TO EMBRACE A ROLE

November 24,2005. I attended my professor’s book launching and it is there that he first broach the idea of organizing an Alumni association for the DLSU Graduate School of Business. It is also then that he asked me if I’m interested to make it happen and to which I wholeheartedly agree. Since then, I’m engaged in recruiting, spreading the news, and trying to organize a GSBAA (Graduate School of Business Alumni Association). It was a tough task and one filled with frustrations after frustrations. Many thought the idea was great but few actually responded the call to be active in organizing such endeavor. Nevertheless, the circle grows and soon enough, I had a talking group of around 30 “willing volunteers”. Then GSB steps in and “hijacks” the process. They called a general assembly and conducted an election. Initially, I was quite reluctant to run partly because of the enormous task ahead in organizing such associations (having trying to do that for the past year or so) and partly because, things are quickly getting “political” with several people interested in the post of the President. One candidate actually called me up and proposed an alliance with him as President and me as his executive officer. He even claimed to have the Dean’s blessing. Eventually for some reasons, he backed out. At any rate, I did decide to throw my hat in the fray largely because I don’t want to see all my efforts went for naught and also, I had to admit the lure, the prestige, and the glamour of the title President did me in. Fast forward, September 23, election day. Only 40 alumni showed up for the vote. I ran for President but lost because the Corporate Secretary (the Dean’s eyes and ears) changed the rules right then and there but I did manage to get myself “elected” as a board director (It’s official, I’m a jinx in elections, having lost twice now). Then last November 9, the board and it’s officers were sworn in at the Manila Polo Club by the DLSAA (De La Salle Alumni Association, the parent organization) and DLS – GSB. The evening was pleasant though politics still figured prominently. At any rate, we ended at around 11 in the evening. The night before that, I was engaged in a text chat with an old friend of mine and when I broke the news that I’m going to be inducted the following evening, she congratulated me profusely. To be quite honest, I was rather surprised by her reaction. To her, my position as a director of a prestigious school’s alumni association and a graduate business school at that was something unbelievable and probably enviable. Frankly, I never saw that way. To me, this was nothing (and I mean it). I mean what is to brag about when you have a nascent organization, which probably have an active membership of 10 people (the board directors) whose survival beyond next year is seriously in doubt and who has no agenda as of yet, no vision, and most importantly, no funds (we have a seed money of P50,000.00 borrowed from DLSAA, even so P50,000 for a prestigious organization like ours is a pittance). It is not that I’m not proud of being a director of DLSAA – GSB rather I don’t find it “necessary” (nor am I enthusiastic) to display such title prominently. Besides, after the election, I felt that it is no longer my “overriding” concern. Somebody else is at the helm and I felt that it’s time to take it in stride. Surely, I felt bad losing the election, I mean who wouldn’t but I never did sulk (Ok, probably briefly but I was over with it by the time I traveled to the US in early October). I felt a burden was lifted from my shoulder and my role is now pretty much limited (which is why I don’t see the need to “publicize” my title). Then came my friend’s reaction and suddenly, I realized that I’m a director of the board of DLSAA – GSB chapter, Inc. I represent a prestigious academic institution of this country, one of the top two business schools in this country (better than UP which ranked 3rd and certainly way, way better than THAT SCHOOL IN LOYOLA). We maybe only 10 people in the organization as of now but I and my colleagues are the face of tens of thousands of alumni (however passive they maybe) scattered across the world from the Philippines to China to Taiwan to Indonesia to Hong Kong to Canada and to the US and best of all, we spoke for them even though they don’t realize it. I and my colleagues are the link between DLS – GSB and the world for we provided the first hand knowledge of the real world to our Alma Mater, on how to be relevant in this day and age. Besides as my friend pointed out, how many people at my age (all of my colleagues are in their 30s) get to be a director of an alumni association of a prestigious school? Only few. And this is no ordinary alumni association for this is not your typical high school alumni association. This is a business school alumni association! A graduate business school alumni association! Furthermore, of the 9 colleagues of mine in the board, 5 of them are my friends and classmates. They are the people I’d recruited to join the “talking group” and they are the people I cajoled, enticed, and for some, practically forced to join the board. These are the same people that I know who are hardworking, persistent, and willing to sacrifice their time and effort for no pay just to see this thing through (the other board directors are just as hardworking). I must have done something right to have such GREAT people on the board and I just can’t let them down by taking “this” in stride. Lastly, I did promise my professor “to make this work”. The organization maybe small and it’s future bleak but we could grow it. We may not have an agenda as of now or a vision or a direction but that is great for we are not burdened by the past. We can build our own traditions, hammer out our plans, and pave our own way and lay the foundation of a mighty organization. Between sitting in the topmost floor of a tall glass tower watching rather helplessly over an automated empire and laying the bricks down below trying to built that empire, I rather get myself dirty doing the nitty gritty stuffs and mold the face of the future. But exactly, what is the future? What is DLSAA – GSB about? I don’t know what my other colleagues think about the organization but I’ve been telling this to my friends in the board. “The alumni association on the micro scale is about old friends and old classmates getting to see each other, exchanging updates of each other’s status, telling tales of old times and their trials and tribulations. It is about people trying to connect with people who they once shared a certain part of their lives. On the intermediary scale, the alumni association is about connections for who could better understand the importance of connection other than business people? And what connects them is the fact that one point in their lives, they went to the same school, underwent the same program, and probably have the same teacher. But beyond connections, the association is about the community. It is about a specific community of people having specific needs, needs like constantly updating their knowledge of the latest management and business theories etc. On the macro level, the alumni association is about a voice. Imagine if you group business tycoons (John Gokongwei and Henry Sy, Sr are both DLS – GSB alumni) and budding entrepreneurs, from captains of the industry to top CEOs of major corporations to middle managers that execute top management’s decisions on the frontline, what would we have? Can anyone imagine the % of the Philippine economy that we contribute? Can anyone imagine how much say we have? Can anyone imagine how much we could do?” Until now, these words of mine seemed “tall” and though I believed in them, I never actually embraced it fully. Now, I discovered something thanks to a friend of mine and it is to her credit that I’m wearing my new role on my sleeves.

P.S. Thanks Jocelyn Tan for helping me “see”. Sometimes, a person inside can’t see where they are and it is the people outside that could tell that person inside where they really are.

NOTE: Calling all GSB alumni (graduates as well as people who attended GSB for 1 year) to please join and actively support the newly organized DLSAA – GSB. For foreign based alumni, please spearhead the formation of a DLSAA – GSB local chapters in your host country. I and my colleagues at the board would greatly appreciate your effort and would like to warmly welcome you into our ranks. “ )