resulting from organizations that overpromised and failed to implement reforestation programs.

What makes a good leader? We may have heard or read about this question at least once, more so now that we have seen and heard from political candidates during their campaigns and rallies before the May 9 national elections. The same inquiry arises at some point for corporate employees. Although it is easy to dismiss it as another question with neither a right nor wrong answer, it is one worth pondering about. After all, being a leader is not just getting the job done; it is far from it. It entails fostering open communication with and a culture of trust among peers and staff, with Gallup reporting that 22% of workers expect to have leaders with clear-cut objectives and visions for the organization. Needless to say, a leader is one who is able to contribute and to make a lasting impact to colleagues and the whole organization.

The continuing saga between the information technology business process management (IT-BPM) sector and the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) has perhaps been one of the most debatable concerns between business and government sectors during the pandemic. Here you have a battle of mostly good intentions.

A report by the Philippine Statistics Authority in early 2022 states that the country’s GDP posted a growth of 7.7 percent in the last quarter of 2021, resulting in 5.6 percent full-year growth in 2021. The same trend for growth is being forecasted by the Asian Development Bank, saying that the Philippine economy will grow to 6 percent in 2022. As we are near the tail end of the pandemic, it is important to refocus the business as it manages the long-term effect of such occurrence. The best, and probably the perfect, time to move on to shared service operations in the Philippines given these advantages is now.

As early as 30 years ago, businesses had to make a tough choice: make more profit or save the planet. Even back then, focusing on environmental initiatives was costly for business. The costs for going green were steep, and corporations saw little returns for their business in such a scenario. This has pushed them to question whether adopting environmentally friendly practices poses a win-win situation for business on one hand and saving the environment on the other.

Over the course of this past month, social media feeds have been abuzz with organizations posting about and celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) and Women’s Month in their own ways. For the most part, these celebrations were par for the course across all the different platforms. There is an infographic on gender statistics here, a video of women leaders there. Everyone was captivated by the idea of #BreakingTheBias and the seemingly near future of gender parity.

We have all been victims of stereotypes at least once. The nursery rhymes we hummed and recited as kids are replete with societal and archetypal stereotypes, including those that pertain to gender. Then we grow older, learn more about the world, and our transformation is complete — we get so immersed in cultural norms that we find ourselves unable to look past gender norms. Before we even know it, we have become part of a culture that tends to turn a blind eye on gender equality and inclusivity.