This is the theme of the MAP for 2012 and our battlecry for all of the activities of our organization this year.
Through this theme, we will encourage progress on issues and programs where urgently needed action has not been done. We will bring to the fore the critical need for political will, with greater accountability and transparency, to do what is right and important in moving our country forward.
While we support the “daang matuwid” policy, we do not want our growth momentum to slow down. We will support the government’s efforts to hasten projects and get more things done. And MAP will help in executing some projects and initiatives. Integrity is key but focus should be on management execution.
MAP shall focus and also be more selective on what MAP will comment on. MAP should not comment on everything the government does.
Focusing will enable us also to re-think MAP’s role and MAP should not be all over the place.
MAP should avoid commenting on political affairs and focus on management-related projects, governance and initiatives. MAP could be the sounding board of the government for management-related issues.
We will be implementing a mechanism, particularly during the monthly general membership meetings, that will allow us to generate the general sentiment of the membership on what they want out of our organization including their view of MAP’s role in national issues.
We intend to strengthen MAP’s external communications by maximizing our communications with outside parties but focus on the management angle, with patriotism, integrity and nationhood as supporting themes.
There are three key words in our MAP theme for 2012: namely, execution, integrity and progress.
My inaugural address will focus on these three words that are very important in pursuing MAP’s mission of promoting management excellence and helping uplift the standards of the practice of management in the country.
Execution
Many projects have been started and planned in previous years and all we need to do is conduct proper execution, with renewed vigor, to maximize the benefits not just for MAP but most importantly for the intended beneficiaries.
We will continue pursuing MAP’s mission of promoting management excellence through sharing of best management practices; educational activities that enhance the knowledge and skills of management practitioners and educators; training and development programs that produce professional managers; networking and building alliances for exploring and sharing business opportunities; and advocacy for reforms that help shape a brighter future for the Philippines.
Our activities this year will abide by MAP’s 3 pillars—member benefits, advocates and programs for management excellence.
First, on member benefits, we intend to increase and enhance benefits to our members by inviting knowledgeable speakers who can inform us on important and current issues during our monthly general membership meetings and management development fora.
We also intend to introduce improved networking opportunities that will enable our members to get to know and interact with one another better.
We will continue looking for deserving and qualified new members to boost our current roster until we increase our total membership by 15 percent from 790 in 2011 to 900 in 2012.
For international networking, MAP will continue to be a member of AAMO, the Asian Association of Management Organizations, which is the association of management organizations in the Asia Pacific.
Second, we will do advocacies for management excellence, particularly those relating to climate change and sustainable development, good governance, corporate social responsibility or CSR, agribusiness and countryside development, among others.
Third, we will conduct programs that will allow us to share our talent, as managers, as our contribution in order that we may share in nation building and the improvement of our economy.
MAP members will continue to have various channels to share their knowledge and expertise and to learn from their fellow MAP members.
These channels include our MAP Executive Academy, our Speakers Bureau, our “MAPping the Future” column every Monday in the Inquirer, our “MAP Insights” column every Tuesday in Businessworld, our 10th MAP International CEO Conference slated for 11 September 2012, our annual search for “MAP Management Man of the Year,” among others.
The increase from P20,000 to P22,500 in the early-bird rate for the 2012 annual fues will enable us to infuse at least P1,000,000 as seed money for the MAP Research and Development Foundation which we are reactivating this year to serve as the CSR arm of MAP.
This is on the assumption that all 550 regular members will pay their annual dues on time. I suggest you avail of the early payment discount.
The MAP Research and Development Foundation was incorporated in 1983 to support and conduct programs, projects and studies geared toward research, development and improvement in the various fields of management science and other related sciences or fields of endeavor. It will handle several major programs.
The big challenge ahead of us is to enable our committee chairs and vice chairs to execute and focus on our organization’s top priorities this year.
It will certainly take incredible discipline to execute what we want, with the necessary excellence and speed.
Integrity
The 2012 theme is in line with last year’s theme of “MAPping a Culture of Integrity.”
MAP will continue supporting the Integrity Initiative which aims to promote integrity and accountability in business.
We will continuously urge our members to expressly commit to ethical business practices and good corporate governance through the Integrity Pledge.
We will continue calling on MAP members to steadfastly adhere to the highest ethical standards, and good governance principles, while courageously confronting the growing complexity of managing businesses in an ever challenging environment.
MAP members must lead by example in the fight against corruption by managing business ethically and with integrity, paying the right taxes, taking care of their stakeholders and the environment, not tolerating bribery, among others.
Progress
The bigger challenge for MAP, and for all of us gathered here today, is to ensure that MAP, as an organization, and MAP members, as responsible citizens, significantly contribute to the improvement of our economy and the progress of our country.
We should all help the government focus and concentrate on specific areas we believe are vital to effecting positive reforms in our society and the economy.
Focusing will allow the government to easily measure the impact of its programs, and assess what still needs to be done, what needs to be changed, and what needs to be sustained.
The MAP, through our national competitiveness committee, will continue pushing the following five key actions that will bring early wins to enhance the global competitiveness of the Philippines, with MAP members and other business experts working with relevant government champions.
The National Competitiveness Council, of which we are part of, should continue its efforts in improving the professionalism of government agencies because dealing with professionalized government agencies will certainly help decrease the cost of doing business in the Philippines.
We are pushing for the establishment of a National Branding Council which will be composed of representatives of key government agencies, private sector and civil society, and will be tasked to establish a compelling Philippine brand that will positively position the Philippines in terms of investment, tourism, export capabilities, credit worthiness, and international diplomacy and relations.
“It’s more fun in the Philippines” is intended only for tourism.
To help the board and to enable the MAP to work with the appropriate government agencies in pushing for progress in the economy and the country, we have converted some of last year’s task forces into special committees.
We now have special committees that will tackle vital issues relating to education, energy, health, ICT, land use and urban development, legislation, national competitiveness, PPP or Public-Private Partnership, tax and tourism.
MAP will be identifying industry experts/champions among MAP members who can serve as MAP’s resource persons in addressing specific issues not covered by the standing and special committees.
I call upon each and every MAP member to please support your board’s efforts and participate in the various activities of the MAP this year.
If we all put all our time, talent and treasure to the task, we will go a long way in doing “Execution with Integrity for Progress.”
(This was lifted from the inaugural address of the author as president of the Management Association of the Philippines for 2012. Francisco is the president and CEO of BDO Capital and Investment Corp. Feedback at map@globelines.com.ph. For previous articles, visit <map.org.ph>.)