‘PANASONIC products make life easier. But the best products you have been giving to the Philippine society are these young people who, if not for your sacrifice to part away with a portion of your earnings to help them learn a trade and engage in productive activity for the Philippine economy to progress, would just flood the street and become potential risks to peace and order in our land,” Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC)-Mandaluyong Vice Rector Fr. Demetrio Carmona said in his opening message during the recent presentation of the 2017 Panasonic scholarship grants to 11 students of DBTC.
Panasonic Corp. (Japan), through the Panasonic Group (Philippines),h as been investing in young people through education in line with the company’s commitment to contribute in pursuing a better life and realizing a better world. For half a century now, Panasonic has been sponsoring the educational needs of the less privileged but deserving students both for academe and the tech-voc courses. Talented skilled students receive further training in Japan and, eventually, employment either in Panasonic Japan or the Philippines.
Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corporation (PMPC) President and Panasonic Scholarship (Philippines) Chairman Shinichi Hayashi thanked the various individuals and groups, who continued to support in promoting the very objective of the Panasonic Scholarship Program and in ensuring that all the business activities of Panasonic in the Philippines are appropriate for its basic concept that ”a company is a public entity of society”.
“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Panasonic operation in the Philippines this year, and the upcoming 100th anniversary of our Panasonic Corp. next year, I thank you for your continued support and cooperation in all our programs and activities aimed at contributing to society. I hope that by offering opportunities like this, we can spell out clearly our commitment to provide a healthy upbringing to our younger generation, who will be responsible for the future of our planet, by giving them the chance to make the most of their individual abilities to contribute also in pursuing a better life and realizing a better world,” Hayashi said.
Six of the 11 recipients are from: DBTC-Makati (John Ranulfe Barile, Joseph Bautista, Aris Casilan, Rolando Navarette, Jeffrey Padilla and Bernardo Ramos); three from DBTC-Mandaluyong (Reynan Baltero, Diether Dare Diaz, and Arven James Labayan); and two from DBTC-Canlubang (Michael Dalanon and Engelbert Perez). All the scholars will be pursuing a 15-month tech-voc training certificate course consisting of a 10-month “in-center” training and fivr-month supervised “in-plant” training. They were chosen after passing a series of screening activities.
Panasonic Corp.’s CSR and Citizenship Department Manager Haruhisa Okuda underscored that the scholarship program is one of the expressions of gratitude of Panasonic Corp. to the continuing support of society to the company:
“As a public entity of society, Panasonic operates for the improvement of social life and the development of world culture, not only in doing its business but also in its corporate citizenship activities. And this Panasonic scholarship is one aspect of our efforts to develop human resources by supporting those who really want to study,” he said.
Panasonic Corp. funds the localized Panasonic Scholarship programs in the Asian region. In the Philippines, the scholarship program, offered to undergraduate and vocational students, is administered by PMPC with the support of Panasonic Precision Devices Philippines Corp. (PPRDPH).
The certificates of scholarship were presented to the recipients by Hayashi; PPRDPH president Koji Ipposhi; Carmona; PMPC assistant directors Marlon Molano and Robert Pacheco; PPRDPH assistant director Mary Ann Diaz; PMPC business division head Harry Sarmiento; DBTC-Makati TVET director Fr. Jose Dindo Vitug; and DBTC-Canlubang TVET director Fr. Jeffrey Mangubat.