Photo shows Chancellor Melinda Bandalaria (center) receiving the donation from Mr. Alvin Laxa (left) and Mr. Alnard Pagulayan (right).
The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) through the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod has been declared as one of the beneficiaries of the “You on the Rise” campaign organized by Concentrix Philippines. A turnover ceremony for the cash donation amounting to P415,950.00 from Concentrix Philippines to UPOU Ugnayan ng Pahinungod was conducted on 19 November 2021 at Pook Ugnayan of the UPOU Community Hub.
The event was attended by Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, UPOU Chancellor; Ms. Rhonna Marie R. Vereña, former UPOU Pahinungod Director and current UPOU Pahinungod Program Development Associate; Ms. Luisa A. Gelisan, Director of the UPOU Multimedia Center; Ms. Jestine Crhistia Gatdula, representative from Ugnayan ng Pahinungod UPOU; Mr. Alvin Laxa and Mr. Alnard Pagulayan, representatives from Concentrix Philippines’ Leadership and Management Team; and Mr. Randy Vitales, Mr. Jerome Say, Mr. Apollo Jon Trinidad, and Mr. Jesse Dimacali, representatives from Concentrix Philippines’ Marketing Team.
Photo shows (from left to right) Ms. Luisa Gelisan, Mr. Alvin Laxa, Mr. Randy Vitales, Mr. Alnard Pagulayan, Ms. Rhonna Marie Vereña, Chancellor Melinda Bandalaria, and Ms. Jestine Crhistia Gatdula attending the turnover ceremony.
According to Mr. Pagulayan, the campaign, which aims to award cash donations to organizations that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), is part of Concentrix Philippines’ core thrust and social commitment. He shared that UPOU Ugnayan ng Pahinungod has been selected for its work with lumad communities in Mindanao. He added that, through the donation, the largest private employer in the Philippines also hopes to support the Bridge Programs for Math and English for Grades 10-12 indigenous students, as well as to fund the connectivity, gadget, and other logistical needs of the organization.
Concentrix Philippines is one of UPOU’s partner organizations as formalized during the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement/Understanding on the University’s 25th Anniversary on 20 February 2020. The leading global provider of customer experience (CX) solutions and technology has also been working closely with UPOU Ugnayan ng Pahinungod for over a year now.
UPOU Ugnayan ng Pahinungod and Concentrix Philippines have co-developed a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) titled “Introductory Course on Contact Center Services (ICCCS),” which focuses on developing the learners’ online communication skills as well as training them to handle ICT-enabled and contact services-related jobs. The course was piloted on 15 March 2021, with women groups from rural areas as trainees, and fully launched on 1 May 2021. Having its third offering from 13 September to 8 October 2021, ICCCS is still ongoing and well supported by both organizations.
Written by Jaime Guimbao
Edited by Joane V. Serrano and Anna Cañas-Llamas
Photos by Christian Guevarra
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