Punlaan’s seeds (1)
published May 26, 2008
Along M. Paterno Street in the city of San Juan stands Punlaan School’s two-storey building, modest in facade but ambitious in all other counts.
A project of the Foundation for Professional Training Inc., Punlaan offers full scholarships to underprivileged young women with its program in food and beverage services. It is recognized as a technical-vocational school and tourism training center by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Tourism, Department of Labor and Employment and the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines, among others.
The latest batch of graduates of the two-year course will be having its graduation rites this Thursday, May 29. Each of the 54 members of the graduating class has already been absorbed by the hotels or restaurants where she had her one-year on-the-job training.
Yes, one year out of two. That’s the essence of the European-inspired dual training system of education, of which Punlaan has been the pilot project and model school of the government after the enactment of Republic Act 7686, or the Dual Training System Act in February 1994.
Indeed, Punlaan’s curriculum strikes a delicate balance between instruction in the areas of food service and preparation, computer literacy, business math, psychology, workplace safety, personality development and values education (spiritual direction is administered by the personal prelature of the Opus Dei) on the one hand, and integration and on-the-job training on another.
Having spent relatively more time at the particular hotel or restaurant than other trainees, Punlaan students naturally become more knowledgeable of the establishment’s operations. In turn, this makes them ideal for immediate hiring. The values formation component also plays a big part in employers’ decision to absorb the girls from Punlaan. The culture of plain love of work, diligence, respectfulness and initiative makes them stand out among trainees from other schools.
Since the course was first offered 15 years ago, Punlaan has registered 100 percent gainful employment for its scholars. This painless transition from student to employee is a privilege enjoyed by Punlaan’s women, most of whom come from lower income families and thus want to start earning money to prop up their loved ones. Soon enough, they are able to help out with the family expenses and send their younger siblings to school—true to the Filipino values of close family ties and a keen sense of responsibility.
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Anne Marie “Nanan” Jacinto, school director, says the hotel and restaurant industry has been very supportive of the school. From 10 industry partners at the program’s start in 1993, pioneered by its former executive director Luz Filmer, Punlaan now boasts of 72 hotels and restaurants that take in the students for training and eventual employment. Industry partners go as far as making donations for school operations and even get involved with students’ practical examinations by sending representatives to such events. Jacinto says the solid support is simply something to be very thankful for.
The girls’ families only have to fork out P1,800 at the start of every semester, but most parents are too hard up to easily raise this kind of money. The rest of the cost of education—from the salaries of teachers, maintenance of the equipment, ingredients used in cooking exercises and the P600 monthly stipend for students’ transportation expenses during their internship—is obtained from the kindness of many generous persons.
Aside from industry partners, the school’s livelihood projects support its operations. There are also volunteer patrons—private individuals, politicians, corporations, foundations, organizations and local governments units—whose generous contributions enable the school to meet its day-to-day needs. Of course, that these contributions come irregularly makes planning even more challenging for the Punlaan management.
Aside from the sponsors who enable the girls to get a fair chance in the industry, Jacinto largely credits the school’s staff and its academic director, Theresa Bambao, for the program’s success. “They are highly competent and strongly committed to educating the students, even to a point that’s beyond the call of duty.”
Of course, the real harbingers of the program’s quality and the school’s noble intentions are the girls themselves, who undergo a metamorphosis of sorts from the time they first step into the school to the time they graduate and venture into the world. One of these girls is Barbara May Casugbo Sia, who was chosen this year’s Most Outstanding Student.
The 18-year-old Pasig resident is a daughter of a housewife and a carton salesman. She had initially wanted to take up fine arts after high school but thought twice when she learned of the high fees demanded by universities offering the course. She simply could not give that burden to her parents; after all, there were four children in the family and two of them were even younger than herself.
Barbara first heard of Punlaan through a friend who suggested she apply for the two-year vocational program instead. That she would be a scholar was perhaps the factor most decisive of all. The girl has never looked back since.
More on Barbara’s success story and similar pursuits next week.