TED holds IME seminar workshop

PWC administrators, TED program chairs, faculty, and students attended the I’M E seminar workshop held last September 28-30, 2019 at Eden Nature Park and Resort, Toril, Davao City. 

The 3-day activity was an initiative of the Center for Innovation and Social Ventures with the objective to understand the passion behind PWC’s institutional creative entrepreneurship direction. This was done in preparation for the implementation of 2 mandatory Institutional Management Enterprise (IME) courses next year.

IME is designed to provide student entrepreneurs a full circle ideation and business incubation platform to conceptualize, contextualize, develop, produce, and market their products, services, and ideas. Supported by the Commission on Higher Education Institutional Development and Innovation Grant, the seminar workshop enabled program chairs and student representatives to create and present program-specific heritage-based IME Project Design directed towards developing social innovation. 

Day One

The participants immersed into their working environment by getting to know each other, exploring the venue, and engaging in a teambuilding session facilitated by professional coach Mr. Sisoy Kintanar. CISV head Emi Englis gave the opening remarks and orientation, laying out the objectives and significance of the activity.

BS Psychology program chair Jerson John Trocio opened the evening talks with his discussion on entrepreneurial psychology.

Participants of the #SDGs WeCAN Research Colloquium namely Wilfred Dexter Tañedo (Head, Center for Professional and Career Development), Dr. Mercedita R. Japay (Research Director), and BFA Painting student Raffael David Westram each shared their experiences and insights from the bootcamp held at De La Salle University last September 2019.

Fine Arts professors Wilfred Tañedo and Mai Ongkiko further delivered a talk on their endeavor with ArtEx and BS Food Technology program chair Ma. Cristina Ramos discussed inclusive innovation. 

The second day was enriched with learning from the industry, as notable personalities from different fields graciously extended their knowledge and experiences to the participants. Prof. Eric B. Zerrudo, Director of the UST Graduate School Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and the Environment, jumpstarted the day with his talk on heritage-driven development. He stressed on the value of heritage and conservation, cited his experiences on heritage mapping, and urged the audience to adopt a viewpoint to put heritage in the middle of development.

Rodel E. Hilado, head of Municipal Tourism Development and Promotion Unit of the T’boli in South Cotabato presented sustainable, community-based tourism as a means to alleviate poverty. He expressed advocacy for eco-cultural tourism immersion vis-a-vis cultural understanding.

CEO of social enterprise Coffee for Peace Felicita Pantoja shared how coffee inspired her to create, transforming the casual act of having coffee as a vehicle for peace. Beyond the ultimate peacebuilding vision, her business is also known to have empowered farmers in the process.

Malagos Farmhouse founder Olive Puentespina inspired the audience with her cheesemaking journey as she shared its beginnings and the ventures she took to cultivate and improve on her craft.

CEO of Swito Innovation Hub Gloryrose M. Dy advocated appreciation for local art and culture through play with her introduction of the Balay-Balay 3D Architecture Puzzle in the form of the Maranao’s Torogan.

Last to take the stage was Thomas Secuya, founder and CEO of digital marketing agency Carve. He shared his personal journey towards establishing the business, helping clients build identity through branding, and rebranding the Philippines as a digital country.

Day Three

The last day witnessed a discussion on IME branding, concerns regarding the implementation process, and finally the drafting and presentation of program-specific project proposals, which served as the main output of the 3-day workshop. VP for Institutional Development and Academics Vicente Pijano III along with administrators and center heads then went on a gallery tour to critique the proposals.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Pijano shared his vision for PWC to be a top college in Davao in terms of producing graduates who are capable of collaboration as the unique brand of Philwomenian education.  He further added that whatever graduates do should have a social dimension and acknowledged the multidisciplinary nature of different industries, posing a challenge for new graduates to rise as generalists. 

The activity only launches PWC’s paramount step in enriching its programs towards a development direction centered on cultural preservation and empowerment of local communities. Although unique in their respective areas and target social aspects, the Tertiary Education Unit hopes to consolidate the different IME projects in one comprehensive course of action—a promising venture towards delivering the brand of education PWC aspires to achieve. [Click here to learn about the PWC college programs.]

RCM