PMAP High Flyers Video Making Contest

The High Flyers Campaign official endorser Dingdong Dantes with members of the Academe-Industry Committee of the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) led by Director-in-Charge Ana Marie S. Bongato, FPM (third from right) and Chairperson Vicente U. Kilayko (extreme right).

The People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) is a fifty year old national association of top HR practitioners in the country. With about 1,800 member companies, PMAP helps institutions mold an enlightened, competent, socially responsible and influential sector of people managers who can effectively participate in nation-building.

Part of PMAP’s thrust is to work closely with academe to ensure the availability of talent for the current and future requirements of industry. For this purpose, the Academe-Industry Committee has been working with the Coordinating Council of Private Education Associations (CoCoPEA) and a Memorandum of Agreement has been signed.

Fact: 400,000 college students graduate in the Philippines every year. In a 2006 survey of PMAP member companies, it showed that 40% of applicants fail in their job interviews and most of these fresh graduates. Moreover, most of them fail not because of lack of technical skills but rather, they lack key behavioral competencies necessary to perform in typical office situations. The top three behavioral competencies were: Initiative, Communication Skills , and Critical Thinking.

In 2009, PMAP, through its Academe Industry Committee, has therefore invested in an audio visual presentation (AVP) entitled “Book Smart is Not Enough” to highlight these key skills. The objective is to create a desire among students to develop these behavioral skills. PMAP also wants to make sure that the message is positively received by the students. The target group are incoming first year college students because PMAP believes they, compared to upperclassmen, will have enough time to develop these skills. The format is adapted to the mindset of a typical youth where comedy is used to increase retention and creative use of copy to incite action. The AVP has been successfully distributed and shown in various universities and colleges.

For this year, PMAP created the “High Flyers Campaign” video-making contest which aims to continue the campaign and reach the youth more effectively through an interactive activity, where they will not only participate and exhibit the three (3) behavioral competencies but gain a much coveted reward in the end. The term High Flyers is a metaphor for the kind of youth that we believe to be winners, not just for the contest but for the rest of their lives, since they are more assured of jobs and a secure future.

To create a high level of awareness, PMAP has partnered with Dingdong Dantes as the campaigns’ official endorser. The young actor along with PMAP Director Ana Marie Bongato and Academe-Industry Committee Chair Binky Kilayko formally launched the contest at Hotel Intercon, Makati City last November 24, 2010.

Dantes explained the importance of developing the three (3) behavioral competencies and also invite students to join the PMAP and SEAIR Search for the High Flyers. The contest is open to students 16-21 years of age and it will run from November 25, 2010 until February 28, 2011. Grand prizes include trips to Boracay and Singapore. To view the contest mechanic and download the registration form, please search “PMAP High Flyers” via Facebook and “like” the fanpage to get access to the files.