September 30, 2007

Dear Loved Ones,

Pleasant Greetings to everyone! Thank God for the gift of Life – Good Health, Peace, simple Joys and Love, among others! Thanks for all the Birthday greetings sent my way! Happy Birthday and Best Wishes too for my daughter Sarah – Sept. 7!

Anniversaries! Congratulations to our Manila office staff, officers and crew of Fairview Shipping (FSC – engaged in international crewing) on its 10th anniversary! The original license was issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Admin. (POEA), dated on Sept. 20, 1997 (my birthday - just coincidental), after processing/following on it for almost 3 months. Our other company, Fairview Marine Transport Corp. (FMTC – engaged in domestic shipping) is also marking its 5th anniversary this month. FMTC’s ship management contract with CalEnergy Water and Energy Comp. in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, was renewed for another 2 years with a 10% increase in the contract price – which means job security for our employees. The increase will be passed on to our employees’ additional benefits. Great work and compliments to our hard-working staff, especially to my husband Gerry! It also helped that my doctoral dissertation is ‘Benchmarking Competencies of Filipino Sea-based Workers – Towards Global Competitiveness’, where I graduated Summa Cum Laude. With such blessings in Pinas, it is the reason my husband does not need to stay here in America.

On Sept. 8, Gerry was sponsor at the wedding of our office staff Relly. Next to marry will be Joya (former staff who is now based in Singapore) whose boyfriend is a seaman she met at our office – recommended by Dr. De Lara. Hopefully, next in line is my loyal assistant Jessica, whose boyfriend she also met at our office, is a Chief Officer from Bohol. I would like to commend the services of Jessica who joined us after graduation with Accounting degree from PUP in 1998. With our training and guidance, and being a fast learner herself, she acquired the knowledge, skills and proper attitude over the years, to supervise the daily operations of the business, great work Jessica! With good social skills and needed competencies, Jessica and our office staff (including Agnes Robles – a former colleague at NPC, a social worker) are able to network effectively with agencies (POEA, MARINA, City Hall, SEC, BIR, Banks, Insurance and other entities) to enable our companies operate smoothly. With global communications, I am still on top of company operations. After 2 years in America, I am on the right track of my goals – to enjoy the best of both worlds!

Policy of Sharing! Aside from applying and utilizing effective/ efficient modern Management techniques and tools, such as TQM, ISO and compliance to all statutory standards, we adopted the policy of sharing the fruits of the business with our employees. At peak of business (1998 – 2003), we gave as much as 6 month’s salary annual extra bonuses (anniversary, mid-year, Christmas, New Year, birthday (Gerry and mine) to our staff, in addition to 13th month bonus. That is why Gerry is known as ‘Sir Bonus’. Likewise, we give free lunch to our staff as we all eat together at our office dining table, as additional incentive. We took the ‘bonus’ style of E. Cojuangco Group of Comp. where Gerry used to work at Filsov Shipping, and the ‘free lunch’ is our own sharing from the heart.

I would like to recall about my 1st business investor. In 1997, when I was on the verge of retirement from NAPOCOR(after 20 years service), my last assignment was as Construction Manager stationed at the Meralco Balintawak Subststation, working on the 230 KV Power Transmission Project, running from Sucat, Araneta to Balintawak, with ABB Power, Siemens and MIESCOR as contractors/suppliers. I managed to network well with these guys and MERALCO staff, so that when they learned of my retirement, they encouraged me to put up my own contracting company, thus the birth of SAFE Construction, my 1st entrepreneurial venture. In a way, instead of retiring/resting, I got my 2nd wind being busy putting up those tall electric posts along south superhighway up to Quirino/Araneta Aves. The MERALCO manager (he is now a MERALCO Vice-President, also a UST alumni) readily entrusted to me his money as investment, which inspired and moved me to work hard and succeed, with God’s Blessings, my philosophy - Pray Hard and Work Hard! Over the years, I gave him 40% ROI of the initial amount annually, or 400% return for 10 years, and hope to continue doing so. Moreover, we exchange corporate give-aways during Christmastime. Thus, I have used this yearly MERALCO book-diary, even as I am in America. Along the way, our families have become very close; he helped some of our fiends having problems with MERALCO.

Our companies’ philosophy is derived from its name Fairview – Fair Deals to its Customers – Principals / Clients, Employees / Crew; and Sincerity in our Hearts!

Much thanks to Benjie Saldua (UST, CE ’69) for recommending to me the use of "blogspot" 2 years ago! Now I am on the 25th month of my journal - running on 3rd year.

Photos attached are: 1) at lunch with our office staff; 2) my apo MAX Gerardo-Byrnes at 4 yrs old (he turned 5 last July 3; 3) at our home park. Thanks for God’s Graces! Let us continue to pray for our country and people - Peace and Joy to You. God Bless us all!!!

Much love and Best Regards!!!
SUSAN BG