The AIM Blogger

I'm writing this in the car , as we're going on our way to the province. In the Philippines, November 1 and November 2 are usually celebrated as holidays/holy days. For a lot of Filipinos, these 2 days are the days when people go back to their roots and respective hometowns to honor their dead or our beloved ancestors. This is also one of the times when relatives have their own small reunions with each other, being one of the few days in the year that people really go and spend their time together. To an extent the clan or family is made whole in these 2 days as even those who have departed already are sort of "attending" the reunion as well. This is the first 3-day vacation that I am going to take as an MBA student of a full-time MBA program. While I am looking forward to taking a few days off from the fast-paced school life, I know that our cases, readings, exams, research, and even org activities are not going away any time soon. So I am bringing with me some ...

The Philanthropic Activities Society (PACTs of AIM) is in need of donors and volunteers from the school community for the Blood for Thought event that will be held on Friday, November 6, 2009. We need people to help set up the educational materials and help design the booth for the event. For interested parties please do not hesitate to contact Laurice Cortes Alaan at lalaan.mba2009_b3@student.aim.edu or contact me if you have any ideas to help enhance the event. Also, do invite your friends, and colleagues to visit the campus during the event and donate. Contact Persons: Laurice Alaan lalaan.mba2009_b3@student.aim.edu Francis San Luis fsanluis.mba2010_cohort5@student.aim.edu

The PACTS of AIM (the Philanthropic Activities Society of the Asian Institute of Management) and PLDT are hosting an event that's socially relevant and entertaining at the same time. On Friday, November 6th, the two organizations will launch “BLOOD FOR THOUGHT”—a blood donation awareness campaign that will benefit the Philippine National Red Cross. The campaign will comprise a daylong blood donation center and health education and vendor fair, leading up to an evening outdoor benefit concert, featuring up-and-coming bands from the Manila music scene. All events will take at the Asian Institute of Management ’s Graduate School of Business Campus. Folks who will donate blood on that day will receive free passes to the evening concert, as well as surprise treats. Regular tickets to the concert will cost PhP 100.00. For more information, contact Laurice Cortes Alaan of the PACTS OF AIM at lalaan.mba2009_b3 (at) student.aim.edu

I dropped by the Asian Institute of Management for this year's Diwali celebrations. The show really belonged to the three cohorts (Cohorts 3,4, and 5) plus the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) folks, as the lively numbers and dance party was super fine. I took some pictures from my mobile phone camera: A bit grainy, but I think it captures the fun scenes. Happy Diwali! :D

Next Friday, the Asian Institute of Management celebrates its own version of the Indian DIWALI festival. From my understanding, it is a happy event similar to what happens during Christmas but with meaning more related to Easter. Our friends at school could probably and will most likely be able to give a better description of the festival. Here are some things that I got from a site called Diwalifestival.org : 1. DIWALI is a 5 day celebration of joy and happiness celebrated by people all over the world. Also called the Festival of Lights, the 5 day celebration signifying 5 different ideas or philosophies which will bring enrichment and understanding to the people's lives. 2. Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity's name is derived from the Sanskrit word "laksya" which also means, goal or aim. Fitting that we celebrate this festival for the success, and achievement of goals of everyone. 3. The term lakh , or a hundred thousand as used in the Indian ...

Interested partying for a cause? The Philanthropic Activities Society of AIM (PACTS of AIM) and Happiness Squared, Inc. are organizing a fundraising party for the victims of Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. The event is titled "Project Eternal Sunshine 2009" and it will be on October 24, 2009 at the Asian Insitute of Management campus. Mobster Manila and Collie Herb shall provide the music and beats. Apart from the music and dancing, there will be a bazaar and all you can drink beer. Share of the proceeds shall be donated to the PACTS of AIM and their Food Relief Fund. PACTS of AIM has been very active in helping out the typhoon victims . For more information on tickets, contact Nash (09056669645) or Harsh (09159960608). You may also email squared.happiness@gmail.com.

I recently attended a few meetings of the Philanthropic Activities Society(?) of AIM. They're planning on conducting a Blood Drive and are looking for able and willing volunteers to gather corporate sponsors, actual donors and for various other tasks during the project. While giving out blood is a normal practice already for a lot of countries, it is unfortunate that in the Philippines, this hasn't been that prevalent a practice. Few do it here, and the general public do not know the benefits and other facts about how important it is to have a steady supply of blood. We all know how important blood is. Accident victims need blood, blood is used for surgery, dengue patients need blood. I myself have suffered from Dengue twice(or is it thrice) in my life. The most recent one was just a few days after I filed for resignation in my company. I remember how bad it was. I couldn't taste anything. The food I ate was either bland, or too salty. I remember eating potatoes o...

Haven't really been updating the website lately partly due to the lack of wifi services in my place, partly because of the heavy load of readings, cases and quizzes, but mostly due to lack of drive to write something. Some call it the writer's block(?) I think. Anyway, I've been thinking of getting wifi soon because of the obvious necessity to stay up-to-date and connected with the rest of the campus community(it also makes setting up meetings and CAN sessions easier). Tomorrow I'm going to sign up for a cheap one that will be enough for my stay in Makati. A number of important things have happened last week. While I cannot recall all of them, some things are just worth taking note of: 1. We had an impromptu public speaking session during MC class(MGT COMMUNICATION), out of a random pick of speakers I got to be the one to speak first. I was supposed to be a famous martial arts movie star, who gets invited to an elementary school to persuade kids to eat vegetables. ...

If someone were to ask me what's my favorite city in India, I'd say "Bangalore" without batting an eyelash.  I was there for a summer last year for my internship. So I was glad when AIM alum Fahim Saleem, one of the kind Bangalore folks whom I met there last year, told me that a Bangalore chapter of the AIM Alumni Association of India (AIM AAI) was just launched this month. The launch was ushered in by several rounds of golf at the Karnataka Golf Association club. New officers of the organization were also installed in the event, with my classmate Thomas John elected as part of the executive committee. A news story at the AIM Alumni Portal covers the event in detail. I hope I could drop by Bangalore again and feel the great weather there. :)

AIM students, led by the Philanthropic Activities Society of AIM (PACTS of AIM), have been leading relief operations for days now since the Typhoon Ondoy hit Metro Manila last September 26, 2009. Relief efforts have been focused on repacking donations to proper relief packages. Also, PACTS of AIM has been the interface of the AIM community in receiving cash and in-kind donations and forwarding them to the other relief efforts in the city. Props to the AIM students who have stepped up in this moment of crisis-- you have proved that there will be future managers and business leaders who will rise to the occasion when needed. :D Here are some more pics: The photos are taken from the PACTS of AIM Facebook Page .