Planning the year ahead: GPS 2009

The Global Planning Seminar, also known as GPS, is a yearly activity at Kapuluan Study Center. It is held before the start of the academic year. The seminar provides the students with an overview of activities and opportunities at the Kapuluan Study center.

Last June 6, 2009, the staff of the Center, together with university students, conducted the Global Planning Seminar in Kapuluan.

The seminar started with a talk given by Mr. Oliver Tuazon, the director of the Center, discussing the activities for academic year 2009- 2010, highlighting the goals for the upcoming year.

After Oliver's talk, Mr. Karlo Tablizo, the vice-director of the Center, discussed the thrusts, traditional means and activities at the Center. He enumerated ten traditions and these were: catechism, basic course/ circle/ catholic doctrine class, recollection, retreat, visit to the poor/ sick, meditation, spiritual direction, seminars, cooperators, and collection for the visits. He also gave emphasis on inviting new friends who could come to receive the formation.

Next to speak was Mr. Iki Umali, Chairman of Universitas, who discussed the activities to be organized by Universitas. Some of these activities are: the University Expectations Seminar, Leading Leaders, UNIV, Campus Reach-out, and work camps. He also assigned heads for the different committees under Universitas. The heads of the committees are: Kurt Espinosa for the Scholarship Arm, Mark Goroy for the Leadership Arm, Clarwin Castro for the Service Arm and Alfred Cruz for the FEAD and Fresh committee.

The fellows were also designated to the different committees for them to help in organizing and managing the activities of Universitas and of the Center. After Iki, Alfred, the secretary of the Center, gave the job assignments to the regular fellows of the Center. These assignments were the little things that can be done by the fellows to maintain the order and cleanliness of the Center. The assigned jobs were minor things that would greatly help the Center but would not be majorly bothersome for the fellows.

The Center prepared a sumptuous meal, for a minor price, for all the guys who attended the GPS.

As for the afternoon activity, Mr. Joey Cuisia, former governor of Bangko Sentral and now CEO of Philamlife, gave a talk on corporate management as part of Kapuluan's "Informal Conversations."

Mr. Cuisia detailed in a fine manner some of the inner workings of Banko Central, and gave an insight in his stint in the corporate world while providing indispensable information about proper corporate management. Mr. Cuisia shared a lot of his experiences and insights to the group and this conversation with him was a great way to end the GPS for 2009.

The second day of the GPS was intended for the excursion. The fellows who joined the excursion had a grand time at Pampanga, in Engr. Briones' farm. The guys who went there were Alfred Cruz, Karlo Tablizo, Kurt Espinosa, Coco Avena, Manu del Rosario, and myself. They left Kapuluan in the morning for the excursion which was highlighted by a 3 on 3 basketball game between the participants. They headed home after and arrived just before sunset. Although there were only few people who joined the excursion, it was a nice way to relax before the semester starts.

-Nori Reyes