Cito Beltran
Philippine Star

I learned yesterday about how the corporate members of the Philippine Business for Social Progress under the leadership of Manny Pangilinan has decided to undertake what they call “Corporate Farming”.

The concept is based on the idea of companies joining forces and resources to use these to support a specific farming community that could produce the food requirements of the companies and their employees. In doing so, the PBSP becomes an active component in strengthening the producers as they directly channel the needs and finances of the consumers.

Such a concept should be promoted on a large-scale basis not only in the interest of corporate food security and social progress but also because it would provide corporations and managers a unique window to be students as well as teachers.

On one hand, corporations and their employee-partners can (if they choose to) learn about the reality of a farmer’s life, as a professional, as an entrepreneur, as a parent and as a citizen. It would be equivalent to a medical school internship where would-be doctors can learn the blood and guts reality of physical healing.

If the PBSP used the opportunity as a means for community involvement, the self- absorbed executive may gaze into a window that puts his worth and significance into the proper perspective. Beyond baselines and bottom lines, the Bosses and leaders may end up asking themselves what real contributions and significance do they make in the lives of “real producers” such as farmers who in spite of their simple lives contribute more to our comfort and well being.

What connection or significance does their corporate mission vision serve in the lives of our farmers?

Perhaps the experience of real interaction with farmers and witnessing their hardship and sacrifice will make discontented employees more appreciative of their lot in life. In the self-absorbed corporate rat race people easily lose perspective and appreciation of their work and their role. Everything ends up measured in terms of salary scale, perks, flowery titles and the speed of promotion.

Perhaps continued exposure to the daily grind of farming where time determines growth, where seasons determine movement and commitment determines success, may be such an education that will reset our value system.

Perhaps it will make us better appreciate the value of food not only relative to scarcity and price, but also based on the great difficulty involved in producing such.

But why stop there, Manny Pangilinan being the world traveler that he is, might even consider looking into other areas where the PBSP can empower communities based on the needs of corporations as well as aspirations of their employees. Rather than “Gigantizing” business why not rebuild the concept of “neighborhood based businesses or commerce”?

European countries have more neighborhood-based small businesses while the few giant malls are kept at the outskirts of towns. They retain the personal relationships like the shops on session road used to. While they welcome big business the impact and the numbers were controlled and city hall gave small businesses a competitive advantage through tax privileges and by keeping them nearer to the residents.

I certainly hope the PBSP does the project perfectly and promotes the concept beyond its list of members.

Corporate pimping

This is not an expose on some blue chip company. I simply want to call attention to seriously destructive activity that has long been practiced and even encouraged by CEO and company presidents without considering the effects of their callousness.

My friend Joel recently recounted how engineers in his company hosted several European executives and brought them to a “first class club” for their entertainment. This long established practice is quite simple. Take them out to a nice fancy dinner where all the bosses show up and lavish all the best on their VIPs.

Once dinner is finished, the bosses will then turn over the foreign VIPs to their executives who will personally escort and provide the VIPs with the evening’s entertainment. The bosses rarely join the subsequent activity because they don’t want their employees to look down on them or have personal knowledge of their debauchery. It’s OK for their executives to be pimps as well as long as the boss can stay out of the messy business!

Of course they always end up at a bar first or directly go to a night club that also doubles as a brothel. They pick and choose, they pick and use.

The following morning, the Filipino executives report for work like commandos returning from a successful operation. They share every exciting detail of the past night’s orgy conveniently removing their personal participation and cost free indulgence. To be fair not all are willing participants but participants nonetheless.

A few hours later the foreign VIPs that they sold to Satan show up at their facility late for an important meeting, embarrassed and with a “hang over”.

How do you do business with an idiot with half‑a-brain swimming in alcohol? How do you get the best information or support from someone whose judgment you methodically impaired and corrupted? How much respect and confidence can you retain towards people who can’t hold their drink and their zippers closed?

How do you gain respect from international businessmen when your ability as a pimp overshadows your ability to develop long lasting personal and professional relationships?

The sickest thing in all of this is the fact that when those half-brained adulterers go home, they won’t remember a great company or excellent business practices. They will either be reminiscing the “Filipina” they screwed or the Filipinos who acted as pimps. No more-No less.

Please be Business Professionals, Don’t be Pimps.