XiJEN College

Tech Talk
by Joel T. Fagsao

After almost 6 months of not traveling out of Bontoc, I dusted my reliable leather overnight bag and hopped into the Cable Tours bus bound for Manila. I was to attend the awarding ceremonies of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s Kabalikat Awards. As founding person of Xijen Institute of Technology, now Xijen College of Mountain Province, I was to be there for the event which coincided with the 16^th founding anniversary of TESDA. I dragged my brother Jonelle Fagsao to tag along so as to keep me company. My brother kayong- Dr. Tony Quirino was there too as we drove to TESDA Women’s Center in Taguig City. A stickler for promptness, Kayong Tony arrived early and we were there quarter to 9 in the morning. I wanted to be seated in the “guest” section but the ushers separated me from my group- as I was led to a table to join other regional winners. Xijen College was the “Cordillera Autonomous Region’s” (as they always announce during several occasions) winner. I was supposed to be there to receive the regional “trophy” but unknowingly there was more to come. Read the rest of this entry →

Joel T. Fagsao, CEO of Xijen College of Mountain Province, Inc. holds the regional and national tropies in recognition of the school's winning Kabalikat Awards. In photo is erstwhile supporter of Xijen College, Dr. Antonio "Tony" Quirino.

By Christine Macli-ing Oliquiano (TESDA, Mountain Province)

Taguig City.  Xijen College of Mountain Province, Inc. is this year’s national winner for the Kabalikat Awards in the institution category.  The Kabalikat Awards is the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) annual institutional award given in recognition and honor to its outstanding partners in the promotion and enhancement of technical education and skills development.  The award was received by Xijen College CEO, Joel T. Fagsao on the occasion of TESDA’s 16^th founding anniversary at the Tandang Sora Hall, TESDA Women’s Center last August 25, 2010.  Xijen College, already a regional winner in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) bested Region VII’s Provincial Training Center.

The Kabalikat Awards has three categories, Institution, Local Government Unit and Industry.  The Institution includes TESDA partners from the public/private schools, training institutions, training centers that employ best practices in the promotion and enhancement of TVET.  Local government units may be a barangay, municipality/city or provincial unit, office of the Congressman or Senator and other related local government offices which provide exemplary support and cooperation with TESDA while the industry category includes industry associations or individual establishments/firms/companies that adhere to best practices in the promotion and enhancement of TVET.

It was a fitting award for Xijen College, formerly, Xijen Institute of Technology that started as a one room computer training center in Bontoc, Mountain Province in 1992.  The school started with contributions from Fagsao’s wife, Helen who was then working as a domestic helper in Hong Kong and support from parents of Fagsao. The school relentlessly promoted computer literacy programs by establishing computer labs in remote barrio high schools of Mountain Province long before the government equipped schools with computers.  A high school in Bebe, Monanom Sur, Bauko, Immaculate Heart High School in Natonin, Antadao National High School in Sagada, ALBAGO National High School in Balili, Bontoc, Mountain Province General Comprehensive High School and Saint Vincent’s High Shool in Bontoc, Mabaay National High School in Bauko and Sadanga High School, Sadanga were some of the recipients of Xijen’s Computer to the Barrio’s program.  The fees charged to students were subsidized by Xijen College.  In some high schools, Xijen College provided teachers to teach in the computer labs.

Xijen College continues to make inroads in promoting technical vocational programs especially in the field of Information Technology.  The capital town, Bontoc has seen the rise of internet café and business centers either operated by or with Xijen graduates as employees. Graduates have also been employed in call centers as support technicians or in various establishments local and abroad.  Xijen College also started offering degree programs in education, information technology and business.

On the same occasion, the TESDA also awarded Renante K. Cobcobo as national winner in the 2010 Idols ng TESDA.  The Idols ng TESDA award is given in recognition of graduates of technical vocational courses who made it their vocational careers.  Cobcobo, a cosmetology graduate who has roots in Mountain Province is owner of Reynante Cobcobo Salon, a progressive beauty salon with branches in La Trinidad and Bontoc.

The awarding ceremonies were graced by Executive Secretary Atty. Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr., Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, TESDA Director-General. In his speech, Ochoa stressed the importance of a technical-vocational career that helps in narrowing the gap created by a mismatch in career choices of high school graduates over what the industries offer as jobs.

