It all started when some members of ASPPI XI attended the 9th ASPPI National Convention in Cebu City in August 2008. To the surprise of the convention participants, the hosting of the 10th ASPPI National Convention for 2009 was turned over to ASPPI XI.
A pleasant surprise indeed! As far as ASPPI XI was concerned, the hosting of a national convention seemed a formidable task given the fact that it was only in 2008 that ASPPI XI emerged as an organization. Moreover, most of its members had no experience in organizing such a big event. However, inspite of its perceived inadequacies, ASPPI Davao accepted the honor and the responsibility of being the ASPPI 2009 convention host.
What To Do?
A series of meetings were then held starting January 2009 to make the convention a reality.
Working committees were identified to ensure that responsibilities and accountabilities were established. Eight committees were created with ASPPI Davao President – Claro Landeta of PLDT as the Convention Chair as well as the Hotel accommodation & Physical arrangement chair.
The group then came up with the theme for the convention. It was decided that “Managing Occupational Safety & Health Amidst Economic Challenges” be the central theme of the 2009 convention considering the fact that all business and governments worldwide were faced with the economic crisis.
Where to hold the convention was an issue that the group had to resolve fast, various hotels in the city were requested to submit their business proposals for the event. After much discussion, the organizing committee chose the Apo View Hotel as the venue for the event because of its strategic location and because it bears the name of the highest mountain of the Philippines.
Magic Number - 300
Of course, worry was written on the faces of ASPPI Davao Officers in the early days of 2009. Based on “scientific calculation” for a successful convention, the total number of delegates should reach 300. Some officers were apprehensive, 300 might be an ambitious number given the reality that as a “baby chapter” ASPPI Davao had no funds to speak of. Again, the competence to organize a national convention was an issue. Why not hire an events organizer then?
To resolve these nagging issues, host Davao sought the help of the National Chapter for seed money to start the “convention campaign blitz” which August 300 in mind. To save on cost, all the officers committed to work for convention 2009.
The campaign blitz zeroed in on three announcement schedules using all means of communication. Two secretariat offices were set-up. The first one was in the DOLE XI regional office with Engr. Yolibelle Avinante and the second one was in Clinica Alvarez with Dr. Generoso Alvarez, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee and the Souvenir Program. The Bureau of Working conditions and the DOLE Regional Offices were a big help in the campaign such that as early as March 2009, the host chapter had already received registrants from Luzon and Visayas regions.
Support likewise poured in from various business enterprises in the form of sponsorships in the souvenir program, product exhibits and raffle prizes during the two-day event.
By July, organizing committee met every week for updates on the work program of each committee. A lot of changes in the action plan for the convention took place. The biggest challenge encountered by the Host Chapter was the cancellation of the SMILE Awards a few days before the convention.
D-DAY – 27 August 2009
It was a great day for everyone especially for the host chapter! Convention delegates from all over the country and even from the Middle East literally swarmed to Apo View Hotel, the convention site. The Magic number of 300 swelled to 430 participants, beyond the expectation of ASPPI National and the host chapter. It was truly unprecedented in the history of ASPPI Conventions.
There were many “first” that took place in the Davao Convention of August 2009.
- The Secretary of Labor and Employment graced an ASPPI convention as keynote speaker;
- The convention participants reached more than 400;
- The Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Subregional Office for South East Asia and the Pacific graced an ASPPI event outside the Manila;
- ASPPI has an institutional partner “Coca-Cola Bottlers Phil. Inc. (CCBPI)”
- ASPPI presented to Sec. Roque a joint resolution for the amendment of Proclamation No. 115-A and for the declaration of April 28 as Safety And Health Day for the Philippines
QUO VADIS – ASPPI XI?
On the whole, the 10th ASPPI National Convention was a very enriching experience for everyone:
For the convention delegates, the two-day event gathered safety professionals / experts who shared best practices on safety and health management; an opportunity for touching lives and reaching out to safety advocates coming from all parts of the country;
For ASPPI Davao, the host chapter, lessons on organizational management, customer service and flexibility as well as perseverance and passionate advocacy of their aspirations of safe and healthful workplaces;
Still for the Host Chapter, seed money and tangible assets for the realization of their work programs on OSH such as the SIMLE program and the Kapatiran – WISE/TAV (Big Enterprise/Small Enterprise) – a safety and health CSR program.
Our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made the 10th ASPPI National Convention – a resounding success!