By Joel T. Fagsao

If you are currently working, the thought of leaving your job (your comfort zone) to try earning on your own might not even cross your mind.  In a nation where the mind set is to go to college and earn a living as employees, getting into self-employment is probably the last option.  Majority get into self-employment because there is no choice.  Only a few get an education to help prepare them to manage a business. Read the rest of this entry →

Tech Talk
Joel T. Fagsao

Why did they not think of that?  I was lining up at the ATM booth and observed as the security guard assisted an elderly woman verify if the money booth has something for her.  Grandma cannot read and write and so she puts her full trust in letting the guard enter the PIN number and do the verification.  I do not have any doubts on the trustworthiness of the guard as I have seen our senior citizens being assisted by the guards so many times already.  The thing is, the guard could concentrate more on his primary duty-that of securing the bank if only all bank clients are able to transact alone without assistance.  Alas technology makes it more difficult for the non techie to navigate complicated (to them) transactions that requires at least basic literacy skills.  In India however, it is technology that adjusts to the limitations of their citizens.  In some places in India, ATMs have been designed to accept bio metric scans as a replacement of the PIN.  Instead of entering an ATM card and the PIN number-a press of the thumb on the ATM’s screen (touch screen) is all that is needed to authenticate the transaction.  Then the whole week’s wages is spewed by the machine.  Now why didn’t GSIS, Mega Link’s bright boys do that in the first place? That would have been service placed several notches higher.   Read the rest of this entry →

There’s a famed bar in Manila named “The Library” established in the 80’s but I would prefer to reminisce on the library of my childhood.  I am referring to the Provincial Library in Bontoc- a place to spend time and feed your mind.  The American designed building using similar materials the Provincial Capitol was built on- was an ideal place to read and get lost in another world.  The library, a single wooden, stone and cement structure was under the canopy of ornamental “Fire Trees” and the “Ipil” tree with its signature yellow flowers.  The red roof –the same color of paint on the roof of the Provincial Capitol identifies that it is a government building.  Read the rest of this entry →

Tech Talk
Joel T. Fagsao

Microsoft has upped the ante and remains the office suite queen as it released this month the latest version of its software called Office 2010. Sorry folks, your Office version 2007 has suddenly become history. Similar to car manufacturers who signal the arrival of their latest model based on a particular year, the same is true with software manufacturers. We can just call this, part of a business strategy. There is this pressure of continous improvement over an earlier model because without it, a software company can become a has been in a matter of time. When we talk of an office suite, the key word here is suite. In a hotel, when you stay in a suite, expect complete amenities. The same is true with an office suite that is actually a set of computer applications from word processing, spreadsheets to database and more. Read the rest of this entry →

Tech Talk
Joel T. Fagsao

WordPress is another application that will surely excite those who want to set up a website without necessarily writing code.  I will try to make things in this column as simple as possible for those who do not have a hint of what I am writing about, those who know to use a computer and those who just play Solitaire on the computer.  Writing about information technology is quite a challenge since everyone is not in the same level of understanding when it comes to this topic.  Well, I will just have to try and write about computers and related applications and developments in technologies –since this is the direction we are heading.  Who would have thought that in last month’s election we made history by participating in computerized elections?  Who would have thought that from now on, our retirees must know how to use the ATM machine-to get their pension instead of a check arriving in one’s mail box?  Of course the mobile phone-your new status symbol is proof that most of us have embraced information technology. Read the rest of this entry →

Joel T. Fagsao

There are still a few things we could still squeeze out from what think we already know.  This still holds true for computer applications.  Information technology really continues to evolve.

Alas for those of us who think that the computer training we took about five years ago is okay and believe that there is nothing more to learn are in for a big surpise.  Many things have happened and improved over time.  For a word processing application I started with DOS based Professional Write and also Word Star.  For spreadsheets application Lotus 123 was quite fast.  Then Bill Gate’s company Microsoft started Windows Operating System (Windows 3.1) coupled with a suite of applications from Microsoft Word to Powerpoint.  We had Word 97 then and I have not yet gotten over MS Office 2007, Microsoft is releasing this week MS Office 2010. Read the rest of this entry →

By Joel T. Fagsao

           As you move on to the phases in your career, you are more likely to do a presentation in a meeting, a seminar-workshop, inter-agency gatherings or simply present in public.  The various seminars and workshops I have attended or conducted through the years have helped a lot in honing my presentation skills. I share with you tips to make a better and effective presentation.

Using PowerPoint or Presentation Software:

           Laptops (notebooks) and LCD projectors have become more affordable, enabling organizations to equip office workers with these tools.  If you have a notebook and an LCD projector then you are only about 5% better than the next presenter who uses the black board to do a presentation.   Read the rest of this entry →

By Joel T. Fagsao

Close to an estimated 450,000 college students are expected to receive their diplomas in colleges nationwide.  After the party is over, thousands would pound the streets to search for available jobs.    This is the year in and year out scene that have many of us getting worried.  The fear is that majority of today’s graduates will join the ranks of the unemployed.  At present the call center industry (Business Process Outsourcing) industry is the most aggressive in terms of job recruitment.  Still, the industry can only absorb so much, besides many still lack the necessary skills to make it as a call center agent.  The irony is that the minimum requirement for entry as a call center agent is completion of 72 units or an equivalent of two years in college.  Read the rest of this entry →